The United States of America has a population in excess of 311million of people of all backgrounds and beliefs. Henderson County, Texas has a population of more than 78 thousand people. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) has a nationwide membership of 17 thousand people.
For over three decades local groups have displayed a nativity scene at the Henderson County Courthouse without incident, but this year something has changed. Madison, Wisconsin based FFRF has chosen the nativity display in East Texas as one of its prime targets in this year's war on Christmas. The extremist group with has been linked to George Soros is used to getting its own way by intimidating spineless politicians and bureaucrats, but this time they are up against County Commissioner Joe Hall. Mediaite reports:
The fight began when the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Madison, Wisconsin, sent a letter to Henderson County in Athens, Texas, which is 1,044 miles away. They said that a resident contacted them about a nativity display, and, deeming it unconstitutional, asked that it either be removed, or a sign bearing a solstice poem -- proclaiming there to be no gods or heaven -- be placed nearby. Joe Hall was not appreciative of the correspondence.
"I'm a country boy," Hall told News 8, while staring icily into the camera. "You come to my house looking for a fight, you're gonna get one. And that's from the bottom of my heart."
When asked by News 8′s Craig Civale if the county would remove the display, Hall dug in further. "We'll remove it when hell freezes over." He later added, "I ain't gonna back down. I haven't, and I won't."
Commissioner Hall isn't alone in this fight as more than 70 area pastors have answered the call. KLTV reports that there will be a one hour rally next Saturday in support of the nativity scene.
"This is not a rebel rally. This is a rally in which we unite believers in unity with one voice saying we're going to stand for the faith that we believe in," says First Baptist Church of Malakoff Senior Pastor Nathan Lorick.
Organizers say for one hour on December 17 Christians will gather in worship and prayer.
"They're going to be addressing a lot of different things-- the purpose of why we're getting together, they're going to be addressing the reason of the nativity, what it represents, the gospel message is going to be clearly shared," says Rock Hill Baptist Church Pastor Robert Welch.
Organizations like FFRF have long held undue influence across America but this year during the season of hope they are learning that things are starting to change.
December 10, 2011
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