It's not an endorsement of the Christian faith. I think that's an inaccurate representation because if it were, we've been violating the Constitution since George Washington said "So help me God" at his inauguration.
It is merely a civilization's celebration of its dominant faith and in this pluralistic society that adheres to Judeo-Christian values, a Christmas wreath at the White House, saying Merry Christmas, and Christmas trees on federal property do not represent a endorsement of Christianity as much as a recognition of the fact that our civilization has been Christian and celebrates one if its major holidays accordingly.
What I'm saying in short, it's not endorsement. The Government does not say "You must be Christian. We are a Christian government." To say explicitly an endorsement, it would have to be a resolution saying we are a Christian Government and we are bound by the laws of Jesus. Nothing of the sort is going on here.
The Government is simply saying "We recognize that many people are Christian and it is a custom to have Christmas trees at Christmas and to say Merry Christmas," etc.
George Washington said it best with his Thanksgiving day proclamation ---“ Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation"
"For we deal here not with the establishment of a state church, which would, of course, be constitutionally impermissible, but with whether school children who want to begin their day by joining in prayer must be prohibited from doing so. Moreover, I think that the Court's task, in this as in all areas of constitutional adjudication, is not responsibly aided by the uncritical invocation of metaphors like the 'wall of separation,' a phrase nowhere to be found in the Constitution. What is relevant to the issue here is not the history of an established church in sixteenth century England or in eighteenth century America, but the history of the religious traditions of our people, reflected in countless practices of the institutions and officials of our government." Justice Potter Stewart, in his 1962 dissenting opinion in Engel v. Vitale
Former U. S. Chief Justice Warren Berger said that the Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state. It mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions and forbids hostility toward any.
"In matters of religion, I have considered that its free exercise is placed by the Constitution independent of the powers of the General Government. I have therefore undertaken, on no occasion, to prescribe the religious exercise suited to it; but have left them, as the Constitution found them, under the direction and discipline of state and church authorities acknowledged by the several religious societies". Thomas Jefferson
"Whereas, the Senate of the United States devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for national prayer and humiliation:
And whereas, it is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history: that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord:" Abraham Lincoln
"All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, but those who believe must be free to speak of and act on their belief, to apply moral teaching to public questionsÂ… Tolerant society is open to and encouraging of all religions, and this does not weaken us; it strengthens usÂ… Without God, there is no virtue, because there's no prompting of the conscience. Without God, we're mired in the material, that flat world that tells us only what the senses perceive. Without God, there is a coarsening of the society and without God, democracy will not and cannot long endure." Ronald Reagan
It is merely a civilization's celebration of its dominant faith and in this pluralistic society that adheres to Judeo-Christian values, a Christmas wreath at the White House, saying Merry Christmas, and Christmas trees on federal property do not represent a endorsement of Christianity as much as a recognition of the fact that our civilization has been Christian and celebrates one if its major holidays accordingly. I completely agree and those are but a few historical instances where it is very clear. The seperation Clause does not specifically forbid any religion , in fact historically it's authors intention was very clear that it was to celebrate tolerance of religion and it's intent was not to be used as a weapon to forbid any specific religion as much as many may believe. It is also very clear from a historical view that this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values and one need but look back through this nations history to see that.
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