Who doesn't love "A Charlie Brown Christmas?" The classic cartoon television program has been an American favorite for decades. Many people have seen it so many times they've even memorized some of the lines.
The broadcast tells the story of a group of children engulfed in the busyness and commercialism of Christmas. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown, while searching for the true meaning of Christmas, chooses a pathetic, little Christmas tree for the children's play.
The show's poignant climax comes when one character, the adorable Linus, reveals the true meaning of Christmas, by quoting the Bible.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a savior, which is Christ the Lord," Linus says. "That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
But now that beloved cartoon moment has sparked a controversy at Patterson Middle School in Killeen, Texas.
An employee there, Dedra Shannon, covered the nurse's office door with a picture of Linus accompanied by an image of Charlie Brown's scrawny tree and the words Linus quoted from the Bible.
The display was up just two short days until the school principal told Shannon to take it down. Not the picture of Linus and the tree. Those could stay. Just the Bible verse had to go.
What do you think? Should the Killeen Independent School District hear from enough concerned citizens that they allow Shannon to put the Bible scripture back up?
"I just took the entire thing down," Shannon told Fox News' Todd Starnes, "I wasn't going to leave Linus and the Christmas tree without having the dialogue. That's the whole point of why it was put up."
Shannon continued, "I'm disappointed. It is a slap in the face of Christianity."
Shannon went on to say the principal said the Bible verse was problematic because of the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state.
"She said the poster had to come down because it might offend kids from other religions or those who do not have a religion," Shannon recalled.
"Throughout the school there are talks about diversity. Well, you aren't being very diverse if you are not allowing the Christians to put something up that refers to a Christian holiday," she added.
Her father, Danny Brey, is the pastor of the Soldiers of the Cross Cowboy Fellowship in nearby Fort Hood. He told Starnes, "People want us to be tolerant for everything – but they don't tolerate Christianity," he said. "They bow down to everything else – but when it comes to Christianity…"
Starnes, an opinion writer, said, "I hope the Killeen Independent School District will reconsider their decision to censor Ms. Shannon's lovely Christmas decorations... Public schools are supposed to be in the education business and Ms. Shannon was simply educating students about the true meaning of Christmas."
This isn't the first time poor Charlie Brown has been booted from a public school. Last year, the Johnson County, Kentucky school district censored an elementary school play based on "The Charlie Brown Christmas."
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