Jamie_L

Technically, Christmas is still a Christian holiday, and by endorsing it the government does tacitly endorse Christianity. Practically, Christmas has been virtually secularized. So, I've got no burning desire to get the federal holiday repealed, but I'd understand if someone wanted to.

Jamie

GaryP

This guy from Cincinnati filed a law suit back in 1998;

On August 4, 1998, Ganulin filed a federal lawsuit in US District court, claiming that "Christmas is a religious holiday, and the Congress of the United States is not constitutionally permitted to endorse or aid any religion, purposefully or otherwise, or entanglement between our government and religious beliefs."

<a href="http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/ganul1.htm" target="_blank">atheists.org</a>

But the judge threw it out.

Dlott trivialized both Mr. Ganulin's case, and her own ruling by including a ditty with her official written decision. It read:

The court will address
Plaintiff's seasonal confusion
Erroneously believing of Christmas
MERELY a religious intrusion

Whatever the reason
Constitutional or other
Christmas is NOT
An act of Big Brother!

Christmas is about joy
And giving and sharing
It is about the child within us
It is mostly about caring!

One is never jailed
For not having a tree
For not going to church
For not spreading glee!

The court will uphold
Seemingly contradictory causes
Decreeing "The establishment" AND "Santa"
both worthwhile "CLAUS(es)!"

We are all better for Santa
The Easter Bunny too
And maybe the great pumpkin
To name just a few!

An extra day off
Is hardly high treason
It may be spent as you wish
Regardless of reason

The court having read
The lessons of "Lynch"
refuses to play
The role of the Grinch!

There is room in this country
And in all our hearts too
For different convictions
And a day off too!
<a href="http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/ganul3.htm" target="_blank">atheists.org</a>

Berenger Sauniere

Christmas is a day were people celebrate the BIRTH OF A GOD!!! Helloooooo folks, that's quite counter-productive to atheism!

Stephen Maturin

Yep, I remember that one. The results were all too predictable: the plaintiff lost and the lawsuit did little more than reinforce widely held sterotypes regarding atheists.

Anyone who's interested can find the federal district court's full opinion <a href="http://members.tripod.com/~tytus/christmas.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the decision, adopting the trial judge's opinion as its own. The Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

Philosoft

Does the relevant statute or doctrine actually indicate the reason that we have a Christmas holiday is to celebrate the birth of a God or does it just specify the days off without giving a reason?

DarkBronzePlant

This discussion reminds me of a comedian I saw on TV once. I can't remember who it was, but he was black (very relevant to the story.) He was musing about certain racist groups' opposition to Martin Luther King Day as a national holiday.

"Why would they try to overturn that? Hell, they could announce KKK Day as a national holiday... my response would be 'See y'all after the 3 day weekend!'"

That pretty much sums up my attitude here. That, and that fact that I know Xmas wasn't originally a Christian holday anyway!

Berenger Sauniere

Given the national conditioning I suppose it goes without saying.

himynameisPwn

The thing about Christmas as a federal holiday is, it isnt a promotion of christianity. Likewise, if a mayor of a city proposed a "gay day", is that a promotion of homosexuality? no, the government is saying, "there are some people in this nation that are Christians", like the mayor saying the same about homosexuality.

(I forgot who originally mentioned this point, in a different unrelated thread, but it really makes sense.)

Jamie_L

Um, not to be picky, but I have to disagree here. Even though I'm not bothered by Christmas, the fact that the government chooses a sectarian religious holiday and makes it an official day of Government recognition is by definition a government endorsement of that religion.

If the government made Osama Bin Laden's birthday into a holiday, but made no statements about him, would people feel that was okay, because "the government is not promoting Osama Bin Laden"?

Jamie

oriecat

Here's the US Code on holidays:
<a href="http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/6103.html" target="_blank">http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/5/6103.html</a>

It really doesn't say much. There is no why about any of the holidays. Maybe the Acts that resulted in the Code have more info.

Edit:

Nope, nothing here.

<a href="http://clerkkids.house.gov/learn_center/househis/leg/act1b.php3" target="_blank">http://clerkkids.house.gov/learn_center/househis/leg/act1b.php3</a>

[ July 12, 2002: Message edited by: oriecat ]</p>