Washington, DC News Conference:  "The Nativity Project. A Public Witness to Keep Christ in Christmas," Thursday, Dec. 7

Contact: Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director, Christian Defense Coalition, 202-547-1735, 540-538-4741 cell

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Christian Defense Coalition, Faith and Action, Generation Life and members of Congress to kick off "The Nativity Project. A Public Witness to Keep Christ in Christmas," at a Thursday, November 7th news conference.

The news conference will be held on Thursday, December 7, at 12:00 P.M. on the lower western terrace of the United States Capitol Building.

A nativity scene will be on display, at the Capitol, during the news conference.

News Conference Details ---

When: Thursday, Dec. 7, 12:00 P.M.

Where: On the lower western terrace of the United States Capitol Building.

Who: The Christian Defense Coalition, Faith and Action, Generation Life and members of Congress; Senator Sam Brownback, Congressman Trent Franks, Congressman Walter Jones, Congressman Phil Gingrey

Why: The groups will be calling for the faith community across America to apply for permits to set up nativity scenes in front of their city halls, government centers or state capitol buildings December 19 through the 22.

The "Nativity Project" is a public witness to remind people of the powerful message delivered on the very first Christmas.  And that is, "Peace on Earth.  Good will toward man."

It is also a witness to address the growing hostility toward public expressions of faith, especially during the Christmas season.

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, Director of the Christian Defense Coalition, comments, "Sadly, we are seeing a growing hostility toward expressions of faith in the public square.  This is especially true during the Christmas season where there appears to be a concerted effort to remove the true meaning of Christmas from public view.  'The Nativity Project' is a positive way to share the message of the season which is one of peace and good will toward man.  It is also a strong reminder that the First Amendment provides freedom 'of' religion and not freedom 'from' religion and the role of government is to protect expressions of faith and not crush them.

"We encourage people of faith to apply for permits to display Nativity scenes at public building all across America from December 19 through the 22nd.  If the display is there for one hour or three days, it is important that we do not allow the trampling of religious freedom and liberty."

Rev. Rob Schenk, President of Faith and Action, responds, "The National Clergy Council and its affiliate Faith and Action, applaud the Christian Defense Coalition for launching the 'Nativity Project.'  Nativity displays capture the essence of the Christ faith, but they are also part of the rich texture of American history.  This struggle is about the supreme constitutional issue of freedom of speech and religion.  It's time to stop the ACLU from bullying the Holy Family and the American people."

Brandi Swindell, National Director of Generation Life, states, "Last year we organized the very first 'Nativity Project' in front of our city hall in Boise, Idaho.  We felt it was important, particularly for members of this emerging generation, to publicly express our faith and share the power of the Christmas message.  Our goal is not to force any one religion or belief system on another.  Rather, it is to affirm the founding principles of our nation which extends the right to all citizens to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience free from government interference or harassment."

Some of the members of Congress that will speak include:

• Senator Sam Brownback
• Congressman Trent Franks
• Congressman Walter Jones
• Congressman Phil Gingrey

For more information or interviews please contact:

Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney   202.547.1735   Cell: 540.538.4741

Rev. Rob Schenck   Cell: 703.447.7686