Jewish Group Condemns Anti-Christian 'War on Christmas'
by Bill Fancher
December 2, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A group of Jewish Americans says its members are fed up with the war being waged against Christmas. Yesterday, at a National Press Club gathering in Washington, the group's president, Don Feder, voiced his organization's feelings when he declared, "Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation is here today to say, 'Enough already. If you're offended by a municipal Christmas tree or Santa Claus in a holiday parade or a manger in a park, get over it.'" Feder went on to say that banning the word "Christmas" and other references to Jesus makes no sense in the United States. "This is an overwhelmingly Christian nation, and it's a matter of simple courtesy to acknowledge a holiday celebrated by 96 percent of the American people," he asserted.
In a recent column for GrasstopsUSA.com, Feder confessed to being among the four percent of Americans who do not celebrate Christmas. But he also admitted that while growing up, he sang Christmas carols and made Christmas ornaments. "And, guess what," he said. "I wasn't emotionally scarred for life."
While speaking at the National Press Club, the head of Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation (JAACD) called on Jews across the U.S. to rise in defense of Christians' right to say "Merry Christmas" and to celebrate the birth of Jesus according to their faith and traditions without the threat of being prohibited or censured because of political correctness.
"Why would a group of Jews who don't celebrate Christmas care about the disappearance of Christmas?" Feder asked, anticipating the question from his listeners. "Because Christmas is disappearing," he proceeded to explain. "It's disappearing from our culture at an alarming rate, disappearing from stores, disappearing from schools, and disappearing from the public square."
The JAACD spokesman noted his group called the press conference because it wanted to speak out against what he calls the "War on Christmas" -- ongoing efforts to purge Christmas from the nation's public events and sites, retail establishments, and the culture in general. He went on to emphasize his organization's contention that Jews and, indeed, Americans of all faiths need to be concerned about this phenomenon.
Feder asserts that the United States was built on the principles of Judeo-Christian ethics, and it is important for the nation to maintain the right of its citizens to celebrate those principles and the birth of the one from whom they emanate. Meanwhile, he adds, hypersensitive non-believers need to get over their issues with Christmas and respectfully allow the expression of the beliefs of the majority of Americans.
Bill Fancher, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
