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Offended by local nativity sceneAs a lifelong Christian, I am deeply offended by the creche that keeps appearing on the Chester County Courthouse grounds. It is racially, culturally and religiously insensitive. Jesus and His family were Middle Eastern and most likely had very dark hair, eyes, and skin — yet this offensive creche, showing the Holy Family and others in the Christmas drama as if they were northern Europeans with light skin and hair, keeps showing up on public property. Mary has blond hair, no less! And all the others have chalky skin and either blond or very light...

It was literally one of the most fulfilling events of my life. However, I didn't fully realize it at first. In late 2007, I thought it was time to get my life back on track after becoming totally blind two and a half years ago. Sure, there was my writing. And support of pro-family causes filled up many of my days. Yet there was something missing. However, I was soon to learn what it was. A few years ago, it was suggested I lead a project that would eventually result in a Nativity scene standing in the state Capitol Building...

CUMBERLAND — Thanks to a small group of local men, the tradition of erecting a Nativity scene and decorating a large Christmas tree on the lawn of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in downtown Cumberland will continue. Two years ago, city officials decided to end city government’s involvement with the Nativity scene. According to Michael Mudge, one of the men who is keeping the tradition alive, city leaders had received a complaint from two people who objected to local government being involved in the Christian Nativity tradition.After Christmas 2009, the city donated the Nativity items to The Cumberland Nativity & Tree Display...

SPRINGFIELD, IL -- On Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008, a privately-supported Nativity Scene will go on display in the state Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois. Solely funded and constructed as a result of donations from private citizens, the display depicting the birth of Jesus Christ will stand in the East Hall of the Capitol Building from December 2nd through the 28th. The Nativity Scene and events surrounding the exhibit are being organized by the Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC). The scene--designed and constructed by Chicago-based builder Karl Fritz and his son master craftsman Timothy Fritz--will feature the baby Jesus, Joseph and...

The national advocacy group In God We Trust today blasted the atheist American Humanist Association for its ad campaign mocking the Christmas holiday and American's who believe in God. The ad campaign asks, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness sake," and will be targeted at New York and Washington commuters. "These ads are a deliberate attack on American traditions, beliefs and customs by a United Nation's affiliated group that espouses a radical anti-American agenda and is funded by an zealot who believes that the U.S. is a backwards nation full of imbeciles," says In God We...

Three women in Ohio want to make sure people understand that it is OK to say "Merry Christmas" because they said they are tired of hearing "Happy Holidays." The women raised enough money to put their message on billboards that the women think Jesus Christ might want to convey.

I was going to post on the prevalence of "Keep Christ in Christmas" bumper stickers and signs at this time of year and suggest that the reason Christ is being taken out of Christmas is that Mass has already been taken out of Christmas. However, Mark Shea links to this article by an atheist that makes my argument before I could get a chance. He makes the very good point that the whole Advent and Christmas season (lasting right up to Candlemass on February 2) was a long sacred holiday that celebrated the Incarnation of Our Lord, and it was...

Nativity scenes made of real straw. Wise Men 2 feet tall. Menorahs bigger than a human being.   Holiday display in Teaneck. In many North Jersey municipalities, those sacred symbols can be found at the same place people get dog licenses, pay taxes and apply for building permits — town hall.  The display of religious items on public property has long been a charged discussion in American communities, and the case law governing holiday displays is still murky enough to confound local governments trying to create a festive atmosphere for residents.* Fair Lawn for years just lit a holiday tree....

A while back in (December, 1906) prominent members of New York's Jewish community organized a strike against Christmas exercises in the city's public schools. In light of state laws prohibiting the teaching of "religious doctrines or tenets of any particular Christian or other religious sect," they asked the Board of Education to bar school-based festivities that had in the past included such elements as religious hymns, pictures of the Madonna, holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees. (They also maintained that any "symbols of Judaism, Mohammedanism, or infidelism" should be banned as well.) When the Board of Education failed to respond to...

In addition to tidings of peace and joy, St. Ambrose Church in Old Bridge has another message for the community this season: Don't even think about stealing the parish's new nativity scene. Not only are Mary and Joseph secured to the manger with steel cords, but the Baby Jesus also will be bolted to his crib and equipped with a high-tech GPS device to track anyone who might snatch him. "GPS. We call it God's Positioning System," the Rev. Bob Gorman, St. Ambrose's pastor, said. The Roman Catholic church is one of about 100 churches and synagogues around the country...

A Tennessee woman says she was fired just days before Christmas because of the way she was spreading Christmas cheer. The pin says "It's called Christmas, for Christ's sake". When Sutton admired the pin being worn by a customer, the stranger gave it to her. Neither knew its message would mean trouble for the cashier. When a customer complained, the employee was asked to remove the pin due to store policy that no employee should wear a pin supporting a religion. Sutton says when she returned from lunch that day, she was fired.

“The War on Christmas” (John 1:1-18)Everybody loves Christmas. Santa Claus, gift-giving, time off from work, time spent with family, honey-baked ham, and the cheerful holiday spirit. Yes, everybody loves Christmas. Or do they? Well, I guess it depends on which Christmas you’re talking about. Because there’s also that other Christmas, you know, the one that has to do with Christ. And that one isn’t all that popular with everyone. In fact, the anti-Christmas sentiment has become so common and so frequent that it can even be called a movement. And it has even been given a name: “The War on...

Every year we are flooded with reports from across the nation about nativity scenes being vandalized. This year was no different. Here is a list of some of the incidents that came to our attention:· In Sandusky, Ohio a 50-year old figure of the Baby Jesus was stolen from a downtown park; it was found a few days later hanging from a ceiling fan in the apartment of the thief who stole it·  A Christian pastor in Loma Linda, California was beaten and left in critical condition while decorating his church· In Orange County, Florida a Christian church’s drive-through nativity scene was...

Costco no longer puts “Christmas” on its holiday merchandising. Sellers want us to buy to help the financial slump but the reason for buying is not allowed to appear.A student wished me a “Merry Winter Break.”A mother of four tells me that even things like Santa have disappeared, just lights and wintery scenes. I did see a Santa on Wisconsin Avenue, and you could still sit on his lap for a photo. In retrospect, the Bing Crosby singing of “Happy Holidays” and even “White Christmas” was the beginning of the evaporation of Christmas. “Don’t impose Christmas on us” means “Keep...

Because "public life" now entails virtually every part of our lives, erasing references to God entirely from public life means virtually eliminating them from America. Imagine, if you will, a gala birthday party given in your honor. The guests will sing, dance, give presents, eat, drink, and have the merriest of times. The hitch: your name will not be mentioned, the gifts will not be for you, the celebrants won't be thinking about you, and everyone would sort of prefer that you not come. That's all that will be left of Christmas if various groups have their way. All across...

CBN News.com - WASHINGTON - A couple of Christian rights groups placed a nativity scene in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday, as part of an effort to encourage Americans to do the same in front of public buildings all across the United States. The National Clergy Council and the Christian Defense Coalition point out many Americans falsely believe such displays are forbidden, and so creches have disappeared from many places where they used to be commonplace... Sadly we are seeing an erosion of the public expression of faith. Nowhere is this more seen than during the Christmas season,"...

The Christian Defense Coalition will display the Nativity Scene on Saturday, December 6, starting at 10:00 A.M. in Times Square. The location is Broadway and 44th Street right below MTV studios.  The Christian Defense Coalition based in Washington, D.C., thanks New York City for giving permission to publicly display the Nativity.  The display is part of a nationwide campaign called, "The Nativity Project," which encourages individuals and groups to display Nativity Scenes in public places across America. (See Article: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/486017.aspx) Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, states, "We are seeing a growing hostility toward expressions of faith in the...

Costco has 520 stores nationwide. But you will not find "Christmas" in a single store. That's because Costco says it will not use the term "Christmas" on its website or in its stores. Instead, Costco is telling customers it purposely chooses to use the generic "holiday" verbiage. You know, they stock holiday gifts, not Christmas gifts. Last week, a customer wrote to Costco and asked this direct question – "Does Costco use the word 'Christmas' in your store advertising or on any signs anywhere in your stores during the Christmas season? That's a pretty simple question, yes or no." Kory...

Dan Barker of the Freedom from Religion Foundation on December 1, 2008's Fox & Friends stated that the nativity scene represented 'hate speech' and 'a direct attack on good human values.'

The FGCU administration is banning all holiday decorations in common areas on campus. There will be no lights, no wreaths, and no decorative signs - just business as usual. We found out why the university made the potentially controversial decision. Officials with the university say the holiday "Giving Tree" in Griffin Hall is being replaced by a bulletin board called the "Giving Garden".