The Plant City Living Center has told Mrs. Arnold, an 85-year-old grandmother in Florida, that federal law prohibits her from displaying any religious words or items associated with Christmas in the common area of her apartment building.

According to the Center, The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued a directive banning "any religious symbols or religious words associated with Christmas." Under the guidelines issued by HUD, the elderly grandmother cannot place a small Christmas tree outside her door (because that area is a "commons area") if it contains any religious symbols or religious words, even an angel!

If the residents want to have a Christmas party in their Community room, they cannot call it a Christmas party. The Center says HUD directs residents not to use the word "Christmas" but to use the word "Holiday."

A Sunday School class from a church near Mrs. Arnold's apartment comes every year to host a Hanging of the Greens and Christmas Party for all the residents. She said the highlight of their Christmas Party comes at the very end of The Hanging of the Greens when someone places the angel on top of their Christmas tree. Their tradition is now banned by the federal government.

The federal government is becoming increasingly active in banning Christianity from the public square. Earlier, the National Park Service removed the wording "Laus Deo" (Latin for "Praise be to God") from a replica of the cap of the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. and the Veterans Administration banned the script of the flag-folding ceremony mentioning "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" at over 100 national cemeteries. Both of these were rescinded after AFA supporters sent emails to proper authorities.

To listen to the grandmother's conversation telling AFA about the situation, click here. To read about the HUD directive, click here.

(after listening to the audio file, click the "X" in the upper right hand corner of your browser window to return to the e-mail message)

• Send an e-mail to the Secretary of HUD and President Bush asking that HUD stop their policy. The role of the federal government is to defend our religious rights, not take them away. Click here to send your e-mail.
  
  
• Take a stand against those who seek to take away our religious freedom by distributing "Merry Christmas. God's Good News" Christmas buttons to fellow church members, friends and family! Wear your button with pride. If we fail to protect our religious freedom, we will lose it! Click here to order.