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Christmas censors
townhall.com ^ | 12/13/04 | John Leo

Posted on 12/12/2004 11:36:45 PM PST by kattracks

The annual assault on Christmas comes in many forms. First, there is the barrage of litigation by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is reliably offended by almost any representation of Christianity in the public square. Small towns, facing the prospect of expensive litigation over religious displays on public property, often cave in simply out of fear. Part of the intimidation is that if the towns lose, they must pay the legal fees of the ACLU. But now religious-liberties legal groups provide attorneys to stand up to the ACLU. The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund won in federal court last month in a suit filed by the ACLU against the city of Cranston, R.I. Cranston allows religious and secular displays of all kinds on the front lawn of City Hall.The ACLU argued that this was a church-state violation, but U.S. District Judge William Smith ruled that nothing in the evidence “reveals or even remotely supports an inference that a religious purpose was behind the creation of the limited public forum.”

Another standard anti-Christmas maneuver is to argue that all references to Christmas in public schools are suspect, while references to Hanukkah or Kwanzaa, for whatever reason, are not. The policy of the 1,200 New York City public schools is that no purely religious symbols are allowed, only ones that have a “secular dimension,” such as Christmas trees, menorahs, and the star and crescent. But the star and crescent is hardly secular. It is the symbol of Islam. And the menorah, though now losing some of its religious significance, is the symbol of an intervention by God to save the Jewish people. The Thomas More Law Center filed suit on behalf of a Roman Catholic mother of two public-school students, saying, in effect, that if the city’s public schools are allowing brief and educational use of religious symbols for Muslims and Jews, then the Christian crèche should be permitted, too. Last February, U.S. District Judge Charles Sifton ruled for the school system. The case is under appeal. The crèche, for now, remains banned. Like New York’s schools, Bay Harbor Islands in Florida refuses to allow a Nativity scene on public property but has menorahs and the Star of David on lampposts and permitted a local synagogue to erect a 14-foot-high menorah on public land.

A fairly new tactic in the Christmas wars can be called the sensitive person’s veto. In 2000, the city of Eugene, Ore., banned Christmas trees on public property, then allowed firefighters to put up a tree on Christmas Eve and Christmas, with the provision that if one person objected, the tree had to come down. The next year, Kensington, Md., banned Santa Claus from a tree-lighting ceremony because of two complaints. So the city’s most sensitive person was, in effect, allowed to make policy.

The sensitivity argument—that any reference to Christmas at all might make someone feel bad—is responsible for the spread of the anti-Christmas campaign from religious symbols to the purely secular and harmless trappings of the season, including red poinsettias, red-and-green cookies, holiday lights, and Rudolph the reindeer. Santa Claus, originally based on a Christian saint but no more religious than Kermit the Frog, is considered much too divisive and hurtful to non-Christian students in many schools. The principal of Braden Middle School in Florida said, “You won’t see any Christmas trees around here. We keep it generic.” Some principals and teachers around the country even ban the word Christmas. In Rochester, Minn., two girls were reprimanded for saying “Merry Christmas” in a school skit.And though Christmas trees are considered secular when they are useful in warding off Nativity scenes, the word Christmas is often removed by panicky officials, thus producing multicultural trees, holiday trees, community trees, care trees, and giving trees. The White House still has a Christmas tree, but Congress has a Capitol Holiday Tree. Accommodating all traditions is a worthy goal. But a broad movement to erase the word Christmas is an extraordinary development in a culture that is more than 80 percent Christian. How much more of this is the public willing to tolerate? William Donohue, head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, points out that an elementary school in New Hampshire declared that December is a gift-giving month but couldn’t explain why or how it got to be a giving time of year, since it refused to use the word Christmas.

The South Orange/Maplewood, N.J., school district banned religious Christmas songs, even in instrumental versions. In Florida, an elementary school concert included songs about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa but offered not a single note of Christmas music. A recent winter parade in Denver looked very much like a Christmas event, except for one small thing: Every reference to Christmas was banned. Unless believers and religious-liberties groups begin to push back, the anti-Christmas trend will prevail in the public square.



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aclu; christmas; churchandstate

1 posted on 12/12/2004 11:36:45 PM PST by kattracks
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To: kattracks
The annual assault on Christmas comes in many forms. First, there is the barrage of litigation by the American Civil Liberties Union, which is reliably offended by almost any representation of Christianity in the public square.

And here's their Advisory Alert System...


2 posted on 12/12/2004 11:37:51 PM PST by Prime Choice (I like Democrats, too. Let's exchange recipes.)
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To: kattracks
Want to help fight back against the ACLU? Contribute to the Alliance Defense Fund. Right now, they are our best-bet front-line troops against the ACLU.
3 posted on 12/13/2004 2:11:13 AM PST by NurdlyPeon (Wearing My 'Jammies Proudly)
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To: All
ON THE NET...


WorldNetDaily.com: "THE IMPENDING DEATH OF CHRISTMAS? - Part 2" -Commentary by Rev. Jerry Falwell (December 13, 2004)

WorldNetDaily.com: "THE IMPENDING DEATH OF CHRISTMAS?" -Commentary by Rev. Jerry Falwell (December 11, 2004)

TOWNHALL.com: "CHRISTMAS CENSORS" -Column by John Leo (December 13, 2004)

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a CATHOLIC LEAGUE article: "NATIVITY SCENES VANDALIZED NATIONWIDE" (December 12, 2004)

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com: "TIRE OF THE PC HOLIDAY SEASON? HOW ABOUT SOME GUERILLA CAROLLING? - GaelWolf" (December 12, 2004)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "U.S. COMMUNITIES FAIL TO KEEP 'CHRIST' IN CHRISTMAS" by Jennifer Harper (December 9, 2004)

FOX NEWS.com: "NATIVITY SCENE CONTROVERSY IN S. FLORIDA" (December 8, 2004)

ACLJ.org: "READ THE ACLJ's POSITION IN OUR RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY DISPLAYS INFORMATION LETTER - AMERICAN CENTER FOR LAW AND JUSTICE - Jay Alan Sekulow Chief Counsel"

CNS NEWS.com: "'NONTHEISTS' ADD 'WINTER SOLSTICE' SIGN TO RELIGIOUS DISPLAYS" by Susan Jones (December 8, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "LEGAL EXPERT: SCHOOLS SECULARIZING CHRISTMAS VIOLATE STUDENTS' RIGHTS" by Jim Brown (December 7, 2004)

ABC NEWS.go.com: Maplewood, New Jersey - "DEBATING CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS IN PUBLIC PLACES" (December 7, 2004)

ReligionNewsBlog.com (REUTERS via YAHOO!): Rome: "JESUS BANNED FROM CHRISTMAS CAROL" (December 7, 2004)

FOX NEWS.com: "CHRISTMAS UNDER SIEGE: THE BIG PICTURE" -Column by Bill O'Reilly (December 7, 2004)

RUTHERFORD.org - THE RUTHERFORD INSTITUTE: "THE TWELVE RULES OF CHRISTMAS" by John W. Whitehead (December 6, 2004)

CHICAGO TRIBUNE.com: "SCHOOL'S INCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS EXCLUDES CHRIST" by Jeff Long (December 6, 2004)

WorldNetDaily.com: "GROUP TO SING CAROLS IN FRONT OF ACLU OFFICE Hopes Spirit of Christmas will Persuade Lawyers to Embrace Moral Values" (December 4, 2004)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CHURCH LEADERS THREATENS TARGET BOYCOTT Seeks Meeting with CEO over Ban on Salvation Army Ringers" (December 4, 2004)

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a MAINE TODAY.com article: "GROUP WANTS END TO 'HAPPY HOLIDAYS'" (December 4, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "'TRIVIAL' MATTER LANDS FLORIDA COMMUNITY IN DEEP LEGAL WATERS" by Jody Brown (December 3, 2004)

CNS NEWS.com: "CHRISTIANS SEE CHRISTMAS UNDER PC ATTACK IN AUSTRALIA" by Patrick Goodenough (December 3, 2004)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CHRISTMASTIME EVENT IS NO-CHRISTIAN ZONE Santa, 'holy homosexuals' OK for parade, but no floats with direct religious themes" by Joe Kovacs (December 2, 2004)

RAMBLINGS' JOURNAL: "A LUMP OF COAL IN DENVER'S STOCKING" (December 2, 2004)

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding this topic: "DENVER MAYOR TO LIGHT COMMUNITY MENORAH (He's the 'Merry Christmas' censor") (December 2, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "PRO-LIFE ADVOCATE: HOLIDAY CARDS EXPOSE PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S 'ANTI-GOD NATURE'" by Jody Brown and Bill Fancher (December 1, 2004)

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a RockyMountatinNews.com article: "PARADE PROHIBITION PUZZLES PREACHER" (December 1, 2004)

HUMAN EVENTS Online.com: "POST OFFICE TREATS CHRISTMAS STAMP LIKE PORNOGRAPHY; SELLS IT FROM 'UNDER THE COUNTER'" by Mike Thompson (November 30, 2004)

CNS NEWS.com: "SCHOOL'S CAROL RULE FOR THE GRINCH?" (November 30, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS LIBERTY LAUNCHES AGAIN" by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker (November 29, 2004)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com - OpEd by Burt Prelutsky: "ACLU AND HOLIDAY SPIRIT" (November 23, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "CHRISTIAN HOLIDAY DISPLAYS AT RI CITY HALL RULED CONSTITUTIONAL" by Allie Martin (November 18, 2004)

AMERICAN DAILY.com: "HOW THE ACLU STOLE CHRISTMAS" -by guest author Jen Shroder (January 7, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "INDONESIAN CAROLERS ATTACKED NEAR POLICE HQ" by Allie Martin (January 5, 2004)

AGAPE PRESS: "NO ROOM FOR JESUS" -Column by Rev. Mark H. Creech (December 23, 2003)

COVENANT NEWS.com: "'HAPPY HOLIDAYS' --- BAH! HUMBUG!" -Commentary by Chuck Baldwin (December 23, 2003) (Read More...)

NYC SCHOOLS GIVEN LUMPS OF COAL FOR BANNING NATIVITY SCENES" by Melanie Hunter (December 24, 2003)

ASSIST NEWS SERVICE: "PAKISTAN CHRISTIANS' LIVES THREATENED THIS CHRISTMAS Some In Hiding Amid Increasing Muslim Violence, Reports Say" by Stefan J. Bos (December 24, 2003) (Read More...)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "THREATS OF CHRISTMAS TERROR" (December 23, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "TOWN REFUSES DISPLAY OF NATIVITY" (December 23, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "CHRISTMAS CD BANNED FOR MENTIONING JESUS 'It could cause offense to those who are not Christian'" (December 22, 2003)

NY DAILY NEWS.com: "THE HOLY WARS" -Column by John Leo (December 20, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "MOM GOES TO BAT FOR SON'S 'MANGER' DRAWING IN SCHOOL'S HOLIDAY DISPLAY" by Jim Brown (December 17, 2003)

CNS NEWS.com: "PALM BEACH ACCUSED OF HOSTILITY TOWARD CHRISTIANS" by Susan Jones (December 16, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "PRO-FAMILY LEGAL GROUP PRESSURES SCHOOL TO LIFT SALVATION ARMY BAN" by Jim Brown and Jenni Parker (December 15, 2003)

CNS NEWS.com: "INDONESIAN CHRISTIANS ONCE AGAIN LIVING IN FEAR" by Patrick Goodenough (December 11, 2003)

NewsMax.com: "THE ANTI-CHRISTMAS ACLU" -Column by Mike Gallagher (December 10, 2003)

CNS NEWS.com: "OHIO SCHOOLS' TEN COMMANDMENT'S DISPLAY CHALLENGED" by Melanie Hunter (December 8, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "OFFICIALS BOOT 'GOD' FROM PATRIOTIC SONG" (December 7, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "TEACHER TAKES 'CHRISTMAS' OUT OF CAROL" (December 6, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "CHRISTIAN LAW FIRM WANTS TO STOP SECULARIST 'GRINCHES' FROM STEALING CHRISTMAS" by Allie Martin (December 5, 2003)

FOX NEWS.com: "MOM SUES SCHOOL TO ALLOW NATIVITY SCENE" by David Lee Miller (December 5, 2003)

TOWNHALL.com: "THE 'OFFENSIVENESS' OF CHRISTIANITY" -Column by David Limbaugh (December 5, 2003)

AGAPE PRESS: "PRO-FAITH FIRM SUES CITY FOR VIOLATING SENIORS' RELIGIOUS FREEDOM" by Allie Martin (December 4, 2003)

CNS NEWS.com: "EXPRESS YOUR FAITH THIS CHRISTMAS, GOVERNMENT MINISTER URGES" by Patrick Goodenough (December 3, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "'CHOICE ON EARTH' RETURNS FOR ENCORE Planned Parenthood Says Criticism of Christmas Card Boosted Sales" (December 3, 2003)

NBC30.com - New Haven Hartford CONNECTICUT News: "MERIDEN LIBRARY BARS PAINTING OF JESUS" (December 3, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "STUDENTS THREATENED BY CHRISTMAS? ACLU Warns of Lawsuit Unless Principal Censors Celebration" (November 21, 2003)

WorldNetDaily.com: "'NO CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS AT CHRISTMAS' Red Cross stores bar religious decor fearing it might be offensive" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Fearing they might offend someone, Red Cross stores in Britain have taken the Christian out of Christmas this year, banning any display of overtly religious decorations.") (November 18, 2003)
stepping back in time...WorldNetDaily.com: "CHRISTMAS IN AMERICA BECOMES BATTLEGROUND As holiday traditions draw national controversy, believers, pagans grapple over Jesus' inclusion" (December 14, 2002)

4 posted on 12/13/2004 3:17:28 AM PST by Cindy
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To: kattracks

Am reminded in all of this that in 1787 George Mason a slave
owner called all slaveholders petty tyrants-then went on to
note "As nations cannot be rewarded nor punished in the next world,so they must be in this. By inevitable chain of
causes and effects, Providence punishs national sins with
national calamaties."(Aug.22,1787,from the Papers of James
Madison) Can't hep but wonder if this relentless attack
isn't keyed to what was once understood. I can think of no
greater national sin--than to reject God-yet this seems what
we are called to "tolerate" or embrace.Perhaps we are more
suffering what the Apostle Paul wrote of in Romans 1:


5 posted on 12/13/2004 4:34:04 AM PST by StonyBurk
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