At Last!
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, December 20, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Good morning, Jim. I want to wish Senator Mike Dugan of District 30, an especially merry Christmas! He pre-filed S.B. 283 on December 3rd to be handled in the upcoming session. If his bill passes, it will clarify a controversy about what can and cannot be done in Georgia schools at Christmas time.
If S.B. 283 passes, it would create this new law in Georgia: “A local school system may educate students about the history of traditional winter celebrations and allow students and school system staff to offer traditional greetings regarding the celebrations, such as and including: ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ and ‘Happy holidays.’”
In addition to that, Senator Dugan’s bill authorizes local systems to display on school property scenes or symbols of traditional winter celebrations, including a menorah or a Christmas image, a nativity scene or Christmas tree, provided other displays include symbols of more than one religion or at least one secular item, but no display can encourage adherence to a particular religious belief. Since the First Amendment is being misused to stop Christian expression in schools at Christmas, this bill is especially timely in this anti-Christian social climate.As you know, schools are not the only place Christianity is under attack. In October the Associated Press reported that the Air Force Academy may drop “so help me God” from its honor oath. But we can be proud of former Georgia Representative Ron Crews who opposes the change and said, “Removing [the oath] expresses hostility toward religion and removes [its] solemnity and gravity, particularly for the many cadets who come from a faith tradition.”
A victory celebration is in order for religious freedom in New Jersey, where school officials who previously banned all Christmas carols to pacify TWO families that complained, reconsidered and reversed that decision after receiving a letter from attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, explaining the ban as both unnecessary and unconstitutional. It’s interesting that an entire school system is willing to deny religious freedom to the majority of people, just to pacify two families. The constitutional right to religious freedom DOES NOT stop at the schoolhouse door, although the constitution is being mis-interpreted that way!
In another case, a Wisconsin school board had the audacity to limit religious singing in schools by giving choral directors the following three options: (a) They could use five secular, nonreligious songs for every ONE religious carol; or (b) They could hold a concert with NO Christmas music; or (c) They could postpone December concerts. Thank God the board reversed its decision, but not until they got a letter from Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys condemning the mandate. Thank God for Christian attorneys who fight for MY right to say, “Merry Christmas, everybody!” For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.