ELLWOOD CITY — A Western Pennsylvania borough is considering a lottery system to solve objections from an atheist group over a Nativity scene that has been erected annually on borough property for decades.

A newspaper reports Tuesday that Ellwood City’s borough council has given preliminary approval to a lottery that would let anyone enter a contest to erect a holiday display.

The winner would then put up any kind of holiday display they wished, which, borough officials believe, would prevent the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation from objecting the borough had “endorsed” a particular religion.

Critics of the idea say the borough had better be prepared if someone wins the contest who doesn’t wish to erect a Nativity.

The borough about 35 miles northwest of Pittsburgh added secular symbols after the Wisconsin group complained last year.