Family News in Focus - The Christmas Battle
http://www.aclj.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=2489
December 2, 2006
by Josh Montez, Family News in Focus

It's been said that the battle for religious liberty goes on all year,
but it seems to be amplified during the Christmas season.
An Ohio school won't let teachers say "Merry Christmas," the ACLU has
attacked a children's program in Tennessee because the kids sang "Away in a
Manger," and the city of Chicago pulled the plug on the new movie "The
Nativity" at a public festival.
Jay Sekulow with the American Center for Law and Justice says
ACLU-types have been perpetuating ignorance about America's religious rights
during Christmas for a long time.
"The hostility that's building toward Christmas has been around for
decades. What's more pronounced now is the fact that it is a clear attack on
the message of Christmas story, and that is the focus of it. It's about
Jesus, as far as Christmas, that's what they don't want out there."
Erik Stanley with the Liberty Counsel says the war against Christmas
is reflective of what's happening in society.
"We have seen the pendulum of political correctness swing radically to
the opposite side where anything Christian at Christmastime is not allowed
and is simply censored and sanitized under a misinformation and
mis-education."
Mike Johnson with the Alliance Defense Fund says celebrating Christmas
is a protected religious right, and groups like his are successful at
defending your expressions of the holiday.
"Christmas is not just a meaningless, commercialized, 'sparkle season'
as the ACLU is recommending it be referred to now. The last time I checked,
Christmas was about a child born in a manger, and I think we'd do well to
remember that."
According to a new Rasmussen Report survey, 69-percent of Americans
prefer the traditional greeting 'Merry Christmas' over the generic 'Happy
Holidays.'