HUD orders residents to avoid Jesus in holiday decorations
Pastor Dale Morgan
*HUD orders residents to avoid Jesus in holiday decorations*
Posted: November 9, 2007
American Family Association
Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development officials have
announced a ban on any decorations in HUD housing complexes that mention
Jesus or represent religion for the Christmas season, and the American
Family Association has responded with a petition drive to overturn the
decision.
The AFA has set up a link to allow constituents to send e-mails to the
HUD secretary or President Bush expressing their objections to the policy.
The issue arose at the Plant City Living Center in Plant City, Fla.,
where 85-year-old Mrs. Arnold was told that federal law now prohibits
her from displaying anything that references religion – words,
decorations and the like – in the common area of her apartment building,
a HUD facility.
The grandmother told AFA she was instructed that even an angel
decoration would be disallowed by the ban, which makes her think of the
restrictions in Germany during World War II.
According to the center, HUD has issued a directive banning "any
religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas," which
effectively prevents Mrs. Arnold from placing a small Christmas tree
outside her door if it contains any religious symbols or words – "even
an angel," AFA said in a special alert asking for e-mails.
A spokeswoman at the center who preferred not to give her name said that
the rules now prevent displays "like a manger, like a Christ child, any
religious symbols."
"We used to have a sign outside that said, 'Jesus is the reason for the
season,' but we can't anymore," she said. "We're all very unhappy about
that."
The building has about 40 one-bedroom apartments for seniors who are at
least 62 years old.
The spokeswoman said she didn't know what would be used for decorations
now. "I don't know. We can probably decorate the tree, but we can't put
anything on it that symbolizes Christ," she said.
"If the residents want to have a Christmas party in their community
room, they cannot call it a Christmas party. The Center says HUD directs
residents not to use the word 'Christmas' but to use the word
'holiday,'" the AFA advisory said.
"A Sunday School class from a church near Mrs. Arnold's apartment comes
every year to host a Hanging of the Greens and Christmas Party for all
the residents. She said the highlight of their Christmas Party comes at
the very end of The Hanging of the Greens when someone places the angel
on top of their Christmas tree. Their tradition is now banned by the
federal government," the AFA said.
The family group noted the federal government has become increasingly
active in banning Christianity from the public square, citing the
National Park Service's efforts to conceal the words "Laus Deo," which
is Latin for "Praise Be to God" at the Washington Monument, and the move
by a Veterans Administration official to ban the script of a
flag-folding ceremony that mentions "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" and
"Father, Son and Holy Ghost" at 100 national cemeteries.
However, "both of these were rescinded after AFA supporters sent e-mails
to proper authorities," the AFA said. In the case of the Washington
Monument dispute, Park Service officials said that they got 26,000
e-mails in a morning.
Earlier this week that government officials in Fort Collins, Colo., are
considering new regulations for Christmas decorations that appear to ban
red and green lights because they are too religious.