We need more Governors like Arizona Governor Jan Brewer!

[Christians4LessGvt]

Governor Brewer Issues Executive Order
For Christmas and Hanukkah Celebrations

By From Paul Senseman    
Thursday, 17 December 2009

Declaring Christmas and Hanukkah Celebration

WHEREAS, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion,
and has been celebrated annually for more than two millennia as a significant historical, cultural,
and religious event; and

WHEREAS, Hanukkah also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday
commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the
Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BC; and

WHEREAS, Christmas and Hanukkah bring joy, love and good will to the hearts of the people
of the State of Arizona and hundreds of millions of people across the world; and

WHEREAS, the spirit of good will which has been found each December has been at the heart
of our ability to live as one people despite differing faiths and backgrounds; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution does not permit the government to tolerate or engage in
hostility toward religion, and the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the
public celebration of religious holidays, and the acknowledgment of religious origins,
does not offend the Constitution; and

WHEREAS, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) in the past have attempted
to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies
forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks,
re-naming of Christmas trees as "holiday" trees, and renaming of Menorahs as "candlesticks;"
and

NOW THEREFORE, I, Janice K. Brewer, Governor of the State of Arizona, by virtue of the
authority vested by the Constitution and the laws of the State of Arizona, do hereby order
and direct as follows:

1. No executive agency of the State of Arizona shall require that any state employee refrain
from personally celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah, including the placement of items
traditionally associated with a particular holiday.

2. No executive agency of the State of Arizona shall prohibit any state employee from referring
to the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays by their accurate names and wishing others a
"Merry Christmas" or a "Happy Hanukkah."

4. No executive agency of the State of Arizona shall participate in any censorship of the
lawful celebration and acknowledgment of Christmas, Hanukkah or any other recognized
religious holiday.

5. All executive agencies of the State of Arizona, and any political subdivision thereof,
are authorized and directed to cooperate with the implementation of the provisions of this Order.

6. This Order is effective upon signature and shall continue in effect until amended, modified,
terminated, or rescinded by the Governor, or terminated by operation of law.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and caused to be affixed the Great Seal
of Arizona, at the Capitol, in the City of Phoenix, on this 16th day of December, 2009.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have to set my hand and caused to be affixed the Great Seal of the
State of Arizona
 

http://www.prescottenews.com/news/current-news/governor-brewer-issues-executive-order-for-christmas-and-hanukkah-celebrations

[Christians4LessGvt]

A Christmas Letter From Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer

December 2010

Dear Friends,

An Executive Order that I issued last year encourages the celebration of Christmas and Hanukkah
and prohibits any censorship of these religious holidays.

As you may know, in the past, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) have attempted
to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding
state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, re-naming of Christmas
trees as "holiday" trees, and renaming of Menorahs as "candlesticks."

Under my administration, I will call things what they are a Christmas Tree and a Menorah
and will gladly allow both Christmas and Hanukkah to be celebrated at the State Capitol.
I encourage my colleagues and fellow elected officials to do the same.

Finally, during this Christmas season, make a difference in our community by volunteering your
time or making a donation to a worthy cause.  An organization that I support, Hope & A Future,
is making a difference this Christmas by providing gifts and clothing to foster children.  

I encourage you to learn more about Hope & A Future and make a difference in our community
through this charity or another charity of your choice.

Merry Christmas!  May God bless you, your home, and all of Arizona.

Sincerely,

Jan Brewer
Governor

[Amianthus]

WHEREAS, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of the Christian religion,
and has been celebrated annually for more than two millennia as a significant historical, cultural,
and religious event;

Well, that's not true. It was not recorded as having been celebrated before the 2nd or 3rd century, and even then, it was not celebrated around the time of the winter solstice. So, 1,700 years give or take. And even then, most of the "traditions" around the celebration were taken from other religions.

[Xavier_Onassis]

No one is trying to "strip Christmas of its meaning". People are free to do anything they wish on their own property  in their own homes. If you need the Muzak in the Mall or angels dangling from the public lampposts to practice your religion, you have a pretty feeble grasp of your beliefs.

[kimba1]

I think it was a urban myth that went too far that people are upset to see x-mas trees.

[Xavier_Onassis]

Every single year this silly debate about how the government is ruining Christmas.

They need to be told this: "Listen closely: Christmas is a religious holiday. The government does not do religion."

People should do their own religion, in their own time, however they wish.

[Kramer]

Every single year this silly debate about how the government is ruining Christmas.

They need to be told this: "Listen closely: Christmas is a religious holiday. The government does not do religion."

People should do their own religion, in their own time, however they wish.

listen closely, you moron, Christmas is a national holiday. We, as a nation, do Christmas. And further I see no federal worker coming forward complaining about the holiday pay they receive.

[sirs]

And further I see no federal worker coming forward complaining about the holiday pay they receive.

VERY GOOD point.  Why would Government workers get any special pay or day off, if it's "no biggie"?  Just some personal religious event.  Government doesn't do religion, right?

[BT]

Supreme Court won't hear challenge to Christmas as U.S. holiday

CINCINNATI (Associated Press -- April 18, 2001) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Richard Ganulin (AKA THE GRINCH --ed.), a Cincinnati lawyer's argument that the federal government's observance of Christmas as a legal public holiday violates the Constitution.

The Court on Monday declined to hear Ganulin's lawsuit. Two other federal courts previously had ruled against him. The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the case lets stand a ruling by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejecting Ganulin's argument.

Ganulin filed suit in 1998 arguing that Congress violated the separation of church and state by embracing the Christian holiday more than a century ago.

Lawyers for the government and a private organization, the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, responded that the Christmas federal holiday is constitutional because celebrating it is not mandatory. The private organization represented three federal employees who intervened in the case to keep Christmas as a holiday.

Government lawyers defending the holiday said courts repeatedly have recognized secular aspects of Christmas, including holly, ivy, Christmas trees, Santa Claus, snowmen, jingling bells and presents on Christmas morning.

Congress in 1870 established Christmas, New Year's Day and a day of thanksgiving as holidays in the District of Columbia, government lawyers said in written arguments filed in court.

http://kraftmstr.com/christmas/christmas.html

[Kramer]

Once again XO has to wipe the egg off his ugly mug.

[Xavier_Onassis]

I have nothing against making Christmas an official holiday, or New Year's Day, either.

But the annual bitching about how somehow not seeing a manger scene on the courthouse lawn ruins Christmas is a waste of time and effort, and I am sick of hearing it.

[kimba1]

hey!!

it just happened

I said that it might be a over reaction and in this forum xo saids he got no problem with x-mas and still he gets the anti-x-mas tag.

I read several article that athiest are constantly accused of killing x-mas. but those group never once did anything against it x-mas.

we just witnessed it here.

[Amianthus]

I read several article that athiest are constantly accused of killing x-mas. but those group never once did anything against it x-mas.

Could be the numerous lawsuits that people have filed to prevent Christmas displays in various public places.

[kimba1]

but how many (if any) of those people are athiest?

[Kramer]

I have nothing against making Christmas an official holiday, or New Year's Day, either.

But the annual bitching about how somehow not seeing a manger scene on the courthouse lawn ruins Christmas is a waste of time and effort, and I am sick of hearing it.

Well I'm sick and tired of Liberal religion too!