Free Republic

No Christmas tree at Pioneer Square again. What happens if we call it what it is? Double secret probation or something? It's a Christmas Tree, for crying out loud. Call it a Christmas Tree. We see from the announcement made by the nice folks at Pioneer Courthouse Square (who have no problem lighting a Chanukah Menorah,) that a "tree" will be arriving but apparently can't bring themselves to call it a Christmas tree. Look at their flyer: I see that we have a "tree arrival," generously orchestrated by that terrific company, Stimson Lumber. Thank you! But our friends at this...

A Church of England clergyman has banned the popular hymn O Little Town of Bethlehem from his Christmas services because he claims it does not reflect the true state of the town believed by Christians to be the place of Jesus' birth. “That just isn’t what it is like there at the moment. It isn’t still and peaceful, it is full of tension and anger and fearful people. Mr Coulter visited the Middle East last month along with a group of 30 parishioners and said he was shocked by the security wall.

A Christmas quiz: What is the difference between these two events? 1. A clerk at a department store tells shoppers "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." 2. A store renames Christmas trees, calling them "holiday trees." Answer: Event No. 1 is a reasonable and praiseworthy attempt at inclusiveness, since the clerk does not know which shoppers celebrate Christmas and which do not. Event No. 2, however, is a gutless and ridiculous dodge of the obvious, buying into a new level of politically correct absurdity. As believers and nonbelievers work themselves into a lather over the Christmas Wars, rational distinctions like...

CHRISTMAS IN MONTANA THE SCENE: A Cold December day. Excerpt: MISS RUGAMYER: Now, children, how can Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer possibly be politically incorrect? CYNTHIA: It shows insensitivity towards people with disabilities. HANK:It mentions the word Christmas. SWEET PEA: And it shows an infringement of Rudolph’s animal rights. MISS RUGAMYER: Francis, how does the song show an infringement of Rudolph’s animal rights? SWEET PEA: Because Rudolph didn’t have a choice when Santa hitched him to the sleigh. MISS RUGAMYER: Class, at this rate, we’re not going to have any songs for our program. Ok…here’s one that I’m sure will not...