TRI In The News
Merry Whatever
From Fredericksburg.com
Original article available here.
WE CAN ALL agree that the Christmas season is finally here. Or can we?
What began years ago as an attempt to respect those who don't celebrate the holiday by downplaying Christmas has become an intense cultural battle over words, songs, displays, and "rights." In the process, reason has been left out in the cold.
John Whitehead of The Rutherford Institute in Charlottesville provides some examples: After an Oak Hill, Ill., parent complained, the school district decided to cancel all traditional holiday celebrations--including Halloween and Christmas. In some schools, Christmas carols, trees, wreaths, candy canes, and even the colors red and green have been declared verboten.
Recently, parents have complained that some schools are banning Thanksgiving, saying that the Pilgrims offended the Indians and that "Thanksgiving was never intended to be thanks to God."
All of this is quite odd, considering the fact that freedom of religion and speech are enshrined in the Constitution, whereas the founding document does not mention the right not to be offended.
To help negotiate what has become a minefield of concern, The Rutherford Institute publishes its "Twelve Rules of Christmas" guidelines every year. Here are a few highlights:
Public school students' written or spoken personal expressions concerning the religious significance of Christmas (e.g., T-shirts with the slogan, "Jesus Is the Reason for the Season") may not be censored by school officials absent evidence that the speech would cause a substantial disruption.
Public schools may teach students about the Christmas holiday, including its religious significance, so long as it is taught objectively for secular purposes, such as its historical or cultural importance, and not for the purpose of promoting Christianity.
Private citizens or groups may display creches or other Christmas symbols in public parks subject to the same reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions that would apply to other similar displays.
Neither public nor private employers may prevent employees from decorating their offices for Christmas, playing Christmas music, or wearing clothing related to Christmas merely because of their religious content, so long as these activities are not used to harass or intimidate others.
That's just an appetizer. Read the whole list at rutherford.org.
