Christmas Week, 2008 - Washington, DC

The staff of the Religious Freedom Coalition wishes you a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

White House Christmas ... BUT ... No Christmas message from Barack Obama / Congress and the Christmas tree / Crimes against Nativity scenes / Iraqi refugee program / Iraqi Christian refugee video / Hope for Hope School in the Holy Land?

THE PRESIDENT

WHITE HOUSE HOLIDAY- This final year for the George W. Bush presidency the White House Internet site features a "Red, White and Blue Christmas". Features include red, white and blue ornaments for the White House Christmas tree and the Christmas "Barney Cam." The White House Christmas Holiday site can be viewed here. President George W. Bush's final Christmas message features Luke 2:10-12. Click the ornament image to see all 50 state ornaments.

NO CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM BARACK OBAMA - Check for yourself at http://change.gov/ which is the official site of President-elect Barack Obama's transition to power. There is no mention of Christmas, there is no Christmas message and there is certainly no Scripture as of 11:30 AM EST on December 24, 2008.

THE HOUSE AND SENATE

HOUSE AND SENATE ADJOURNED- The House and Senate is adjourned for Christmas ("The Holidays" to Democrats) and will reconvene on January 6, 2009

CONGRESS AND THE CHRISTMAS TREE - ( Reprint from 12/12/08) Following a Christmas tree lighting ceremony that included traditional Christmas carols played by a US Air Force band, Washington based Rev. Rob Schenck thanked Speaker Nancy Pelosi for keeping, "Christmas" at the US Capitol. Speaker Pelosi responded that she had been "mugged" for doing so. When asked again she repeated the comment. The Speaker was admitting that she had paid a political price for allowing the Christmas celebration to go on. The politically correct in her party were clearly unhappy. Read more

RELIGION AND CULTURE

CRIMES AGAINST CHRISTMAS - Nearly thirty acts of vandalism against Nativity scenes and other Christmas displays plus an assault against a pastor have occurred during this Christmas season, not in Iraq, but in the United States, according to the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights. Read more. Thefts of figures from Nativities scenes have become common and many of the crimes go unreported. Churches and businesses that display Nativities have begun planting GPS tracking units in the figures to locate them later. Read more.

NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - The December 4, 2008 Chairman's Report is now available to read in PDF format. Read more about Rev. George Docherty and "under God" in the Pledge. Also information on Barack Obama's pro-abortion cabinet and Hillary Clinton. New information on Muslim attacks in India and persecuted Christians. Click here to view PDF

INTERNATIONAL

IRAQI REFUGEE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM - Our outreach to Iraqi Christian refugees in Jordan continues. In December the Religious Freedom Coalition was able to transfer funds to Manara Ministries which operates the food program. The funds advanced will be used to purchase special Christmas time food baskets for Iraqi Christian families in need.

SPECIAL REQUEST: Please ask you Sunday School class to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer as refugees from Islamic terror in the Middle East.

IRAQI CHRISTIAN REFUGEE VIDEO- Thousands of people have viewed the video on the persecution of Iraqi Christians that is streaming from the Religious Freedom Coalition Internet site. Click here to view the 20 minute video prepared by the Chaldean Church. More information is available at www.christianrefugees.blogspot.com

HOPE FOR HOPE SCHOOL? - For more than a decade the Religious Freedom Coalition has stood by Hope School in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem. The small Christian charity school did well under Israel, but has faced serious problems since President Bill Clinton forced the handover of the area to the Palestinian Authority. All sorts of demands have been made on the school including the use of official public school textbooks that have Islamic verses in them. Now the Palestinian Authority is demanding thousands of dollars of "back taxes." This is an outrage in that Islamic schools are charged no taxes at all. This is just one more step to repress Christians in the Bethlehem, Beit Jala area. I have asked the White House to pressure the Palestinian Authority into dropping the demand for the money. Please pray for Hope School, for Headmaster Solomon Noir, and for the teachers and students.

VISIT OUR INTERNET STORE

OUR INTERNET STORE - We have lots of great Christian themed products at our Internet store. Not only are there books and CD's, but everything from candy to jewelry. Unlike Amazon and other major Internet stores we do not sell porn and satanic materials right beside Christian books. Please take a look. The store is located at www.rfcstore.com.
Contributions to the work of the Religious Freedom Coalition can be made at www.rfcnet.org.

Week Ending November 30, 2007

New Iraqi refugee policy? / Stem Cell vindication for President Bush / Passing of a great pro-life leader / Another GOP Senator leaves town / Atheist Newdow in court next week / Is "under God" in danger? / Jailed for a Teddy bear - the Islamic way / Have you visited our Christmas store?

THE PRESIDENT

NEW IRAQI REFUGEE POLICY- The Bush Administration has somewhat changed its policy toward Iraqi refugees who have worked for Coalition forces. As reported by the Religious Freedom Coalition fact finding mission in October, all Iraqi refugees had to go through the United Nations before being interviewed at one of our embassies. In other words the UN decides who should be interviewed for refugee status. Further, our embassy in Iraq would take no applications at all. Iraqis had to flee Iraq to apply to come to the USA. The Administration has now ordered that State Department employees in Baghdad can apply there. The policy will take effect in about one month and really only apply to a few hundred people. Unfortunately, all those who have fled Iraq or do not work for the State Department must rely on the United Nations for assistance.

STEM CELL VINDICATION- In 2001 I received a short note from President George W. Bush thanking me for being one of the few who supported his stem cell research policy. He refused to allow the continued creation of human embryos destined only to be destroyed in the laboratory and their stem cells extracted. This ban angered liberals, but the President's allowing the use of existing lines of stem cells angered many conservatives. Even Washington Post columnists now say he was right in his decision to allow what already existed while looking for alternatives. The alternative was found and stem cells can now be made from common skin cells. Click here to read Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer.

THE HOUSE

HOUSE IN RECESS - The House went into recess on Thursday for Thanksgiving and will not return until December 3rd.

GREAT PRO-LIFE CHAMPION PASSES - It was just last year that Congressman Henry Hyde left the Congress of the United States after 32 years of service. Following the Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion in the United States, he became the single greatest champion of the pro-life movement, giving eloquent speeches. Mr. Hyde's efforts against abortion began in 1976, when his amendment to an appropriations bill prohibited Medicaid from paying for abortions. Known as the Hyde Amendment, it is still the law today. The world will miss this great pro-life champion.

THE SENATE

ANOTHER GOP SENATOR LEAVES- Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) has announced that he is resigning his seat from the Senate. He did not intend to run for this current term, but did anyway to help get federal funds for his home state after the Katrina disaster. His own home was lost to Katrina and he is not a wealthy man as are most Senators. He will take a position with a lobbying firm in DC that pays probably triple his Senate salary. Republican Governor Haley Barber will appoint his successor.

RELIGION AND CULTURE

THE ATHEIST'S DAY IN COURT- On Tuesday, December 4, 2007 the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, otherwise known as the Nutty Ninth, will hear atheist Michael Newdow's latest lawsuit to have "under God" removed from the Pledge to our flag. There will be a lot of publicity on this next week! Have you read my book, The Pledge, One Nation Under God! ?

NEW CHAIRMAN'S REPORT - The November 21, 2007 issue of the Chairman's Report is now available online. This is the latest Chairman's Report and has new information on lawsuits filed by atheist Michael Newdow. The atheist Newdow has filed a new lawsuit against "under God" in the Pledge in New Hampshire. Click here to read the new Chairman's Report.

INTERNATIONAL

JUST PUT EVERYONE IN JAIL - A court in Sudan has sentenced a British elementary school teacher to 15 days in prison and deportation on charges of inciting religious hatred. British citizen Gillian Gibbons, who had been teaching in Sudan just since August, allowed her class of 7-year-olds to name a teddy bear "Mohammed" as part of a school project. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband expressed his "concern" and not much more. Gibbons could have faced longer jail time plus lashes on the back. Not a single feminist organization, teachers' union or liberal "civil rights" group has spoken up on this outrage. Click here for UK Times story.

VISIT OUR CHRISTMAS STORE

THE PLEDGE - My most recent book, The Pledge: One Nation Under God, has been released and is now available online and at bookstores. The book has a forward by Congressman Todd Akin (R-MO) who is the primary sponsor of the Pledge Protection Act to keep "under God" in the Pledge. Please order The Pledge from the RFC bookstore, as the funds will be used to help fight to keep "under God" in the Pledge. Click here or on Image to learn more.

OUR CHRISTIAN INTERNET STORE - We have lots of great stuff for Thanksgiving and Christmas at our Internet store. Not only are there books and CD's, but everything from candy to jewelry and all of it has a Christian theme. Unlike Amazon and other major Internet stores we do not sell porn and satanic materials right beside Christian books. Ours is a real Christian store with tens of thousands of items. Please take a look. The store is located at www.rfcstore.com. Contributions to the work of the Religious Freedom Coalition can be made at www.rfcnet.org.

email: support@rfcnet.org
phone: 202.742.8990
web: http://www.rfcnet.org
William J. Murray, Chairman Religious Freedom