December (Web-only) 2002

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This Christmas, is there increasingly "no room" for Jesus?
Every year one hears complaints that people are taking Christ out of Christmas and that the holiday is becoming increasingly secular. This year, however, the cries seem particularly frequent and strong.

Most notably, a family in Queens has filed a lawsuit over school holiday policies. "The display of secular holiday symbol decorations is permitted. Such symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, Menorahs, and the Star and Crescent," says a memo from the lawyer of the schools chancellor. A menorah and star and crescent are secular?

""I'm offended that we're some sort of second-class religion that would be satisfied with a tree," said William Donohue, president of the Catholic League, which is representing the Queens family. "All we're asking for the city of New York to do is to treat Catholics the same way they do Jews and Muslims. This is nothing but pure, unadulterated religious discrimination."

In nearby Yonkers, interim Superintendent Angelo Petrone is treating all religions equally—everything from trees to menorahs, and "all ornamentation with a message stronger than a generic 'happy holidays' or 'season's greetings' has been banned," reports The Journal News. Teachers weren't even allowed to teach students about Hannukah, Christmas, or other religious holidays.

"Anybody who heard it thought it was a joke at first; they couldn't believe it," said parent Amanda Pendleton. "Then they had to literally tear everything off the walls."

Students were allowed to decorate two Christmas trees, but afterwards they were hauled away.

"Unfortunately, these actions are overreactions that come out of confusion about what the First Amendment requires and the refusal by ...