TRI In The News

Common Sense Needed on ‘Issue’ of Christmas

December 12, 2011

From The Times and Democrat

Let's just say again that the attacks on Christmas as a holiday are unnecessary and frustrating.

The incidents seem to make news, even when their news value is questionable. It's just that the vast majority of people from a multiplicity of religious and ethnic backgrounds who have no problem with American Christmas traditions seethe just a bit more every time they read of the likes of a public school sixth-grade class being asked to make "holiday cards" to send to the troops but being told they cannot use the words "Merry Christmas" on their cards.

The Rutherford Institue is a non-profit, conservative legal organization dedicated to the defense of civil and religious liberties and human rights. It addresses the Christmas "issue."

"Political correctness should never trump the Constitution," said John W. Whitehead, institute president. "Schools, government officials and businesses have an opportunity to take the high road and not be relegated to playing the Grinch this Christmas. It's time for some common sense."

In years past, The Rutherford Institute has been contacted by parents and teachers alike complaining about schools changing their Christmas concerts to "winter holiday programs" and renaming Christmas "winter festival" or canceling holiday celebrations altogether to avoid offending those who do not celebrate the various holidays. Similarly, nativity displays, Christmas carols, Christmas trees, wreaths, candy canes and even the colors red and green have been banned as part of the effort to avoid any reference to Christmas, Christ or God.

The Rutherford Institute thus offers its "Twelve Rules of Christmas."

1. 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.

2. So long as teachers are generally permitted to wear clothing or jewelry or have personal items expressing their views about the holidays, Christian teachers may not be prohibited from similarly expressing their views by wearing Christmas-related clothing or jewelry or carrying Christmas-related personal items.

3. 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.

4. Public school teachers may send Christmas cards to the families of their students so long as they do so on their own time, outside of school hours.

5. Public schools may include Christmas music, including those with religious themes, in their choral programs if the songs are included for a secular purpose such as their musical quality or cultural value or if the songs are part of an overall performance including other holiday songs relating to Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or other similar holidays.

6. Public schools may not require students to sing Christmas songs whose messages conflict with the students' own religious or nonreligious beliefs.

7. Public school students may not be prohibited from distributing literature to fellow students concerning the Christmas holiday or invitations to church Christmas events on the same terms that they would be allowed to distribute other literature that is not related to schoolwork.

8. 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.

9. Government entities may erect and maintain celebrations of the Christmas holiday, such as Christmas trees and Christmas light displays, and may include creches in their displays at least so long as the purpose is not to promote religious content.

10. Neither public nor private employers may prevent employees from decorating their offices for Christmas, playing Christmas music, or wearing clothing related to Christmas so long as these activities are not used to harass or intimidate others.

11. Public or private employees whose sincerely held religious beliefs require that they not work on Christmas must be reasonably accommodated by their employers unless granting the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

12. Government recognition of Christmas as a public holiday and granting government employees a paid holiday for Christmas does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

Have a merry - and "legal" - Christmas.