SwiftVets.com

[dusty]

All I got to say is "Hurry up Lord" cause there's starting to be a whole lot of folks who are going to be so surprised that You are who You said You are.

As much as I'd like to stay around and see the looks on their faces when they find out, I'm gonna to with you when you come back to get me.

And in the meantime, I can take comfort in the knowledge you have given me because I do believe You are who You said You are, that the world is going exactly as it has to go to get to where it has to get.

Don't worry so folks, He has it well in hand. Just ask Him.

Dusty

[USAFE5]

The story has been written for 2000 years. The ending hasn't changed. The other side has a copy, knows the plays, and the only question left is are you leaving the first trip or playing the "fourth quarter". I'll make sure I have my ticket for the train.
_________________
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I’m here to help." Ronald Reagan

[SandiM]

Sydney, Australia has also banned 'merry christmas' signs. Childcare centres have banned Santa. Uproar on talkback across the country.

Just did a searh of newspapers worldwide for such stories and found some way back to 1994. This movement has been creeping up on us for at least ten years and it's time to stop dismissing it as simply 'looney' and take it seriously. The Committee to Save Merry Christmas site is a good start.

These ratbags attack everything we value and, before we know it, they've won.
_________________
Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. (Winston Churchill)

[MSeeger]

At the risk of sounding like I am repeating myself, I will say again that our country is the only country that is making apologies for the fact that the dominant religion in our country is Christianity.

Mulsim and Hindu nations, as well as those nations that worship Bhudda and Shintoism (Japan), make no bones about their culture and make no apologies, either, about not allowing Christian evangelisation in their lands.

So I find it ironic that we should be the exception to the rule. But, then, again, I have been warning people that there is likely going to be a persecution of Christians; people pooh-pooh the idea, but consider what is happening now. Am I the only one that sees it? Christianity is fast becoming an outlaw religion in our *own* country! Something to be ashamed of!

So....would we be celebrating any holidays at all, if it wasn't for Christmas? No. Jesus is the reason for the season...and to pretend otherwise is sheer folly, not to mention a lie.

Maria
_________________
Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Gal. 6:7

[nccjones]

You know...I'd love to get a handfull of those bumper stickers that say "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and stick them on all the entrances to the stores that ban Merry Christmas.

But then when I look back on it...it's not a very Christian thing to do

[SBD]

COMMENTARY • December 2004
It's OK to say 'Merry Christmas'
By Alan Sears
CHRISTIAN EXAMINER- Opinion

All young Joel Curry wanted to do was include something fun and festive in a class project at school last Christmas.

He attached little cards to a batch of candy cane ornaments — cards explaining a popular history of the traditional holiday favorite. He would “sell” these candy canes to his friends as part of a simulation on good citizenship in the marketplace. It was a truly fun and friendly holiday idea for this valuable activity, consistent with the type of spirit we all hope to find in the hearts of children at this time of year.

Enter school district officials — the “Scrooges” who tried to kill the spirit of Christmas. Joel Curry’s cards made reference to the Christian influence on the history of candy canes, and that just wouldn’t do. A teacher, sadly misled by the commonly held, yet terribly mistaken, belief that such references to Christianity could touch off a violation of the so-called “separation of church and state,” notified her superiors of the cards. District officials ordered the removal of the cards from the ornaments.

Never mind that Joel’s cards could not possibly be considered an endorsement of religion by the school. Yet according to conventional “wisdom,” it is unconstitutional to mention anything in the public schools about the Christian — or even secular — history of the day called Christmas.

Except it’s not.

Public schools, municipalities, and even many Christians have fallen prey to the disinformation often propagated by the American Civil Liberty Union’s allies and other “Scrooge-like” groups that the mention of Christmas, the singing of Christmas carols, and the display of traditional Christmas symbols are violations of the Constitution’s Establishment Clause. But this claim — that the First Amendment forbids any public expressions of holiday spirit that smack of religion -- is worthy of coal in the stocking. It’s not true, and that’s why people need to understand what the law really says.

That was the goal the Alliance Defense Fund had in mind when it started its Christmas Project. And ADF will continue it this year and every year as long as necessary to clear up misconceptions about seasonal religious expression on public property. Despite what groups like many in the ACLU would have Americans believe, here’s the honest truth:

• The U.S. Supreme Court has never ruled that public schools must ban the singing of religious Christmas carols or prohibit the distribution of candy canes or Christmas cards.

• School officials may refer to a school break in December as “Christmas Vacation” without offending the Constitution.

• School officials do not violate the Constitution by closing on religious holidays such as Christmas and Good Friday.

• No court has ever held that celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas as religious holidays requires recognition of all other religious holidays.

• Although under current court rulings a public holiday display must not convey a message endorsing a particular religion’s view to the exclusion of all others, religious Christmas displays are not completely banned as some people believe.

Last year, as part of this effort, ADF distributed thousands of informational letters, reaching representatives of over 1,000 school districts. ADF also contacted every state board of education and every state chapter of the National Education Association, informing them about the law and distinguishing fact from fiction. ADF attorneys and allied attorneys successfully resolved several legal matters and handled numerous phone calls requesting legal advice.

The project features a network of more than 700 trained attorneys, ready to combat continuing efforts to censor the celebration of Christmas and other protected expression in schools and on public property. As in the past, ADF will represent people of faith, as well as school districts or other entities, free of charge to defend their freedom of speech regarding Christmas. But this year, we want to do even more -- everything from more widely exposing the tall tales and fantasies about public Christmas expression to offering people a pin they can proudly wear to express the truth about it.

It is again time to dispel the myths about religious expression at Christmastime that have prompted so many wrongful acts of government censorship of religious speech.

Sorry, Scrooge. It turns out that it’s OK to say “Merry Christmas” after all.


Alan E. Sears is the president and CEO of the Alliance Defense Fund, a legal alliance defending religious liberty through strategy, training, funding and litigation. More information on ADF's Christmas Project can be found online at http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/faqs/resources.php or by calling 1-800-TELL-ADF.


SBD

[SBD]

It’s Okay to Say Merry Christmas!
Myth/Fact Sheet

Myth #1: Students are not allowed to sing religious Christmas carols in public schools.

Fact: During school activities, such as choir, Christmas programs, and other events in public schools, students can sing such carols without offending the U.S. Constitution. Courts may look to whether the school has a secular purpose for initiating religious expression; for example, advancing students’ knowledge of society’s cultural and religious heritage and the opportunity for students to perform a full range of music, poetry, and drama.

Myth #2: It is unconstitutional for school officials to refer to a school break as a “Christmas Holiday.”

Fact: The Supreme Court has acknowledged the government’s long-standing recognition of holidays with religious significance, such as Christmas. Congress has proclaimed Christmas to be a legal public holiday.

Myth #3: It is unconstitutional for public schools to close on religious holidays, such as Christmas and Good Friday.

Fact: The Establishment Clause doesn’t prohibit state officials from choosing a religious day as the day for a legal holiday.

Myth #4: Public schools have to recognize all religious holidays if they recognize Christmas.

Fact: It is not unconstitutional because the school must have a secular purpose in recognizing a religious holiday. Government recognition of a holiday that coincides with a religious holiday is not unconstitutional.

Myth #5: It is constitutional for public schools to ban teachers and students from saying Merry Christmas.

Fact: The Supreme Court has stated that teachers and students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Guidelines issued by U.S. Secretary of Education Riley (under Clinton) state “students therefore have the same right to engage in…religious discussion during the school day as they do to engage in other comparable activity.” Teachers have the right to greet students with the words Merry Christmas, in spite of their role as agents of the state. Saying a simple greeting that people commonly use in December does not violate the Establishment Clause. (A teacher would have to use his/her authority to promote religion to students in order to violate the Establishment Clause.)

Myth #6: Public schools cannot have students study the religious origins of Christmas and read the biblical accounts of the birth of Christ.

Fact: The Supreme Court has stated that “the Bible may constitutionally be used in an appropriate study of history, civilization, ethics, comparative religion, or the like.” The term “study” has been defined to include more than mere classroom instruction; public performance may be a legitimate part of secular study.

Myth #7: Public schools cannot display religious symbols.

Fact: The display of a nativity scene is constitutional if it is displayed for legitimate secular purposes, such as to celebrate the holiday and to depict the origins of the holiday. If a public school is concerned, it is free to display a nativity scene among other forms of religious and secular seasonal expression.

Myth #8: Students do not have a constitutional right to be exempt from activities with a religious component.

Fact: Students can opt out of activities, without penalty, such as a Christmas program or a concert with a religious song, that conflict with the individual beliefs of the students or their parents. The school may not force “any person to participate in an activity that offends his religious or nonreligious beliefs.” A student’s objection to a school activity containing religion does not empower the student to censor the expression or block the activity. The student can opt out but cannot silence others. This is the standard for other matters as well. For example, students are allowed to opt out of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

SBD

[olympian2004]

Great News!

Parade OKs religious entries for 2005 <-- Parade of Lights in Denver

WooHoo!

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3414282,00.html

Parade OKs religious entries

Rules to be changed to allow Christian themes in annual holiday event

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News
December 21, 2004

Christianity and the meaning of Christmas will be on display in the 2005

Parade of Lights, the president of the Downtown Denver Partnership

announced Monday.

"We have come to a very important agreement, and we will move forward and

make sure the 2005 parade honors religious significance," said Jim Basey,

whose organization has produced the event every December for 30 years.

Basey met Monday with a representative of the Denver Catholic Archdiocese

and Arvada pastor George Morrison. Parade officials had earlier rebuffed

Morrison's inquiry about entering a multicultural float that would depict the

Christian meaning of Christmas. The parade's rules have evolved over the

past decade to bar overt religious themes.

News of the policy started a groundswell of opposition to what many
Christians see as a growing effort to exclude them from public life.

Hundreds of Christmas carolers from metro-area churches sang along the
parade's route earlier this month to express their support for changing the
rules to include religous themes in the parade.

Morrison was a guest on about two dozen television and radio talk
shows, some nationally syndicated, and said his church received
nearly 500 messages of support.

Although Monday's meeting did not determine how the rules will be
changed, it was seen as a major step toward resolving the concerns
of religious groups.

The agreement calls for ongoing input from Morrison as well as the
Catholic Archdiocese of Denver in developing new parade rules,
likely by March 1. At Morrison's request, the archdiocese's chancellor,
Fran Maier, took part in Monday's meeting, held at Morrison's church,
Faith Bible Chapel. Bruce Alexander, the partnership's chairman,
also was present.

"The best thing was that Pastor Morrison identified the concerns of a
wide range of Christians, and Jim Basey and Bruce Alexander were
very receptive and very friendly," Maier said.

Other churches will be asked for input too, though it's too early to
call the format anything as formal as a committee, Basey said.

Still to be worked out are such details as where religious themes
will be placed in the parade, which includes elaborate floats, marching
bands and cultural groups.

Basey declined to discuss whether other winter religious holidays,
such as the Jewish Hanukkah, will also be included except to say
"it's important we're representative of our community."

Morrison praised Basey for asking for the meeting and said he is
confident that religious themes will be properly displayed. "We feel
the spirit of the season and the message of the birth of Christ will be
brought out in creative ways. It will be a blessing and a surprise,"
he predicted.

Chronology of controversy

On Monday, the Downtown Denver Partnership agreed to allow floats
with religious themes in the 2005 Parade of Lights.

• Spring 2004: Faith Bible Chapel, led by pastor George Morrison, is
barred from entering a parade float featuring a Christian theme.

• Dec. 3: First of two parades through the downtown area. Churches
pledge to make their presence felt by singing carols and offering
hot chocolate to parade goers.

• Dec. 6: Jim Basey, the president and CEO of the Downtown Denver
Partnership, sends Morrison a letter thanking him and his congregation
for their "caroling and considerate interplay with the parade."

• Dec. 16: Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput agrees to join forces
with Morrison.
_________________
Tony in Boulder, Colorado

[tony54]

Another miracle of Christ-mas;
All they needed was a little persuasion, three weeks and thousands of nasty e-mails to the promoter.

Good job folks.

Where do these idiots come from anyway?
A Christmas parade without religious Christmas displays is like the
Independence Day without fireworks and the American Flag.
(I better not say that too loud, it may be the next thing they try!)