Falwell enlists followers to fight Christmas 'grinches'

ROANOKE, Va. -- The Rev. Jerry Falwell is marshaling his forces to keep "Merry Christmas," "Silent Night" and other religious references from being banished this holiday season.

Falwell, founder of Liberty University and the defunct Moral Majority, has e-mailed 500,000 followers to urge support for the "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign" that is aimed at letting public officials, schools and retailers know Christmas is legal.

"I asked about 100,000 pastors nationwide to join me in dealing with the grinches who are trying to steal Christmas," Falwell said Monday.

The "grinches" are organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State that Falwell contends are spreading misinformation that it is unconstitutional to have public displays celebrating Christmas.

Conducted by the Orlando, Fla.-based Liberty Counsel, a conservative legal organization affiliated with Falwell's ministry, the "Friend or Foe" campaign is offering free services of 700 lawyers ready to file suit to protect the holiday's celebration.

Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, admitted that bureaucrats occasionally have crossed the line in restricting religious expressions of Christmas, but said there really is no "foe" in this campaign.

"There hasn't been any war against Christmas -- ever," he said.

Falwell said a memo explaining that the law allows religious expressions of the holiday was sent to several thousand schools districts across the country and to retailers.

"We were beginning to hear from constituents across the country that their children were being advised there would be no Christmas programs this year," Falwell said. "We decided to put a stop to that."

The Alliance Defense Fund, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., is conducting a similar effort and has enlisted the services of 800 lawyers.

This is the third year of Liberty Counsel's campaign, but the first Falwell has been involved.

Falwell has declared the campaign a success. The biggest skirmish has come in Boston, where complaints that a city Web site referred to a "holiday tree" resulted in it being switched to "Christmas tree."

"The Boston Christmas tree issue was a minor thing, but had it been allowed to stand, it would have sent a signal across the nation that people of faith should not be allowed public expression," Falwell said.

Lynn said it's perfectly legal for a community to have a holiday tree if it wants to, but said Falwell was trying to "force people to do things his way."

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino said last week he had always viewed the evergeen as a Christmas tree.

"If Falwell wants to do his thing, let him do his thing, but as long as I'm concerned, it's a Christmas tree," he said.

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On the Net:

Liberty Counsel: www.lc.org/

Jerry Falwell: www.falwell.com

Americans United for Separation of Church and State: www.au.org