The holiday greeting “Merry Christmas” caused a man to become irate at La Guardia airport on Tuesday.

The unidentified man was escorted off of American Airlines Flight 1140 before the plane left for Dallas.

Reportedly, the ticketholder approached the gate and was told “Merry Christmas” as his boarding pass was checked. The man replied, “You shouldn’t say that because not everyone celebrates Christmas.”

The attendant asked “Well, what should I say then?”

“Don’t say, ‘Merry Christmas!'” was the man’s reported reply.

When he entered the plane, he was again greeted with “Merry Christmas,” and became enraged.

“Don’t say, ‘Merry Christmas!'” he screamed, and began chastising the pilot and crew members, according to the New York Post.

The man reportedly would not calm down, and was escorted off the plane. It is unclear whether disturbing the peace charges or other violations were incurred. American Airlines has not commented on the incident.

Christmas holds religious significance for many, but the holiday can also include secular items and traditions such as decorating a pine tree and handing out candy canes. The dual significance of the holiday has led to protests and demonstrations across the country as organisations and governments are accused of endorsing Christianity.

Earlier this month, a University of Maine student allegedly complained about Christmas decorations in common areas on campus, leading Auxiliary Services Executive Director Daniel Stirrup to ban any “decoration that could be perceived as religious,” including “xmas trees, wreaths, xmas presents, candy canes, etc.”

Stirrup encouraged employees to have a more stripped-down approach to decorating.

“What is allowed are winter themes, plain trees without presents underneath, decorative lights, but not on trees, snow flakes [sic], etc.,” he wrote.

When word spread on campus about the ban, students were outraged. A Facebook community group, “Bring Back the Cheer to Maine,” was formed to protest the university’s stance, and has received over 1,200 likes.

“How can we celebrate diversity if we can’t even see it? #‎bringbackthecheer,” one post read.

The decision was later called a misunderstanding, and the ban was reversed.

Source and Original Content by CT

The woman responsible for vandalizing a satanic organization’s display featured inside Florida’s capitol during the Christmas season has apologized for ripping the piece apart, but says she had to take it down because seeing it next to the nativity was “not right.”

Susan Hemeryck, 54, who damaged the Satanic Temple’s display on Tuesday “… was wearing a ‘Catholic Warrior’ T-shirt at the time of her arrest, [and] was charged with criminal mischief and released without bail,” according to UPI.com.

“Hemeryck … told a pair of Florida Department of Law Enforcement Capitol Police officers she was ‘sorry and had to take down the satanic display’ about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday because it was ‘not right.'”

The Florida Capitol has public space where various groups can put forth sectarian displays. During the Christmas season, a traditional manger scene is often present.

Last year, the New York-based Satanic Temple requested to have a display placed next to the manger and an atheist one honoring “The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.”

The display was decorated as the pits of hell, with an angel falling into the fires. Prominently included was the statement “Happy Holidays from the Satanic Temple.”

Officials, however, rejected the proposed display, arguing that it did not meet the standards for such displays as it was “grossly offensive.”

The Temple received legal support from the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Washington, D.C.-based Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

During the beginning of this year’s Christmas season, the Satanic Temple was granted its request to have the fallen angel kiosk display included.

Although we are pleased that the state has finally agreed to allow the Satanic Temple’s display, our clients should not have been forced to find legal counsel and plan a lawsuit just to get access to an open forum,” stated Americans United Senior Litigation Counsel Gregory M. Lipper.

“The state can’t give itself the authority to decide whether certain religious messages are ‘offensive’ — it needs to allow everyone’s speech or no one’s speech.”

In response to the damage inflicted upon the Temple’s kiosk display, Americans United released a statement calling the incident an “act of mindless vandalism.”

“It’s important to remember that free speech in an open forum is for all groups, even those whose message some deem controversial or unpopular,” stated Americans United. “Our attorneys fought hard for our clients to win the right to display their diorama in the Capitol rotunda, and we don’t intend to buckle under to this type of senseless destruction.”

Source and Original Content by CP

President Judge John Tylwalk has rejected an appeal from Arthur “A.B.” Schirmer, the former Methodist pastor who was sentenced by Tylwalk in September to 20 to 40 years in state prison for murdering his first wife, Jewel, in 1999.

Chief Public Defender Brian Deiderick, who represents Schirmer, based the appeal on four issues:

1. Tylwalk failed to consider factors necessary to determine an appropriate sentence.

2. Tylwalk improperly used Schirmer’s no-contest plea as a failure to take responsibility or be held accountable for a charge of criminal homicide.

3. Tylwalk did not consider statements from Schirmer’s family members, and

4. Tylwalk had predetermined the sentence prior to the Sept. 10 sentencing hearing.

In his 23-page Dec. 5 order, which was released Tuesday, Tylwalk rejected all four arguments and ordered that his order and opinion be transmitted to Pennsylvania Superior Court for its review.

Schirmer, 66, entered a no-contest plea to third-degree murder, which carries a minimum term of between six and 20 years under state sentencing guidelines. He is also serving a life sentence after being found guilty by a Monroe County jury in 2012 for staging a car crash in Pocono Township to cover up the death of his second wife, Betty Jean, in 2008.

Tylwalk made Schirmer’s sentencing here consecutive to the Monroe County case.

“We believe that we properly considered the relevant factors in determining the sentence,” Tylwalk wrote.

“The evidence suggested that Jewel suffered a vicious attack, not a fall down a flight of stairs. As pointed out by her brother (John Behney), some of her injuries indicated that she had been attacked from behind with a crowbar being smashed into her head. She had numerous defensive injuries which indicated that she had struggled to fight off the attack…Read More

Source and Original Content by BCNN1