Falwell: The Return Of ‘Silent Night’

FALWELL CONFIDENTIAL
Insider weekly newsletter to The Moral Majority Coalition and
The Liberty Alliance http://www.moralmajority.com

Date: December 15, 2005
From: Jerry Falwell

THE RETURN OF ‘SILENT NIGHT’
Last week I reported on the Dodgeville, Wisconsin elementary school that had replaced the classic Christmas carol “Silent Night” with a secularized version that was retitled “Cold in the Night.” The song was to be sung at the school’s “winter program.”

Officials at the Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville had bought into the ACLU-inspired spirit of secularism, believing that they must eradicate even the most rudimentary references to the Divine from school functions.

The school’s “winter program” includes classrooms decorations featuring Santa Claus, Kwanza, Menorahs and La Befana (a Christmas witch).

But just as Ebenezer Scrooge had a Christmas epiphany and saw the error of his ways, so too have Ridgeway school officials.

After Mathew Staver, president and general counsel of Liberty Counsel, learned that officials had outlawed “Silent Night,” he sent two letters to them on behalf of concerned parents demanding that the school drop “Cold in the Night” and reinstate “Silent Night.”

In addition, people from around the country phoned and e-mailed the school, urging officials to abandon their plan to secularize Christmas.

Thankfully, Debra Messer, the school district’s administrator, has stated that “Silent Night” will be sung at the school festival, while “Cold in the Night” has been shelved.

Mr. Staver commented: “Christmas is a state and federal holiday. We don’t change the names of any other federal holiday, nor do we change the words to songs commemorating these holidays. It is absurd to have children sing ‘Cold in the Night’ in place of ‘Silent Night.’”

One is left to wonder when American school officials will learn that their role is not to sanitize American classrooms from all religious expression. Many education officials have become dupes of the ACLU in this regard and have blindly determined to kill off Christmas in the classroom, ignoring court precedent.

You see, our courts have ruled that public schools may legally include religious songs as part of teaching or performance programs in public schools.

In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court once noted: “Music without sacred music, architecture minus the Cathedral, or painting without the Scriptural themes would be eccentric and incomplete, even from a secular view.”

Mr. Staver says that religious songs, when they are performed with secular holiday songs, are — without question — permissible.

Liberty Counsel, with 700 constitutional attorneys on board, provides free legal services to those whose religious freedoms have been denied or curtailed. Liberty Counsel may be contacted at this e-mail address: Liberty@LC.org

As you might imagine, the Christmas season is a busy time for Liberty Counsel and for Jerry Falwell Ministries.

Last week, the organization filed suit against two Florida towns after officials denied the private display of a nativity scene on public property. Neptune Beach and Atlantic Beach settled the case prior to the emergency hearing. The nativity scene went up December 12 and will remain through December 31.

Earlier this month, after receiving a demand letter from Liberty Counsel, D.C. Everest School District officials decided not to censor religious themes from a student-sponsored, homeroom door decorating competition.

Officials had initially declared that doors could be decorated to depict “ny winter scene,” so long as there are “(n)o religious ties.” But students with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes obtained more than 200 student petitions protesting the discriminatory rule. Representing the students, Liberty Counsel issued a demand letter warning the district that such censorship would be met by a lawsuit.

The religious ban was quickly lifted.

Friend or Foe
In recent columns, I’ve detailed how many churches across the nation have purchased “Friend or Foe” ads in local newspapers. It’s not too late for churches to join in this important campaign. The ad can be downloaded at www.falwell.com/christmas.pdf and the “Friend or Foe” legal memo can be downloaded free at LC.org.

Churches may call 434-582-2432 to have the National Liberty Journal’s graphics department place any church’s name on the ad free of charge.

We’ve got the Secular Grinches on the run. Let’s keep the pressure on them!

the poor instead of buying newspaper advertising with it.

Too Christian an idea for Jerry, me thinks.

Too much stupid news to keep up with.

but as long as Jerry is making the bucks, why let something like the truth stop him?

The song wasn't to mock Silent Night or whatever but it was sang to the tune of Silent Night. Don't you know these people lie more than anything?

we looked at different winter customs around the world as a cultural thing. I remember teaching not "Silent Night" but "Stille Nacht", and telling the story of how the carol was written, which was really one celebrating human ingenuity. I think this Dodgeville story, like so much from the rw, is probably bogus.

Now he'll go and sit by his Christmas tree beside a crackling Yule log, and observe the ancient Godly traditions.
even though they were copped from older religions and local customs.

I wonder how Falwell feels about that?

and give the rest of the world some peace from his idiotic rantings.

According to the legend I've heard, she was a housewife whom the three wise men passed. She asked where they were going, and they told her, and invited her along to worship Jesus. She said, "oh, give him my greeting, but thank you - I can't go, I've got too much to do around here. Soon as I'm done, I'll come along."

She followed them after her chores were done, but she never found the baby king. And now she roams the earth in spirit, begging people to let Jesus into their hearts.

Here is a fine poem about the legend:

THE BALLAD OF BEFANA

Befana the Housewife, scrubbing her pane,
Saw three old sages ride down the lane,
Saw three gray travelers pass her door -
Gaspar, Balthazar, Melchior.

"Where journey you, sirs?" she asked of them.

Balthazar answered, "To Bethlehem,
For we have news of a marvelous thing.
Born in a stable is Christ the King."

"Give Him my welcome!"

Then Gaspar smiled,
"Come with us, mistress, to greet the Child."

"Oh, happily, happily would I fare,
Were my dusting through and I'd polished the stair."

Old Melchior leaned on his saddle horn.
"Then send but a gift to the small Newborn."

"Oh, gladly, gladly I'd send Him one,
Were the hearthstone swept and my weaving done.
"As soon as ever I've baked my bread,
I'll fetch Him a pillow for His head,
And a coverlet too," Befana said.
"When the rooms are aired and the linen dry,
I'll look at the Babe."

But the Three rode by.

She worked for a day and a night and a day,
Then, gifts in her hands, took up her way.
But she never could find where the Christ Child lay.

And still she wanders at Christmastide,
Houseless, whose house was all her pride,
Whose heart was tardy, whose gifts were late;
Wanders, and knocks at every gate,

Crying, "Good people, the bells begin!
Put off your toiling and let love in."

~end~

Of course, Jerry Falwell rejects all legends, just as he does everything else that's not in the Bible. :eyes:

"La Befana is one of Italy's oldest and most celebrated legends. Each year on January 6 the children of Italy awaken in hopes that La Befana has made a visit to their house. This is a significant day to Italians because it marks the end of the Christmas season and the day that the three Wise Men arrived at the manger of the Christ child. Over the years the Epiphany has been a more celebrated holiday for the children of Italy than even Christmas.

"As legend has it the three Wise Men were in search of the Christ child when they decided to stop at a small house to ask for directions. Upon knocking, an old woman holding a broom opened the door slightly to see who was there. Standing at her doorstep were three colorfully dressed men who were in need of directions to find the Christ child. The old woman was unaware of who these three men were looking for and could not point them in the right direction. Prior to the three men leaving they kindly asked the old woman to join them on their journey. She declined because she had much housework to do. After they left she felt as though she had made a mistake and decided to go and catch up with the kind men. After many hours of searching she could not find them. Thinking of the opportunity she had missed the old woman stopped every child to give them a small treat in hopes that one was the Christ child. Each year on the eve of the Epiphany she sets out looking for the baby Jesus. She stops at each child's house to leave those who were good treats in their stockings and those who were bad a lump of coal."

She's carrying a bag of toys to give to kids, to help Santa out.

Good one!!

I hate it when I'm a dumby. :)

Die Kristallnacht, also known as die Reichskristallnacht (literally Imperial Crystal Night), die Pogromnacht and in English as the Night of Broken Glass, was a massive nationwide pogrom in Germany and Austria on the night of November 9, 1938 (including early hours of the following day). It was directed at Jewish citizens throughout the country and was one of the early events of the Holocaust.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kristallnacht

(You ain't never been a dumby, it was rather obscure, especially as an English phrase.)

religious hardright ...

I say he is a big BULLY. Always trying to hit non-Religious-Reichies over the head with HIS version of Christianity and associated symbols.

As a result, the message is not "Feed the poor," as it should be, but "We big and controlling; pay homage to us, including via GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP OF RELIGION."

The great Rev. Barry Lynn (ordained through the United Church of Christ) and the great executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, summed up my feelings wonderfully:


at www.au.org (read an 'open letter to Jerry Falwell').

**Quote**
Dear Jerry:

Here’s some news: There is no “war on Christmas!”

I’ve seen you on various television news shows claiming that there is but, in fact, there simply isn’t. Even as I write this, millions of Americans are erecting Christmas trees and nativity scenes at their homes, and thousands of churches are planning special Christmas services.

...

I am particularly outraged that you are attacking our public schools as part of your misguided project. Our public schools serve children from 2,000 different faith traditions and some who follow no spiritual path at all. They generally do a tremendous job of helping each of these students without imposing any particular religious viewpoint. They steer a careful course, broadly allowing student religious expression while trying to avoid school endorsement of specific faiths. That means there are sometimes disagreements about what songs should be sung in the winter concert or what decorations should go in the hall. We can work through those decisions by applying common sense, the Constitution and plain old civility.
...
**Endquote**

From this link:
http://www.tylwythteg.com/enemies/Falwell/falwell3.html


MAJOR LIE # 1. March 1980: Falwell tells an Anchorage rally about a conversation with President Carter at the White House. Commenting on a January breakfast meeting, Falwell claimed to have asked Carter why he had “practicing homosexuals” on the senior staff at the White House. According to Falwell, Carter replied, “Well, I am president of all the American people, and I believe I should represent everyone.” When others who attended the White House event insisted that the exchange never happened, Falwell responded that his account “was not intended to be a verbatim report,” but rather an “honest portrayal” of Carter’s position.


MAJOR LIE # 2 July 1984: Falwell is forced to pay gay activist Jerry Sloan $5,000 after losing a court battle. During a TV debate in Sacramento, Falwell denied calling the gay-oriented Metropolitan Community Churches “brute beasts” and “a vile and Satanic system” that will “one day be utterly annihilated and there will be a celebration in heaven.” When Sloan insisted he had a tape, Falwell promised $5,000 if he could produce it. Sloan did so, Falwell refused to pay and Sloan successfully sued. Falwell appealed, with his attorney charging that the Jewish judge in the case was prejudiced. He lost again and was forced to pay an additional $2,875 in sanctions and court fees.

etc.

he lie? Doesn't he know that Jesus hates liars?

Had he dine some ACTUAL research, he would have KNOWN the school didnt replace the words of the stupid song in the first place. Its part of a PLAY they are doing. What an ASSHOLE!!!! How can that guy call himself a man of god and be such a fucking LIAR!!!! As an aetheist, I want to beleive in god just this once, so that when he dies, he can go to the hell he always talks about!!!!!

But, NOOO!

You sanctimonious bastard.