St. Lawrence Council 10281 in South Amboy, NJ. Credit: Knights of Columbus.
Posted on 12/16/2011 3:15:22 PM PST by NYer
.- 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 greatest gift: God’s gift of his son to the world,” he explained.
“Christmas is about 'peace on earth toward people of good will' and we think that’s a message worth remembering.”
The campaign's list of initiatives this year include English and Spanish-language radio spots encouraging people to remember Christmas in various ways, such as helping those less fortunate. The Knights of Columbus have also sent a public service announcement to television networks and hundreds of local broadcast stations and cable systems.
The global Catholic fraternal order has led the “Keep Christ in Christmas” program since the early 1960s. It was originally organized by the Christian Mothers of Milwaukee, which later became the Council of Catholic Women.
Last year, the public service announcements reached more than 38 million television viewers and 34 million radio listeners.
Locally, Knights of Columbus councils have been busy placing billboards and signs, sponsoring Nativity displays or selling religious Christmas cards.
The national organization also encouraged the councils to hold a Christmas tree or Nativity scene lighting ceremony on the first Tuesday of December. The Supreme Council has erected a nativity scene on the Green in New Haven, Conn., near the organization’s headquarters and is organizing a “Posada” Christmas procession on Dec. 20.
In New Jersey, however, a “Keep Christ in Christmas” banner sponsored by a local council in the town of Pitman garnered opposition from the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.
A local man complained that the banner hangs from two town-owned light posts over a street and was posted by members of the town’s fire department.
The town mayor Michael Batten told Fox News that a similar banner has hung over the street during the holiday season for the last half century. He says the present banner hangs on private property above a county road and will remain posted until he hears otherwise from the town’s attorney.
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson told Fox News that the controversy is “politically correct nonsense.”
“We're trying to remind Christians that Christmas is a religious holiday,” he said. “It's not about shopping. By keeping Christ in Christmas, we're just underlining the first six letters in the word Christmas. That's the message we're trying to remind people.”
In 1995, the Knights of Columbus won a U.S. Supreme Court case that secured the right to display a crèche on the Town Green of Trumbull, Connecticut.
Christmas ping!
If you believe in The Holy Trinity and you believe that Jesus Christ is The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world, who was crucified, died, rose again and ascended into Heaven and will return again then you shouldn’t need to be reminded to ‘’keep Christ in Christmas’’. And quite honestly to go chastising merchants and stores in the shopping malls to do the same because you shop there and spend your money there is rather silly. “Jesus is the reason for the season’’ It isn’t about Merry Christmas and 40% off on all purchases.
A gentle reminder, without the birth of the Savior, his death and resurection would not be possible.
My council sells car magnets like this one ...
We also put up two billboards using the same design and build/sell lawn ornaments also based on this design. Huge sellers every year.
Vivat Jesus!
I grow tired of people who insist we worship their god while denying others the opportunity to worship God, such as atheists who insist we worship their religion of arrogance while denying us our right to worship God freely in public and also seek to deny us the right to free speech in a public forum.
The reason for the season. It's a perfect one-liner for the relative moralists who smorgy their commandments and re-design God to fit their version of "god."
They design their faith in such egocentric ways that REALITY, as stated above "If you believe...", ceases to exist. Celebrating the secular xmas keeps their shallow, self-centered minds off of REALITY, "If you believe..."
Great post.
A humble thank you friend in Christ. And do have a Blessed and Merry Christmas.
You're welcome. Thank you for the Christmas wishes. A blessed, peaceful Christmas to you and your loved ones.
Greeting the Season, Knights of Columbus Christmas Card Program helps to "Keep Christ in Christmas"
Christ in Christmas products page
Christ in Christmas order form
Our focus is the Nativity Scene which can be seen from the road.
Our focus is the Nativity Scene which can be seen from the road. >>
Is this your church you are talking about?
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