I didn't see anybody throwing a hissy-fit then...
The content of the display is important. These people are setting up, in the article's words, the following for children and families on a children's holiday:
One of the main exhibits [...] a miniature church, a miniature mosque and symbols from other religions [...] separated from a miniature White House, Statue of Liberty and US Capitol by a model wall – a stark reminder of the separation of church and state
On Christmas, our young under 10 children must be reminded of someone's political agenda one way or the other. Something the article describes as 'stark' sounds just great for a children's holiday.
They go on with:
a large pine “reason tree” will be decked with messages promoting free opinion and scientific and philosophical thought.
Bells, ornaments, tinsel? No, political messages.
Other exhibits will include a seasonal scene of a snowy model village and the “happy humanist”, a large cutout in the shape of a person with a quote from Thomas Paine.
I think we can stop here. Santa is in no way religious or associated with the church. They have no interest in celebrating the holiday with a political protest message on every corner of it.
Now, let's get back to what you were saying.
All the more reason why there shouldn't be displays in the capitol building to begin with, which is exactly what these secular organizations wanted originally.
They aren't at all subtle about it with many different attempts to do it. If you want to have holiday displays, you have to include horned statue depictions of Satan, lakes of fire, and similar! Except secular families taking their children to see Christmas lights and displays may not want their children exposed to that imagery.
If they don't like it, they'll make it as uncomfortable as possible for everyone else until they stop. That doesn't sound very festive. That sounds like someone trying to bully their views onto everyone else.
Yes, it was intentional. So what?
Simply put: Christmas is a children's holiday that is not a platform for political protest messages. It is for children and families to enjoy together. We have 50 weeks per year of unending political rancor. It isn't too much to ask to give it a rest. At best, the message will reach sympathetic ears. At worst, they are driving a wedge between them and those that aren't against their message like me.
Finally, the idea that a display goes up without some message is fantasy. Of course that happens. With that said, they are appropriate to the season, aren't inherently political, and do not advocate for a specific political position. That might be different if the nativity scene had a baby with Ted Cruz's face. Apart from that, not so political.
The only reason this is being discussed is because the Christian group is pretending they are martyrs. They are not.
No, they are the one group worse than those pushing the political message on Christmas. That doesn't mean I excuse the other group. They are just both guilty of different things.