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York housing agency bans religious decorations (SCROOGE ALERT UPDATE)
The York Dispatch ^ | 12/21/07 | Daina Klimanis

Posted on 12/23/2007 4:58:07 AM PST by Nextrush

In Christmases past, residents of Kingston House in West York hung a tree with Santa Clauses and decorated a common room with puzzles showing Christ in a manger.

School groups and carolers came through the halls singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and other popular Christian hymns.

But things are different this December. At Kingston House and other properties owned by the York Area Development Corporation, songs or decorations in common areas must be secular.

The same policy applies to hundreds of tenants in York City's Delphia House and other apartments managed by the development corporation. No stars or angels, menorahs or references to Christ are allowed, unless residents want to decorate their own doors or apartments.

The development corporation is one of numerous organizations restricting religious displays for fear of excluding residents or violating fair housing laws administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides much of its funding......

Penny Myers, executive director of the development corporation, declined to comment on the new rules.....

The Fair Housing Institute Inc., a consulting company based in Norcross, Ga., tells housing providers to avoid potential fines and lawsuits by keeping common areas "religiously neutral."......

....HUD issued a statement saying it did not endorse such prohibitions.

"The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development continues to strongly support and respect display of all religious symbols on properties receiving HUD assistance," said the statement. "We discourage anyone from interfering in the free exercise of religion and prohibiting residents from celebrating the joys of the season."....

Now that religious displays have been restricted, (Barry) Shuler said he's considering his own court challenge.

"They're infringing on my constitutional rights of freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and I feel they need to be brought to task." Shuler said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: antichristmas; christmas; christmascarols; culturewars; diversity; happyholidays; hud; multiculturalism; seasonsgreetings
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A letter to the editor led to this story nine days later on the Friday before Christmas.

They must figure that would keep the outrage down.

I posted the letter to the editor earlier this month.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1940212/posts

A Scrooge Story.

1 posted on 12/23/2007 4:58:09 AM PST by Nextrush
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To: Nextrush

China Spy Guide

2 posted on 12/23/2007 5:08:23 AM PST by RangerM
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To: RangerM

DOH!


3 posted on 12/23/2007 5:09:09 AM PST by RangerM
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To: Nextrush

Yo, dawg, be puttin’ my bro’s gangsta co-lors up on da wall instead, word!


4 posted on 12/23/2007 5:14:08 AM PST by mtbopfuyn (I think the border is kind of an artificial barrier - San Antonio councilwoman Patti Radle)
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To: Nextrush

5 posted on 12/23/2007 5:22:16 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Nextrush

This is what socialism looks like, folks. The government seeks to control every aspect of your life, and it CAN in any circumstance in which it exerts authority, such as a government run or government controlled development. In short, if you are dependent on government, government calls the shots; you have no say. If you live in government owned or subsidized housing, the government dictates how you must live there, and if you don’t march to the beat of the government’s drum, they kick you out.

Freedom requires personal responsibility, which frightens some people. Those same people will willingly give up their freedom for security. They become nothing better than slaves.

This is a preview of HillaryWorld.


6 posted on 12/23/2007 5:28:19 AM PST by ought-six
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To: Fiji Hill
Oh, yeah, the Ron Everett-alias-Karenga Fake Holiday.

Thankfully it seems to be dying out around here. I have only seen ONE Kwanzza item here in Atlanta -- a single lonely gift card in Best Buys. Didn't look like it had any takers, either.

And that's a Good Thing.

7 posted on 12/23/2007 5:29:51 AM PST by AnAmericanMother ((Ministrix of Ye Chase, TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary (recess appointment)))
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To: Nextrush

Do they restrict Islamic dress?


8 posted on 12/23/2007 5:29:56 AM PST by YOUGOTIT (The Greatest Threat to our Security is the US Senate)
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To: Nextrush

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

Only Congress has the power to establish a religion and they are restricted from doing so. God in the Pledge of Allegiance does not establish a religion. A prayer in school does not establish a religion, and a manger scene on public property does not establish a religion. People saying the Lord Jesus Christ’s name does not establish a religion. Congress passing a law that says we all have to go to the Glory Bound Baptist Church every Sunday establishes a religion.

Now, Congress is also forbidden from prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Hence, the law of the land says you can not tell me that I can not put a manger scene or the Ten Commandments up. You can not tell me I can not pray. You can not tell me I can not say the Lord’s name.

Socialist/Communist wish to remove God from public view so you and I will begin to forget about God. Why do they want you to forget about God? Well, I am an American. I pray to my God and we handle my problems. I do not pray to my Government. Once people have forgotten how to pray to their God for help, they will begin to pray to the Government for help. From the cradle to the grave.

It is imperative that we keep God in public view.


9 posted on 12/23/2007 5:31:44 AM PST by do the dhue (They've got us surrounded again. The poor bastards. General Creighton Abrams)
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To: ought-six
Great post ought-six.

See my post at number 9 and I think we will concur with each other.

10 posted on 12/23/2007 5:34:18 AM PST by do the dhue (They've got us surrounded again. The poor bastards. General Creighton Abrams)
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To: Nextrush

Funny. I remember in 1994, when the Republicans won Congress, Newsweek said it was Newt Gingrich who stole Christmas.


11 posted on 12/23/2007 5:36:15 AM PST by Maceman
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To: Nextrush

So they are using some law passed by Congress as a reason to suppress religious expression. I thought there was something in the First Amendment that prohibited that.


12 posted on 12/23/2007 5:54:50 AM PST by Always Right
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To: do the dhue

Yup.


13 posted on 12/23/2007 5:55:08 AM PST by ought-six
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To: Nextrush

birthplace


14 posted on 12/23/2007 5:57:39 AM PST by larryjohnson (FReepersonaltrainer,USAF(Ret))
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To: ought-six

We all have known exactly that here for years - but you said it so very well. Bravo!


15 posted on 12/23/2007 5:59:01 AM PST by babyfreep (Duncan Hunter Fan!)
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To: ought-six

Liberty being flushed down the toilet and no one standing up for it. Queen Charlatan’s quest.


16 posted on 12/23/2007 6:08:37 AM PST by Shady (The Fairness Doctrine is ANYTHING but fair!!!!)
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To: AnAmericanMother

Kwanzaa is hyped in our local media, and institutions such as public libraries sometimes have Kwanzaa displays, but I know of no one who actually celebrates the “holiday.”


17 posted on 12/23/2007 6:11:28 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Fiji Hill

Looks like the menorah that some black guy stole from the synagogue.


18 posted on 12/23/2007 6:12:47 AM PST by reg45
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To: Fiji Hill
Kwanzaa is hyped in our local media, and institutions such as public libraries sometimes have Kwanzaa displays, but I know of no one who actually celebrates the “holiday.”

possibly because uts a fake holiday thought up by a felon?

19 posted on 12/23/2007 7:31:42 AM PST by sure_fine (• " not one to over kill the thought process " •)
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To: Nextrush

They should be sued for deprivation of constitutional rights. They being both the corporation and officials at HUD. The Constitution protects the free exercise of religion as well as prohibiting a “state religion”. Just because this quasi governmental corporation owns the property, does not mean that any religious activity by the residents would be “an establishment of religion”.


20 posted on 12/23/2007 7:40:56 AM PST by El Gato ("The Second Amendment is the RESET button of the United States Constitution." -- Doug McKay)
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