Free Republic

It seems that those who favor the all or nothing inclusion of December symbols in the annual display in front of the municipal building have been successful in making that happen. Over the weekend - with it still unclear if the lighted tree is to be called a "Christmas tree" or a "Holiday tree" - a crèche and an atheist sign were added to the display. Meanwhile the official name for the lighted tree in the display remains an issue for some. Resident Tim Wagner and others said they will continue to press for administrative action to call the "Holiday...

The best part of this jaw-dropping display of ignorance from MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Christianity? It comes in a segment called — wait for it — “Pretenders”! Reid argues that Sarah Palin, whose latest book celebrates Christmas, was a hypocrite and a bad Christian because … she put up a Christmas tree! Why, the noted Biblical scholar Reid smirked, that’s a violation of Scripture:(VIDEO-AT-LINK)JOY REID, SUBSTITUTE HOST: In “Pretenders” tonight, a merry Palin Christmas. Sarah Palin dropped by Fox & Friends to promote her manifesto on Christmas purity. She brought a treat better than Christmas cookies – family photos. (BEGIN...

For centuries Christians have been taught that wise men from the east brought gifts for the baby Jesus, but according to polling, one in 10 young adults in Britain now believe that Father Christmas also makes an appearance in the Biblical account of the nativity. Significant numbers also think that Mary and Joseph might have brightened up the stable with a Christmas tree. Over a third of the public think that the Bible records December 25 as the date of the Jesus’ birth. …

Rabbi Berel Wein was once invited to a meeting with the editor of the Detroit Free Press. After introductions had been made, the editor told him the following story. His mother, Mary, had immigrated to America from Ireland as an uneducated, 18-year-old peasant girl. She was hired as a domestic maid by an observant family. The head of the house was the president of the neighboring Orthodox shul. Mary knew nothing about Judaism and had probably never met a Jew before arriving in America. The family went on vacation Mary's first December in America, leaving Mary alone in the house....

 The Jesse Tree  The Jesse Tree helps us connect the custom of decorating Christmas trees to the events leading to Jesus' birth. The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot shall come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.” Jesse was the father of King David. We adorn a Jesse Tree with illustrated ornaments that represent the people, prophesies, and events leading up to the birth of Jesus. The ornaments of the Jesse Tree tell the story of God in the Old Testament, connecting the Advent season with the...

White house officials claim they were unaware that ornaments of Mao Tse-tung were hung upon a Christmas Tree there.

It’s never too early for Washington, D.C., politicians to dampen the holiday spirit. The House Agriculture Committee approved an amendment to its farm bill that would lift the stay blocking implementation of Obama’s Christmas tree tax. We should be thankful the Agriculture Committee doesn’t have jurisdiction over toys. The Christmas Tree Tax Some in the Christmas tree industry sought to develop a promotional program to assist its industry. After three failed attempts to set up a voluntary system, they turned to the federal government to do what it couldn’t: Force Christmas tree producers and importers to pay for a Christmas...

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) and first girlfriend Sandra Lee have made a strong showing this year in the Ugliest Gubernatorial Holiday Decorations Contest, a contest which does not actually exist in reality. Sandra Lee revealed her festive entry via Twitter Tuesday, and HOLY SH** IT INVOLVES A SILVER TIGER: http://www.thedailydolt.com/2012/12/05/new-york-leads-race-for-ugliest-gubernatorial-christmas-tree/

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved $1.3 million in funds for research on “Christmas tree rot,” Campus Reform learned on Monday. According to Chastagner, the top researcher, the size of the grant is unprecedented. “I’d suspect it’s one of the largest grants that anyone has been given to work on Christmas trees,” Chastagner told Campus Reform on Monday.

News of Newhall seniors protesting the removal of a Christmas tree from their community room this week because, they said they were told, it was a religious symbol prompted a national outcry -- a collective bah humbug from Christmas defenders. It was, many said, another example of the so-called "war on Christmas" and political correctness run amok. The issue isn't new, but the debate over appropriate public demonstrations of traditionally religious holidays has now spread beyond blatant symbols like the cross and Nativity scenes to the unassuming Christmas tree. Chalk it up to the melting pot, experts say. "The country...

Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I-R.I.) told CNSNews.com on Wednesday that his administration calls the decorated evergreen tree erected in the Rhode Island State House in December a “holiday tree”—rather than a “Christmas tree”—because that is what the tree is traditionally called. … But Rhode Island State Rep. Doreen Costa, who has called Chafee “Governor Grinch,” told CNSNews.com that she doesn’t remember Chafee’s predecessor, Gov. (Donald) Carcieri, calling it a “holiday tree”—nor does she recall Carcieri’s predecessor, Gov. (Lincoln) Almond, calling the tree a “holiday tree.” … But Carcieri also referred to it as a “Christmas tree,” she said. … “Governor Chafee,...

Residents in a Newhall senior apartment complex are protesting an order from management to remove their beloved Christmas tree from the community room because, they were told, it's a religious symbol. On Tuesday, Tarzana-based JB Partners Group Inc. sent a memo to staff demanding they take down Christmas trees and menorahs in communal areas. The company has owned The Willows for four years, but this is the first time it's given such a directive to staff. On Wednesday, two dozen residents in the 75-resident complex gathered in the lobby to place a neon green sign that read: "Please Save Our...

A North Carolina community college has been accused of violating the First Amendment rights of students after they told a club they could not use the word “Christmas” to promote a Christmas tree sale. “It’s ridiculous that anyone would have to think twice about using the word ‘Christmas’ as part of a Christmas tree sale,” said Matt Sharp, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom. ADF sent a letter to officials at Western Piedmont Community College urging them to either reconsider their decision to censor the word “Christmas” – or else face a possible lawsuit. College officials did not return multiple...

By Todd Starnes A Rhode Island lawmaker is calling Gov. Lincoln Chafee “Governor Grinch” after he defied lawmakers and decided that the state would have a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree.” The governor defended his decision by arguing that it is in keeping with the state’s founding in 1636 by religious dissident Roger Williams as a haven for tolerance – where government and religion were kept separate. Instead of arguing over the tree, the governor called on lawmakers to focus their energy on feeding the poor. “I would encourage all those engaged in this discussion – whatever their...

First lady Michelle Obama is kicking off the holiday season by welcoming the White House Christmas tree. Mrs. Obama, daughters Malia and Sasha and first dog Bo greeted the arrival of a 19-foot Fraser fir from Peak Farms in Jefferson, N.C. The tree arrived Friday on a horse-drawn carriage. It will be displayed in the Blue Room of the White House. The first lady says the tree is "perfect."

This December 1, 2011 file photo shows the 2011 National Christmas Tree after being lit by US President Barack Obama and the First Family during a ceremony on The Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC. The Colorado blue spruce passed away "due to complications resulting from transplant shock" just 14 months after it was planted in the Ellipse field outside the White House, the National Park Service said May 4, 2012. Born on a tree farm in New Jersey, it replaced a similar tree knocked down in a wind storm after 33 years.

OTTAWA, - Despite being the second largest land mass in the world after Russia, Canada imports millions of dollars more in fake Christmas trees than real ones it exports. Statistics Canada said Canada exported $28.4 million worth of real conifers last year while it imported $44 million worth of artificial trees. Of the exports, 1.77 million harvested trees, or $26 million worth, went to the United States, with the balance going to Aruba, Bermuda, Netherlands Antilles, Panama and Venezuela, the agency said. China was the source of $42.7 million worth of imported artificial Christmas trees, with the remainder coming from...

Christmas trees could be to blame for a range of health complaints over the festive season, according to new research. Don't be too quick to judge those who feel under the weather over the festive period – rather than seasonal overindulgence, it could be their Christmas tree making them ill. The traditional centrepiece decoration has been blamed for triggering a range of health complaints, from wheezing and coughing to lethargy and insomnia. The condition – "Christmas Tree Syndrome" – is caused by mould growing on the trees, whose spores lead to problems when breathed in. It has been discovered by...

The North Korean Grinch Saturday, December 17, 2011 Looking for a clone of Dr. Seuss' "Grinch Who Stole Christmas"? Meet North Korea's bantam "Dear Leader" Kim Jong-il. While his pompadour haircut and platform shoes are oversized, his latest threat to South Korea suggests that his heart is at least two sizes too small. There is even reason to question whether he has one at all. Witness Mr. Kim's warning that, if the South puts up its traditional display of Christmas lights, he will consider it "psychological warfare." He promises "unexpected consequences."

Police and fire officials are trying to figure out who set the Christmas tree on the New Haven Green on fire on Saturday night Officials said they found Bibles burning under the tree. "It's a wonderful beautiful Christmas tree for families to see," one resident said. The fire department shut down the power which lights up the tree because some of the wires were damaged. The city says fire investigators are looking to see if the Bibles were intentionally set on fire. "It's wrong. They're disrespecting the holidays," another resident said. "There can't be Christmas without lights," someone else said....