What do Americans Think of Christmas? Rasmussen Has the Numbers

Rasmussen Reports has published some interesting poll results on Christmas in the past couple of weeks.

According to Rasmussen,

This tracks with a poll from 2012 that found 60% of Americans celebrate Christmas primarily as a religious holiday.

While these numbers are interesting by themselves, on the whole they show Americans overwhelmingly celebrate Christmas and that Christmas is viewed as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also legitimately recognized as a federal holiday. With that in mind, why are there so many efforts underway right now to try to make Christmas about something other than Christ or prevent Christmas from being celebrated publicly? Why should a public official or public Christmas display be expected to recognize any element of the Christmas celebration except the very event Christmas celebrates?

City Refuses to Remove Nativity Scene Despite Threats from Atheists

The Freedom From Religion Foundation–which we recently wrote about–is, once again, threatening legal action over a Nativity scene on city property. This time, it’s in the small town of Chipley, Florida.

Chipley, a town of roughly 3,700 residents, has a Nativity display on the lawn of its city hall. Freedom From Religion Foundation has told the city the display is unconstitutional (an assessment that is most likely incorrect) and threatened legal action. The city, however, has refused to take the Nativity scene down.

Christmas is a holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It has never been anything else in this country. Our government has chosen to recognize Christmas as a federal holiday. Why, then, would it be unconstitutional for a government entity to put up a decoration depicting the very event Christmas celebrates?

To read more about this story, click here.

Words From Our Founders: Benjamin Franklin on Christmas

Today we continue our Words From Our Founders series examining our Founding Fathers’ own words on religion, religious liberty, and morality.

Below is an excerpt from Poor Richard’s Almanack by Benjamin Franklin relating to the celebration of Christmas.

“How many observe Christ’s Birth-day! How few, his Precepts! O! ’tis easier to keep Holidays than Commandments.”

Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1743