B
Bob_Baran
Guest
RASH OF VANDALIZED NATIVITY SCENES
Catholic League president William Donohue today discussed the latest wave of vandalized nativity scenes:
“On December 10, we issued a news release documenting 16 instances of nativity scenes that were vandalized nationwide. Since then, there have been 24 more reported incidents that have come to our attention. Here is where they occurred: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Costa Mesa, California; Santa Cruz, California; Anchorage, Alaska; Hanover, Pennsylvania; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; Knoxville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; Epping, New Hampshire; Tiverton, Massachusetts; Neenah, Wisconsin; Morningside, Iowa; Diamondhead, Mississippi; Maplewood, Minnesota; Baxter County, Arkansas; Murrieta, California; Grand Traverse County, Michigan; Plainfield, New Jersey (2 crèches were vandalized); Volusia County, Florida; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Princeton, Indiana; Whitman, Massachusetts; Norwalk, Connecticut.
“So what’s going on? The vandals in Norwalk, Connecticut gave us an idea. Not only did they thrash a nativity scene, they wrote profanity and drew satanic symbols on one of the figures. This isn’t the act of some crazy drunks—it is the act of hate-filled persons.
“To think that the raging culture wars aren’t integral to this phenomenon is nonsense. Our hope is that the guilty get the book thrown at them.”
HATING CHRISTMAS IS NOW CHIC
Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on some disturbing responses to Christmas:
“In San Francisco, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a band of characters the *Los Angeles Times *affectionately calls a group of ‘queer nuns,’ has been bashing Christmas all month. In Minneapolis, gay-themed Christmas bashing has been happening at the Hennepin Center for the Arts and the Brave New Workshop. To understand why this is going on, consider what one New Hampshire non-Christian said when asked about Christmas celebrations in the schools: ‘It’s offensive to those who don’t celebrate it.’ Better yet is Phil Goodstein, a Denver historian who recently labeled the nativity scene ‘utterly obnoxious.’ Julie Wells, also of Denver, confesses that ‘I wish they had kidnapped the Baby Jesus when they kidnapped Rudolph,’ adding that she fantasizes about ‘driving a Chevy Blazer’ over a crèche. And both atheist Christopher Hitchens (always the contrarian), and Dallas Cowboy fullback Darian Barnes, boasted over the weekend how much they ‘hate Christmas.’
“One of the most offensive incidents this Christmas season occurred recently in Plainfield, Illinois, outside of Chicago. At Central School, a song called ‘I Hate This Holiday’ was listed in the holiday concert program. The song, which is really a parody from the choral ‘Frosty’s First Adventure,’ was taken by school bus driver Carmen Brown as a real slap in the face at Christians; she called for a boycott of the concert. In stepped Linda DiLeo, the school’s principal. She, too, thought the song was meant to offend, but nonetheless justified it: ‘We have Jewish children, we have children who celebrated Ramadan a couple of weeks ago. We take into account that we aren’t all celebrating the same holiday and try to put on programs that everyone can celebrate.’
“In other words, DiLeo thinks it is necessary to bash Christians at Christmastime because Jews and Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas. This is rank bigotry—against all three religious groups—and that is why we are making a formal complaint to the Illinois State Board of Education.”
Thomas McArdle
Director of Communications
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Catholic League president William Donohue today discussed the latest wave of vandalized nativity scenes:
“On December 10, we issued a news release documenting 16 instances of nativity scenes that were vandalized nationwide. Since then, there have been 24 more reported incidents that have come to our attention. Here is where they occurred: Grand Rapids, Michigan; Costa Mesa, California; Santa Cruz, California; Anchorage, Alaska; Hanover, Pennsylvania; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; Knoxville, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; Epping, New Hampshire; Tiverton, Massachusetts; Neenah, Wisconsin; Morningside, Iowa; Diamondhead, Mississippi; Maplewood, Minnesota; Baxter County, Arkansas; Murrieta, California; Grand Traverse County, Michigan; Plainfield, New Jersey (2 crèches were vandalized); Volusia County, Florida; Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Princeton, Indiana; Whitman, Massachusetts; Norwalk, Connecticut.
“So what’s going on? The vandals in Norwalk, Connecticut gave us an idea. Not only did they thrash a nativity scene, they wrote profanity and drew satanic symbols on one of the figures. This isn’t the act of some crazy drunks—it is the act of hate-filled persons.
“To think that the raging culture wars aren’t integral to this phenomenon is nonsense. Our hope is that the guilty get the book thrown at them.”
HATING CHRISTMAS IS NOW CHIC
Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on some disturbing responses to Christmas:
“In San Francisco, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a band of characters the *Los Angeles Times *affectionately calls a group of ‘queer nuns,’ has been bashing Christmas all month. In Minneapolis, gay-themed Christmas bashing has been happening at the Hennepin Center for the Arts and the Brave New Workshop. To understand why this is going on, consider what one New Hampshire non-Christian said when asked about Christmas celebrations in the schools: ‘It’s offensive to those who don’t celebrate it.’ Better yet is Phil Goodstein, a Denver historian who recently labeled the nativity scene ‘utterly obnoxious.’ Julie Wells, also of Denver, confesses that ‘I wish they had kidnapped the Baby Jesus when they kidnapped Rudolph,’ adding that she fantasizes about ‘driving a Chevy Blazer’ over a crèche. And both atheist Christopher Hitchens (always the contrarian), and Dallas Cowboy fullback Darian Barnes, boasted over the weekend how much they ‘hate Christmas.’
“One of the most offensive incidents this Christmas season occurred recently in Plainfield, Illinois, outside of Chicago. At Central School, a song called ‘I Hate This Holiday’ was listed in the holiday concert program. The song, which is really a parody from the choral ‘Frosty’s First Adventure,’ was taken by school bus driver Carmen Brown as a real slap in the face at Christians; she called for a boycott of the concert. In stepped Linda DiLeo, the school’s principal. She, too, thought the song was meant to offend, but nonetheless justified it: ‘We have Jewish children, we have children who celebrated Ramadan a couple of weeks ago. We take into account that we aren’t all celebrating the same holiday and try to put on programs that everyone can celebrate.’
“In other words, DiLeo thinks it is necessary to bash Christians at Christmastime because Jews and Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas. This is rank bigotry—against all three religious groups—and that is why we are making a formal complaint to the Illinois State Board of Education.”
Thomas McArdle
Director of Communications
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
