16 December 2011

By Patrick Butler | ResonateNews.com

GARDEN VALLEY – Bearded Woody Woodward, leader of the East Texas chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Bikers, lifted his head and peered out from under his cowboy hat. He narrowed his eyes Thursday as he learned the Freedom From Religion Foundation of Wisconsin had targeted the East Texas town of Athens to remove its Christmas nativity display.

“Wisconsin?” said Woodward. “What are they doing here in Texas?”

The question seems pre-eminent among many East Texan Christians having difficulty understanding why anyone in Wisconsin has a say in what Texas civic leaders do – or do not – decide for themselves. A letter was sent to Henderson County officials from the foundation on Dec. 5 claiming its courthouse nativity display was illegal and calling for its removal.

As a response to the incursion of the FFRF into the heart of Texas, an hour-long rally supporting the county's decision to erect the faith display is set for noon on Saturday in Athens at the Henderson County Courthouse. As of Friday, about a thousand people are expected to show up for peaceful but determined rally, said the Rev. Dr. Nathan Lorick, a rally organizer and pastor of First Baptist Church of Malakoff.

More are expected to show up as the word about the rally is still getting out via social networking outlets and one-on-one admonitions to “step up” are yet being made at a “grassroots” level.

“I didn't know about this rally in Athens,” said Woodward, who is facebook savvy, “but I'll be sure to tell everyone I know.”

It's time to meet the challenge from Wisconsin head on, said one associate pastor.

“Christians should strongly consider attending this rally,” said the Rev. Roy Devisscher of Community Christian Fellowship, on Friday. Community Christian is a church of about 1,000 members in the rural area of Garden Valley.

“My wife and I are definitely going,” he said. “The rally is only an hour, but it's an important hour to stand up, stand together and let people in Wisconsin know how believers in Texas feel about their faith.”

To ignore the action from the Freedom From Religion Foundation would be a mistake, Devisscher added.

“If someone from Wisconsin feels they can come here and make demands on a tiny town in East Texas, what's next?” he said. “Personally, I'm sick of all the attempts being made to take Christ out of Christmas around here. This is just one more try. It's time to put a stop to it.”

Recent actions against religious presences in Texas public places include the removal of Salvation Army Red Kettle “bell ringers” from U.S. Post Offices in East Texas three years ago. The decision irked many Tyler and area residents who are strong supporters of Salvation Army programs to feed and shelter the hungry and to educate needy children. Protests against the decision yielded no results. Some chain stores in the area also require their employees to refrain from saying “Merry Christmas” and use the rejoinder “Happy Holidays” instead – or nothing at all – also annoying many in the East Texas Christian community.

Lorick told ChristianPost.com the time has come for Christians to defend Constitutional rights to express faith. Claims that religious expressions tied to government are not allowed based on separation of church and state, are false.

“First of all, [the separation of] church and state is not found in the Constitution,” he said. “ As far as legal issues, we believe we are within our constitutional right. We have not excluded any other religion.”

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