Christmas
87 pieces tagged “Christmas”, newest first.
Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Secular Fundamentalism Goes After Linus at Christmas
You may have heard about the Kentucky school district that ordered its administrators to scrub any religious references from its various Christmas productions. Most infamously, an elementary school in the Johnson County School District removed the lines from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" where Linus recites the Gospel of Luke's account of the Nativity of Jesus Christ. This censorship was colossally silly — both because Linus' speech is the dramatic center of the play, and because of the self-evident absurdity of staging a play with "Christmas" in its title and then deleting the key lines that explain what Christmas celebrates.
Baby Jesus, 'Merry Christmas' Banner Removed From VA Hospital
A manger and a banner reading "Merry Christmas" were removed from a public area of a VA hospital in Texas after someone complained about "overly religious and offensive" decorations. "They ruined our decorations," Vietnam veteran Ethel Holloway told television station KENS. "They threw them out." Holloway said she had been putting up decorations at the Audi Murphy VA Hospital for 33 years without any problems. This year, her yuletide banner turned out to be problematic.
Saying 'Merry Christmas' Is Very Important
The nearly universal change from wishing fellow Americans "Merry Christmas" to wishing them "Happy Holidays" is a very significant development in American life. Proponents of "Happy Holidays" argue that it's no big deal at all, and that proponents of "Merry Christmas" are making a mountain out of a molehill, especially when proponents say that the substitution of "Happy Holidays" is part of a "war on Christianity." But the "Happy Holidays" advocates want it both ways.
Sheriff's Department Spreads Christmas Cheer
"Do you know why I've pulled you over today?"
When Hollywood Celebrated Christmas and Marriage
A few days before Christmas, I checked the schedule for Turner Classic Movies, one of the few TV channels I watch. I was looking for Christmas movies, maybe the 1938 Reginald Owen version of "A Christmas Carol" or something like that — something for the family. I was pleased to find three favorites back-to-back that I've seen with my wife and daughters, all nice Christmas romances — and all with a similar happy ending.
Students Sing 'Allah Akbar' at Holiday Concert
Nothing says Merry Christmas like a Ramadan song — at least in Blaine, Minnesota. There was a big controversy after Thursday's holiday concert at the local high school when the teenagers belted out a praise song to Allah. I'm sure a number of Lutherans along with other Protestant parents spewed their egg nog when they heard their offspring singing, "Allah Akbar, Allah Akbar." Television station WCCO first reported on the holiday dustup, quoting several moms and dads who were not all that happy their children were singing about the glories of Islam.
A Tale of Two Elementary Schools
W.R. Castle Elementary School in Wittensville, Kentucky, was set to host a performance of that classic holiday special "A Charlie Brown Christmas." Unfortunately, political correctness kicked in and school officials decided to censor Linus. "We don't want to do anything that would cause harm to our district or our children here in Johnson County Schools," said Superintendent Thomas Salyer. I suspect you're probably scratching your head trying to recollect what it is that Linus does in the cartoon that could in any way cause harm to children. He doesn't do drugs. He doesn't steal from anyone. He doesn't cheat on a test or start a fight.
CNN Sashays With Satanists
When Ted Turner was running CNN back in 1991, he banned the use of the word "foreign" on air. In a memo to employees, he made a threat to fine employees with a forced donation to UNICEF. To avoid offense, they were told they should use the word "international" instead because it "promotes a sense of unity." Today, this is Jeff Zucker's CNN, and unity be damned. Offending the audience is part of the ratings gambit. On Dec. 13, as many Christians celebrated the third Sunday of Advent and rejoiced over the incarnation of Jesus Christ, CNN was celebrating Satan. Literally.
Oh Good Grief! School District Censors Charlie Brown Christmas
There are some days when this anti-Christmas nonsense is enough to make you deck somebody's halls. The latest yuletide lunacy comes from Johnson County, Kentucky, where the school district has censored an elementary school presentation of "A Charlie Brown Christmas." The district also ordered other schools to remove all religious references from their upcoming Christmas productions. At one school, "Silent Night" was replaced with a Christmas version of the "Whip/Nae Nae" song.
A Hollywood Christmas Story
The following story is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. I drove past the outdoor parking-lot-turned-Christmas-tree-store several times before I decided to buy my Christmas tree from there. It was fairly close to my home in the Westside of Los Angeles, and business seemed brisk. Must be a nice place. Soon I found a nice, fluffy, well-shaped tree. "How much?" I asked a smiling salesman. "$60," he said, showing me the price tag I had overlooked, "Good deal." Then he said, "Are you Larry Elder? Big fan." "Guilty," I said. "Is this your place?" "No," he said, "I'm an actor, just doing this part-time to make a few bucks for the holidays."
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A Humble Pre-Christmas Effort to Share My Enthusiasm for the Bible
As the Christmas season approaches, I want to explain why I am so enthusiastic about the subject matter I've written about in my new book, "The Emmaus Code: Finding Jesus in the Old Testament." As I came to Jesus Christ kicking and screaming, I have always been passionate about sharing the epiphanies that led me to become a believer. I love to relate my excitement about the Bible and encourage others to give it a chance — really give it a chance — and to avail themselves of the full riches of God's Word.
Do You Fear What I Fear?
The IRS isn't exactly topping conservatives' nice list this Christmas — so the idea of handing over even more sensitive information to an agency caught leaking it doesn't exactly thrill most Americans. Unfortunately, that's exactly what the Obama administration is proposing under a little rule quietly announced this September. The IRS didn't make much noise about the idea, and considering the opposition — it's easy to see why.
Making Sure Christ Is the Essence of Christmas
Every day until December 25, we will be besieged by commercials ticking down the shopping days left until Christmas. It's a magical time of giving and getting gifts, but it should really be a celebration of the Lord's greatest gift to us — sending His Son to die for our sins and be the light of the world. For whatever His reason, God has especially blessed America. Our country was founded on a continent rich with natural resources and stunning beauty. God gave our Founding Fathers wisdom and insight about human nature, which enabled them to write a Constitution that made us the freest and wealthiest society on earth and has preserved our God-given rights for more than two centuries.
Federal Judge Bans School's Live Nativity Show
A federal judge has banished the Baby Jesus and the Three Wise Men from an Indiana high school's Christmas musical. U.S. District Court Judge Jon DeGuilio, appointed to the bench by President Obama, issued an injunction against Concord Community Schools on Dec. 2. The court order forbids students from presenting a live Nativity scene during the Concord High School's Christmas Spectacular. The judge said that portion of the show is overtly religious in nature. "The living nativity scene impermissibly conveys an endorsement of religion and thus runs afoul of the Establishment Clause," the judge wrote in his ruling.