Articles and Videos – Page 1442

After Years of “Happy Holidays,” Gap Wishes a “Merry Christmas”

Nov 14, 2013Jerry1 CommentChristmasChristmas, War on Christmas

Last week Gap, Inc. — the umbrella company for Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, and other retailers — sent a letter to the American Family Association announcing its stores would offer patrons Christmas wishes and decidedly Christmas-themed events this December.

This comes after years of nonspecific “Happy Holidays” and strong refusals to use the word “Christmas” in Gap’s advertising and seasonal events.

Gap’s letter to AFA says in part,

“Starting today, every Gap Outlet window will have signs that say ‘Merry Christmas,’ along with Christmas trees and wreaths throughout their stores…Following Thanksgiving, Gap will be putting up a door decal that includes ‘Merry Christmas’ in every store…We will also be incorporating ‘Merry Christmas’ into all of our store hour decals, which can be seen in the windows and at the register.”

It’s odd that any store would offer Christmas shoppers the opportunity to buy Christmas gifts or Christmas decorations, but refuse to say the word ‘Christmas‘ for fear someone might be offended — but that’s exactly what many retailers are doing. Thankfully, Gap is reversing course at its stores, and we look forward to others following Gap’s example.

CA Group Collects Signatures to Repeal ‘Bathroom’ Law

Nov 13, 2013JerryCurrent Events, ENDACurrent Events, ENDA, Homosexuality

California recently passed a law permitting K-12 students who self-identify as “transgender” to pick which bathroom they use at school and which sports team they try out for; this means a biological boy who considers himself a girl could use the women’s restroom and try out for sports like girls’ basketball.

Needless to say, the law is extremely controversial. It violates the privacy of students, but a California group has been gathering petition signatures to repeal the law.

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Words From Our Founders: Franklin’s Plea for Prayer

Nov 13, 2013JerryWords From Our FoundersBenjamin Franklin, Words From Our Founders

Franklin

Today we continue our series examining our Founding Fathers in their own words and considering their high esteem for religion, religious liberty, and virtue.

Below is a transcript of Benjamin Franklin’s motion requesting a chaplain be appointed to offer daily prayers before discussing adoption of a federal constitution — dated June 28, 1781.

Mr. President, the small progress we have made after four or five weeks’ close attendance and continual reasonings with each other–our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes–is, methinks, a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those republics which, having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution, now no longer exist. And we have viewed modern states all round Europe, but find none of their constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

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