DOJ Defends Christian School in Court

Last week the U.S. Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest in a court case over a Christian school in Maryland.

In 2018 the Maryland State Department of Education denied a scholarship to students at Bethel Christian Academy and demanded that the Christian school repay the state $102,600 it had previously received in scholarship funding — all because the school believes marriage ought to be the union of one man to one woman and “that God immutably bestows gender upon each person at birth as male or female to reflect His image.”

The state accused the school of discrimination simply because it holds a biblical view of marriage and biological sex.

The school filed a federal lawsuit against the state as a result.

On Tuesday the DOJ filed a Statement of Interest in the case as well, explaining that the Maryland State Department of Education discriminated against Bethel Christian Academy.

While the case is far from over, it’s good to see the federal government standing up for religious liberty and protecting schools like Bethel Christian Academy from state censorship.

You can read more about the school’s lawsuit here.

AFA Publishes 2019 “Naughty or Nice” List

Our friends at the American Family Association in Mississippi have published their annual “Naughty or Nice” list.

The list identifies companies that are “Christmas-friendly” in their advertising.

Retailers who use the word “Christmas” in advertising Christmas trees and Christmas decorations earn a positive rating while companies that use generic terms like “the holidays” or “holiday decorations” earn a negative rating.

AFA divides companies into three categories: Nice, Marginal, and Naughty.

Nice companies include:

  • 1-800-Flowers.com
  • Ace Hardware
  • AFA Online Store
  • Banana Republic
  • Bass Pro Shops
  • Bath & Body Works
  • Bed Bath & Beyond
  • Belk
  • Big Lots
  • Books-A-Million
  • Cabela’s
  • Cracker Barrel
  • Dillards
  • Do-It-Best Hardware
  • Dollar Tree
  • H.E.B. Stores
  • HSN.com
  • Hallmark
  • Harbor Freight
  • Harris Teeter Stores
  • Hobby Lobby
  • Home Depot
  • Hy-Vee Stores
  • JCPenney
  • JoAnn Fabrics
  • Kirkland’s
  • Kmart
  • Kroger
  • L.L. Bean
  • Lowe’s
  • Macy’s
  • Marshalls
  • Meijer
  • Menard’s
  • Michael’s Stores
  • Neiman Marcus
  • Pier One Imports
  • ProFlowers.com
  • Publix
  • QVC.com
  • Rite Aid
  • Sam’s Club
  • Scheels Sporting
  • Super D Drug
  • Toys R Us
  • True Value
  • Wal-Mart
  • Zappos.com

Marginal companies include:

  • Academy Sports
  • Amazon.com
  • Best Buy
  • CVS Pharmacy
  • Dollar General
  • Safeway
  • Sears
  • Starbucks
  • Whole Foods

Naughty companies include:

  • Barnes & Noble
  • Dick’s Sporting Goods
  • Family Dollar
  • Foot Locker
  • Gap, Inc.
  • Kohl’s
  • The Limited
  • Maurice’s
  • Nordstrom
  • Office Depot
  • Office Max
  • Old Navy
  • Pet Smart
  • Staples
  • Stein Mart
  • Supervalu
  • TJ Maxx
  • UncommonGoods.com
  • Victoria’s Secret
  • Walgreens

AFA notes that only nationally-recognized companies appear on the list.

The list only reflects a company’s “Christmas” advertising and does not take into account other corporate policies the American Family Association may not agree with.

You can find the entire 2019 Naughty or Nice List at AFA.net.