A threatened lawsuit may have backfired.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) threatened to sue the east Alabama town of Piedmont if it didn't change the theme of its Christmas parade from "Keeping Christ in Christmas." According to news reports, in a letter from FFRF Piedmont's mayor was told to find a "more appropriate, more inclusive, and constitutional theme" for the parade.

The theme "alienates non-Christians and others in Piedmont who do not in fact have a ‘strong belief in prayers’ by turning them into political outsiders in their own community,” according to FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel. “The sentiment of ‘Keeping Christ in Christmas’ does not qualify as a secular celebration.”

“It was a great theme,” Mayor Bill Baker responded. “I was totally shocked when I received the letter. It’s a small town. It’s a small Christmas parade. We didn’t think there would be any problems at all.”

This is the second time FFRF has threatened to sue this small town. Earlier this year, FFRF's target was the high school football team's prayer before games. That threat backfired, however, and rather than being "officially" led, everyone now just comes together on the field before games to recite the Lord's Prayer.

Once again, FFRF's threatened lawsuit seems to have backfired: The largest Christmas parade in Piedmont history was held this year, with countless floats prominently featuring signs proclaiming the true "Reason for the Season."

“Nothing has really changed,” the mayor said prior to the event. “We still have the same religious floats. We still have the churches. We still have the beauty queens. We’re still going to have this wonderful Christian parade regardless of if we have a theme or not.”

—Source: Yellowhammernews.com