Cause

All across America, out fellow citizens are discovering a hostile climate regarding the public expression or depiction of Christmas.

An employee in Florida was fired after she sang a religious song during karaoke entertainment presentations at an office Christmas party.

A teacher in Texas discontinued all Christmas celebrations in her classroom and substituted the celebration of Kwanza, during which first graders were taught to worship their ancestors.

A principal told a public high school teacher in Pennsylvania that he could not include religious music in the annual Christmas concert. When the teacher protested, he nearly lost his job.

A mayor in Rhode Island was threatened with a lawsuit because he permitted a nativity scene to be included in the city's official Christmas decorations. A public school in Oklahoma banned all religious music and displays during the Christmas season.

Students in South Carolina were told to write an essay on a topic of their choice during the month of December. When one student decided to write about Christmas, the teacher refused to grade his essay.

An Illinois fourth grader enjoyed hearing her public school teacher read a book about the origins of the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah. But when the little girl brought in a book about the origins of Christmas, her teacher refused to read that story to the class.

Police officers in Florida were told they could not include religious symbols in their police station decorations during the Christmas holidays.

A church in New Mexico wanted to enter a float in their city's Christmas parade, but church members were told the float could not include any religious symbols.

Kindergartners in Missouri were told they could not sing Christmas carols in school during the holidays.

A student "D.J." in Florida was told it would be unconstitutional to play religious music, including instrumental versions of carols, over the school's loudspeaker.

A first grader in Texas was told he could not mention Jesus during a class discussion about the origins of Christmas.

City officials in Georgia told the private owners of an amusement park they could not present holiday entertainment shows that mentioned the religious meaning of Christmas.

Teachers in Tennessee public schools were told they could not include any religious material in a general holiday decorating theme in their classroom.

A government agency in Florida issued a directive to all employees to avoid displaying religious material during the holiday season.

In Pennsylvania, police ordered the local firehouse to take down its Christmas tree after neighbors called law enforcement claiming to be offended by the display.

The U.S. Supreme Court has never ordered governments, schools or private businesses to eliminate the religious aspects of a cultural American holiday like Christmas. Instead, the Court recently said that the Constitution requires the state to be neutral in relations with both religious and non-religious citizens. Therefore, courts now require an incorporation of both secular and sacred aspects of Christmas in government-sponsored displays.

It continues to be constitutional to keep Christ in Christmas in government schools, government buildings and in the public square. All modern courts require that government holiday displays and celebrations include secular as well as religious aspects of Christmas.

It is still legal to celebrate December 25th as a religious--as well as a secular and cultural--holiday, even in the public square. Schools may study the religious origins of Christmas, just as the may study the religious origins of other holidays in their academic curriculum. Christmas is still an official cultural and traditional holiday in America, one with specific origins. Our 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, said on December 24, 1944, during a national wartime address:

"The Congress in Washington D.C. continues to recognize Christmas as a legal public holiday in America. The U.S. Supreme Court has also acknowledged our nation's longstanding recognition of religiously significant holidays such as Christmas. It is not illegal for either school or government officials to continue referring to December 25th as Christmas or to refer to the vacation days that surround that date as 'Christmas vacation.' Clearly, neither private businesses nor governments are constitutionally required to eliminate Christmas because a few citizens claim to be offended by religious references."