Since the days preceding Thanksgiving the busy Christmas Season is once again, coming to a shopping mall nearby. Christmas trees and Nativity scenes are sprouting up everywhere. But not everyone is rejoicing in the holiday spirit. In the age of political correctness some businesses are instructing their employees to refrain from wishing their customers "Merry Christmas". And Atheists who apparently believe that nothing created everything are putting up billboards calling religion and Christmas a myth.
But other groups of people are trying to put a damper on the Christmas Season because it may be offensive to some religions and to people who have no religion. The Philadelphia Enquirer web site reports:
Let's call it the German 'Holiday' Village
By CATHERINE LUCEY
Philadelphia Daily News
luceyc@phillynews.com 215-854-4172
It's that season again, which means that for the third year in a row, the German Christmas Village has set up a cozy collection of wooden booths and tree vendors in Dilworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall.
But a few shoppers noticed something amiss yesterday on the tall metal archways signaling the entrances to the shops. The archways had just one word on top - "Village."
Sounds festive, eh?
It turns out that the letters spelling "Christmas" were removed yesterday afternoon from the archways on the north and west sides of the plaza, at the request of Managing Director Richard Negrin. They will be replaced with the word "Holiday."
Another web site, The Sad Hill News has this take on the Philadelphia story:
For three years in a row, the German Christmas Village of Dilworth Plaza in Philadelphia has set up wooden booths and tree vendors on the west side of City Hall. But yesterday something was amiss. The tall metal archways signaling the entrances to the shops held just one word – ‘Village.’ Turns out the word ‘Christmas’ was removed on the plaza’s archways and will be replaced with the word ‘Holiday‘ at the request of Managing Director Richard Negrin.
(Philly) City spokesman Mark McDonald said Negrin asked for the change after the city received complaints from workers and residents.
“As a city of great diversity, one shouldn’t be surprised that there’s a difference of views when it comes to symbols and words,” McDonald said.
Thomas Bauer, of the German American Marketing Inc., which runs the Village, said he was happy to change the sign. He said the brochures and the posters would keep the Christmas Village title.
“People have to go to public buildings. They shouldn’t feel offended,” Bauer said, stressing that the name was not intended to upset anyone.
The web site for WHO-TV Channel 13, Des Moines, Iowa reports about another Christmas Tree taken down in a public school:
O CHRISTMAS TREE: Ames High School takes down holiday decorations
School Officals say they got calls calling the tree "offensive"
A Christmas tree in Ames High School's cafeteria was taken down just two days after it was donated to the school for its winter dance. School officials say they removed the decoration after several phone calls stating it was "offensive."
Ames school district officials call it a "winter tree," but students say the tree was clearly a Christmas tree. Both described it as a pine tree decorated with cardinal and gold lights and ornaments.
Students say the tree went up on Monday, then suddenly taken down on Wednesday. All school officials would tell Channel 13 today was that they received several calls that the tree was "offensive."
The Star-Telegraph in Southlake, Texas reports that a Christmas tree donated and decorated by a local business man to a local Chase Bank was ordered removed by the corporate offices of JPMorgan Chase.
By Terry Evans
SOUTHLAKE — Chase Bank told a businessman to remove the Christmas tree he donated to a local branch because it could offend people.
Antonio Morales, owner of Bellagio Day Spa in Southlake, had assembled and decorated a 9-foot-tall tree in the lobby of the Chase Bank branch at 1700 E. Southlake Boulevard as a favor to the branch manager, who is one of his clients.
The tree remained in the lobby from the Monday before Thanksgiving until Tuesday. Morales said his friend called him Wednesday to tell him the tree had to go. She later showed him an e-mail from JPMorgan Chase saying that the tree had to be removed because some people were offended by it.
While 91% of all Americans celebrate the Christmas Season there are still some people who want nothing to do with God, religion or Christianity in our schools. While some schools bow down to atheists complaints about the phrase "One Nation Under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and either refrain from saying the pledge altogether or allow some students to sit quietly while it is said other schools are moving in the opposite direction by indoctrinating students on Islam. The web site Sad Hill News writes:
Cambridge Public Schools Initiate Muslim Holiday
With House Speaker Nancy Pelosi aiming to punish Mosque protesters, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano labeling Americans as ‘terrorists’ and ‘extremists,’ former President Bill Clinton on a global mission to advance Muslim-majority countries, and President Barack Obama pushing Islam like there is no tomorrow, one might hardly notice Cambridge public schools, located in Massachusetts, preparing to shut down for a Muslim holiday each year beginning in 2011.
The Boston Globe reports,
David Mustonen, communications coordinator for the school system said that at first there were some people in the community who didn’t like the schools being closed on Eid holidays. “However, I don’t think this is the case anymore as people have come to realize that it is no different then taking time off at Christmas or Easter,’’ Mustonen said in an e-mail.
In September, public schools in Burlington, VT, also closed on Eid al-Fitr for the first time, said Dan Balon, director of the school district’s diversity and equity office.
“Somebody has to be first,’’ said Glenn Koocher, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees. “I suspect there may be heightened interest in this. We’ll see how this plays out.’’
For too many years we have grown accustomed to seeing the abbreviated "X-Mas" used by some people who felt uncomfortable using Jesus Christ's name for the Christmas Season. Maybe if more of us had complained back then when it first began we would not be as bad off today as we are. Now that we know of a few of the places that want to remove mention or symbols of the Christmas, it is time to reveal who are some of the Good Guys that fully embrace the religious purpose of the season. The conservative Christian group American Family Association has compiled a list of where most of the major retailers stand.
Naughty or Nice?
AFA's 2010 listing of top retailers and how they recognize Christmas
Based on current advertising, below is a list of companies that avoid, ban, or use the term "Christmas" in their advertising. We will continually update the list, so check back often.
Criteria - AFA reviewed up to four areas to determine if a company was "Christmas-friendly" in their advertising: print media (newspaper inserts), broadcast media (radio/television), website and/or personal visits to the store. If a company's ad has references to items associated with Christmas (trees, wreaths, lights, etc.), it was considered as an attempt to reach "Christmas" shoppers.
If a company has items associated with Christmas, but did not use the word "Christmas," then the company is considered as censoring "Christmas."
Color Code:
GREEN: Company uses the term "Christmas" on a regular basis, we consider that company Christmas-friendly.
YELLOW: Company refers to Christmas infrequently, or in a single advertising medium, but not in others.
RED: Company may use "Christmas" sparingly in a single or unique product description, but as a company, does not recognize it.
This list only reflects a company's "Christmas" advertising and does not take into account other corporate policies AFA may not agree with.
List updated on 11-29-10
Companies FOR "Christmas" Amazon.com
Bass Pro Shops
Bed Bath & Beyond
Belk
Best Buy
Big Lots
Books-A-Million
Cabella's
Collective Brands
Costco
Dick's Sporting Goods
Family Dollar
Dollar General
H.E.B. Stores
Hallmark
Harris Teeter Stores
Hobby Lobby
JC Penney
JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts Stores
Kmart
Kohl's
Kroger
Lowe's
Macy's
Meijer
Menard's
Michael's Stores
Neiman Marcus
Nordstrom
Office Max
Petsmart
Pier One Imports
Publix
QVC
Rite Aid
Sears
Scheels Sporting Goods
Super D Drug Stores
Target
Toys R Us
Wal-Mart/Sam's Club | Companies marginalizing "Christmas" Bath & Body Works
Dollar Tree
Hy-Vee Stores
Old Navy
Limited Brands
Safeway
Starbucks
Walgreens
Whole Foods | Companies against "Christmas" Banana Republic (NEW!)
Barnes & Noble
CVS Pharmacy
Gap Stores (NEW!)
Hancock Fabrics
NASCAR
Office Depot
Radio Shack
Staples
SUPERVALU
Victoria's Secret |
Just one last reminder if you haven't already gotten the message: Christmas is the Season and Jesus is the Reason.
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