Christians not allowed to celebrate Christmas -- other religions NOT restricted!

[Sir_Knight]

rockymountainnews.com/drmn/religion/article/0,1299,DRMN_61_3365940,00.html …

**Parade prohibition puzzles preacher

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News**
December 1, 2004

If groups celebrating American Indian holy people, German culture and the Chinese New Year can march in the city’s Parade of Lights, why can’t a Christian group march to celebrate Christmas?

That’s just one of the questions bothering prominent Denver-area Pastor George Morrison.

He said he was barred from participating in the parade because his multicultural church group wanted its Christian-themed float to feature traditional yuletide hymns and a “Merry Christmas” message.

“It’s a little confusing to me,” said Morrison, pastor of Faith Bible Chapel in Arvada, one of the region’s largest evangelical churches, with more than 4,000 worshippers.

“Here we have this holiday, Christmas, approaching, and Parade of Lights is suddenly changed into something where you can’t even sing a Christmas song?”

The one-hour parade, which is celebrating its 30th year this Friday and Saturday nights in downtown Denver, features elaborate floats with holiday symbols such as Santa Claus and gingerbread houses, plus an “international procession” of cultural groups.

But the parade does not allow “direct religious themes,” said spokesman Michael Krikorian. That includes “Merry Christmas” signs and the singing or playing of traditional Christmas hymns. He added that the rules were spelled out when Morrison’s intermediary called last spring to inquire about contributing a float.

“We want to avoid that specific religious message out of respect for other religions in the region,” Krikorian said. “It could be construed as disrespectful to other people who enjoy a parade each year.”

Morrison suggested that Parade of Lights wants it both ways - to capitalize on the festive Christmas holiday and its large crowds, but also to keep Christmas an unmentionable part of the season.

“Maybe they should hold Parade of Lights in January or February,” Morrison said. “By holding it in December, it’s assumed by a majority of people that the reasons the lights are up is the continuation of the celebration of the birth of Christ. In America, that’s our tradition, that’s what the holiday is about.”

Morrison doesn’t question any group’s presence in the parade, only wonders why Christian groups can’t be among them.

This year, the “international procession” includes the Two Spirit Society, which honors gay and lesbian American Indians as holy people; a German folk dance group; and performers of the Lion Dance, a Chinese New Year tradition “meant to chase away evil spirits and welcome good luck and good fortune for the year.”

Those groups are considered examples of ethnic diversity, not religious groups, Krikorian said.

Ironically, Morrison said he only asked about participating because he and his family are fans of the parade. He thought Christians weren’t being represented because the cost of entering, several thousand dollars, was prohibitive to most churches.

“I was thinking of a float, a little choir, some musicians and a cross-cultural band” that would include Hispanic and black Christians, he said. “A picture of the city.”

Instead of being in the parade, Morrison’s group now plans to walk the route an hour before, singing hymns and offering hot chocolate.

 

[Jay74]

rockymountainnews.com/drmn/religion/article/0,1299,DRMN_61_3365940,00.html …

Again, I’m once again assured that those who preach faith tend to be far more tolerant than those who preach tolerance.

 

[Fitz]

Jay74:

Again, I’m once again assured that those who preach faith tend to be far more tolerant than those who preach tolerance.

Now isn’t that the truth? :yup:

 

[Lance]

Until now I was never quite able to put my finger on what I disliked about Denver, now I think I have it.

 

[La_Chiara]

Notice that the minister who is objecting is an evangelical minister. Do you think a Catholic priest would be viewed as sympathetically if he objected to the same story?

 

[swampfox]

La Chiara:

Notice that the minister who is objecting is an evangelical minister. Do you think a Catholic priest would be viewed as sympathetically if he objected to the same story?

Would a Catholic priest have the testicularity to object? Haven’t heard a sermon that wasn’t pablum in a decade or so.

 

[Lance]

La Chiara:

Notice that the minister who is objecting is an evangelical minister. Do you think a Catholic priest would be viewed as sympathetically if he objected to the same story?

I would hope that a priest would be view sympathetically if he were standing up for our faith. Seems as if this pastor was not viewed sympathetically by the parade committee. I only wish some Catholics had seen fit to try to enter the parade.

 

[insideitall]

The parade is being put on by a private group, not by the city. In that respect, the group has the right to decide who they want marching in their parade. So technically, there’s nothing illegal about a Christian group being banned (but if it was a gay group being banned, forget about it). And another technicality is that the whole idea of winter having something to celebrate was originally a pagan idea… which is religious… so, uh… go figure.

The only problem, though, is that they’re holding the parade on public property… which means even if they don’t want people marching in the parade itself, there should be nothing illegal about people following right behind, even appearing to be part of it. Good for him for going out there anyway.

But then again, law isn’t logical. Ironic, huh?

 

[Fitz]

La Chiara:

Notice that the minister who is objecting is an evangelical minister. Do you think a Catholic priest would be viewed as sympathetically if he objected to the same story?

I saw O’Reilly interview the minister, and I think that he would have been as fair to a priest. O’Reilly was on the minister’s side.

 

[insideitall]

That’s cause he’s not a liberal *#(%$bag.

How do you think cnn or the times would react?

 

[Scott_Lafrance]

Fitz:

I saw O’Reilly interview the minister, and I think that he would have been as fair to a priest. O’Reilly was on the minister’s side.

I could be fair to assume that Bill would have been fair to a priest, considering that O’Reilly is Catholic.

 

[bones_IV]

Unfortunately, Christianity isn’t exactly looked upon positively these days. The right wing agenda of anti-semetism and descrimination are one of the many things that led to the liberal movement that has popped up in the last 40 or so years. Both liberalism and right wing beliefs became much more wide spread in the 20th century as a result of free thinking ideas that came about in 18th and 19th centuries due to free masonry and other heresies that were attacking the church. And some of those ideas were thought up by Catholics who rebelled against Mother Church. "Just because an idea is popular doesn’t make it right, " (Father Corapi). We’ve traded in truth for lies! Many Catholics today are not catechized and that’s only one of the reasons why christians weren’t allowed to put that float in. We live in the culture of death. Pray for these people.

Padre Pio “Don’t worry, work and pray.”

 

[jlw]

swampfox:

Would a Catholic priest have the testicularity to object? Haven’t heard a sermon that wasn’t pablum in a decade or so.

Anyone know of a quote from Archbishop Chaput on the matter???