'Nativity' Booted From Ill. Holiday Fair

'Nativity' Booted From Ill. Holiday Fair

November 27, 2006 11:24 PM EST

CHICAGO - A public Christmas festival is no place for the Christmas story, the city says. Officials have asked organizers of a downtown Christmas festival, the German Christkindlmarket, to reconsider using a movie studio as a sponsor because it is worried ads for its film "The Nativity Story" might offend non-Christians.

New Line Cinema, which said it was dropped, had planned to play a loop of the new film on televisions at the event. The decision had both the studio and a prominent Christian group shaking their heads.

"The last time I checked, the first six letters of Christmas still spell out Christ," said Paul Braoudakis, spokesman for the Barrington, Ill.-based Willow Creek Association, a group of more than 11,000 churches of various denominations. "It's tantamount to celebrating Lincoln's birthday without talking about Abraham Lincoln."

He also said that there is a nativity scene in Daley Plaza - and that some vendors at the festival sell items related to the nativity.

The city does not want to appear to endorse one religion over another, said Cindy Gatziolis, a spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office of Special Events. She acknowledged there is a nativity scene, but also said there will be representations of other faiths, including a Jewish menorah, all put up by private groups. She stressed that the city did not order organizers to drop the studio as a sponsor.

"Our guidance was that this very prominently placed advertisement would not only be insensitive to the many people of different faiths who come to enjoy the market for its food and unique gifts, but also it would be contrary to acceptable advertising standards suggested to the many festivals holding events on Daley Plaza," Jim Law, executive director of the office, said in a statement.

Officials with the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, which has organized the event for several years, did not immediately return calls for comment. The festival started Thursday.

An executive vice president with New Line Cinema, Christina Kounelias, said the studio's plan to spend $12,000 in Chicago was part of an advertising campaign around the country. Kounelias said that as far as she knew, the Chicago festival was the only instance where the studio was turned down.

Kounelias said she finds it hard to believe that non-Christians who attended something called Christkindlmarket would be surprised or offended by the presence of posters, brochures and other advertisements of the movie.

"One would assume that if (people) were to go to Christkindlmarket, they'd know it is about Christmas," she said.

Yo Torog. Where you been?

Christmas hasn't meant a thing about Jesus for years now, it's been commercialised to the core. It's about nothing but spending for most people. It's a shame but that's the 21st century for ya.

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Originally Posted by B.Basher

Yo Torog. Where you been?

Christmas hasn't meant a thing about Jesus for years now, it's been commercialised to the core. It's about nothing but spending for most people. It's a shame but that's the 21st century for ya.

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Howdy BB,

Well..I've just been busy lately and such. :)

Yeah,Christmas has lost much of it's meaning,but for many of us Christians in fly-over country,it is still about Jesus..and we still believe that it's better to give-than recieve. :)

Have a good one ! :stoned:

All of this Xmas virgin birth/savior-god in religion is an affront to rationality and the adult tax-payers who do not agree with it. If a business wants to keep up the charade that there was a savior god, to make money, I really don't care. It's disgusting, but it's all over in January. This stuff should be kept out of the public arena, though. The state has no business supporting superstition.

One of the main tenet of Xianity is that a woman was impregnated by a ghost. This possibility only exists in the minds of the insane. Iâ??d like to put up signs that proclaim the truth about religion, but it wouldnâ??t get very far. Religion has done enough damage and the stores should stick to Santa and his reindeer, not the virgin-birth hoax, if they want my business.

Better yet, people should be nice all the time - not just at Xmas.

Just my 2 cents.

watch the peanuts Christmas special, Linus sings about christmas.


My son was in this Huge Hobby chain store.....all he wanted was this little nativity scene.... he kept showing me the baby jesus....LOL

We should be good.....all year

can we agree that the message of Christmas....peace, love, family, giving gifts to people you love, watching your kids on chrstmas morning.... is worth all the bullshit.

it is to me.


The ACLU is one of the biggest problems in our country.....they are a good idea gone bad.

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Originally Posted by Breukelen advocaat

All of this Xmas virgin birth/savior-god in religion is an affront to rationality and the adult tax-payers who do not agree with it. If a business wants to keep up the charade that there was a savior god, to make money, I really don't care. It's disgusting, but it's all over in January. This stuff should be kept out of the public arena, though. The state has no business supporting superstition.

One of the main tenet of Xianity is that a woman was impregnated by a ghost. This possibility only exists in the minds of the insane. Iâ??d like to put up signs that proclaim the truth about religion, but it wouldnâ??t get very far. Religion has done enough damage and the stores should stick to Santa and his reindeer, not the virgin-birth hoax, if they want my business.

Better yet, people should be nice all the time - not just at Xmas.

Just my 2 cents.

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I agree with everything except santa and the reindeer, I'd lose them too, while we're at it.

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Originally Posted by Bong30

watch the peanuts Christmas special, Linus sings about christmas.


My son was in this Huge Hobby chain store.....all he wanted was this little nativity scene.... he kept showing me the baby jesus....LOL

We should be good.....all year

can we agree that the message of Christmas....peace, love, family, giving gifts to people you love, watching your kids on chrstmas morning.... is worth all the bullshit.

it is to me.


The ACLU is one of the biggest problems in our country.....they are a good idea gone bad.

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I agree with Bong. I'm not Christian and don't believe in God, Jesus, Allah, the tooth fairy, or the Easter Bunny (all equally unbelievable in my book), but don't have a problem with a public nativity scene or with saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". I see these things as part tradition and part representation of what I consider the true meaning of Christmas. As Bong put it " peace, love, family, giving gifts to people you love, watching your kids on chrstmas morning.." .

I'd be pissed off if I found some teacher was trying to get my daughter to pray in school, but a nativity scene is just the representation of something from a story book. It's no more offensive than an image of Santa Claus. And, if I really did have a problem with it, I can always look the other way.

Seems to me the people who make such a fuss about this type of thing probably have little that is precious in their life, so they decide to try and ruin what is precious in others lives. Sad.

Very well Put Fengzi......

Usually, when you hear some story like this, it's been drummed up by politicians (via Fox news of course) trying to get the religious right stirred up and active in supporting their agenda. Last year NeoCons were screaming 'there's a War on Christmas!' because a few card makers, etc. didn't want to exclude other beliefs from purchasing their products, so they tweeked messages to 'Happy Holidays'.

The Left was saying 'we believe in the separation of Church and State but we don't give a damn if someone wants to say Merry Christmas or not. Who the hell is declaring a War on Christmas?! (obviously the Right since they love that tactic-war on drugs, war on terror, etc...a very effective strategy in manipulating narrow-minded people.

What kills me is how they're screaming 'destroy all Muslims!' in one breath and preaching 'Jesus said love thy enemy!' in another.....

If you believe Wal Mart is a few card makers


you are so out of touch, im just sorry for you.......

No need to feel sorry for me. I'm not the one living in fear of Muslims and Walmart.

Osama bin walton:thumbsup:

if its not sponsored by the state they should have no problem putting up a nativity. who is sponsoring the fair?

In america you have the right to be offended.....

I can't believe this Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday debate. I saw on the news the other day that 47% get offended by one of these slogans. God, who gives a shit, what's wrong with people?!?!?!

Tolerance goes both ways. We wouldn't find it acceptable to supress the expression of another religion's holiday, and it's not accetpable to suppress a christian one. Whether or not atheists (such as myself) and other people celebrate Christmas doens't matter, the holiday is still being borrowed from a christian tradition (and albeit a pagaen one beforehand). Christmas was established in western society as a celebration of the birth of christ whether anybody likes it or not, and nobody has a right to take it away from christians and pretend it's "anual gift-giving day". If atheists like myself wish to celebrate christmas while abdicating the religious context, that's all good. But damned if I'm going to insist that everybody accept my alteration from the original version. And as far as I'm concerned, being offended by the acknowledgement of a christian holiday makes you no less a bigot than being offended Muslim's celebration of Ramadan, a Jew's barmitzfa, or a buddhist meditating in public.

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Originally Posted by mrdevious

Tolerance goes both ways. We wouldn't find it acceptable to supress the expression of another religion's holiday, and it's not accetpable to suppress a christian one. Whether or not atheists (such as myself) and other people celebrate Christmas doens't matter, the holiday is still being borrowed from a christian tradition (and albeit a pagaen one beforehand). Christmas was established in western society as a celebration of the birth of christ whether anybody likes it or not, and nobody has a right to take it away from christians and pretend it's "anual gift-giving day". If atheists like myself wish to celebrate christmas while abdicating the religious context, that's all good. But damned if I'm going to insist that everybody accept my alteration from the original version. And as far as I'm concerned, being offended by the acknowledgement of a christian holiday makes you no less a bigot than being offended Muslim's celebration of Ramadan, a Jew's barmitzfa, or a buddhist meditating in public.

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Thank you...Mrd... right on point.

In America you have the right to be offended.


I have little kids...this is what makes life worth living.


Hey MrD....I know the meaning of life. To have kids and grow up again through there eyes.......

So for these precious few years while they believe in Santa... It is like heaven on earth......and NO ONE should be able to take that from me.

This year...they have "made" me and Mommy presants, and "wrapped" them and put them under the tree..... allready learning it is better to GIVE, than receive...cool.:D

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Originally Posted by mrdevious

Tolerance goes both ways. We wouldn't find it acceptable to supress the expression of another religion's holiday, and it's not accetpable to suppress a christian one. Whether or not atheists (such as myself) and other people celebrate Christmas doens't matter, the holiday is still being borrowed from a christian tradition (and albeit a pagaen one beforehand). Christmas was established in western society as a celebration of the birth of christ whether anybody likes it or not, and nobody has a right to take it away from christians and pretend it's "anual gift-giving day". If atheists like myself wish to celebrate christmas while abdicating the religious context, that's all good. But damned if I'm going to insist that everybody accept my alteration from the original version. And as far as I'm concerned, being offended by the acknowledgement of a christian holiday makes you no less a bigot than being offended Muslim's celebration of Ramadan, a Jew's barmitzfa, or a buddhist meditating in public.

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Well said Mr. D. I'm an aetheist(although Breuk would disagree) and I celebrate Christmas. To me Christmas is very meaningful even without the religious context. To me it's a celebration of family, love, and happiness. As far as the whole birth of Christ thing goes, to me it's just a story that goes along with Christmas. Just like frosty the snowman, the grinch, etc. Regarding Bruek's statement that its "an affront to rationality", what about The Lord of The Rings, Moby Dick, or any other work of fiction. They are just as unrational. Are they offensive too? If not, why? Seriously,why can't we all just live and let live and stop worrying about a harmless nativity scene?

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Originally Posted by Bong30

The ACLU is one of the biggest problems in our country.....they are a good idea gone bad.

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Not to only implicate you Bong, because Torog posted a pic as well, but I was hoping you could explain to me the role of the ACLU in this story, because I looked over it several times and didn't find anything mentioning them.

Doesn't seem like the ACLU got involved at all. So I can only assume you have more information you can reference to show that you're not just needlessly flogging scapegoats, and that you actually have a legitimate point... right?

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Originally Posted by Polymirize

Not to only implicate you Bong, because Torog posted a pic as well, but I was hoping you could explain to me the role of the ACLU in this story, because I looked over it several times and didn't find anything mentioning them.

Doesn't seem like the ACLU got involved at all. So I can only assume you have more information you can reference to show that you're not just needlessly flogging scapegoats, and that you actually have a legitimate point... right?

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Howdy Polymerize,

You are astute to point out that the ACLU wasn't mentioned,I attacked them because they have been eager to defend those who desire to ban Christian expression,while allowing other religions,free rein. I will post any articles about the ACLU,attacking Christmas,if I run across them,so I can demonstrate to you,why we are bashing them.

Have a good one ....