A family was ordered to remove a six-foot cross they displayed in front of their home because the homeowners association doesn’t believe it is an appropriate Christmas decoration.
The incident takes place in Raleigh, North Carolina, where a family living in the Mulberry Park neighborhood was threatened with fines for displaying a wooden cross ahead of the festive season.
In a letter from the Community Manager, the family was reportedly told to remove the cross they displayed on their property or face $100 per day in fines.
As the affected homeowners, James and Dee Faison, explained, there were no problems with the cross when they first displayed it ahead of the Easter celebration this year.
Now, however, the board suggested that the cross is not an appropriate Christmas decoration and should therefore be removed.
“Violation: wooded cross structure. The Board does not consider this a Christmas decoration, but an Easter/ Passover seasonal decoration,” the letter sent to the family by the community manager read.
Under the ‘action required’ section, the board went on to demand the family removes the cross prior to the next inspection of the property or face “fines of up to $100 per day, per violation.”
As the family explained in an interview with CBN News, they believe the order “was an attack on our religious freedom.”
In another message sent by the homeowners association, the officials doubled down on their claims that the cross is not an appropriate Christmas decoration.
“The cross represents the death of Jesus Christ who died for our sins so we can have eternal life. The Christmas season is associated with the birth of the Savior,” they wrote.
“The Board believes that the Bible is very clear on the distinction between these two major events in Christ’s life on earth.
“The cross is appropriate for display during the Easter season, but not as a decoration during the Christmas season.
“Unless biblical references can be provided noting the cross as a symbol of the Christmas season for the board to reconsider, the cross is not considered to be a Christmas decoration.”
After the allegations, the family hit back at the board and provided them with proof that the cross has links to Christmas in the Bible.
“We believe that the cross is symbolic of hope, salvation and deliverance and it’s so important we have this cross up for Christmas time,” James told ABC 11 earlier this month.
Once the family’s story went viral, the HOA finally realized they were in the wrong and decided to change their mind to permit the family’s Christmas display.
“Mr. Faison was never fined. Mr. Faison already has a three-foot-tall cross on permanent display at the front of his home which was never in dispute,” an official insisted in an interview with CBN News.
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Replaced!