A homeowners association in Idaho disapproved a resident's luxurious Christmas display, citing that it will be a nuisance to the quiet village and offensive for non-Christians.
Every Christmas season, Jeremy Morris of Hayden, Idaho, decorates his house with tens of thousands of lights, a 22-voice choir, a Living Nativity and a camel named Dolly.
However, the West Hayden Estates Homeowners Association does not share Morris' interest.
Morris purchased a house in West Hayden Estates last year.
To install all of the lights and decorations on his house, Morris takes three months to prepare the reindeer and other holiday accessories.
According to the letter from Homeowners Association, they were upset about the religious nature of Morris' display. It also says that the display may be offensive to non-Christian residents living in the neighborhood.
"I am somewhat hesitant in bringing up the fact that some of our residents are non-Christians or of another faith, and I don't even want to think about the problems that could bring up," the letter stated.
Lawyer Scott Poorman sent another letter on Oct.26 that says Morris should remove the offensive display or face a lawsuit.
He stressed that loud music, Christmas lights, and the choir would disturb other residents who want to have a peaceful evening. He described that Morris' house is "not an appropriate location" for Christmas display.
Furthermore, the association took issue with Dolly the Camel. They said the camel was not an ordinary house pet to be kept in the residential area.
For Morris, he said the real agenda of the letter is to attack Christians. "This is about hostility towards people of faith," he stated in a statement.
He also notes that the Christmas display aims to raise money for the families of cancer patients and provide funds to a local organization that serves as a shelter for homeless children.
Morris stated that he has the right to put up the display in his house.
"I live in the United States," he stressed. "I live in the state of Idaho - where we are supposed to still have some religious freedom."
According to the survey conducted by Pew Research Center, 70.6 percent of Americans are Christian. In their study of the religious composition of adults in Idaho, 67 percent admitted that they are Christians.
The researcher center pointed out that nine out of ten Americans say they celebrate Christmas.
