Posted on 11/18/2004 12:45:31 PM PST by Lindykim
Web: http://www.alliancedefensefund.org Email: info@telladf.org Phone: 1-800-TELL-ADF ADF contacts over 3,600 school districts nationwide regarding attempts to censor Christmas Release Date: 2004-11-17 Primary Category: Religious Freedom ADF Media Relations 480-444-0020 ADF contacts over 3,600 school districts nationwide regarding attempts to censor Christmas Second annual Christmas Project declares, "It's okay to say Merry Christmas!"
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—The Alliance Defense Fund has contacted over 3,600 school districts across the nation within the last month explaining the law with regard to the celebration of Christmas in the public schools.
"The phrase 'separation of church and state' is not in the U.S. Constitution, but because of the fear, intimidation, and disinformation groups like the ACLU promote, many public officials and educational leaders mistakenly believe it is their duty to silence Christian religious expression," said ADF President Alan Sears. "ADF's goal this season is to inform and educate the 96% of Americans who celebrate Christmas regarding their rights."
The number of school districts contacted continues to grow as part of ADF's Christmas Project, which includes the mobilization of a nationwide force of more than 700 allied attorneys available to combat any attempts to censor the celebration of Christmas in schools and on public property.
Earlier this month, ADF delivered the same information on the law to every state board of education and National Education Association (NEA) chapter in the country, as well as to the national NEA office and the U.S. Department of Education (www.alliancedefensefund.org/story/?id=537). Among the 3,600 school districts contacted are every school district in the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Maryland, Mississippi, and Virginia, as well as numerous school districts in other states.
The goal of ADF's Christmas Project is to clear up misconceptions about seasonal religious expression on public property:
The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled that public schools must ban the singing of religious Christmas carols or prohibit the distribution of candy canes or Christmas cards.
School officials may refer to a school break in December as "Christmas Vacation" or as a holiday without offending the Constitution. School officials do not violate the Constitution by closing on religious holidays such as Christmas and Good Friday.
No court has ever held that celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas as religious holidays requires recognition of all other religious holidays.
The "Three Reindeer Rule" used by the courts requires a municipality to place a sufficient number of secular objects in close enough proximity to the Christmas item (such as a crèche) to render the overall display sufficiently secular. Although the overall display must not convey a message endorsing a particular religion's view, Christmas displays are not banned as some people believe. Simply put, the courts ask, "Is the municipality celebrating the holiday or promoting religion?"
ADF will represent people of faith, as well as school districts or other entities, free of charge to defend their freedom of speech regarding Christmas.
The United States and its presidents historically have recognized religious holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas. On December 24, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke to the nation, saying, "Here, at home, we will celebrate this Christmas Day in our traditional American way because of its deep spiritual meaning to us; because the teachings of Christ are fundamental in our lives; and because we want our youngest generation to grow up knowing the significance of this tradition and the story of the coming of the immortal Prince of Peace and Good Will."
"We want to dispel the myths about religious expression at Christmastime that have prompted wrongful acts of government censorship of religious speech," Sears said. "It's okay to say, 'Merry Christmas!'"
ADF has prepared a free informational pamphlet titled "The Truth about Religious Expression at Christmastime." An informational letter that can be sent to school officials regarding the law and Christmas expression is also available.
Visit www.alliancedefensefund.org/faqs/resources.php or call 1-800-TELL-ADF. ADF is America's largest legal alliance defending religious liberty through strategy, training, funding, and litigation. www.telladf.org
Related Information Early Christmas gift: City wins, ACLU loses
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ping
Although this isn't about homosexuality, I still felt you'd like to read this.
And then the ADF stands there with their mouths open in wonder and awe at the persistence and growth of anti-Semitism...
"No court has ever held that celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas as religious holidays requires recognition of all other religious holidays."
Since when is Thanksgiving a religious holiday?
OK I take back most of what I said about lawyers.
Whom do you suppose we might be thanking?
???????????????
The only "peristence" and "growth" of anti-Semitism is among Islamofascists and their socialist lackies.
General Thanksgiving
Several years ago I started to relentlessly use "Merry Christmas" during the holiday season. I send out blatantly Christian Christmas cards. I have TWO creches at home.
It's funny to see how some people react. It's like they think Christmas is risque! Sort of a guilty pleasure-type thing.
Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day
October 3, 1863
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle, or the ship; the axe had enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years, with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.
It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and voice by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
A. Lincoln
I am not Christian, but when a Christian wishes me a Merry Christmas...I know they are wishing for me the very best of what they believe in...and I graciously accept & return the Godness.
I've been searching the net for who is going to defend Christmas this year as it is my belief that the Christian religion has nothing to be ashamed of and I am willing to stand up with them to defend Freedom of Religion. Thanks for posting the above article.
Did you even READ the article?
"Did you even READ the article?"
Huh? What? You mean we're supposed to actually READ these articles. Shoot...I don't have time to do that. If I read all these articles, I wouldn't have time to make senseless posts that meant nothing. I'd be spending all my time trying to understand what the articles meant. Thats...why, thats...pretty good sense.
Too bad that too few bother.
Not so. This kind of action has a way of ticking of large numbers of Americans who are tired of seeing Christianity and religion in general attacked. A common yet irrational response to the antics of the ADL is to blame said antics on Jews in general. FWIW, I don't run in those herds, but they do exist....
Tracer.....Tracer....Are you there?
This article is about the ADF...the Alliance Defence Fund, not the ADL. See what happens when you don't read the article?
Duh.....
Our mutual correspondent appears to have confused the subject of this article, the ADF, with the ADL. By not bothering to read the article, his knee has jerked uncontrollably, to his embarrassment. We will see if he bothers to read these replies.
Sorry about that. I need to see my friend and ophthalmologist, who, BTW, is Jewish.
And it wasn't even about the ADL. Groan.....
I'm sure that knee will heal shortly, but, to avoid further damage, I advise not jerking it any further. [grin]
snip.....See what happens when you don't read the article?
Wish him a "Happy Thanksgiving"........maybe that'll get his attention :-)
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