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<DIV><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff><A
href="http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/3123">http://www.adfmedia.org/News/PRDetail/3123</A>#</FONT></DIV>
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<H2>Federal government bans religious references on ornaments for 2009 Capitol
Christmas Tree</H2><I>ADF attorneys send letter to federal, state officials
after Arizona schoolchildren chosen to decorate D.C. tree, but told to keep
religion out</I><BR>Tuesday, September 29, 2009<BR><BR>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B>PHOENIX, Ariz. </B>— Alliance Defense Fund
attorneys sent a <A
href="http://www.telladf.org/UserDocs/DCtreeOrnamentsAZletter.pdf"
target=_blank><FONT color=#800080>letter</FONT></A> to federal and state
officials, including Arizona Governor Janice Brewer Monday, calling for them to
stop enforcing a requirement prohibiting the state’s schoolchildren from
expressing religious viewpoints through Christmas themes while decorating
ornaments for the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree. Arizona was chosen this year
to present 4,000 handcrafted ornaments made by elementary, middle-school, and
high-school students to decorate Washington, D.C.’s annual Christmas
tree.<BR><BR>“Banning Christmas from the Capitol Christmas tree is just
absurd. Christian students shouldn’t be discriminated against for
expressing their religious beliefs,” said ADF Litigation Staff Counsel Jonathan
Scruggs. “The First Amendment does not allow government officials to
exclude schoolchildren’s ornaments for the capitol’s Christmas tree merely
because they communicate a religious viewpoint.”<BR><BR>On behalf of a mother
whose son strongly desires to submit three ornaments for the tree, ADF attorneys
sent a letter to state and federal officials demanding that they abandon the
prohibition of religious viewpoints so that the child may participate in the
unique opportunity. One of the ornaments will read “Merry Christmas,”
another will say “Happy Birthday, Jesus,” and the third will portray a manger
scene with the baby Jesus. Each of these ornaments will also honor
Arizona, using as a theme the state’s history, geography, or motto, “Ditat
Deus,” which means “God Enriches.” ADF attorneys indicate in the letter
that they will take legal action if officials do not comply by October 4, the
day before the deadline to submit ornaments for consideration.<BR><BR>“It is
well established that expression of religious beliefs is protected by the First
Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” the letter reads. “Religious
expression is speech and is entitled to the same level of protection as other
kinds of speech... Even expression that comes through symbols, such as
ornaments…”<BR><BR>Arizona was given the special privilege this year to provide
Washington, D.C., with the 2009 Capitol Christmas Tree. Students from
elementary, middle, and high schools were given <A
href="http://www.capitolchristmastree2009.org/outdoorornaments.php"
target=_blank>criteria</A> to construct and decorate 4,000 handcrafted ornaments
for the 65-foot tree as a coordinated effort with the Apache-Sitgreaves National
Forests, the Apache Natural Resources Conservation District, the Arizona Public
Education Department, students, businesses, and the
community. <BR><BR>Guidelines for the ornaments include specifications for
their size, weight, composition, and the directive that “Ornaments cannot
reflect a religious or political theme… Instead share your interpretation of our
theme ‘Arizona’s Gift, from the Grand Canyon State.’” It is also stated
that the ornaments “will provide wonderful opportunities for Arizona school
children to demonstrate what Arizona means to them… Whether they represent our
world-renowned landscapes, our diverse cultures, or other aspects of our state,
the ornaments will help convey the particular beauty that is Arizona.” But,
if students want to convey that Arizona has a religious significance to them,
they are denied the opportunity offered to students with non-religious
views.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><BR><B><I>ADF is
a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending
the right of people to freely live out their faith. Launched in 1994, ADF
employs a unique combination of <A
href="http://www.adfmedia.org/home/about">strategy, training, funding, and
litigation</A> to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life,
marriage, and the family.</I></B></SPAN></DIV>
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