School Okays Christmas Witch, Rewrites 'Silent Night'

Agape Press ^ | 12-12-05 | Jim Brown

[kingattax]

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.

Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.

[sure_fine]

The author is Bill O'Reilly

'Twas the night before Solstice, and all through the land
the ACLU was watching to keep things in hand.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while forces kept Christmas out of their heads.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed and heard desperate chatter.
Someone had seen my manger display,
And wailed very loudly - go away, go away.

How could I be so crass, so utterly wrong
So show the infant Jesus and sing him a song?


And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
An ACLU lawyer, looking stern and aloof.
No manger! No caroling! he said with a snort,
And if you don't comply immediately, I'll take you to court!

He was chubby and plump, a right surly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him in spite of myself.
He dallied no more, but went straight to his phone
Lamenting the manger, in a most pitiful moan.

But I in the spirit, said nothing unkind
Christmas is forgiveness whatever you find.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

Christmas will survive, the folks will demand it,
Even if secular lawyers will not understand it.
Then I heard him exclaim, as he drove out of sight,
Happy Solstice to all, and to all a good night!

[Darkwolf377]

"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. "

1.What a sucky lyric

2.What a stupid lyric

3.It's interesting to see the "secular" angle here, taking a popular song about a religious figure and trying to prevent it from taking route in young minds as such. Instead of bringing to mind a religious figure beloved by millions, it attempts to put a "How can you think of material goods like Xmas presents when there are cold people out there?" piety in his place.

War against Christmas? WHAT war against Christmas?

[Chickensoup]

Intellegent parents will not let their children participate. Just dont show up for these concerts and keep the children home during daytime concerts.

[wintertime]

"Intellegent parents will not let their children participate. Just dont show up for these concerts and keep the children home during daytime concerts."

Intelligent parent will not let their children near a government school. Just don't send them for any reason at all.

[Clintonfatigued]

Once again, political correctness is running amock.

[mylife]

I hadnt heard about the Christmas witch part.

These people are nuts!

[Clintonfatigued]

good point.

[t2buckeye]

"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."

I think this is a bit of a low blow. I received a Christmas card which has a prominent biblical verse from Issaih...AND the President's religious faith is well-known..in fact he is lambasted for it often. The card did NOT have rewritten lyrics as happened at this school.
Though I totally agree with the writer's premise about a War on Christmas, I don't believe that the WH in any way demeans Christmas just because they said "Happy Holidays" (which USED to mean Christmas and New Years!)

[LisaMalia]

This really sickens me on so many levels, one being because Silent Night was my late dad's favorite Christmas song. It is so beautiful and pure.

Any parent who doesn't yank their kid out of this school deserves what they get.

[P.O.E.]

McDonald's is offering Witch with their happy meals for this holiday season.

[Rumwarthor]

The war that we are seeing on Christmas is, in reality, only a side-effect of the war that has been waged against Christians since the 60's.

[wintertime]

There is NO possible way that any government school can be politically, culturally, or religiously neutral in regard to "Silent Night". No matter what decision a government bureaucrat makes he WILL establish and uphold the political, cultural, and religious or non-religious beliefs of some parents and students and trash and undermine the beliefs of others.

That is why government schools are unconstitutional on both a state and federal level. Please read the following excellent essay:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Stuter/stuter9.htm

The school has the following choices, none of which are politically, culturally, or religiously neutral:

1) It can perform Silent Night as written. If it does this, then those who do not want their children indoctrinated in Christian belief will have their First Amendment Rights trashed.

2) It can perform the song with the new lyrics. If it does this, then it is undermining, trashing, and be disrespectful of the religious significance of the melody and religious lyrics for Christian children.

3) The school can ignore Silent Night. If it does this it is withholding important cultural knowledge from all the students. It is also sending the message to the Christian students that their religious beliefs are too controversial for "Silent Night" to be sung in the school. It also prevents parents from having the authority of a teacher, principal, and school uphold and form the religious teachings in the home.

Government schools are an abomination and entirely unconstitutional they are an affront to freedom of conscience sensibilities. They should be abolished.

[OldEagle]

Once again the silent majority gets to see how the left rejects traditional American values and they are keeping score.

[popdonnelly]

"Silent Night" is as lovely a tune as has ever been written. Changing the lyrics is an Orwellian form of propaganda.

[Bud Krieger]

All the parents who do not like this sort of thing should simply pull their kids from these school programs.

It would be hard for a school to put on these so called "winter programs" when there are only a few kids participating.

[wintertime]

"Silent Night" is as lovely a tune as has ever been written. Changing the lyrics is an Orwellian form of propaganda."

Yes, changing the words to "Silent Night" is Orwellian propaganda. And,,,,it is NOT politically, culturally, or religiously neutral. Is has consequences for all the children.

Get government out of education. It is a First Amendment abomination.

[wintertime]

"All the parents who do not like this sort of thing should simply pull their kids from these school programs.

It would be hard for a school to put on these so called "winter programs" when there are only a few kids participating."

Bud Krieger,

This is not enough.

You can not pull your child from the entire anti-Christian culture of the school. The other children have attended the "winter" program and will have influence on the non-attenders.

Please remember. For those parents who do not have alternatives, if they refuse to send their children to government school, armed police ( real bullets in those guns), court orders, social workers, and threats of foster care WILL force them to attend.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Wow. I get it. It's a song about...nothing. It's the Seinfeld of songs.

[Terri]

  It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

              Terri Christmas!

          ~ Merry Jesus Christmas ~

                ...the reason for the season!