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.