www.esryle.comLOCAL NEWS ACROSS THE NATION
Posted on 12/02/2004 7:13:05 AM PST by esryle
Parade Organizers Say Christmas Carols May Be Offensive To Others
DENVER -- It's one of Denver's most colorful holiday traditions -- the lighting of the Denver City and County Building and the parade of lights downtown. But now two decisions about those events are making church groups see red.
Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper recently announced that next year the phrase "Merry Christmas" will be removed from the city building and replaced with "Happy Holidays."
And now a church group who wants to march in the Parade of Lights and sing Christmas carols will not be allowed to participate in the parade. Organizers say the parade is about the holidays, not Christmas, but leaders of the Faith Bible Chapel say that's ridiculous.
"We can't pretend that Christ didn't exist and Christmas wasn't about his birthday, so we felt we could sing it and apparently that is not in social vogue anymore," said Pastor Gary Beasley, with the Faith Bible Chapel.
"This event is not one that has ever intended to have a religious message or a political message," said Susan Rogers, with the Downtown Denver Partnership.
She said no overtly religious symbols is allowed in the parade and that means participants can't carry "Merry Christmas" signs and can't sing traditional Christmas hymns.
But in the 30 years that it's been held, there has been an occasional Christmas element to the parade, such as marching bands playing Christmas songs, and several years ago a large balloon in the parade read "Merry Christmas." In 1987, even Mayor Federico Pena greeted the city with "Merry Christmas!" during the parade.
But last spring when the Faith Bible Chapel asked to be a part of the parade, offering to sponsor or build their own float and sing carols, organizers said no because it would be offensive.
Should a church group be allowed to march in Denver's Parade of Lights? Yes. As long as other religious groups can march. No. The parade should not have any religious overtones.
"We try to be sensitive to the fact that we are a very diverse community and a very diverse world," said Rogers. She said this is a holiday parade, not specifically a Christmas parade, and it's occuring during a season when many other cultures are celebrating other holidays as well.
But Beasley doesn't see this reaction as being tolerant of other religions, but being intolerant of Christianity. He said his large evangelical organization is being excluded from a major downtown celebration.
"We're singing Christmas carols. It's Christmas time, people have been singing Christmas carols for hundreds of years in America," Beasley said.
The Arvada church group said since it cannot be in the parade, it will march one hour before this weekend's Parade of Lights, pass out hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols.
"Happy Holidays" is a nice short way of spelling "Happy Holy days". Now, I wonder what would make this time of year 'Holy' ... Hmmmmmmmmm.
Sounds like the Christian community in Denver needs to turn out to watch the parade decked out with all their religious symbols.
Now that's a parade I want to go to! SARCASM Sounds like the government needs to work on Christmas to be consistent.
And, unfortunately, full of ungrateful idiots like Rogers who are of full use to the the ACLU and other communist-front organizations.
If citizens of Denver stand for this brand of nonsense, they're guilty of turning their back on God and anything that's been good and great about this nation!
I wonder if the happy, contented homosexuals will be permitted to parade in their drag costumes?
Well, Denver, there is the key to the boycott list. Tell those businesses that you really don't care for their partnership and perhaps it needs different leadership before you'll consider revisiting their establishments.
Ping...close to you. You going?
The people of Denver should all march and sing at the top of their lungs in protest!!!!!!......>8^(
It will. This lame moved coupled with the Mayor's decision to replace "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays" on the City & County building has people foaming at the mouth.
There is a plan now to gather 1 hour before the parade and sing Christmas carols. I'll be there! People are also sending the Mayor lumps of coal and angry letters.
The parade now has NO meaning of any kind (other than Christian exclusion). No tradition, no symbolism, no context. It's just a bunch of blinking lights. Airport runways have more appeal.
This is just way overboard.
Let them sing Christmas carols for crying out loud. Let them sing Hanukkah songs too. Let them sing Kwanzaa songs. Let them do whatever they want to celebrate the season.
The Christmas season would not exist the way it does today if it did not have the Christian celebration of the birth of Christ associated with it.
Probably
We don't need to march in the parade to be heard. Christians need to line the parade route with crosses.
I think the members of the Downtown Denver Partnership should be named right here and now in this thread. If anyone has the membership, please post the membership here and expose them for caving in to the American Communist Lawyers Union and this Political Correctness RUNAMUCK!
BINGO! That is the key to this anti-Christian bigotry. For each of these businesses are monatary worshiping pagans. Cut the green and you'll see how supportive of Christianity they become! Tis the season of profits!
Just don't go to the parade. It's that simple.
Our church has a very special "living Christmas tree" choral/music presentation that garners more attendees than the local Christmas I mean Holiday parade.
If the City pays for the parade, or some private group pays for it, then they can restrict float themes.
Just stay away and urge your friends to do the same. MArginalize the event.
I have the list right on my computer, but its a pretty extensive list. Seems like every major business in Denver is listed.
The Downtown Denver Partnership is a non-profit business organization that creatively plans, manages and develops Downtown Denver as the unique, diverse and ...click here for membership info. Lots of business names and phone numbers. I'll let a Denver FReeper take it from here.
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