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School's inclusive Christmas excludes Christ
Chicago Tribune ^ | December 6, 2004 | Jeff Long

Posted on 12/06/2004 5:50:24 AM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John

When children who attend the McHenry County school gathered in the gym last week to brighten friends and parents with holiday cheer, they sang of lighting candles for Hanukkah, gave their rendition of a Jamaican folk song and even did their lists for Santa.

But their songs never mentioned Christ or the Christmas story--an omission that drew swift criticism from Christian groups pushing public schools to remember the meaning of Christmas.

"The reason for the season is Christmas," said Dave Smith, senior policy analyst for the Illinois Family Institute, a Christian organization. "At least some equal time would have been nice."

Officials at Spring Grove Elementary School said they were just trying to be more inclusive of all holiday traditions and cultures during concerts Wednesday and Thursday nights. Any overlooking of Christ and Christmas was inadvertent, they said.

"There wasn't anything to slight anybody," Principal John Druszczak said.

But a parent apparently disagreed and contacted the Illinois Family Institute about the holiday programs presented by the McHenry County elementary school, Smith said.

Smith put her in touch with Chicago lawyer Andy Norman, who said Friday that he has been involved in a nationwide fight to "save Christmas from" the American Civil Liberties Union.

(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: aclu; christmas; pc; prrunamok
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To: Land_of_Lincoln_John
This really galls me.

Have you seen the new MUSLIM stamp shown with the other "holiday" stamps?

If not, take a look

http://shop.usps.com/cgi-bin/vsbv/postal_store_non_ssl/home.jsp

It's in the "Holiday section" at the top in between Mary and Santa Claus.

The order of this is Santa ornaments, Muslim thingie -
EID Commemorative, Mary, Dreidel and Kwanzaa

Anywhere these people go, Muslims, there is ALWAYS trouble. They cut off our heads, call us "infidels" and don't assimilate because their mission is to be rid of US and we have a stamp in their honor? Something is very wrong.
61 posted on 12/06/2004 8:10:35 AM PST by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: cyncooper

Sometimes you don't know of the need to request the program
until after the fact. My kids went to a wonderful local
elementary school. When my older attended, they had
Christmas programs which included traditional songs. But
by the time my younger went there, it all became totally
"Multicultural." There were NO traditional Christmas
songs in her program. It was refreshing when I transferred
her to the Catholic school (not as convenient) where they
actually sang the traditional carols (as well as some of
the multicultural stuff).

Also when my older attended they used a good academic
curriculum. This all changed for the younger by which
time they implemented OBE. Another reason for Catholic
school.

Both grown & out of the house now...(wistfully)


62 posted on 12/06/2004 8:11:18 AM PST by Help!
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To: cyncooper

Not at all, if my post came across that way, I certainly didn't intend it to.


63 posted on 12/06/2004 8:11:54 AM PST by Ashamed Canadian
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To: Land_of_Lincoln_John

The ACLU is single handedly destroying the true meaning of Christmas while the majority of Americans just look on....REMEMBER Roe vs Wade??


64 posted on 12/06/2004 8:12:01 AM PST by RoseofTexas
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To: cyncooper

Sometimes you don't know of the need to request the program
until after the fact. My kids went to a wonderful local
elementary school. When my older attended, they had
Christmas programs which included traditional songs. But
by the time my younger went there, it all became totally
"Multicultural." There were NO traditional Christmas
songs in her program. It was refreshing when I transferred
her to the Catholic school (not as convenient) where they
actually sang the traditional carols (as well as some of
the multicultural stuff).

Also when my older attended they used a good academic
curriculum. This all changed for the younger by which
time they implemented OBE. Another reason for Catholic
school.

Both grown & out of the house now...(wistfully)


65 posted on 12/06/2004 8:13:45 AM PST by Help!
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To: Old Lady
A good way to hit them where it hurts -- treat time off for Christmas the same way it is treated for Hannukah. Eevrybody does not get off for Hannukah, just Jewish people. The same thing should be done for Christmas - treat it as a religious holiday and only Christians get the time off.

Bad idea, unless you want to work on Christmas.

66 posted on 12/06/2004 8:14:36 AM PST by SJackson ( Bush is as free as a bird, He is only accountable to history and God, Ra'anan Gissin)
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To: nmh; eccentric; Land_of_Lincoln_John; All

It's the ACLU's doing. They're behind all this. They've been trying for years to tear down the structure of this country.

Check out this link -- help is on the way, as it says in the article:

700 lawyers ready to fight ACLU lawsuits
Legal group's 'Christmas Project' designed to protect public schools

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41610

[snip]

In the past few weeks, the Alliance Defense Fund has contacted over 3,600 school districts nationwide, explaining the law and separating myth from fact regarding the celebration of Christmas in public schools. Moreover, as part of the group's "Christmas Project," more than 700 ADF and affiliated attorneys nationwide are available – at no cost to the school district – to combat any attempts to censor the celebration of Christmas in schools and on public property.

[more at link]


67 posted on 12/06/2004 8:14:38 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: RoseofTexas

Rose, check out the link in post 67.


68 posted on 12/06/2004 8:15:40 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: Ashamed Canadian

It didn't, not to me.


69 posted on 12/06/2004 8:16:49 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: Land_of_Lincoln_John

Yet another reason my child doesn't go to public school.... 'Inadvertantly overlook Christ at Christmas' my butt.


70 posted on 12/06/2004 8:17:46 AM PST by HamiltonJay ("You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.")
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To: cyncooper

Consider youself very lucky that your childrens' school still allows religious Carols. None of the public schools in my area do. All "Holiday" progams are now totally secular. And in the past when my son was in school, I never received the entire school program until the night of the program. It's possible that the parent who was compaining thought that an "inclusive" program would include some reference to the "reason for the season." Perhaps now the parents will ask to see the program details ahead of time.


71 posted on 12/06/2004 8:29:58 AM PST by unbalanced but fair
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To: texasbluebell; All

It's the ACLU's doing. They're behind all this. They've been trying for years to tear down the structure of this country.


You can join the fight against the ACLU and their ilk by becoming involved with and supporting the following organizations:

American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) - http://www.aclj.org

Thomas More Law Center (TMLC) - http://www.thomasmore.org

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) - http://www.alliancedefensefund.org

The Rutherford Institute - http://www.rutherford.org/

Stop the ACLU Coalition - http://www.stoptheaclu.org


Here are a few recent examples of how two of those organizations are fighting back:

ADF Contacts Over 3,600 School Districts Over Attempts To Censor Christmas

ADF: 700 lawyers ready to fight ACLU lawsuits

ADF: Pentagons' Warning About Boyscouts Is Absurd

Thomas More Law Center: Town of Palm Beach Pays $50,000 In Attorney Fees Apologizes To Women In Nativity Lawsuit


Additional information:

The ACLU must be destroyed: Joseph Farah supports Boy Scouts, urges Americans to fight back

Citizens mobilized to stop ACLU (seeks to consign group to 'ash heap of history')

ACLU fulfilling communist agenda

Revealing FACTS on the ACLU from its own writings

See how YOUR Senator or Representative ranks with the ACLU

72 posted on 12/06/2004 8:33:35 AM PST by EdReform (Free Republic - helping to keep our country a free republic. Thank you for your financial support!)
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To: EdReform

Excellent post.

Bump!


73 posted on 12/06/2004 8:40:43 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: texasbluebell; All
Thanks! Check out the Alliance Defense Fund lapel pin which says: "Merry Christmas Believe It. Say It."
74 posted on 12/06/2004 8:54:17 AM PST by EdReform (Free Republic - helping to keep our country a free republic. Thank you for your financial support!)
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To: EdReform

Great pin! I might have to get a couple.


75 posted on 12/06/2004 8:55:46 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: texasbluebell

If you know of anyone who might be interterested, please send them the link: http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/christmas/index.php


76 posted on 12/06/2004 9:02:57 AM PST by EdReform (Free Republic - helping to keep our country a free republic. Thank you for your financial support!)
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To: EdReform

I definitely will!


77 posted on 12/06/2004 9:14:02 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: EdReform; All

Link to another related article

A militant Merry Christmas
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41784

and its FR thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1295474/posts

[snip]

Two years ago, though, I noticed something that struck me as bordering on the ominous. People I did not know, namely salesclerks, were starting to correct me when I wished them a Merry Christmas. "Don't you mean Happy Holidays?" I was asked. "No, actually, I don't," I replied. "I am buying these gifts and having them wrapped here at your store, which is decorated with an overtly Christmas theme, because Dec. 25 is fast approaching.

[more at link]


78 posted on 12/06/2004 9:17:55 AM PST by texasbluebell
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To: texasbluebell

BTTT! Thanks for posting the links!


79 posted on 12/06/2004 9:23:45 AM PST by EdReform (Free Republic - helping to keep our country a free republic. Thank you for your financial support!)
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To: the invisib1e hand; Land_of_Lincoln_John
Happy Holidays does not acknowledge God or affirm Him. "Happy Holidays" is the secular equivelant of Merry Christmas; and therefore fails to acknowledge God... and quite miserably I might add.
80 posted on 12/06/2004 9:34:47 AM PST by odoso (Millions for charity, but not one penny for tribute!)
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