Suha Arafat
Posted on 12/08/2005 6:19:12 PM PST by truthandlife
The "war against Christmas" rages on. A Wisconsin elementary school has changed the song "Silent Night" to "Cold in the Night," and secularized the lyrics.
Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville may be taking a cue from the White House, which as been sending out greeting cards in the last few weeks, wishing recipients a happy "Holiday Season" rather than "Merry Christmas." The school's "Winter Program" features a secularized version of the traditional Christmas carol "Silent Night" with the following lyrics:
Cold in the night, no one in sight; Winter winds whirl and bite. How I wish I were happy and warm, Safe with my family out of the storm.
A concerned parent whose child attends Ridgeway Elementary contacted the Florida-based Liberty Counsel, which has contacted the school. The legal group's president and general counsel, Mat Staver, explains that as part of its program, the school has also included decorations from other holiday themes.
"At the same time the school has changed the religious songs to secular," Staver says, "their so-called 'Winter Program' has included decorating classrooms with Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, menorahs, and even Labafana -- a term I'd not even heard of until this year." Labafana, he says, is "apparently a Christmas witch."
The attorney says Ridgeway is now a target of Liberty Counsel's "Friend or Foe" campaign. "As a result of this absurdness, Liberty Counsel has issued a demand letter on behalf of a parent whose child attends this elementary school, and who will be participating in this program if the school does not back down." That demand letter, he says, asks for an immediate change in the program -- or Liberty Counsel will file suit.
The basic premise of the "Friend or Foe" campaign is to educate the public that it is legal to celebrate Christmas in schools, public buildings, and private businesses -- including use of the word "Christmas," singing of religious Christmas carols, and displaying of Nativity scenes. According to Staver, there indeed is a war on Christmas.
"Our opponents in this Christmas campaign are not debating us anymore on the law," he admits. "They agree with us that the law allows Christmas. They are trying to say that, in fact, there's no problem going on in America."
But that is definitely not the case, Staver continues. "For those who deny that there is a war on Christmas, this Wisconsin school district -- where they changed the lyrics of 'Silent Night' to 'Cold in the Night' -- is essentially Exhibit A."
The Liberty Counsel president says the law is clear that Christmas is constitutional. But he notes that "when a public school intentionally mocks Christian Christmas songs by secularizing their content, they cross the line from a neutral position -- which the Constitution requires -- to a hostile position, which the Constitution forbids."
Staver says Ridgeway Elementary ought to realize that Christmas is a national holiday celebrated by 96 percent of Americans.
Is there a Ramadan witch we should know about?
....As they've done every year this century.
Suha Arafat
Ok Happy Holidays I can stomache. But changing the lyrics to Silent Night to Cold in the Night is just sickening.
There sure is... Nancy "Botox" Pelosi
Exactly! The "Happy Holidays" White House card is a controversy fanned by far-Right wackos. There is nothing wrong with "Happy Holidays," since it is an appropriate greeting for both Christians and Jews. It doesn't denegrate Christmas.
"Happy Holidays" also encompasses both the Christmas and New Year's celebrations in one card -- saving time and money! -- and the White House card also contains a verse from the Bible.
What an ado about absolutely nothing. Some people have WAY too much free time.
Which is exactly why you find so many of them right here in our little green acre of the Internet. ;)
YOU ARE SO RIGHT. WHY NOT USE A DIFFERENT SONG , LIKE JINGLE BELLS? THERES NO REASON TO CHANGE THE WORDS TO A SONG, THERES PLENTY OF SONGS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN USED. IT IS SICKING FOR SURE
TS
I believe the correct spelling of the witch is La Befana
La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.
As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hopes that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal.
La Befana
Children in Italy still get presents on January 6th (the traditional day of Epiphany). They are gifts from Labafana who still walks the land looking for the king.
I loved the White House Christmas card. Every one of them have been wonderful from this President. Of course I didn't get any from the last one...!
Yes, I wish I were out of this all-engulfing lunacy of secularism and removing all aspects of religion out of our public lives. Yes, I wish I were out of the storm, safe and warm and living in the America of 50 years ago.
They need to do a FR poll, "Have you ever met anyone who actually celebrates Kwanzaa?", because I sure haven't. Our local Wal-Mart didn't even have any Kwanzaa cards this year, I was going to send one to a friend as a joke :P
well merry christmas to you belltowerboy and peace to all the morons you know rofllllllll
thank you for such a wonderful story. i had never heard it before but i plan to tell my 6 yr old it this xmas eve thanks again
Well, that's one good way to keep me from reading the rest of the story.
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