Free Republic

  State lawmakers in Texas have passed legislation that permits public schools to display nativity scenes, menorahs, or Christmas trees, and allows students and school district staff to use greetings such as, “Merry Christmas,” “Happy Hanukkah,” and “Happy Holidays.” According to Fox News in Austin, the legislation (HB 308), introduced by Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) and dubbed “The Merry Christmas Bill,” received overwhelming approval in the state house, by a margin of 145-2, and was passed unanimously in the state senate, 29-0. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Rick Perry (R) for his signature. “I was a...

Schoolchildren in the northern Spanish region of Asturias will no longer be able to call Christmas by its name now that a new law passed by the local education ministry prohibits the use of “religious” terms in the classroom when referring to the December and spring holidays. Teachers and pupils in Asturias classrooms will now have to refer to Christmas as “winter holidays” and Easter as “second term holidays”. The region’s socialist-led government

‘Tis the season for twinkling lights, wrapping paper, and virgin birth. For billions of Christians around the world, the holidays are a time to celebrate Jesus’s birth to the Virgin Mary. But for many animals, virgin birth is far from a miraculous event. Researchers have discovered a growing number of species that reproduce without assistance from the opposite sex. Known formally as parthenogenesis, virgin birth occurs when an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg cell. The development of an embryo usually requires genetic material from sperm and egg, as well as a series of chemical changes sparked by fertilization. In...

A 'gentle, well-respected' organist has died after being subjected to a brutal attack that left him with horrific head injuries. Grandfather Alan Greaves, 68, was on his way to Midnight Mass at St Saviour's CoE church in High Green, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on Christmas Eve when he was set upon. He was found by a pizza delivery worker collapsed on the pavement outside a primary school just 300 metres from the church. He was rushed to hospital with severe head injuries and underwent a four-hour emergency operation but has since passed away. 'He was a good man and this was...

The only kind of Santa that is allowed Just so that you know that the Saudis are cracking down on the really important crimes, like jihad terrorism -- no, wait... Sharia Alert from the Kingdom of the Two Holy Places: "Saudi detains dozens for 'plotting to celebrate Christmas,'" from al-Akhbar, December 27 (thanks to Blazing Cat Fur): Saudi religious police stormed a house in the Saudi Arabian province of al-Jouf, detaining more than 41 guests for “plotting to celebrate Christmas,” a statement from the police branch released Wednesday night said. The raid is the latest in a string of religious...

...An article on the pagan origins of Christmas...

the children of Great Britain understand far better than their parents the reasons for the collapse of Western Civilization: lack of children, and lack of two-parent heterosexual homes. A poll of British parents showed that topping the list of children’s most-requested Christmas gifts was a sibling (Britain’s birth rate is below replacement levels, with most non-immigrant British children not having a sibling). Slightly lower down on the list was a “dad” – Britain’s single motherhood rate is 21 percent. “Less than half” of single parents have a job, and most live off of state assistance. Seventy percent of the criminals...

Today is Christmas Day. Hanukkah ended nine days ago. New Years Day is seven days from now. Yet... for some explicable reason, Google thinks today is "Holidays." In their description of their Christmas day graphic, Google writes "Happy Holidays from Google." Well thanks, Google that's very nice of you. Very inclusive.

For two millennia, the birth of Christ has been seen as the greatest event in world history. The moment Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem, God became man, and eternal salvation became possible. This date has been the separation point of mankind's time on earth, with B.C. designating the era before Christ, and A.D., anno domino, in the Year of the Lord, the years after. And how stands Christianity today? "Christianity is in danger off being wiped out in its biblical heartlands," says the British think tank Civitas. In Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Ethiopia and Nigeria, Christians face persecution...

"A flag bearing a crescent and star flies from a flagpole in front of the World Trade Center, next to a Christmas tree and a menorah." New York Times, 1997 In 1997, Mohammed T. Mehdi, the head of the Arab-American Committee and the National Council on Islamic Affairs, lobbied to have a crescent and star go up at the World Trade Center during the holiday season. His wish was granted, despite the fact that Mehdi had been an adviser to Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman. In the name of diversity and political correctness, an adviser to the religious leader behind the...

My company, a major metropolitan newspaper, used to host an annual Christmas party for employees. But, this year, the paper broke with tradition, hosting instead a “holiday party,” so as not to offend the sensibilities of those that do not believe Christ the Son of the God. Well, I respect the Constitutionally-protected right of every American to practice a religion other than Christianity, the faith of this nation’s founders. Or to practice no religion whatsoever (which I suspect of many, if not most of my journalistic peers). What I find objectionable, though, is the insistence of non-Christians that the holiday...

In a Christmas message to the nation delivered together with First Lady Michelle Obama, President Barack Obama said that for his family Christmas is “a time to celebrate the birth of Christ” and “learn from His example.” …… You see, the war in Iraq is over. The transition in Afghanistan is underway. After a decade of war, our heroes are coming home. And all across America, military families are reuniting. … … For my family and millions of Americans, it’s a time to celebrate the birth of Christ. To reflect on His life and learn from His example. Every year,...

It may seem strange for a Jew to write about his favorite Christmas memories, but my happiest are from Christmas Eve in the early 1960s, in Johnstown, the town where I grew up in upstate New York. I usually helped out late in my father’s store, wrapping packages and ringing up sales, work that required no familiarity with the merchandise – ladies clothing – of which I had none. I can still make change in my head, but, alas, have lost my package-wrapping skills over the years. Even though I knew there’d be no presents waiting for me under the...

There was a time when 10 Commandment displays sat untouched in government halls and schools, when Nativity scenes were placed in parks and in front of government buildings, and when children sang traditional Christmas songs at holiday concerts. I remember my elementary school calendar, which read, “Christmas Vacation” marking a week or so off for the Christmas season. Slowly and methodically, it’s all disappearing thanks primarily to two organizations that are on a mission to eradicate any vestige of God – particularly Jesus Christ – from the public square. The Madison, Wisconsin based Freedom From Religion Foundation, (FFRF) and American...

For its Dec. 10, 2012 edition, Newsweek featured a story, "What Do We Really Know About Jesus?" A better title might have been, "What does Newsweek know about Jesus?" The gist of the article is that the gospels are full of historical errors; yet nevertheless, "for those with a broader vision, a more generous appreciation of literature, and a fuller sense of theological meaning, the story of the Christ-child and his appearance in the world can be founded not on what really did happen, but on what really does happen, in the lives of those who believe that stories such...

It’s an odd tradition that adds a dose of suspense to the holiday season. Every year, a giant straw goat is erected in the town of Gävle, Sweden, and every year, arsonists try to burn it down. A local resident explains that this delights many townspeople. The tradition began in 1966, when the first Christmas goat was built in downtown Gävle to attract shoppers. On New Year’s Eve, a pyromaniac set it alight, and was later caught. Since then, the goat has been burnt down 26 times; more often than not, the perpetrators are never identified. This year, though firemen...

Anyone offended by public displays of Christmas needs to see a psychiatrist. Are we clear on this? You are a loon if the sight of baby Jesus arouses anger or sadness in you. Get help. This brings us to the governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee. He recently told me on national television that the reason he will not use the word "Christmas" in describing the state Christmas tree is that the word might offend non-Christians. The governor calls the state-purchased symbol a "holiday tree." My reply to the governor was that by excluding the word "Christmas," he might...

It seems that those who favor the all or nothing inclusion of December symbols in the annual display in front of the municipal building have been successful in making that happen. Over the weekend - with it still unclear if the lighted tree is to be called a "Christmas tree" or a "Holiday tree" - a crèche and an atheist sign were added to the display. Meanwhile the official name for the lighted tree in the display remains an issue for some. Resident Tim Wagner and others said they will continue to press for administrative action to call the "Holiday...

Catholic League President Bill Donohue tells Newsmax he is fighting against a “war on Christmas” being waged by secularists trying to “dilute or neuter” the real meaning of the religious holiday. He also declares that some atheists who attack Christmas are “mean-spirited people” using the First Amendment as a club. The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is a New York-based nonprofit organization that claims more than 230,000 members. Donohue has been president since 1993. In an exclusive interview with Newsmax TV, Donohue says the Catholic League has been dealing with the war on Christmas “even before I took...

A group called American Atheists has posted a high-profile billboard in New York City's Times Square depicting Christianity as a “myth,� apparently mocking Jesus Christ on the cross. The group, which first launched its Christmas “myth� campaign in 2010, ramped up its campaign with a giant sign that features an image of Santa Claus, an equally large picture portraying a suffering Jesus on the cross, along with the phrase, “Keep the Merry — Dump the Myth!�David Silverman, president of the atheist club, claimed in a press release that his group thinks “a large population of Christians are actually 'atheists'...

ANN ARBOR, MI — On Saturday morning, December 15th, John Satawa with the help of family and friends and the Boy Scouts once again erected the Nativity on a public median in Warren, Michigan. The joyous occasion was the culmination of a four year legal battle in defense of the Nativity waged by the Thomas More Law Center against the County Road Commission and the Freedom From Religion Foundation.While the Nativity was being erected, Warren police controlled traffic as well-wishers gathered, reporters and TV stations conducted interviews, carolers sang Christmas songs, a priest from nearby St Anne’s Catholic Church blessed...

(New Braunfels, TX) --  A banner that was hanging across South Seguin Avenue reminding drivers to “Keep Christ in Christmas� has been taken down by NBU, after NBU realized the message was more religious in nature and not a non-profit group advertising an upcoming fundraiser.   NBU, which is the agency that is tasked with hanging such banners over the roadway, released a statement yesterday saying that human error led to the hanging of that banner, which was purchased by the local Knights of Columbus organization.   NBU says that regardless of whether you agree or disagree with the religious...

The Navy directed service members serving in Bahrain to cancel and dismantle a “Live Nativity” after receiving a complaint from a military atheist group who said the manger scene endangered Americans serving in a Muslim country and violated the U .S. Constitution. The chaplain at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain confirmed to Fox News the nativity scene was cancelled – but referred any further comments to the NSA’s public information officer. The “Live Nativity” was a long-standing tradition at NSA Bahrain that featured the children of military personnel dressed as shepherds, wise men, along with Mary and Joseph. It was...

  On Tuesday Nov. 27, the Chester County Pennsylvania Commissioners held their monthly “Sunshine Meeting.� During the “public comments� portion of the meeting, Pastafarian Minister Tracy McPherson requested a space on the county courthouse lawn next to the Jesus crèche, Hanukkah menorah, Christmas Tree, and Santa for a Pastafarian Tree representing the winter Pastafarian holiday of Holiday.McPherson made a point to inform the county commissioners that she and other local Pastafarians take their religious beliefs very seriously. Commissioner Terence Farrell (R), asked McPherson about the numbers and meeting places of her group even though none of that is relevant considering...

"We know that a large population of 'Christians' are actually atheists who feel trapped in their family's religion. If you know god is a myth, you do not have to lie and call yourself 'Christian' in order to have a festive holiday season. You can be merry without the myth, and indeed, you should," said David Silverman, President of American Atheists.

A gunman who witnesses say was wearing camouflage and a white plastic mask opened fire in a shopping mall near Portland, Ore., in a rampage that left three dead, including the shooter, and multiple wounded, police said. Authorities say police "neutralized" the gunman but have yet to elaborate on how he died. Witnesses described a harrowing scene, as the gunman appeared to be dressed in body armor while firing off an estimated 60 shots from a semi-automatic rifle. One witness told KPTV that the gunman ran past her and her boyfriend and "had the look of death in his eyes."

A controversial Nativity scene is on the verge of approval in Arlington Heights, though park district officials say they still want some questions answered from the private group that is requesting the display be installed.  On Friday, officials from the Arlington Heights Park District met with Jim Finnegan of the Illinois Nativity Scene Committee to review his group’s permit application for the Nativity display and to discuss its potential location in North School Park. Park district officials gave Finnegan a list of questions to answer — such as whether the group has insurance for the display — before it is...

LONGVIEW, Wash. – Breyanna Lea Siebert noticed something was missing when she looked at the Christmas decorations in Longview this year.  The nativity scene was gone from R A Long Square.  “Don’t get me wrong. I love snowmen, candy canes, snowflakes and all kinds of Christmassy things,� said Siebert.A nativity scene, Siebert’s favorite Christmas decoration, had been a part of the park decorations as long as she could remember. So the 13-year-old wrote a letter to the editor of the local newspaper to let everyone know how she felt about this year’s omission.  “It would be nice if everybody...

One group in Ellwood City has found a creative way to circumvent a potential lawsuit by displaying a nativity scene in front of the municipal building. Instead, they’re going to put it on a truck.The Beaver County Times reports that the Moose lodge is going to park a trailer carrying a nativity scene in front of the building.The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based out of Wisconsin, threatened to sue the borough if it did not remove the creche.Many locals were disappointed by the decision and vocalized opposition to the change.The new, nativity on wheels is expected to make its way...

DALLAS - A San Antonio man says he plans to drop his lawsuit against the city of Athens for putting up a nativity scene in front of the Henderson County courthouse as a Christmas decoration. But he isn't giving up his fight. In short, atheist Patrick Green said it's no longer a fair fight because Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has offered to step in and assist the city or the county. Greene's original suit claims the city is helping fund the display, which is a violation of both state and federal law. But he doesn't believe his suit will...

The Town of Century has declared their nativity scene as surplus property and will sell it to the highest bidder, months after an attorney for a Wisconsin group that represents agnostics and atheists sent letters to the town claiming that a nativity display on public property is illegal.A nativity scene had been displayed in front of the Century Town Hall for several years. It was displayed for a just a few days during the 2011 Christmas season, but was removed because it was basically falling apart due to age.In a July 17, 2012, NorthEscambia.com story about the Century Town Council’s...

Bill O'Reilly asked this question on his Fox News program last week: "Why do I have to be the leader defending Christmas against its attackers?" O'Reilly was criticizing Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee's renaming his state's Christmas tree a "holiday tree." Good question. It's time for Christians to realize that their religion is under attack, and they had better start fighting to win the war for religious liberty in public opinion, in the courts and in the schools. The war against Christianity has been waged by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Freedom From Religion Foundation and similar groups. Their...

News of Newhall seniors protesting the removal of a Christmas tree from their community room this week because, they said they were told, it was a religious symbol prompted a national outcry -- a collective bah humbug from Christmas defenders. It was, many said, another example of the so-called "war on Christmas" and political correctness run amok. The issue isn't new, but the debate over appropriate public demonstrations of traditionally religious holidays has now spread beyond blatant symbols like the cross and Nativity scenes to the unassuming Christmas tree. Chalk it up to the melting pot, experts say. "The country...

Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-R.I.) told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that his administration calls the decorated evergreen tree erected in the Rhode Island State House in December a “holiday tree”—rather than a “Christmas tree”—because that is what the tree is traditionally called. … But Rhode Island State Rep. Doreen Costa, who has called Chafee “Governor Grinch,” told CNSNews.com that she doesn’t remember Chafee’s predecessor, Gov. (Donald) Carcieri, calling it a “holiday tree”—nor does she recall Carcieri’s predecessor, Gov. (Lincoln) Almond, calling the tree a “holiday tree.” … But Carcieri also referred to it as a “Christmas tree,” she said. … “Governor Chafee,...

Residents in a Newhall senior apartment complex are protesting an order from management to remove their beloved Christmas tree from the community room because, they were told, it's a religious symbol. On Tuesday, Tarzana-based JB Partners Group Inc. sent a memo to staff demanding they take down Christmas trees and menorahs in communal areas. The company has owned The Willows for four years, but this is the first time it's given such a directive to staff. On Wednesday, two dozen residents in the 75-resident complex gathered in the lobby to place a neon green sign that read: "Please Save Our...

Frosty the Snowman is there — and so is Santa Claus. But the Baby Jesus is stuffed inside a closet at Cottondale Elementary School — leaving many residents of this small town in the Florida panhandle outraged. The Nativity scene had been a part of the school’s holiday lawn decorations for years. But this year the yuletide display is strictly secular. Principal Brenda Jones told television station WJHG the decision to keep Baby Jesus in the closet came after an official with the Dept. of Education dropped by to discuss the separation of church and state. “The Dept. of Education...

A Michigan man has filed a federal lawsuit claiming his constitutional rights were violated when he was ordered to remove a Nativity scene from the median of a public road — a creche that his family has displayed at the location for 63 years. John Satawa, of Warren, Mich., filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday in an attempt to be allowed to put back the 8- by 8-foot nativity scene his late father built in 1945. After receiving a complaint by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation last December, the Road Commission of Macomb County told Satawa...

A Michigan man has filed a federal lawsuit claiming his constitutional rights were violated when he was ordered to remove a Nativity scene from the median of a public road — a creche that his family has displayed at the location for 63 years. John Satawa, of Warren, Mich., filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday in an attempt to be allowed to put back the 8- by 8-foot nativity scene his late father built in 1945. After receiving a complaint by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation last December, the Road Commission of Macomb County told Satawa...

ANN ARBOR, MI — After four years of litigation by the Thomas More Law Center, John Satawa will once again be able to erect a Nativity display on a public median in Warren, Michigan—a tradition that his family and neighbors have been observing every Christmas since 1945. Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, commented: “Every December, militant secularists declare war on Christmas celebrations. This is one battle they lost. And we are extremely pleased that Mr. Satawa and his neighbors will be able to resume their wonderful tradition just in time for this Christmas.” The Nativity...

Cottondale- Santa Clause, Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman were all accounted for Wednesday on the lawn of Cottondale Elementary School. But for many in the community, key Christmas characters were missing. "The department of Education came in and talked to us about the legalities of religion in the school systems and the separation of the two" explained Cottondale Elementary School Principal, Brenda Jones. "So, I came back and talked to the faculty about the law and way it's written. Trying to be fair to all people decided that we would just not put the nativity scene out on campus." The...

Atheists cry foul over ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ 12:01 PM 11/21/2012 Caroline May Political Reporter Charlie Brown’s Christmas is on the outs at an elementary school in Little Rock, Ark. — at least among atheists who are calling foul over a planned student trip to see a stage production of the beloved Peanuts story. The trouble began when students at Terry Elementary School brought home letters detailing the trip to see “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at a local church, according to a report from Arkansas’ KARK. A parent who had a problem with the play’s content notified the local atheist...

Can we get a list going of retailers that's using the word Christmas or not in their advertisements and stores. Lowe's is first on my list as not saying Christmas in their add that I got in the mail today, not sure what's in the store.

The Kokkedal housing association decided to forego a Christmas tree, leading to charges of racism and fears of a Muslim takeover. Christmas is typically such a festive time, but for one housing association in the Zealand town of Kokkedal, it has, thus far, been anything but. It all started when the association’s nine-person board, five of whom are Muslim, voted against having a Christmas tree this year. They apparently balked at the estimated 7,000 kroner of the tree, but had earlier had no qualms about spending some 60,000 kroner on a party celebrating the Muslim holiday of Eid. Nearly immediately...

Most Americans still prefer signs in stores that say “Merry Christmas” rather than ones with “Happy Holidays.” A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 68% of American Adults prefer Merry Christmas. Just 23% like Happy Holidays instead.

By Todd Starnes A Rhode Island lawmaker is calling Gov. Lincoln Chafee “Governor Grinch” after he defied lawmakers and decided that the state would have a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree.” The governor defended his decision by arguing that it is in keeping with the state’s founding in 1636 by religious dissident Roger Williams as a haven for tolerance – where government and religion were kept separate. Instead of arguing over the tree, the governor called on lawmakers to focus their energy on feeding the poor. “I would encourage all those engaged in this discussion – whatever their...

A North Carolina community college has been accused of violating the First Amendment rights of students after they told a club they could not use the word “Christmas” to promote a Christmas tree sale. “It’s ridiculous that anyone would have to think twice about using the word ‘Christmas’ as part of a Christmas tree sale,” said Matt Sharp, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF sent a letter to officials at Western Piedmont Community College urging them to either reconsider their decision to censor the word “Christmas” – or else face a possible lawsuit. College officials did not return multiple...

Santa Monica Forced To CANCEL Christmas After Atheist Campaigner Launches Protest Against Town's Holiday Decorations 18 November 2012 A California town has been forced to axe its Christmas decorations after an atheist protester objected to a 14-piece religious display in the town centre and set up his own booths mocking Christianity and preventing church groups from celebrating the holidays. Officials in Santa Monica, California have snuffed the city's holiday tradition this year rather than intervening in the religious fight - prompting churches which have set up a 14-scene Christian diorama every year for decades to sue over freedom of speech...

Full title: Atheist Group Backs Parents Who Are Upset School Wants To Take Kids To See ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ At ChurchLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CBS Atlanta) — Charlie Brown has been caught in the crossfire of the “war on Christmas” mantra. KARK-TV reports that some parents were upset that Terry Elementary School in Little Rock wanted to take children to go see a play of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” at a local church.

The nearly 60-year tradition of a Nativity scene displayed at a park and hosted by a coalition of churches in Santa Monica, Calif., has ended after a federal judge ruled on Monday that the city can ban such displays. A controversy over the display about the birth of Jesus at Palisades Park erupted last Christmas season when an atheist group "manipulated" the city's lottery system for spaces, according to a nonprofit, resulting in only two booths for the Christian group that normally uses 14 booths for the various Nativity-related scenes. "It's a very sad day when a small number of...

St. Lawrence Council 10281 in South Amboy, NJ. Credit: Knights of Columbus. New Haven, Conn., Dec 16, 2011 / 03:03 am (CNA).- The Knights of Columbus' annual campaign reminding millions of Americans to “Keep Christ in Christmas” is in full swing with radio ads, signs, billboards, Nativity scenes and Christmas cards.“In a society where Christmas has often become shorthand for shopping, many who celebrate Christmas can lose sight of its true meaning,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said Dec. 15. “Those who celebrate Christmas give gifts to each other because it is the day on which we celebrate the...