Posted on 11/20/2003 12:05:06 PM PST by steppenwolffe
A Christian church in Fort Lauderdale may proceed with a holiday display claiming that "Jesus is the Reason for the Season," but it took a court battle for the church to get its message out.
In response to a lawsuit filed by a civil liberties group, a federal judge in Miami ordered Broward County to let the Calvary Chapel sponsor a Christmas display featuring a cross and the message noting Jesus' central role in Christmas.
Which Holiday?
The church is among dozens of businesses and organizations willing to pay up to $15,000 to take part in Broward County's annual "Holiday Fantasy of Lights." The 2-mile light festival takes place at a public park in Coconut Creek, Fla., and it draws thousands of people.
Earlier this year, Broward County rejected Calvary Chapel's design proposal because of its religious message - "Jesus is the Reason for the Season." That's when Calvary Chapel turned to the Rutherford Institute for help.
Rutherford attorneys filed a federal lawsuit defending the church's constitutional right to participate in a community event.
Attorneys pointed out that Broward County official have routinely permitted displays expressing a secular viewpoint about Christmas and Chanukah, while systematically excluding displays expressing a religious viewpoint about the holidays.
"Many Americans would agree with Calvary Chapel that Jesus is the reason for the season, and the First Amendment protects their right to publicly proclaim that belief," John W. Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute, said in a press release.
"This ruling clearly sends a message that the First Amendment protects religious speech just as it protects secular speech. Government may not, in the name of political correctness, single out the views of religious persons for discriminatory treatment," Whitehead said.
Whitehead said government officials across the country might want to remember that lesson as the Christmas season draws closer.
I don't like baseball. Does that give me the right to sue the World Serious?
Most of them are celebrating the winter solstice. The date of Yeshua's birth, as for other Jewish babies, is not recorded in the Scriptures. They identified the year and gave clues about the season (not summer).
I wonder what they'll have this year, the beheading of John the Baptist?
Why are you guys show darn afraid of us? With the hostility Christians face on this site, you'd think we were all Mexicans too!
Question for ya, should we cancel Halloween to protect the children from seeing fake blood too? Or just presentations specific to Christianity?
And "Jesus" pronounced backwards is "Sausage"
An orgy of gift-giving bereft of meaning. I haven't seen one TV commercial that refers to the "Christmas" holiday yet -- everything is lumped into nameless "holidays" or "holiday season," even to the point of absurdity, such as a pet store commercial depicting a puppy's "first holiday." I guess if they take the tree out, they can use the same commercial for Thanksgiving, July 4th or any other national holiday.
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