c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) November has barely begun and people are already fighting about Christmas.

Several Christian groups are banding together again to combat what they call the “War on Christmas.” Their targets: retailers who refuse to say “Merry Christmas,” schools that ban Christmas carols and Scroogey secularists who they say want to take Christ out of Christmas.

Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal watchdog group, has already kicked off its annual “Friend or Foe” campaign.

“We started it earlier this year than last year because of the overwhelming response,” said Erik Stanley, the group’s chief counsel. “We wanted to give people enough time this year to report issues regarding Christmas so they can be resolved before Christmas.”

For the past three holiday seasons, Liberty Counsel has pledged to be a “Friend” to entities that do not censor Christmas and a “Foe” to those that do.

The campaign informs Americans about what’s legal for religious expression during Christmastime. Liberty Counsel also offers free advice and defense for public schools that do not “censor” Christmas.

“A lot of the issues we got were a result of misinformation, in which case we provided the right information and the issue was resolved,” Stanley said. “Harder instances were when there was outright hostility to religion. In those cases where Christianity was being discriminated against, we would threaten lawsuits and seek to protect people’s constitutional rights.”

Christian Educators Association International and Jerry Falwell Ministries joined forces with Liberty Counsel again.

“I’m urging people to get involved in this issue so that we can turn back these anti-Christmas organizations’ efforts to stifle public Christmas expressions,” Falwell said in a statement.

Last year, Liberty Counsel received hundreds of calls from across the country from employees who were prohibited from saying “Merry Christmas,” students who weren’t allowed to sing Christmas carols or wear red and green clothing, teachers who were reprimanded for displaying Nativity scenes and those upset by city councils renaming Christmas trees “Holiday trees.”

“Contrary to what some may say, Christmas is not constitutionally taboo in our public schools,” said Finn Laursen, executive director of Christian Educators Association International, in a statement. “… We will defend the law, which by any standard permits observance of Christmas by children in the schools. We want to ensure that the `reason for the season’ remains part of the holiday celebration.”

But the Washington-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State disputes that a “War on Christmas” even exists.

“In all of last year, when they tried to make a big issue of this, they came up with no examples of any so-called `War on Christmas,”’ said Joe Conn, a spokesman for Americans United. “It’s completely a figment of (the Liberty Counsel’s) and Jerry Falwell’s imaginations.”

He said Americans United looked into the facts of each of the examples Liberty Counsel cited as “so-called attacks on Christmas” and found them without merit.

“Some cases were completely bogus and others had one or two facts that were distorted beyond reason. Occasionally you’ll have a discussion in the community … but there is certainly no war,” Conn said.

Stanley disagrees.

“Tell that to the hundreds of people who have called with issues,” he said. “They won’t believe it and no one else should, either. The documented evidence is out there.”

Liberty Counsel points to people like Robert Wortock of Racine, Wis., who noticed last year that his city displayed only secular holiday symbols. His request to put up a Nativity scene was denied. The town also called its Christmas tree a “community tree.”

In mid-October, after persistent prodding from Wortock and a letter from Liberty Counsel, city officials agreed to allow annual Christmas displays including a Nativity scene, a Christmas tree and Christmas banners.

To educate government officials, teachers, parents, students, private businesses and employees, Liberty Counsel is offering a “Help Save Christmas” action pack. The pack includes an “I love CHRISTmas” button and an “I Helped Save Christmas” bumper sticker.

“Their only response is to say there is not a `War on Christmas’ in the face of overwhelming evidence of the fact that there is a `War on Christmas,”’ Stanley said. “Just because they say it isn’t so doesn’t make that true.”

KRE/PH END BIRD