Free Republic

An interesting exercise in the hidden power of Christmas last week ... A Catholic priest was giving the invocation before the lighting of the town Christmas tree and he dropped the "J bomb." That's right, the priest had the audacity to mention — cover your ears, kiddies — Jesus Christ. That caused an immediate ruckus. A city councilman took over the microphone and insisted the tree lighting was not a Christmas tree but a holiday tree and there was to be no religion in the observance of the lighting of the holiday tree. Within hours the councilman ate his words...

Supervisor apologizes after outcry over his angry response to prayer that invoked Jesus MELVILLE, N.Y. — When the Rev. Nick Zientarski uttered the name of Jesus Christ during his traditional blessing of the official Christmas tree lighting in Manhasset last week, he had no idea he had signed on as a soldier in the Christmas wars. Even as he spoke, the Roman Catholic priest said, he could hear North Hempstead Supervisor Jon Kaiman angrily objecting behind him, "this is inappropriate." Then, Kaiman got up and told the crowd, "I just want to make it clear that this is no way...