Christian group says 800 lawyers nationwide are ready to take on cases

[question everything]

Thursday, November 3, 2005

Christian group says 800 lawyers nationwide are ready to take on cases

By: SCOTT MARSHALL - Staff Writer

NORTH COUNTY ---- A Christian legal organization has more than 800 attorneys nationwide poised to challenge what it calls "improper attempts to censor the celebration of Christmas in schools and on public property," the group announced Wednesday.

Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, which has an office in Murrieta, says it has the attorneys available as part of its third annual Christmas project, which also includes a pamphlet and a memorandum about the law and "Christmas expression."

A local leader of the Anti-Defamation League, a national group that fights anti-Semitism, said Wednesday that public Christmas celebrations that have been accepted in the past may no longer be viewed as appropriate because of the "enormous and increasing diversity" in America and that public events should not leave people feeling excluded.

(snip)

http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2005/11/04/news/top_stories/21_40_2711_2_05.txt

Contact staff writer Scott Marshall at [phone] or [e-mail].

[Montauk6]

1. Pro bono?

I didn't think so.

[niyad]

2. and people wonder why so many of us despise the reichwing xians.

[RB TexLa]

3. And just how many schools are open on Christmas?

[Bluebear]

4. "Christmas under ATTACK!!!!"

:eyes:

[FreedomAngel82]

5. So what about Halloween eh?

I'm getting so tired of these people (coming from this liberal Christian). They're all hypocrites.

[kestrel91316]

6. Ok, let me get this straight - it's NOT ok to attempt to censor

the celebration of Christmas, but it's perfectly ok to censor the celebration of Halloween, a pagan holiday?

The Christofascists expend a great deal of energy trying to squelch the costume parties and candy eating, but nobody gets to say boo about Christmas? Why does this not surprise me in the least?

IT'S THE HYPOCRISY, STUPID!!!

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. I don't doubt this for one second.

Jay Seculow and his crew have been grooming and indoctrinating this for years, thanks to funding from Pat Robertson.

On a related side note...On Halloween I was trying to find scary movies to watch. Ended up watching a Lifetime movie that was supposed to be a modernized/updated Rosemary's Baby. The "good" guy pointed out to the Mother that the 'New Life Group' were not what people think. Then he wrote on a napking the words "Evangelical = Evil Agents".

Sums it up quite nicely, I'd say.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Here's my solution to the Christmas ruckus:

Instead of banning Christmas displays in schools, why not have them, along with Hannakha displays, and Kwanzie displays, etc, and teach the kids -- in a non-religious way -- about the different holidays? While I can understand Jewish parents not wanting their children forced to sing Christmas songs, and vice versa. But what's wrong with teaching kids about different holidays of different beliefs and cultures? And if there was an important holiday that feel at another time of year, have a display for that, and teach the kids about it.

Seems to me it would be enriching a child's education to learn about different holidays, whether they had a religious connection or not. And again, children who do not practice a particular holiday should not be made to participate in it, but learning about them could be positive.

[valerieh]

11. I agree!

I thought that that's what schools were doing anyway!

Now, as far as holiday concerts -- they're no longer calling them Christmas concerts -- it gets silly. You see, there really aren't any songs for Chanukah (except Dreidal Dreidal Dreidal), and as Kwanzaa is such a new religeon, I assume there may not be too many songs for it either (I really don't know about that). So the vast majority of "holiday" songs are Christian in nature, and most are quite lovely! There are a lot of Christmas songs that can be sung at holiday concerts that don't mention religeon but do mention winter and/or the holiday season... but they are associated more with Christmas than not.

My point with the holiday concerts is that, if schools decide to cancel them because there aren't equal (or enough) songs for other religeons, well then due to the above reasons it is an impossible request.

[sandnsea]

28. Oh stop making so much sense

An easy solution like that can't possibly work.

[Erika]

9. The right wing zealot Christians are out of touch with reality

Like Seattle Girl, what is wrong with learning about all religions? The Christian religion is the only one who has a legal holiday for their religious belief (Christmas). So what is their bitch?

These zealots make real Christians feel embarrassed. It wasn't Christ's way to shove his beliefs down someone's throat.

[rwheeler31]

13. I hope they enjoy the fact that

no one is celebrating, and their cash registers do not ring.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. office in Murrieta

Might as well be in hell.

[Ms. K]

24. *rolls eyes in agreement*

TELL me about it.

Unfortunately, I live in Southwest County, and Mr. K works in Temecula. Talk about cookie-cutter Stepford Repukes!

[The_Casual_Observer]

12. I thought that lawyers was a liberal thing.

[Erika]

15. But W loves lawyers like Brownie

They do one heckuva job for him. What does he wish the Christian lawyers to do about Christmas? Demand a tree in every public building with religious Christian carols running 24/7?

I guess having a legal holiday is not enough for them.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

16. You should have watched Boston Legal this week. The one case

was Christians (I am a liberal Christian) fighting the devil worshiping Satanists (as they called them). They joined forces with the Wiccans (protesting displaying witches as evil and devil worshipers). Just to be clear, they both were suing vs. the school districts Halloween pageant. It was priceless!

My take, I like the time off of work, both sides are manipulating us into having no holidays off! Are you willing to give up x days a year off, with no compensation?

[DanCa]

14. Couple of thoughts

1: Mall santa's are evil.
2: It's too early for christmas commericials.
3: People like this group have ruined christmas for me.
4: If the fundies kept to themselves the other eleven months people wouldn't care about one holiday.
5: What the heck is frankensense any way.
6: Christmas expression what happened to christmas spirit.
7: Still trying to figure out who would jesus bomb.
8: see no. 7
9: If you scramble the word santa it spells satan.
x: I feel so sorry for kids today the fun get's sucked out of everything.

[countmyvote4real]

17. A more Christ-like exercise for these Christian lawyers…

Why don’t they use their skills to campaign for the civil rights and due process proceedings of Gitmo detainees? I realize that many of these perpetual prisoners are not Christians, but that has not been a deterrent for missionaries. If anything, they should understand religious persecution. (Oh and I’m not talking about lawsuits over state-sponsored promotions of the Nativity. That’s not persecution. That’s freeloading.)

I'm just saying.

[Erika]

18. Yes, why are they so hung up on Christmas?

Why don't they concentrate on peace, poverty, and brotherly love. That is what Christ taught. These 800 lawyers are a bunch of prima donna's to service the far right extremists.

[valerief]

22. Doesn't pay as well

[Gloria]

19. Don't worry, Alito will "struggle" with this.....and then you guys

will be out of job because you'll get what you want....he's sort of "concerned" about restrictions on religious expression....

He makes my skin crawl...

[really annoyed]

20. Glad to see them celebrating the Christmas spirit

:eyes:

[DBoon]

21. These people are squelching the true spirit of Saturnalia

STOP THEM! THEY ARE OPPRESSING PAGANS!

[YouthInAsia]

23. my hatred of these people is indescribable

[cynatnite]

25. John Gibson wrote a book on the issue of libs warring on Xmas

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=5135733

[Tsiyu]

26. If these fruitcakes really wanted to honor Jeebus

they would donate their time to indigent prison inmates who are incarcerated for petty non-violent crimes for years.

They would fight for the prisoner being abused and tortured.

They would spend time battling environmental crimes that leave children and old people unable to breathe clean, healthy air.

They would fight for poor rape victims.

They would fight for the homeless, the hungry, the hurt in society - the ones Jesus supposedly cared most about (if the bible was in any way true - which it most decidly is not IMHO, and these goons are further proof of that.)

Instead, they are fighting for Christmas trees and carols: Inanimate, cheesy, unfeeling symbols.

They are fighting for stuff, and the right to shove that stuff down everyone and his kids' throats.

Just when I thought these cretins couldn't nauseate me any more....:puke:

[NMMNG]

27. And the Christo-fascists are on the march yet again

:eyes:

Is there nothing they won't do to gain a stranglehold on the entirety of our nation?

[no_hypocrisy]

29. As an attorney, I say, "Bring'em on!"

800 Christian lawyers is just a number. Doesn't make any or all of them any good or knowledgeable about substantive constitutional law or procedure.

And a majority of my practice is 90% pro bono (yes, my choice).

They want to reshape this country's values through court challenges. I'm not going to roll over and let them.

[question everything]

30. Thank you. We need people like you

Of course, when the lawyers are from our side fighting to preserve our liberties - they scream about "trial lawyers," but their lawyers are walking on water... at least are trying to create this impression.

[mtnester]

31. So, if you end you brilliant fundamentalists end up getting Xmas

be prepared...you are paving the way for over the top celebrations of Ramadan, Ganesha Chaturthi, Yom Kippur, Kwanzaa, Ascension of Baha’u’llah, and maybe even Imbolc and Beltaine if pressed, for your children, whether they believe or not, in every classroom.

Not bashing any of these religious observances. It is just ridiculous that it is either Christmas all the way, or nothing. There are more religions in the world than Christianity...we do not live in a bubble. Never mind there are people who do not observe a religion at all. It is either the Christian Highway or no way for these fundamentalists. Oh, BTW fundies, your supporters think you are wackos TOO. Just not to your face.

You know, on second thought, I hope they do it. They forget about all the other recognized religious holidays that would fall under the same protection of their ruling if they win a dumb stunt like that.

[I_Make_Mistakes]

32. I am not sure if this is still true, but my Jewish girlfriends told me

like 10 yrs. ago the Philly area was the 4th largest Jewish population in the co., which may explain the liberal HR policies. They way holidays are dealt with here are floating holidays. That means all are entitled to take those floaters to observe a religious holiday when it occurs for them and the non-religious can take them whenever. They are floating, but recognized with full holiday status. (How reasonable is that?).

It seems to me, people are making something out of nothing again.
This is a simple solution for all and has been enforce for years here.
I guess other parts of the country are still trying to come up with reasonable answers, without searching for reasonable solutions.

Just an ex., my Jewish friends get Chinese on Christmas, just like in the movie. No BIG deal.

[chat_noir]

33. Bring it on! (nt)