Some conservative organizations are again taking on retailers and others who de-emphasize the word "Christmas" or challenge public displays related to the birth of Jesus.
Liberty Counsel, a nationwide, public interest civil liberties law firm, recently launched its fifth annual Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign in anticipation of another active season defending attacks on Christmas celebrations. Liberty Counsel pledges to be the "Friend" to those entities which do not censor Christmas, and a "Foe" to those that do.
Some of its success stories last year included: challenges of policies where senior living centers banned elderly residents from singing Christmas caroles, a Massachusetts public school where students were banned from wearing red and green because they are Christmas colors, and where a New York school changed the words "Silent Night" to "Candle Night." As part of the campaign, Liberty Counsel publishes a "Naughty and Nice" list, which denotes some retailers who either censor or recognize Christmas. The "naughtiest stores" on last year's list were Best Buy and Eddie Bauer, which refused to recognize Christmas in order not to be "disrespectful" or "offensive."
Included on the "Naughty" list this year: E-bay -- "Give Santa a run for his money." No mention of Christmas; Land's End -- Web site: "Holiday Gift Shop," "Holiday Stockings," "Holiday Gift Sacks." No mention of Christmas; Old Navy -- "Holiday Favorites," "Holiday Morning," "Season in Style," and "Holiday Gift Guide," sections on the web site. No mention of Christmas.
On its Web site, Liberty Counsel also offers a Help Save Christmas action pack, which includes education legal information to educate government officials, teachers, parents, students, private businesses, employees and others that it is legal to celebrate Christmas. The action pack also includes an "I Love CHRISTmas" button, an "I Helped Save Christmas" bumper sticker and button, and sample ads for use in local newspapers to promote Christmas.
The ads note that celebrating Christmas is still legal in schools, on public property and in private businesses, and offer Liberty Counsel's free assistance to those facing persecution for celebrating Christmas. Liberty Counsel says, many churches placed such ads in local newspapers last year. It says, this year, thousands of public school teachers and administrators, who are members of Christian Educators Association International, have joined the Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign.
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mathew Staver observed, "Renaming a Christmas tree to a holiday tree, stopping students from wearing red and green, and censoring religious Christmas caroles are absurd, but true, examples of the war against Christmas. Over the past few years, the Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign has successfully put the ‘grinches' on the run. This year, millions of Americans will join us to help save Christmas. If a government entity censors Christmas in violation of the Constitution, then we will first seek to educate -- but, if necessary, we will litigate. If retailers choose to profit from Christmas while pretending it does not exist, then we will patronize their competitors."
Liberty Counsel and American Family Association were recently contacted by Peggy Arnold, an 85-year-old resident at the Plant City Living Center in Florida, after residents were informed that they would not be allowed to display any religious words or items associated with Christmas in the common area of their apartment buildings.
The center relied on a memo written by a former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) attorney who now represents the facility. The memo stated in part, "Christmas Trees, Hanukkah Menorahs, Santa Claus, Season's Greetings, snowmen and wreaths are all acceptable icons that are associated with Christmas. Any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas should not be used. For example, the following items should not be on display: nativity scenes, the Star of David, angels, etc. This means no angel on your Christmas tree, either."
In response, AFA spokesman, Randy Sharp, says, they spoke with HUD and were assured that the interpretation was mistaken. The center, in turn, rescinded the directive. Sharp said of the facility, "They've made it quite clear to all residents that if they wish to put an angel on the top of their Christmas tree, they're more than welcome to. If they want to use religious emblems as decorations, they're certainly able to do that now."
However, Sharp noted that religious bias, especially against Christianity, remains prevalent.
"It does not give credence to the fact that there is a strong anti-Christian bias in this country by those who would like to place God inside a box, leave the wrapping on it, and never take Him out," Sharp said.
On another matter, the AFA issued an "Action Alert" regarding the nationwide home improvement chain, Lowe's, over its referral to Christmas trees in its holiday catalog as "family trees."
Lowe's subsequently apologized for what it called, a "breakdown in its proofing process," in which the "error" was not caught before the publication was distributed.
Karen Cobb, a Lowe's spokesman, said, "We recognize that Christmas trees are the centerpiece of many family traditions during the Christmas season, and the headline was intended to reference that. It certainly was not our intention to offend anyone."
In the Detroit suburb of Berkley, Michigan, voters, by a ten-percent margin, rejected a proposal to require the placement of a nativity scene at city hall for one month around Christmas. Those in favor of placing the nativity scene on public property got the issue placed on the November ballot after city council decided to move the display to a church lawn.
The display had been on the Berkley City Hall lawn for 20 years, but was moved last year to Berkley First United Methodist Church, after the American Civil Liberties Union threatened to file a lawsuit against the city.
In reaction to the vote, Bob McCoy, who served as the finance chairman for the group, Berkley Citizens Vote Yes to Christian Holiday Display, said, "Well, the people spoke. I'm pretty disappointed."
Americans United For Separation of Church and State called the measure's outcome, "an important win."
AU, in a statement, noted that some residents formed a group called Citizens for Religious Freedom to derail the proposal. "Local clergy, government leaders, business owners and other residents came together not only to avert an expensive lawsuit, but to preserve their religious liberty, the holiday's sanctity and the community's interfaith harmony."
Rob Boston, with Americans United, also has taken aim against what he called "another ‘War on Christmas' brought to you by the Religious Right." Boston said, "For starters, promoting the ‘War on Christmas' has become a cottage industry for the Religious Right. These groups make tons of money selling pro-Christmas stuff: buttons, stickers, memos that purport to explain your rights, etc. Keeping the ‘war' alive is crucial to the Religious Right's bottom line.
Secondly, over the past year, the Religious Right has shifted the discussion from things like battles over nativity scenes on public property to the language, decorations and even in-store greetings offered by retailers. Why are the legal eagles of the Religious Right focusing on what stores do instead of government? Simple. The number of battles over holiday symbols is decreasing. The courts have ruled on this matter ad nauseum, and guidelines are in place. Retailers are the new big, fat target for the Religious Right's whiny campaign. The Religious Right needs a new enemy to attack to ensure those dollars flow in, and to keep its followers in a constant state of agitation and mock outrage over the latest assaults by the anti-religious fanatics who support church-state separation.
We at Americans United really don't care what the stores are doing or saying in December. When a unit of government takes it upon itself to celebrate religious aspects of a holiday on everyone's behalf, we have to speak out.
Some say ‘Christmas' in their ads and some don't. Who cares? The holidays will come either way," Boston said.
Stuart Shepard, managing editor of Focus on the Family Action's CitizenLink, takes a tongue-in-cheek view of the de-emphasis of "Christmas" by a number of retailers, in one of his recent "Stoplight" video segments.
Shepard stated, in part, "I love this time of year -- when the nation's largest retailers go way out of their way to wish me a happy non-specified holiday.
Since so many retailers seem to be having a problem remembering that other name for December 25th, at my house, I've created a special holiday just for retailers. I call it Tossmas. I get a copy of Crate & Barrel Holiday. I don't even open it. I just say, Merry Tossmas. (Into the wastebasket it goes!) Lillian Vernon says, she's very excited to share this holiday season with me. I figure that must include Tossmas. L.L. Bean sent me a holiday catalog AND a Christmas catalog. Now you're speaking my language."
Shepard noted the buying power of Christian consumers.
"Who's more likely to look through your holiday catalogs to buy your Christmas decorations, your Christmas cards and your Christmas gifts?
Someone in the more than 90 percent of Americans who celebrate Christmas, or someone who claims to be offended by the very word?"
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