Free Republic

Help Sink Old Navy's Blockade Dear Craig, You would think a company that gets the vast majority of its business from Christians would be respectful of its customers. Such is true of companies that don't have an anti-Christian bias. But not at Old Navy. Old Navy has put a blockade around Christmas. Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic are owned by the same company. And all three boycott Christmas. At these stores, Christmas isn't allowed because a handful of non-Christians are offended. Old Navy doesn't want to offend non-Christians. But they sure don't worry about offending Christians. They will take...

Action Alert: Bobby Scot: "Christmas, Bah Humbug!" Congressman Bobby Scott has nothing on old Ebenezer Scrooge. A resolution recognizing the significance of Christmas and the importance of the Christian faith overwhelmingly passed the House this week. The resolution recognized that "Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world," "Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization" and "the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that...

Three Bay Area House members were among nine Democrats who voted against a Republican-sponsored resolution "recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith." Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, said she had opposed the bill Tuesday because using Christianity for political purposes is an affront to Christmas. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Fremont, invoked "Grinch" in saying the president's impending veto of a children's health insurance plan had him feeling anything but holiday cheer. And Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma, said the holiday season "is a time to celebrate all religions and faiths," with Congress doing no more than wishing everyone good tidings. Rep....

The Christmas season is upon us, which means it's that special time of year for the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State to make sure no wayward city council will allow a whiff of frankincense on government property. They must send out direct-mail fundraising letters asking "Help Us Crush a Creche at Christmas!"   The Christmas season is also that time of year when the business world implores us to consider the material as more important than the spiritual, all in the spirit of "the holidays." So we celebrate the arrival on...

Gap, which owns Old Navy, Banana Republic, Forth & Towne and Piperlime, has become the latest politically correct retailer, intentionally censoring the use of "Christmas" in their in-store, online and printed advertising. Instead of referring to the season as Christmas, Gap instead uses the word "holiday." As hard as we tried, AFA could not find a single instance in which Gap-owned stores use the term "Christmas." Not a single time! When one Old Navy store manager was asked by AFA if the word Christmas was in his store, he answered, "We have a lot of Christmas gifts in our stores,...

Thanks to the efforts of an Iowa congressman, Christmas and the Christian faith are receiving the same congressional recognition afforded other religions. Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) is pleased that his Christmas resolution, recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith, was able to pass on Tuesday night with bipartisan support. H. Res. 847 passed on a 372-9 vote, all "nay" votes coming from Democrats. Ten House members (nine Democratic) voted "present." The Iowa lawmaker says the resolution follows two similar bills honoring both the Hindu and the Islamic religions and their respective holidays. "Watching Congress honor Islam during Ramadan,...

The Alliance Defense Fund suggests that a Michigan city has taken political correctness -- not to mention ignorance of the Constitution -- to new heights by renaming a popular festival based on a classic Christmas book. In Mount Pleasant, Michigan, "Christmas" is evidently a bad word. City officials, influenced by a school district policy that bans the word, have changed the name of the local "Dickens Christmas Festival" to "Dickens Holiday Festival." The festival is based on the popular Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. In response to the festival's renaming, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) has sent a letter...

Focus on the Family Action has released the latest list of retailers that are censoring Christmas...and those that are not. Click on the link to view the PDF file.....

Carl Von Clausewitz is often quoted as saying, "War is the continuation of politics by other means". I am not nearly so frequently quoted as saying, "The war on Christmas is the continuation of political correctness by a bunch of meanies". Of course, I probably haven't been cited much for that since I just came up with it. Perhaps it will take off and help me procure a spot in Bartlett's.  That will have to wait as I focus on the very real attacks on Christmas and Santa. I offer the following stories pulled from recent events. I call them,...

My two daughters came home from school the other day singing along to a popular song that the school's third grade will sing for a holiday ensemble. The song was very familiar, written by Johnny Marks and performed by Brenda Lee in 1959, and went something like "Rockin' around, the holiday tree, have a happy holiday. ..." Wait a minute. "Holiday tree"? Is there such a thing? I corrected my daughters' poor translation of the classic Christmas song, only to be harshly criticized for my ignorance that everybody doesn't celebrate Christmas, so the school had changed the words. Hold on....

I noticed all this anti-Christmas came in the 1990s, not too long after the Soviet Union collapsed, which was on Christmas day of 1991. I am sure anti-Christmas sentiments have been always around, but they were not as vocal about it, but it seems on the increase since late 1990s and this decade. Also, Lavarentii Beria, Stalin's brutal and vile henchman, was executed on Christmas Day in 1953. The left are still very angry, bitter, and resentul about the collapse of Soviet Union and Communism in Eastern Europe. Many of them ended violently, especially Romania and Soviet Union. In fact...

A shop has sacked its Santa Claus for saying Ho-ho-ho. John Oakes, 70, got his marching orders after the store decreed that women might be offended because 'ho' is American slang for a whore. Instead, he was supposed to say Ha-ha-ha. "They're are trying to kill the spirit of Christmas," said Mr Oakes, who has been a Santa for ten years. \ He was also found guilty of singing Jingle Bells at the Myer department store in Cairns, Northern Australia. He said: "The manager told me my services were no longer required. "When I asked her why, she replied, 'You...

Tory MP calls for a fight against rising 'Christianophobia' and busybodies who downgrade the Christian traditionTory MP Mark Pritchard today called for a fight against busybodies who downgrade Christian traditions and festivals and warned of rising "Christianophobia". Mr Pritchard told MPs Britain's Christian heritage is at risk of being hijacked by extremists like the British National Party because it is being marginalised by officialdom. He said the misplaced fears of the "politically correct brigade" about offending Muslims and other religions were fuelling "rising Christianophobia" in public life. Elsewhere, secularists were using it as an excuse to drive their own non-Christian...

City officials in Michigan change Dickens Christmas Festival to Dickens Holiday Festival ADF attorneys send letter providing information to officials in Mount Pleasant on the constitutionality of using the word “Christmas” for its Dickens festival  MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — Attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund sent a letter Monday to city officials in Mount Pleasant explaining the constitutionality of using the word “Christmas” for its Dickens festival.  City officials changed the name of its Dickens Christmas Festival to “Dickens Holiday Festival” in its advertising materials to be sent to a local school district after the school district enacted a...

SPOKANE, Wash. - They made a list, but they should have checked it twice. In a December newsletter to the families of elementary school students, Spokane Public Schools' list of "important dates" didn't include Christmas. Hanukkah, Human Rights Day, winter break, the Islamic holy day Eid al-Adha, first day of winter and Kwanzaa all made the list. But no Christmas. "It was absolutely an error of omission," district spokeswoman Terren Roloff said. "In our efforts to be inclusive, we missed the obvious." The omission drew complaints from some parents that in an age of political correctness, Christians are being overlooked...

It’s cool to be “Green” right now. NBC devoted a week of programming gimmicks to being “Green,” with recycling and environmental efforts taking over some part of all of their hit shows. Meanwhile, Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize and Overture studios shipped out sapling trees with their fall preview kits. Just two signs we’ve seen in the last few weeks that being environmentally conscious is suddenly the right place to be. New York City is following in the trend this year with their oversized Christmas tree. The Rockefeller Center perennial will use LED lighting (light emitting diodes) to...

No sure if this has started to become a popular topic for posting yet...I thought Freepers might be interested in knowing that today I walked past the windows of S5A in NYC on fifth avenue. The decorating of these windows is an age-old tradition and one that draws huge crowds of tourists. Well, I am not sure if this is the first year but there is basicaly no reference to Christmas at all in the windows. Out of ten or so windows that I quickly walked by there was one grudgingly placed Christmas tree in a corner, period. The rest...

SAGINAW, Mich. -- Tightening budgets have forced Mt. Pleasant to take Christ out of their Christmas.The traditional Dickens Christmas Festival has been re-named the Dickens Holiday Festival so the city can advertise in local schools.In order to get more bang for their buck out of a thinning advertisement budget, the organization wants to put fliers in schools. For that to happen, the word “Christmas” had to be removed.Downtown Development Coordinator Michelle Sponseller said many people are unhappy with the change. “We changed the name this year for the schools because we wanted to advertise in the school brochures and the...

A year later, Gap continues to censor Christmas At Gap, the score is "holiday" 172 and "Christmas" 3 At Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, Christmas hardly exists. For these three companies, all owned by Gap, the only items listed as having anything to do with Christmas were a pair of boxer shorts and a child's sleepwear set. Last year, when Gap also censored Christmas, we contacted the company. The company refused to change their policy of censoring Christmas. This year the company has continued their practice of censoring Christmas from their stores and promotions. The only conclusion one can...

Nativity scene causes protest A letter was filed with city to remove the nativity. Posted: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 7:10 a.m. MENOMINEE -- A Wisconsin-based group of atheists are protesting a decision by Menominee officials to allow a nativity scene on city property. The nativity will be in the bandshell. The Freedom from Religion Foundation filed a letter with the city, saying the display would violate the separation of Church and State. The Parks and Recreation Committe's approval of the bandshell display comes with the provision that non-Christians be allowed to add their symbols. Nativity scene plans reconsidered After...

Poll question at: http://coloradoan.com/ reads: "Do you agree with the recommendations by the [neo-grinches on the] Fort Collins holiday display task force?"As of now, it's 89% against, w/ 2100 votes. Yay! Ages ago in Ft Collins, they stripped religion or any hint of it from public C***stmas displays: no Nativities or Stars of Bethlehem, the word "C****tmas" replaced with "Holidays" and so on. And recently, all or most of the main downtown tree display (Oak St Plaza) switched from colored lights to all-white. But that's still not enough. All remaining reminders of C****tmas must go! Or else! The Grinch Squad,...

Lowe's refuses to call them "Christmas trees," chooses to call them "Family trees" Dear R J, In an effort to avoid the use of the term "Christmas tree," Lowe's has renamed their Christmas trees and are now calling them "Family trees." In their Holiday 2007 catalog, containing 56 pages of Christmas gifts, Lowe's advertises hundreds of gift items, including scores of "Family trees." In fact, the word "Christmas" only appears two times in the entire holiday catalog. The ads mentioning "Christmas cover only 12 square inches of the 5236 square inches available. Lowe's even has one of their Family trees...

"RENEWING THE AMERICAN DREAM" Thanks to your efforts, the Plant City Living Center recognized they were mistaken in not allowing residents to display Christian symbols. HUD says its policy is clear and that discrimination against Mrs. Arnold (and angels) will not be tolerated in HUD approved facilities. Plant City Living Center attorney Steve Edelstein issued this statement today: "I am pleased to report that the Plant City Living Center's recent newsletter regarding holiday decoration policies has been rescinded. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guarantees the rights of citizens to display religious symbols in public. We support...

One of the primary advocates in an annual campaign to keep the word "Christmas" in the public square says it has donated 1,000 Christmas buttons to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club at a high school in Maryland. The American Family Association (AFA) says the FCA chapter at Glenelg High School in Howard County was told by the school's principal that signs posted by members around campus -- for their "Operation Christmas Child" project -- needed to be changed. He allegedly forced them to cover the word "Christmas" and replace it with "Holiday." School officials did not immediately...

Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development officials have announced a ban on any decorations in HUD housing complexes that mention Jesus or represent religion for the Christmas season, and the American Family Association has responded with a petition drive to overturn the decision. The AFA has set up a link to allow constituents to send e-mails to the HUD secretary or President Bush expressing their objections to the policy. The issue arose at the Plant City Living Center in Plant City, Fla., where 85-year-old Mrs. Arnold was told that federal law now prohibits her from displaying anything that references...

Board pulls out of program; Organizers try to understand reasoning Posted By Jennifer Hamilton-McCharles The Nugget Posted 10 hours ago Rose Haufe doesn't buy the reason given by the area's largest school board to no longer support Operation Christmas Child. The Powassan resident told The Nugget Tuesday the project is "simply caring for people and is beyond any religious boundaries." "I'm trying to think of their motivation, but I can't think of why they wouldn't want to do this," Haufe said. "When a child gives they never forget. It's a lesson they need to learn. It teaches them there's others...

The Plant City Living Center has told Mrs. Arnold, an 85-year-old grandmother in Florida, that federal law prohibits her from displaying any religious words or items associated with Christmas in the common area of her apartment building. According to the Center, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a directive banning "any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas." Under the guidelines issued by HUD, the elderly grandmother cannot place a small Christmas tree outside her door (because that area is a "commons area") if it contains any religious symbols or religious words, even an angel! If...

The war being waged by the quasi-establishment and quasi-government Left in Britain against the nation's own traditions, values, identity and, perhaps most of all, religion, has been escalated and its battle-lines redefined with a report by a leading Labour Party-aligned think-tank, the Institute for Public Policy Research, recommending that Christmas, which cannot be obliterated, should be down-graded to promote multiculturalism. The report says that because it would be hard to "expunge" Christmas from the national calendar (although this would apparently be desirable), public organizations must be made to give non-Christian religious festivals equal footing. Now, the Institute is not some...

A Labour party think tank has advised the government to cancel official recognition of Christmas. “Christmas is a ‘white’ holiday,” said Molly Coddle, spokesperson for the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). “This is supremely offensive to Britain’s immigrants. It should be downgraded to help improve race relations.” “We’re not saying that people cannot celebrate Christmas,” Coddle continued. “All we’re asking is that they do so quietly and privately.” Coddle contended that “given the demographic trends, today’s minority will be tomorrow’s majority. Keeping Christian rites private will make the transition to Sharia law easier in the future. There will be...

Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations, says an explosive report. The leaked findings of its investigation into identity, citizenship and community cohesion also propose: • "Birth ceremonies", at which state and parents agree to "work in partnership" to bring up children • Action to "ensure access" for ethnic minorities to "largely white" countryside • An overhaul of Britain's "imperial" honours system • Bishops being thrown out of the House of Lords • An end to "sectarian" religious education • Flying flags other than the Union Jack. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=490925&in_page_id=1770#StartComments

The political fashions that begin in Britain tend to find their way to Canada extremely quickly, especially when they come from the left side of the body politic. A new report from the think-tank of the governing Labour Party states that, "Britain is no longer a Christian nation and Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations." The report goes on to call for a new form of "birth ceremony," at which the state and parents would agree to "work in partnership" to raise babies. It demands action to "ensure access" for ethnic...

LONDON, November 2, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Like the wicked Sherriff of Nottingham in the 1991 film “Robin Hood Prince of Thieves”, a Labour party think tank wants to cancel Christmas on the grounds that it is a “white” holiday which offends Britain’s immigrants. The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), described as the ruling party’s “favourite” policy office that has shaped many Labour policies, says Christmas “should be downgraded to help race relations.” The IPPR also proposes secularised “birth ceremonies” in which the state and parents agree on the best way to rear children; the abolition of sitting Anglican bishops...

Christmas should be 'downgraded', says Labour's favourite think tankBy JAMES CHAPMAN - More by this author » Last updated at 20:05pm on 31st October 2007  National celebration: But could Christmas soon be 'downgraded'? Britain is no longer a Christian nation and Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations, according to an explosive new report. Labour's favourite think tank says that because it would be hard to 'expunge' Christmas from the national calendar, 'even-handedness' means public organisations must start giving other religions equal footing. The leaked findings of its investigation into identity,...

Christmas should be downgraded in favour of festivals from other religions to improve race relations, says an explosive report. Labour's favourite think-tank says that because it would be hard to "expunge" Christmas from the national calendar, 'even-handedness' means public organisations must start giving other religions equal footing.

"Thank you for your recent email. We would like to take this opportunity to ease any concerns you may have about a rumor that Mrs. Fields is banning Christmas items. Please rest assured that we have a complete line of Christmas and other seasonal items that will all be rolled out on November 1st, and we look forward to sharing them with you then. Here are some facts we would like you to know: 1) We do have Christmas items, we have had them in the past, and we will have them in the future. The rumor that Mrs. Fields...

Mrs. Fields has become the first company to ban Christmas from their products and promotion for this year. When Diane H. of Michigan called Mrs. Fields and asked to speak with a supervisor in customer service about why they banned Christmas, the supervisor told Diane that they do not offer anything with Merry Christmas because they don't want to offend anyone. Take a look at Mrs. Fields Holiday Gift Preview by clicking here. In the "search" bar, type in the word "Christmas." But don't expect to find any reference to Christmas. (If you do, it has been added since...

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y., Aug. 13 — The temperature in the room was over 90, and the crowd was angry. The topic at this regular August meeting of the school board: what else? Christmas. When most people complain about the Christmas season beginning earlier and earlier each year, they do not usually mean the kind of kick-start that took place in this Long Island town on Monday night when more than 250 people showed up to demand that the name of the annual Christmas Concert not be changed to Winter Concert. And that was just to make a point —...

The Grinch is alive and well in Hopewell Township -- at least according to some parents. Bear Tavern Elementary School parents are angry over an e-mail from Principal Bruce Arcurio giving new holiday guidelines that eliminate all religious celebrations from his Mercer County school.  "It was hard to read from the get-go," said township Committeewoman Judy Neiderer, who has a 10-year-old daughter at Bear Tavern. "This is something that stirs so much emotion in people." Arcurio's guidelines, as written in his e-mail, are: · "All December parties need to be winter celebrations and not celebrations of holidays." · "All holiday...

Thomas More Law Center Attorney Addresses New York Press Conference On Ending Public School Discrimination Against Nativity Displays Mon, Jun 25, 2007 ANN ARBOR, MI — Thomas More Law Center Director of Communications, Brian Rooney, addressed a press conference attended by over 100 supporters on the steps of the New York City Hall on Sunday, June 24, 2007, as City Councilman Tony Avella introduced a City Council resolution that calls upon the New York City Department of Education (DOE) to amend its discriminatory holiday display policy for public elementary and secondary schools. DOE’s current policy allows displays of the Jewish...

WASHINGTON, December 21, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic League is reporting vandalism to nativity scenes across the United States. Figures from nativity scenes were stolen or vandalized in Tucson, AZ ; Millbrae, CA; Mission Viejo, CA; Moorpark, CA; San Francisco, CA; Naugatuck, CT; Waterbury, CT (Jesus was taken, but one of the arms was left behind); Fort Walton Beach, FL; Des Moines, IA; Sioux City, IA; Ammon, ID; Chicago, IL (32 figures of baby Jesus were nabbed-they were later dumped on the lawn of a Catholic church); Jackson County, IL (two incidents); Tinley Park, IL; Floyd County, IN; Fort Wayne,...

My rubbish bin is full of Christmas cards. ...The discarded items have one thing in common: they are not Christmas cards at all, by which I mean, as well as having no Christian images, Nativity scenes etc, they don't even mention the "C" word. I'm afraid that "happy holidays" simply will not do. Before you ask, I haven't become a weirdo fundamentalist. This is not a matter of religiosity (I flicker somewhere between an agnostic and a mild believer). My protest is about resisting those who seem hell bent on turning Christianity into a crime. In the United Kingdom, this...

ARLINGTON, Fla. -- Sure they involve snowmen and reindeer, but they're not your typical Christmas ornaments. Friday, a group of young activists and one lawyer are working together to get the dirty decorations, known as Pornaments, off store shelves. "We're here to protest what's happening in Spencer's gifts in the mall," said Pastor Clint Wilder. More specifically, they're protesting the sale of Pornaments. They include Mr. and Mrs. North Pole, Frosty and even some reindeer in compromising poses. They're meant to hang on the Christmas tree. "I think it's gone far enough and these kids are making a stand here,"...

<p>ST. ALBANS, W.Va. -- Christ is missing from Christmas in this small town. The community's holiday display has a manger with shepherds, a guiding star, camels and a palm tree, but no baby Jesus, Mary or Joseph.</p> <p>The parks superintendent said Jesus was left out because of concerns about the separation of church and state. But Mayor Dick Callaway said it was done for purely technical reasons: "It's not easy to put a light-up representation of a baby in a small manger scene, you know."</p>

Berkley, Michigan City Council Caves In To ACLU Threat And Removes Decades-Old Nativity Display Tue, Nov 21, 2006 ANN ARBOR, MI – The Berkley, Michigan City Council last night voted 6-to-1 to no longer display a Nativity scene on city property. The City caved in to an ACLU threat of a lawsuit if they continued their decades-old Nativity display. Some residents claim that the Nativity display had been on city property for more than 60 years. Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, commented, “The City Council crushed the crèche. Despite all of its rationalizing last night,...

BUNGLING mail chiefs were yesterday accused of taking the Christ out of Christmas. They unveiled this year’s festive stamps – which ignore the season’s holy background. Furious Christian politicians joined the Church of England to condemn the Royal Mail over its six faith-free designs. Instead of biblical scenes like the Nativity, the Star of Bethlehem and the Three Wise Men, executives opted for secular symbols including snowmen, reindeer and Santa Claus. Last night critics accused the Royal Mail of snubbing Britain’s Christian heritage in a politically-correct bid to avoid offending other religions. A Church of England spokesman said: "Last year...

It appears the battle against what some call the politically correct title for Christmas has already begun. A pro-family group is highlighting ad on page 69 in the Sam's Club in-house magazine, Source, that promotes "holiday" cards, ribbons and gift bags, despite all the products obviously being designed for Christmas. Randy Sharp, special projects director for the American Family Association, says it looks like Sam's Club parent company Wal-Mart is adhering to the same "holiday" policy in the 2006 season as it followed in 2005. "Last year," he says, "Wal-Mart refused to use the word Christmas in their advertising, and...

Sharply Divided Court Upholds City's Anti-Christian Ban of Nativity in New York City Public Schools ANN ARBOR, MI — A sharply divided panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that it is constitutionally permissible for New York City public schools to ban the display of the Christian nativity during Christmas, while permitting the display of the Jewish menorah and the Islamic star and crescent during Hanukkah and Ramadan. The legal challenge to this policy was brought by the Thomas More Law Center on behalf of Ms. Andrea Skoros and her two children, who attend...

Father Peter Pomposello holds a decapitated baby Jesus as he talks about the vandalism of the nativity scene outside Saints John and Paul Catholic Church. "It's not only theft, it's not just vandalism," Father Pomposello says. "It has, really, all the marks of a bias crime." Baby Jesus is now missing his head, hands and his left toes. The vandals also stole four sheep. "This is an image of the whole Christmas season," Pomposello said. "As Christians we venerate the baby Jesus this season. This was part of the procession for midnight mass and for the vigil mass on Christmas....

While trying to find a nativity image for my last post before Christmas, I did an search for "baby jesus" on Google. This is the result. Notice that the top search result is for a sex toy that mocks Jesus. Other results on this search results page have more link traffic. A quick review of page's code shows no HTML meta information that should give it a favorable ranking. The page itself has a raw relevance ranking (search word divided by total words) of less than five percent. The only conclusion I can draw is that this page position ranking...

22 Congressmen Hate Christmas This year's "War for Christmas" – keeping "Christ" in the holiday has apparently been won. And, like many "wars," there has even been a Congressional resolution in support of keeping Christmas alive and well. On December 15 the House of Representatives passed a resolution "protecting the symbols and traditions of Christmas" by an overwhelming 401-22 vote. Representative JoAnn Davis (R-VA), the resolution's sponsor, said the resolution was necessary to counter "political correctness run amok." "No one," she said, "should feel like they have done something wrong by wishing someone a Merry Christmas." Twenty-two Democrats played Scrooge...