This year’s Piedmont Christmas parade was the biggest in years, and Mayor Bill Baker says he thinks that was, in large part due to the complaint filed against the town by the Freedom from Religion Organization – a move by the group which he says backfired.
The original theme of the parade was to be “Keep Christ in Christmas”, however following a letter from the Freedom from Religion Organization, town leaders decided to go back to the designation used in previous years simply using the name “The City of Piedmont Christmas Parade”; the letter challenged the “Keep Christ in Christmas” title as being unconstitutional – however – many residents of the town showed their support for showing their religion during the event – carrying signs proudly proclaiming their faith.
The Freedom from Religion Organization, which is a Wisconsin-based atheist organization, had threatened to sue the town earlier in the year over the issue of pre-game prayers being announced over the loudspeakers at football home games; the town instead began holding a “moment of silence.”
(ABC3340/www.abc3340.com)
