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Keeping Christ in Christmas
2004-2005 CHRISTIAN LAW ASSOCIATION SOFTCOVER
115 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2005
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December 5, 2023
A SUMMARY OF RECENT COURT DECISIONS, AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR CHRISTMAS
The authors wrote in the Preface to this 2005 book, “What has happened lately to Christmas in America? Have you noticed that more people now say ‘Happy Holidays’ than say ‘Merry Christmas’? Have you noticed that your child’s school calendar now has a ‘Winter Vacation’ and not a ‘Christmas Vacation’?... What happened to the lovely manger scene that used to be in front of city hall every year? If you have noticed these changes, and maybe more importantly, if you have NOT noticed what is happening with Christmas in America, this book is for you. This book exposes the agenda of politically correct, anti-Christmas activists and what you can do to stop them. This book is designed to encourage you with the knowledge that the law overwhelmingly supports the public celebration of Christmas. We trust these truths will make you consider what Christmas really means and how you can keep Christ in Christmas.”
They explain the background of the Christian Law Association: “As a ‘ministry of legal helps,’ CLA provides free legal assistance to Bible-believing churches and Christians who experience legal difficulty in practicing their Biblical faith. As legal missionaries, attorneys for CLA observe firsthand every day the ongoing and growing assault on religious liberty in our nation. In the past several years. CLA’s legal missionaries have seen increasing attacks on religious expression in general and on the public recognition of Christ at Christmas in particular.” (Pg. 8)
They assert, “The Constitution… never envisioned or required restrictions on the public celebration of the religious aspects of Christmas. No court has ever required government officials to censor Christmas carols or to eliminate all public references to the birth of Jesus at Christmastime. Nevertheless, threats of lawsuits from anti-religious legal organizations have caused some public officials to mistakenly believe that allowing religious expressions of Christmastime would somehow violate ‘the separation of church and state’---a new legal doctrine which, beginning in 1947, has often been cited as the appropriate modern understanding of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.” (Pg. 17)
They continue, “the Constitution does not require public officials to obliterate religious themes or religious displays from all Christmas observations in public areas. In fact, no court has ever legitimately ruled that the Constitution prohibits Christmas carols, Christmas displays, or Christmas greetings in public streets and parks, in public schools, in government buildings, or in commercial establishments.” (Pg. 24) They add, “In fact, in its most recent cases, the United States Supreme Court has stated clearly that the Establishment Clause requires neutrality, not prohibition.” (Pg. 26)
They suggest, “Christians should continue to remind government officials that neutrality requires addition, not subtraction; accommodation of all religions, not hostility toward Christianity. According to the United States Supreme Court, even a crèche is an appropriate and constitutional part of a school or community Christmas display so long as other secular items are also included.” (Pg. 32)
They state, “Christmas carols may be included in school Christmas or winter holiday programs. This is because public schools are permitted to teach students about our nation’s cultural and religious heritage. Music directors must merely be careful not to make the program look like a Sunday school cantata, and they must not include a majority of religious songs in a school concert program. Themes are often helpful, such as celebrating Christmas in various cultures and languages. This provides a cultural and educational setting for the religious music.” (Pg. 43)
They acknowledge, “The birth of Jesus was not widely celebrated by Christians until the 4th century A.D. By the 5th century A.D., the church officially declared a feast celebrating the birth of the Savior on December 25th, the shortest day of the year. The date was chosen at least partially to compete with pagan Saturnalia celebrations of the birth of the sun, sometimes also called the winter solstice. Among European and Germanic and Celtic tribes… the winter solstice was celebrated as an entirely secular, profane, and vulgar event… As these tribes turned to faith in Christ, they incorporated many of their favorite winter rituals into their newly developing Christmas traditions. These traditions included the burning of the yule log, gift giving, and the burning of candles. Lights were an important part of winter solstice festivals. Their religious significance was recognized and adapted into Christmas celebrations of the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World.” (Pg. 52)
They report, “the United States Supreme Court said in its decision in the Pinette case that a private citizen or group may erect a religious symbol in a public park during the holiday season…. The Pinette case stands for the legal proposition that private citizens may erect religious displays on public property if: 1) the property is a public forum on which the government has permitted a wide variety of expressive conduct; and 2) there is a disclaimer sign informing the public that the display is sponsored by private citizens and the government is not endorsing the message of the display.” (Pg. 61-62)
They summarize, “there is now unanimity among the federal courts that private religious displays in public forum areas and in government buildings opened up for public expression are constitutional. Private citizens, groups, and churches may erect private religious displays in these locations without violating the ‘separation of church and state'… In fact, the Supreme Court stated that … a policy of excluding private religious speakers from public places when other speakers are permitted is unconstitutional. ‘Indeed, the message is one of neutrality rather than endorsement; if a State refused to let religious groups use facilities open to others, then it would demonstrate not neutrality but hostility toward religion. The Establishment Clause does not license government to treat religion and those who teach or practice it, simply by virtue of their status as such, as subversive of American ideals and therefore subject to unique disabilities.” (Pg. 71-72)
They conclude, “Christmas is still legal in America! Be sure to have a very merry and blessed one, remembering in all you do that Jesus is still the reason for the season.” (Pg. 115)
This book will be of great interest to Christians studying such church/state issues.
The authors wrote in the Preface to this 2005 book, “What has happened lately to Christmas in America? Have you noticed that more people now say ‘Happy Holidays’ than say ‘Merry Christmas’? Have you noticed that your child’s school calendar now has a ‘Winter Vacation’ and not a ‘Christmas Vacation’?... What happened to the lovely manger scene that used to be in front of city hall every year? If you have noticed these changes, and maybe more importantly, if you have NOT noticed what is happening with Christmas in America, this book is for you. This book exposes the agenda of politically correct, anti-Christmas activists and what you can do to stop them. This book is designed to encourage you with the knowledge that the law overwhelmingly supports the public celebration of Christmas. We trust these truths will make you consider what Christmas really means and how you can keep Christ in Christmas.”
They explain the background of the Christian Law Association: “As a ‘ministry of legal helps,’ CLA provides free legal assistance to Bible-believing churches and Christians who experience legal difficulty in practicing their Biblical faith. As legal missionaries, attorneys for CLA observe firsthand every day the ongoing and growing assault on religious liberty in our nation. In the past several years. CLA’s legal missionaries have seen increasing attacks on religious expression in general and on the public recognition of Christ at Christmas in particular.” (Pg. 8)
They assert, “The Constitution… never envisioned or required restrictions on the public celebration of the religious aspects of Christmas. No court has ever required government officials to censor Christmas carols or to eliminate all public references to the birth of Jesus at Christmastime. Nevertheless, threats of lawsuits from anti-religious legal organizations have caused some public officials to mistakenly believe that allowing religious expressions of Christmastime would somehow violate ‘the separation of church and state’---a new legal doctrine which, beginning in 1947, has often been cited as the appropriate modern understanding of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.” (Pg. 17)
They continue, “the Constitution does not require public officials to obliterate religious themes or religious displays from all Christmas observations in public areas. In fact, no court has ever legitimately ruled that the Constitution prohibits Christmas carols, Christmas displays, or Christmas greetings in public streets and parks, in public schools, in government buildings, or in commercial establishments.” (Pg. 24) They add, “In fact, in its most recent cases, the United States Supreme Court has stated clearly that the Establishment Clause requires neutrality, not prohibition.” (Pg. 26)
They suggest, “Christians should continue to remind government officials that neutrality requires addition, not subtraction; accommodation of all religions, not hostility toward Christianity. According to the United States Supreme Court, even a crèche is an appropriate and constitutional part of a school or community Christmas display so long as other secular items are also included.” (Pg. 32)
They state, “Christmas carols may be included in school Christmas or winter holiday programs. This is because public schools are permitted to teach students about our nation’s cultural and religious heritage. Music directors must merely be careful not to make the program look like a Sunday school cantata, and they must not include a majority of religious songs in a school concert program. Themes are often helpful, such as celebrating Christmas in various cultures and languages. This provides a cultural and educational setting for the religious music.” (Pg. 43)
They acknowledge, “The birth of Jesus was not widely celebrated by Christians until the 4th century A.D. By the 5th century A.D., the church officially declared a feast celebrating the birth of the Savior on December 25th, the shortest day of the year. The date was chosen at least partially to compete with pagan Saturnalia celebrations of the birth of the sun, sometimes also called the winter solstice. Among European and Germanic and Celtic tribes… the winter solstice was celebrated as an entirely secular, profane, and vulgar event… As these tribes turned to faith in Christ, they incorporated many of their favorite winter rituals into their newly developing Christmas traditions. These traditions included the burning of the yule log, gift giving, and the burning of candles. Lights were an important part of winter solstice festivals. Their religious significance was recognized and adapted into Christmas celebrations of the birth of Jesus, the Light of the World.” (Pg. 52)
They report, “the United States Supreme Court said in its decision in the Pinette case that a private citizen or group may erect a religious symbol in a public park during the holiday season…. The Pinette case stands for the legal proposition that private citizens may erect religious displays on public property if: 1) the property is a public forum on which the government has permitted a wide variety of expressive conduct; and 2) there is a disclaimer sign informing the public that the display is sponsored by private citizens and the government is not endorsing the message of the display.” (Pg. 61-62)
They summarize, “there is now unanimity among the federal courts that private religious displays in public forum areas and in government buildings opened up for public expression are constitutional. Private citizens, groups, and churches may erect private religious displays in these locations without violating the ‘separation of church and state'… In fact, the Supreme Court stated that … a policy of excluding private religious speakers from public places when other speakers are permitted is unconstitutional. ‘Indeed, the message is one of neutrality rather than endorsement; if a State refused to let religious groups use facilities open to others, then it would demonstrate not neutrality but hostility toward religion. The Establishment Clause does not license government to treat religion and those who teach or practice it, simply by virtue of their status as such, as subversive of American ideals and therefore subject to unique disabilities.” (Pg. 71-72)
They conclude, “Christmas is still legal in America! Be sure to have a very merry and blessed one, remembering in all you do that Jesus is still the reason for the season.” (Pg. 115)
This book will be of great interest to Christians studying such church/state issues.
Displaying 1 of 1 review