Wishing You a “Duck Dynasty” Christmas

Christmas,

A few years ago, if someone had written the words, “Duck the Halls,” you would have assumed it was a typo. Today, however, there’s a Christmas album out by that title from none other than “Louisiana’s most unlikely millionaires,” the Robertson family of the hit TV show Duck Dynasty.

Some people find the show a little strange. Between long beards and camouflage, it definitely isn’t like most of the other stuff on television, but it’s one of the most popular shows on the air. I believe that’s because the show captures the things people cherish: Faith, family, and freedom—or, as Jase Robertson put it, “God, family, and ducks—in that order.”

(more…)

READ MORE

Atheists in Florida to Hang Banner Replacing Jesus with Bill of Rights

Christmas, ,

According to the Associated Press, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is hanging a banner in the Florida State Capitol depicting Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Statue of Liberty gathered around a manger containing the Bill of Rights. The banner will read, “Let us also honor the birth of our Bill of Rights, which reminds us there can be no freedom OF religion without having freedom FROM religion in government.”

The banner is part of an effort by the Freedom From Religion Foundation to “counter” nativity scenes on public property. The group has placed signs at state capitols in Illinois and Wisconsin stating there are no gods, no Heaven, and no Hell.

Of course, atheists in Arkansas have set up what many have dubbed a shrine to paganism next to the Nativity scene on the Capitol lawn the past few years.

Atheist groups claim these displays are part of the “public forums” state capitols are establishing, and a public forum means all forms of speech are welcome. Legally, however, there are different kinds of public forums — unlimited public forums and limited public forums.

(more…)

READ MORE

Wishing You a “Burl Ives” Holly, Jolly Christmas

Christmas

We are celebrating Christmas each day for the next week with short stories and memories about the Christmas season. Yesterday I talked about Snoopy and the Christmas Truce of 1914. Today I want to wish you a “holly, jolly Christmas.”

When you hear someone wish a “holly, jolly Christmas,” your mind probably jumps straight to Burl Ives. After all, he made the song famous, singing it on his own hit record and in the TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Many people assume Ives wrote the song himself. The truth is, the song was written by a little-known artist named Johnny Marks.

You’ve probably never heard of Johnny Marks, but you have heard his music. Marks wrote “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas,” but he wrote several other popular Christmas songs, including, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Run, Run Rudolph,” and, yes, the old standby “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” (written along with his brother-in-law Robert L. May who created the character of Rudolph for Montgomery Ward).

(more…)

READ MORE