CHICAGO, IL (December 16, 2016) — Covenanters routinely share links to social media articles and videos that Covenant News Service believes may be of interest to others. Each Friday we post five of them. Following is a sample of those submissions—their inclusion does not represent an endorsement by the Covenant of any views expressed.

Christmas Video Still Viral

Southland Christian Church in Kentucky made a delightfully funny unscripted video last year of kids telling the Christmas story. By the first of December of this year, it had received nearly 24 million views and been shared more than 618,000 times on Facebook.

From the article: “Mary sweetly tells the new baby, ‘Thank you for coming,’ while Joseph looks down at him and says, ‘I love you and you the best baby I ever seen. There, I said it.’ The wise men bring gold, ‘Frankenstein’ and myrrh. Or, in an alternate telling, Jesus gets a stuffed animal, diapers, wipes, and a gallon of milk. One kid surmises that the baby also received ‘some shoes, some Jordans.’ ”

Politifact’s 2016 Lie of the Year: Fake News

Good choice.

From the article: “Each year, PolitiFact awards a ‘Lie of the Year’ to take stock of a misrepresentation that arguably beats all others in its impact or ridiculousness. In 2016: where to start? With such a deep backlash against being truthful in political speech, no one person (though there are world-class frontrunners) and no one political claim perfectly stands out as the dust settles from an extraordinary campaign.”

Texas AG Criticizes Removal of Charlie Brown Line

A school clinic aide had hung up a poster on a school door that showed Linus with the words from the Gospel of Luke: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.” But the school district took it down.

From the article: “Upon review, it is clear that this display was not in keeping with the Merry Christmas Bill (House Bill 308), which requires that a display not encourage adherence to a particular religion,” the (Killeen School District), said Friday.

One section of the law reads: “A display relating to a traditional winter celebration may not include a message that encourages adherence to a particular religious belief.”

Editor’s note: A judge has ordered the school to allow the poster to be put back up.

When Even Frosted Flakes Are Controversial

Oh, the insanity!

From the article: “Last week, the cereal company Kellogg announced that it would cease advertising on right-leaning news site Breitbart. The site ‘did not align with our values,’ Kellogg’s said. A responding Breitbart statement called the decision ‘as un-American as it gets’ and demanded a boycott. In a flash, Frosted Flakes became a ‘liberal’ breakfast, and pantries became battlegrounds. On the same day, a news article went viral alleging that Chip and Joanna Gaines, popular hosts of an HGTV design show, attended a church whose pastor opposed same-sex marriage. Liberal viewers began debating whether they should watch the show, which until then had been a soothing apolitical retreat for aficionados of shiplap wood siding.”

Banner Year for Religion Onscreen

Former Christianity Today movie reviewer Alissa Wilkinson saw religion integrated into many movies and TV offerings in 2016.

From the article: “To understand any of these shows or films, the audience has to buy into an understanding of religion as more than a mere quirk or hobby some people indulge in. It’s a formational identity, not a bolted-on feature. People’s religion isn’t something to just slice off them.”