Christian Legal Group Launches 7th 'Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign'
Christian legal group Liberty Counsel has launched its seventh annual "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign," pledging to be a "Friend" to those who recognize Christmas and a "Foe" to those who censor it.
As part of the campaign, the Fla.-based group is again offering free assistance to anyone who faces criticism for celebrating Christmas. Liberty Counsel has also published its "Naughty and Nice" list, which catalogs retailers who either censor ("Naught") or recognize ("Nice") Christmas.
"Over the past few years the 'Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign' has successfully put the 'grinches' on the run," commented Mathew D. Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law.
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"This year millions of Americans will join us to help save Christmas," he added. "If a government entity censors Christmas in violation of the Constitution, then we will first seek to educate but, if necessary, we will litigate. If retailers choose to profit from Christmas while pretending it does not exist, then we will patronize their competitors."
To date, Liberty Counsel has handled numerous situations involving Christmas, including cases involving nativity scenes on public property, senior living centers that banned elderly residents from singing Christmas carols, a Massachusetts school which banned students from wearing red and green because they are Christmas colors, school officials who censored religious words from Christmas carols, and companies which renamed Christmas trees 'holiday trees.'"
Last year, Liberty Counsel defended an employee who was fired because she wanted to greet people by saying "Merry Christmas." Liberty Counsel filed suit and the employer agreed to settle the case by paying damages to the fired employee.
"Renaming a Christmas tree to a holiday tree, stopping students from wearing red and green, and censoring religious Christmas carols are absurd, but true, examples of the war against Christmas," Staver noted.
So far, Liberty Council has already offered legal assistance to city officials in Amelia, Ohio, where an uproar ensued after an attempt was made to change the name of a "Christmas parade" into a "holiday parade."
According to the organization, thousands of public school teachers and administrators have already joined the campaign as well.
On its web site, Liberty Counsel is offering a "Help Save Christmas" action pack, which includes educational legal memoranda to educate government officials, teachers, parents, students, private businesses, employees, and others that it is legal to celebrate Christmas in schools, on public property and in private businesses.
The action pack also includes an "I ♥ CHRISTmas" button, an "I Helped Save Christmas" bumper sticker and button, and sample ads for use in local newspapers.
Many churches have placed these ads in local newspapers.
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