When the Catholic League got a tip from one of its members that Lands’ End refuses to use the word “Christmas” in its catalog—even though it sells Christmas items—we verified its authenticity.  Printed below is part of the reply we received from Merlin W. Gorsline in the Customer Relations Department to an inquiry we made regarding the refusal of Lands’ End to mention the word “Christmas”:

“We find ourselves in a difficult position with this issue.  As a result, we have adopted the ‘holiday’ terminology as a way to comply with one of the basic freedoms granted to all Americans: freedom of religion.  We recognize that Christmas is a Christian holiday, and one of the foremost teachings of the Christian faith is a love for one’s fellowman—no matter what his race, religion or creed.

“If we knew which customers feel as you do, we would be delighted to send them catalogs with ‘Merry Christmas’ splashed throughout the pages.  However, we don’t.”

Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded as follows:

“Freedom of religion is an important constitutional right, but to say that fidelity to that right demands that retailers censor the term Christmas at Christmastime wouldn’t even be believed by the judges from the Ninth Circuit.  Nor is it good customer relations to tell Christians who desire to buy Christmas gifts at Christmastime that they are a loveless bunch of bigots who have an impoverished understanding of their own religion.

“And it’s not as though the decision to neuter Christmas is done to protect Jewish sensibilities: the company doesn’t sell Hanukkah gifts, but it does sell Christmas gifts (108 of them).

“Lands’ End says that if it knew who to send a ‘Merry Christmas’ catalog to, it would.  So do it: contact [email protected] right away.”

For the past few years, it has become increasingly evident that the foes of Christmas are on the run. Not that the War on Christmas is over—it is not—but it is clear that our side is pushing back with vigor.

When Wisconsin decided to revert back to calling the Christmas tree in the Capitol Rotunda a Christmas tree, no one complained. But when Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee stood fast in branding it a “Holiday” tree, he was met with a strong protest (pushed by us).

Freedom From Religion Foundation sought to counter the display of a nativity scene in Athens, Texas with one of its mocking statements, and the result was that 5,000 people took to the streets in support of the crèche on the grounds of the Henderson County Courthouse. Similarly, hundreds of residents in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania turned out to rally in support of their crèche.

The bottom line was unmistakable. In every instance when the people got mobilized, they did so in support of Christmas. There was not a single example to the contrary: the anti-Christmas folks amount to nothing more than a few atheist organizations and their lawyers.

After learning that David Silverman of American Atheists said that he believes there are many Christians who are really atheists, Bill Donohue answered by saying that he has it backwards: many atheists are really Christians, though they don’t know it. To that end, he instituted an “Adopt An Atheist” campaign. The goal of this initiative was to put Christians in contact with the chapters of American Atheists, hoping to win them over. Our campaign was met with predictable mean-spiritedness.

Some of the antics used to smash Christmas bordered on insanity. In a school in California, they literally banned poinsettias, Santa and Christmas trees. Though all are secular symbols, school officials said they were too closely associated with Christianity. In their wisdom, they allowed snowmen and snowflakes. And these people are educators.

In a South Carolina health center, they even gave a volunteer Santa the heave-ho.

We also had some light-hearted fun. When we found out that some diversity experts were advising companies to designate managers to police the behavior of employees at Christmas parties, we answered by calling for an open bar and designated managers to monitor the teetotalers.

If there is one personality quality that organized atheists share, it is their humorlessness. They not only miss out on the meaning and joy of Christmas, they sulk all day long. It’s who they are.

Bill Donohue comments on the annual “War on Christmas”:

Who is winning the 2014 Christmas wars? Neither the pro-Christmas nor the anti-Christmas side can claim victory—so far it looks like a draw.

When it comes to erecting a nativity scene on public property, the pro-Christmas side can claim victories in Grand Haven, Michigan; Cherokee County, Texas; Baxter County, Arkansas; Brookville, Indiana; Ogden City, Utah; Austin, Texas; Utica, New York; and New York City.

The anti-Christmas side can claim victory in Maury County, Tennessee; Portsmouth, Virginia; North Augusta, South Carolina; Jay City, Florida; Orange County, Florida; Piedmont, Alabama; and Dallas, North Carolina.

There are some towns where the controversy is continuing, with no clear winner. Both sides have also challenged each other in using billboards to convey their message (click here to see our Los Angeles billboard).

The anti-Christmas side is led by Freedom from Religion Foundation, American Atheists, the ACLU, and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

The pro-Christmas side would be better off seeking to erect a nativity scene in a public park, rather than on the lawn of City Hall or outside a courthouse. The latter invite the argument that the government is giving its blessings to the crèches; no such claim can be made when the venue is a park, which is a public forum.

Trying to rid our Judeo-Christian culture of its heritage bespeaks a mindset that is quintessentially totalitarian. The cultural fascists should be challenged at every point by the pro-Christmas side.

Newsweek recently did an article on the annual Christmas controversies that included comments by Bill Donohue. It maintained that “The War on Christmas Is Over” and “Christmas Won.”

We are happy to report our role in achieving a victory in California this past Christmas season.

On December 6, we learned that a Christmas tree was removed from a senior citizens’ housing complex in Newhall, California; the management company told the staff that the tree was a religious symbol and must be taken down. On December 7, after an organized protest by the Catholic League, the Christmas tree was restored.

The decision to ban the tree was made by a private company, thus it was within their purview to make such a choice; it also made moot any separation of church and state argument. But there was still the moral issue: the idea that senior citizens couldn’t enjoy a Christmas tree at Christmastime struck us as mean-spirited. It was also a dumb move—a Christmas tree is a secular symbol.

We decided to notify our e-mail list about this matter; it reaches a huge audience. Indeed, we provided the e-mail address of the company’s department of human resources, making it likely the message would get through. It did. After being bombarded with angry missives, management decided it wasn’t worth the effort, and so it yielded.

To show how things are changing for the better, consider that last year the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a threatening letter to city authorities in Faribault, Minnesota complaining about a nativity scene in the local library. This year the Faribault City Council voted unanimously to display a crèche on public land. As one council member put it, “This really bugs me. I mean, one person complained. There are 17,000 members [of FFRF] in the whole nation. That’s really a minority. We’re the majority here.”

Also, after years of court battles, the Thomas More Law Center scored an impressive victory when a nativity scene that was built by a local resident was returned to its longtime home on a median in Warren, Michigan.

Citizens of Oskaloosa, Iowa turned out in large numbers to attend a city council meeting on whether to keep a nativity scene in the city’s public square. The city council voted to keep it.

The authorities in two New Jersey towns, Woodbridge and Woodcliff Lake, successfully took on Christmas foes in their respective localities.

There were many more examples like these. While it may be premature to say our side has won, we’re definitely gaining momentum, and our foes are in retreat.

The city manager of Eugene, Oregon, Jim Johnson, has issued a directive banning Christmas trees from public places.  Johnson argues that the tree is a religious symbol and therefore cannot be placed on public property. The ban was issued after “a number of non-Christians” complained.

In his memo of November 20 to all city employees, Johnson said that while it could be contended that the Christmas tree is a “holiday” or “seasonal” decoration, “it is just as clearly a decoration associated with a religious holiday or tradition.”  He justified the ban as a way of “practicing diversity.”  After firefighters protested, Johnson offered a compromise that would allow Christmas trees in fire stations on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  However, Johnson also said that if one person objects, the tree must be removed.

Catholic League president William Donohue stated the league’s position today:

“In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in County of Allegheny v. ACLU that ‘The Christmas tree, unlike the menorah, is not itself a religious symbol.’  Indeed, it allowed a menorah to be erected outside the Pittsburgh City-Council Building precisely because it was surrounded by a secular symbol, namely a Christmas tree (by contrast, a Nativity scene standing by itself was not allowed).  In making this decision, the high court cited the Lynch v. Donnelly ruling of 1984 that ‘validated the crèche’; that decision said a crèche was legal because it was surrounded by such secular symbols as a Christmas tree.

“It is undeniably true that banning Christmas trees is a grand act of censorship having nothing to do with the U.S. Constitution.  Not surprisingly, the censors at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the ACLU and the Interfaith Alliance are backing the ban.  That a gag order is supported by these groups demonstrates their decided preference for intolerance and contempt for true diversity.”

From McDonalds to the local mall, Christmas is represented not by a nativity scene but by Christmas trees, snowflakes, reindeer and other secular symbols.  Meanwhile, Hanukkah is (properly) represented by menorahs and the Star of David.  Herewith are some examples.

• The Christmas selection for 1-800-flowers.com has no religious items but features a Star of David Charm Necklace for Hanukkah
• The Christmas selection for FTD.com has all secular items but sells Star Shaped Hanukkah Cookies
• Hallmark’s “Holiday Gifts” selection has no religious items for Christmas but sells a Silver Menorah Candleholder
• Bloomingdale’s has a “Chanukah” Gift Card set but no Christmas Gift Card set
• Studiodaedre.com sells a “Chanukah Menorah” but no religious items for Christmas
• AltaVista.com explains the secular meaning of Christmas but offers a religious interpretation of Hanukkah
• Yahoo.com lists six religions under “Religious Holidays” but only one of them has an “Opposing Views” category–Christianity

Catholic League president William Donohue commented as follows:

 “It is one thing to partially secularize a religious holiday, quite another to obliterate its religious roots.  It is also disturbing to witness the secularization of the nation’s majority religion while simultaneously recognizing the sacred roots of minority religions.  All people of faith, regardless of their numbers, have a right to see their religion accurately represented.  Just as Jews would not put up with nativity sets and dreidels adorning the public square, Christians should not put up with menorahs and Christmas trees dotting the landscape.  The problem is not commercialization: if that were true, Hanukkah would also be secularized.  No, the fault for this inequity rests with those whose anti-Christian agenda is relentless, as well as with their supine subjects.”

Catholic League president William Donohue commented today on the latest attempts to ban Christmas:

“Parents in Maine’s Scarborough School District say that efforts to ban Christmas have become so extreme that they now refer to Christmas as the new ‘C-word.’  In nearby New Hampshire, things aren’t any better.  For example, the principal of Epping Elementary School boasts that his school raises money for the needy, ‘but we don’t call it a Christmas gift drive,’ and that’s because ‘it’s a time for giving and that’s pretty much universal.’  But if that’s the case, why choose December as the gift-giving month?  Similarly, why is December ‘a time for giving’?  His counterpart at Newfields Elementary is so wound up about Christmas that he actually said, ‘we’ve tried to distance ourselves from religion and world events.’  No doubt he’s been a smashing success.

“North Carolinians are no strangers to the ‘C-word,’ either.  At a recent Charlotte-Mecklenberg school meeting of parents, Rose Hamid, who heads a group called Muslim Women of the Carolinas, expressed her enthusiasm for censoring ‘Silent Night’ in the schools.  She won.  ‘Joy to the World’ was similarly banned, though apparently the parents were stumped on what to do about ‘Jingle Bells’: some said it was okay, but others were smart enough to say that the song is still linked to Christmas.

“The schools in Maplewood, New Jersey have prohibited the singing of all religious songs, leading some at Columbia High School to question whether ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer’ was also verboten. City officials in Denver will allow ‘Merry Christmas’ lights this year—for one last time—but will go with ‘Happy Holidays’ starting next year.

“This is only the beginning of the Christmas season and already the anti-Christmas crusade is in high gear. In the name of ‘separation of church and state,’ they distort it.  In the name of diversity, they crush it.  In the name of tolerance, they obliterate it.  Which is why we need to call them for what they are—cultural fascists.”

February 18
New York, NY—U.S. District Court Judge Charles Sifton ruled against the plaintiffs in the discrimination suit challenging the New York City Department of Education’s policy regarding “Holiday Displays.” The policy allowed the Jewish menorah and Islamic star and crescent while banning the Christian symbol, the nativity scene. The Catholic League arranged for the Thomas More Law Center to file the suit in December 2002 on behalf of a Queens, New York mother and her two children.

Sifton ruled that the policy is not unconstitutional and does not discriminate against Christians. In his decision, he wrote that the policy is secular in intent—the menorah and the star and crescent have a secular dimension, while the nativity scene is “purely religious.” Elsewhere, he wrote that the holiday displays “must be reviewed as perceived by the children, Christian children in particular, but not one hyper-sensitive Catholic child.” The Catholic League said the ruling smacked of anti-Catholic bias.

June 14
The Catholic League broke a news story on the hiring of Mara Vanderslice by the Kerry campaign as its new Director of Religion Outreach. Her resume was startling: she was an extreme radical who belonged to Marxist clubs in college; after college she spoke at rallies organized by anti-Catholic groups; she took to the streets of Seattle in a protest against the World Trade Organization; and she was arrested for trying to shut down Washington, D.C. and the World Bank. Four days after we exposed her in a news release, the Kerry camp put the muzzle on her, forbidding her to speak to the media.

July 19
Genesee County, MI—The ACLU filed a suit on behalf of appellant Joseph Hanas. Hanas, a Catholic, alleged that he was coerced into practicing Pentecostalism at the Inner City Christian Outreach (ICCO) rehabilitation center. The counselors and pastor running it called Catholicism “witchcraft,” confiscated Hanas’ rosary and Bible, prevented a priest and deacon from visiting him, and forced him to attend Pentecostal Bible studies and services. There was no actual drug treatment activity in the program, and successful completion of the program required (among other things) proclaiming oneself “saved.”

When Hanas requested a transfer out of ICCO into a secular program, Genesee County Judge Robert M. Ransom removed him from deferred sentencing, accepted his guilty plea, convicted and sentenced him. Had he remained in the deferred sentencing program, no conviction would have appeared on his record. The ACLU’s brief argued that the choice facing Hanas constituted a violation of the Michigan and federal Free Exercise Clauses: he could remain at ICCO, and be coerced into practicing Pentecostalism and discouraged from practicing Catholicism, or he could face criminal sanctions.

July 23
Washington, DC—Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe announced the appointment of Rev. Brenda Bartella Peterson as the first-ever Senior Advisor for Religious Outreach to the DNC. On Monday, August 2, the Catholic League issued a press release noting she signed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in support of atheist Michael Newdow in his attempt to get the words “under God” stricken from the Pledge of Allegiance. Two more news releases on Peterson were issued on August 3 and 4. She then resigned her position on August 4, saying she couldn’t take the pressure any more. She was not replaced and the DNC let the position expire.

November 1
New York, NY—In New York magazine, Rep. Charles Rangel, Democratic congressman for Harlem, reacted to Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput’s statement that voting for an explicitly pro-abortion candidate was “cooperating in evil.” Rangel said, “I don’t know if priests go to confession. I just wonder whether priests confess to each other what they’re doing to our children. They ought to put a district attorney in some of these confessional boxes.”

November 15
La Grange, KY—Town officials decided not to display a nativity scene on the courthouse lawn. The scene had been displayed for 14 years. The reason given was that they feared a lawsuit from the ACLU.

November 23
Demarest, NJ—After 150 angry residents arrived at a borough council meeting, council members voted unanimously to scrap a planned vote to remove religious symbols from the borough’s village green.

December
Somerville, MA—Mayor Joseph Curtatone publicly expressed regret for calling Somerville’s “holiday party” a Christmas Party. “I apologize for the mistake,” Curtatone said, “and to anyone who was offended by it.”

December
Chapel Hill, NC—The town sponsored “a series of holiday events,” including a “Holiday Parade” and “a Community Sing and Tree Lighting.” But no mention was made of what the holiday actually was.

December
Tallahassee, FL—State Democratic legislators reportedly balked at Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Daniel Webster’s plans to recommend repeal of the state constitution’s 1885 anti-Catholic-motivated “Blaine Amendment,” which prevents public monies from helping religious schools and other institutions.

December 2
Denver, CO—After hundreds of angry phone calls, Mayor John Hickenlooper reversed a plan to replace the “Merry Christmas” sign outside City Hall with one that said “Happy Holidays.” He said, “Hickenlooper might have two O’s, but I am not Scrooge.” The city has also maintained a manger scene on the City Hall steps since the early 1940s, despite protests in recent years from militant atheist organizations.

The ad below appeared on the op-ed page of the New York Times on September 20.

December 3
Glendale, OH—Officials took part in a Holiday Walk on the Village Square, but no one explained what holiday was being celebrated.

December 3 & 4
Denver, CO—The city’s annual Parade of Lights, sponsored chiefly by NBC affiliate KUSA-TV, banned the words “Merry Christmas” from all floats, as well as all Christmas songs. Parade spokesman Michael Krikorian said the decision to discriminate against Christians was made “out of respect for other religions in the region.” Meanwhile, the parade honored homosexual and lesbian American Indians as “Holy People.”

December 4
Franklin, MI—The village changed the name of its annual “Holly Day” to “the Franklin Winter Festival.” Prominent store owner Les Gorback, who pushed for the new name, said, “Holly Day had the connotation it was strictly a Christmas holiday festival.” According to Gorback, “We wanted to try to make it more inclusive, so we changed the name.”

December 4
Fontana, CA—Santa Claus—who is not associated with anything other than Christmas—inexplicably appeared at the annual Festival of Winter’s parade through Miller Park.

December 6
Wellesley, MA—When the town reversed policy and agreed to place a menorah in front of the town hall, town counsel Albert Robinson said it would be a giant legal step to place a crèche there, too.

December 7
New York, NY—Mayor Michael Bloomberg insisted that the City Hall Christmas Tree was really a “holiday tree.”

December 9
Sunny Isles Beach, FL—The city’s fourth annual holiday park lighting ceremony featured Santa Claus, but no Christmas Trees, menorahs, crèches, or any other religious symbols. According to Susan Simpson, director of the Sunny Isles Beach Cultural and Human Services Department, excluding Christmas Trees and menorahs made the event inclusive.

December 10
New York, NY—As city workers were tearing down Christmas lights that residents of a lower East Side housing project had been putting up annually for a decade, the New York City Housing Authority reversed a directive from the previous day demanding that “All lights must be removed at once.”

December 12
Fair Lawn, NJ—Municipal officials called the Christmas Tree outside Borough Hall a “holiday tree” and, according to the Bergen Record, refused to allow a menorah there, too, because then they might have to allow other religious symbols.

December 15
Bay Harbor Islands, FL—With the assistance of the Thomas More Law center, Sondra Snowdon successfully sued the town of Bay Harbor Islands, near Miami, reversing its discriminatory practice of banning the placement of a crèche in the town’s main square, while permitting the display of menorahs. The Star of David was also hung on lampposts throughout the town.

Snowdon supplied the crèche herself the following week at her own expense, dedicating it to the memory of her mother. Amidst honking cars and Christmas carolers, Father Peter Lickman of St. Basil Catholic Church blessed the manger scene in a brief ceremony. Snowden, however, told Fox’s Bill O’Reilly, “there’s still discrimination. I have walked down the street and been spit on. I have threatening phone calls that come into me.”

December 15
Hobbs, NM—After a written request from the Catholic League, Lea County Correctional Facility stated that it would make an exception to the prison’s restriction on showing R-rated films to inmates and allow a screening of Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” during Christmastime. A Catholic inmate had asked for the League’s assistance.

December 15
Pasco County, FL—County officials banned Christmas trees from public buildings after the county attorney determined that they were religious symbols. The American Center for Law and Justice called the action “the most extreme example of censorship imaginable.”

December 16
Stafford Township, NJ—After initially balking at erecting a crèche in the municipal courtyard, the mayor agreed to accept a lighted nativity scene from a Catholic church; it became the centerpiece of the town’s holiday display representing various faiths.

December 17
Pasco County, FL—After a deluge of angry phone calls and e-mails, plus a threatened lawsuit, officials reversed a Christmas Tree ban that had caused the removal of dozens of trees in county buildings; many of the trees were decorated by local schoolchildren.

December 22
Layton, UT—Following a 20-year tradition, Layton banned a crèche while allowing a paganistic “Winter Zoo.” It featured dinosaurs, monkeys, bears and dozens of other lighted animals.