Posted on 12/02/2004 1:11:39 AM PST by ETERNAL WARMING
HOLIDAY BLUES Christmastime event is no-Christian zone Santa, 'holy homosexuals' OK for parade, but no floats with direct religious themes
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 2, 2004 1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Joe Kovacs © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
In the latest skirmish over Christmas in America, a Christian group is not allowed to participate in Denver's annual Parade of Lights, because church members sought to sing yuletide hymns and proclaim a "Merry Christmas" message on their float.
However, the event, now in its 30th year, will include homosexual American Indians, Kung Fu artisans, belly dancers and, of course, Santa Claus.
"I think there's an agenda that is anti-Christian," Pastor George Morrison, tells WorldNetDaily. "It seems like this agenda has crept in, and it's robbing us."
Morrison heads the Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, Colo., among Denver's largest evangelical churches with over 4,000 attendees each week.
The parade, slated for tomorrow and Saturday nights, is produced by Denver Civic Ventures, Inc., with heavy promotion by its flagship sponsor, KUSA-TV, the local NBC affiliate.
The hour-long event features highly decorated floats with symbols of the holiday season such as Santa Claus, gingerbread houses and toy soldiers, along with what's billed as an "international procession to celebrate the cultural and ethnic diversity of the region," according to its website.
Santa Claus float called one of the 'most anticipated moments' in Denver's Parade of Lights (KUSA-TV)
Among those allowed to participate is the Two Spirit Society of Denver, a support group for American Indians who are homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered, honoring them as "holy people."
Also included are performers of the Lion Dance, a Chinese New Year tradition "meant to chase away evil spirits and welcome good luck and good fortune for the year," reports the Rocky Mountain News.
Despite the inclusion of these groups with spiritual connotations, parade spokesman Michael Krikorian said the event does not allow "direct religious themes." Included in the ban are signs that read "Merry Christmas" and the singing or playing of Christmas hymns.
"We want to avoid that specific religious message out of respect for other religions in the region," Krikorian told the News. "It could be construed as disrespectful to other people who enjoy a parade each year."
He notes the church group was informed of the policy last spring when it first inquired about participation.
Pastor George Morrison
"I could not believe what I was hearing," Morrison told WND. "I was floored. I assumed it was a Christmas parade."
Morrison says he attended last year's event and noticed a lack of any connection with Christianity, which sparked his interest to be included in the first place.
"Maybe they should hold Parade of Lights in January or February," Morrison told the News. "By holding it in December, it's assumed by a majority of people that the reasons the lights are up is the continuation of the celebration of the birth of Christ. In America, that's our tradition, that's what the holiday is about."
As WorldNetDaily previously reported, Christmas celebrations were actually banned by Christians who settled colonial America in the 17th and 18th centuries, as many felt the holiday was based more on paganism than Scripture.
But celebrations grew in popularity during the 19th century, starting with Washington Irving's 1820 book "The Keeping of Christmas at Bracebridge Hall." A week before Christmas in 1834, Charles Dickens published "A Christmas Carol," and in 1860, American illustrator Thomas Nast created Father Christmas, also known as Santa Claus, based on European stories of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children.
In recent years, battles have ignited each winter across the U.S. as the public display of religion becomes a hot topic. The American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, has been leading the charge in many instances to preclude expressions of faith in the public arena, though the group is not involved in the Denver parade.
Recently, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, announced the phrase "Merry Christmas" would replaced at city hall next year with with "Happy Holidays."
Catholic League president William Donohue issued a statement yesterday on this year's attempts to ban Christmas.
"This is only the beginning of the Christmas season and already the anti-Christmas crusade is in high gear," he said. "In the name of 'separation of church and state,' they distort it. In the name of diversity, they crush it. In the name of tolerance, they obliterate it. Which is why we need to call them for what they are – cultural fascists."
As far as the Parade of Lights in Denver is concerned, Morrison says he has been contacted by several attorneys, but he's no longer interested in participating this weekend, as he would need time to prepare a proper entry.
But he adds members of his church will be walking the parade route an hour before it starts.
"We're going to sing Christmas carols to people on the street," he told WND. "We're not promoting a boycott."
See Michelle Malkin's Christmas Crusade! Distribute at will to likeminded folks!
WorldNetDaily.com: "'NO CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS AT CHRISTMAS' Red Cross stores bar religious decor fearing it might be offensive" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Fearing they might offend someone, Red Cross stores in Britain have taken the Christian out of Christmas this year, banning any display of overtly religious decorations.") (November 18, 2003)
Sing it Loud and Sing it Proud!!
I REFUSE to be silent and let the Anti's ruin my Christmas
A CHRISTmas CELEBRATION!
http://www.ilovejesus.com/myhome/cindy/index.html
THE CHRISTMAS LINKS PAGE
http://www.truthusa.com/CHRISTmas.html
But we can take back Christmas and the real meaning of it
Jesus is the reason for the season. Happy Birthday Jesus.
BUMP!
Freedom OF religion is not freedom FROM religion.
We shouldn't honor our troops on Memorial Day or Veterans Day, after all, every nation has been party to a war at some time and there are those nationalities who may have been on the receiving end of our bullets and bombs. It wouldn't be "politically correct" to only honor our war dead and not the slain Nazis, Viet Cong, North Koreans, Iraqis... < /sarcasm >
Is there a "Gay Pride" parade in Denver or nearby? Isn't that exclusionary? Shouldn't it be A Sexual Pride parade for EVERYONE who has ever had a sexual thought of any kind? Worship Bacchus. He's the god for the secular humanists. If it feels good, do it.
I thought that the NYC St. Patrick's Day parade has successfully kept homosexuals from openly marching.
I could be wrong .. but I don't think so
I think it was a group up in Boston and didn't they cancel it because they couldn't stop the gays from being in the parade because of a court order?
My mistake ... I was a little off on my thinking
N-Y-C Saint Patrick's Day parade includes gays and Mayor Michael Bloomberg
http://www.wluctv6.com/Global/story.asp?S=1693823
The Queens parade is an alternative to the older Manhattan parade, which bans gay Irish groups from marching under their own banners.
bump
Oh no, now you've done it. Next, there'll be law suits about this too.
>>Recently, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, announced the phrase "Merry Christmas" would replaced at city hall next year with with "Happy Holidays."<<
I don't know if the Christian community is strong enough or united enough to pull it off, but maybe Mr. Hickenlooper should face recall for the anti-Christian stance he and the Parade of Lights has taken. The prospect of losing his job might clarify his thinking on this issue.
After all, who would have thought that an aging action picture movie star could defeat the sitting Democratic governor of California?
The left/liberals will get away with this stuff just as long as the public allows them to.
Send the Mayor of Denver a shovelful from the reindeer stalls, not just a lump of coal, IMHO!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.