so it wasn't so much a war as a minor skirmish that resulted in a relocation to a more appropriate area, aka a place of worship.

it's odd atheist believe their religion is to be accepted and forced upon everyone, yet a nativity scene which would have no meaning to someone who really did not believe in jesus is offensive to them.

When did the athiest movement become peta?

This thread is going to get really gay soon.

Why would it be more or less appropriate where it sits? It's not as though the Nativity scene is exclusively relevant to Christianity. It's an historically relevant point in history that's directly related to the holiday and the roots of its celebration.

If it's very placement is that significant, then it would be necessary to abolish the entire holiday to make everyone shut up about being offended.

That's clever.

This thread is going to get really gay soon.

Erik Brown, principal of Walsh Elementary School in Waterbury, Conn., has reportedly banned all religious festivities and many decorations from the classroom since arriving at the school five years ago.

Brown told the paper that songs celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa(OMFG ) will be sung during Walsh's "Winter Celebration" on Dec. 21, and as in previous years, presents will be given to students.

This is not a church," Brown told the paper. "It's a school and it's a public school. I have to do things that include every child. So what we do is celebrate winter."

OHMYGOD your enjoyment and happiness with Christmas...a holiday celebrated for hundreds of years...offends my non-beliefs in nothing! How dare you force joy and comfort on me! I never got presents when I was a kid, so I think we should end it all. Don't you dare make me celebrate something positive about life!

Signed,
-Stupid Bitches of America

um you do realize government money is our fucking money? you liberals keep thinking its an independent enterprise that makes money, when in fact it is OUR fucking money.

maybe instead of bitching about whose views are being pushed and whose aren't, we should focus on the real issue of the govt taking our money under threat of jail to financially support programs we don't agree with or want?

i love idiots like you, you claim your a christian then you dont want the government to force Christmas on you. if you were a christian it wouldn't be forced, it would be your choice moron.

youre more laughable than MEM at least he plagiarizes RAW, they have a consistent message.

Which is exactly the topic at hand. Drowning out all semblance of faith and religion in society is a government program when the state forces people to censor their belief system(s).

i don't want ANY religion forced on anyone. that is a personal matter. i also don't want the govt, forcing me/others and otherwise.

in the original post, the state didn't censor the belief system, they moved it to a proper venue.

i don't have 'non-beliefs', i'm a roman catholic. not born into it either, i converted to it 4yrs ago, baptized easter vigil 2007.

Then, you mis-spoke and have no actual issue with displays of Christmas anywhere, and everywhere. Otherwise, you're a hypocrite. Choose your adventure.

I just don't know how I'm gonna believe in something when its not reinforced everywhere I go. What am I going to do? Think for myself and not worry about others?

someone said something that they believe is and since I'm a mindless zombie I will agree with that person even though it contradicts what I've said before.

i have no issue with xmas displays as long as it's not in a govt office

just because I chose xtianity as my religion doesn't mean i'm fine with it being pushed by a govt entity

which is supposed to remain neutral.

King Snarf innocent User Award-Winning Author
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Forum: Politics and Current Events
Thread: The War on Christmas hits home

BASAMS The Plumber annoyed Moderator Just when they think they know all the answers, I change the questions.
15000+ posts 7 minutes 17 seconds ago Reading a post
Forum: Politics and Current Events
Thread: The War on Christmas hits home

King Snarf innocent User Award-Winning Author
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Forum: Politics and Current Events
Thread: The War on Christmas hits home

The AFLAC Duck User 200+ posts 12/07/09 09:52 PM Making a new reply
Forum: Politics and Current Events
Thread: Re: The War on Christmas hits home

This thread is going to get really gay soon.

There is a picture of a Crescent moon and star sitting not 4 ft away from a Nativity scene and Menorah about 5 blocks from my house.

I didn't realize that Ramadan was celebrated the same month as Christmas and Hanukkah.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...

Wondy, you want your beliefs validated by everyone else because you are weak. You need to latch onto things you see as strong so you can feel better about yourself. If you were a normal person you would be able to celebrate Christmas without throwing online hissy fits and throwing tantrums whenever someone doesn't agree with you.

There is a picture of a Crescent moon and star sitting not 4 ft away from a Nativity scene and Menorah about 5 blocks from my house.

I didn't realize that Ramadan was celebrated the same month as Christmas and Hanukkah.

in all fairness, they probably settled on the crescent moon because not everyone can recognize an improvised explosive device on sight and they didn't want the reference to go over people's heads.

I simply posted some obvious facts about Christianity and its obvious inportance in forming our nation.

Whether looking at the Declaration, Constitution, the writings of the founding fathers, or the addresses of most of our Presidents up till the 1960s, and often beyond then, we are clearly a nation founded on Christianity and Biblical principles, particularly a contract government that mirrors the Old and New Testament contract between God and Man.

To exclude Christianity in any way from a government with such clear Christian origins and founding principles, is in the truest sense un-American, expressing a contempt for --or at best ignorance of-- what we are and have been for over 200 years.
To prohibit the free practice of Christianity in a nation that is 79% Christian (at the lowest estimate I've seen), is absurd, and an attempt by secularists and liberals to convert us to belief system completely opposite what we are.

Black Machismo content User Sikkbones
1000+ posts 2 minutes 53 seconds ago Reading a post
Forum: Politics and Current Events
Thread: The War on Christmas hits home

Then you have a problem with Xmas displays. There's no wiggle room there. Either you are for it, or against it.



Rethink. If you have chosen a religion, then you are acceptable of its presence in your life, no matter the geographic or social location. Otherwise, it's a country club card, and has as much relevance in your life.


The US government was founded on the principal of religious freedom. Thus, they have no right to censor religious holidays. Thus, neutrality should play no part.

brilliant logic. following it, since i'm ok with sex, i should find it acceptable no matter the geographic or social location.

my chosen religion is just that - MINE. i don't need other ppl to recognize the important dates within it for validation.

religious holidays are not being censored by the govt.

neutrality should be practiced on the part of the govt. by allowing private citizens, businesses & places of worship to observe religious holidays they are allowing religious freedom. when the govt takes it upon themselves to observe a particular religion's traditions, they are sending the message that it is govt sponsored.

dont you think having Mao on your tree is a bit odd? Mao is by most historical accounts responsible for the deaths of around 60 million people. this would be akin to putting a Hitler on the tree. still not a crime but it does speak of who your heroes are.

It's a silly story. The White House had a bunch of local community groups decorate hundreds of christmas balls. They didn't make any request to have that image decopaged onto one of them and probably didn't even know about it.

Furor Erupts Over Atheist Display At State Capitol
Comptroller Candidate William J. Kelly Tries To Take Down Sign, Is Escorted From BuildingSPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CBS) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1

A conservative activist and Illinois comptroller candidate was escorted from the Illinois State Capitol building Wednesday when he tried to remove a sign put up by an atheist group.

William J. Kelly announced Tuesday that he planned to take down the sign put up by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and on Wednesday, he tried to make good on his plan.

But Kelly said when he turned the sign around so it was face down, state Capitol police were quick to escort him away.

Illinois Secretary of State's office spokeswoman Henry Haupt said Kelly was escorted from the rotunda by state Capitol police, who briefly detained him, wrote an incident report, and directed him to leave the building.

"It doesn't matter how we feel about the message on a display," Haupt said. "Our obligation is to protect the property within the state Capitol building, and we would do the same for any other display."

But Kelly called the sign "hate speech," and said he does not believe it is appropriate for a sign that "mocks" religion to be placed next to a Christmas tree and also near a nativity scene.

"I don't think the State of Illinois has any business denigrating or mocking any religion," Kelly said, "and I think that's what the verbiage on the sign was doing."

The sign reads: "At the time of the winter solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is just myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

The sign was also on display at the Capitol at this time last year. The group says it filed for a permit to post the display in response to the state's decision to put up the nativity.

But Kelly said he believes the problem is not only the verbiage of the sign, but also its proximity to the Christmas tree.

"The fact that sign was immediately in front of the tree, I found that to be disturbing because any family and any child would run up to that tree with a smile on their face, and they would immediately see that sign," Kelly said.

Haupt said Kelly had been advised not to return to the state Capitol for the rest of the day on Wednesday.

The Madison, Wis.-based Freedom from Religion Foundation has placed the sign in several state Capitol buildings across the country.

As to Kelly's claims that the sign mocks religion, foundation co-President Dan Barker said: "He's kind of right, because the last couple of sentences do criticize religion, and of course, the beginning is a celebration of the winter solstice. But that kind of speech is protected as well – speech that is critical and speech that is supportive."

The foundation does not approve of the nativity scene, Barker said.

"We atheists believe that the nativity scene is mocking humanity," by suggesting that those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell, Barker said. "But notice that we are not defacing or stealing nativity scenes because we disagree with their speech."

Signs in other states have been targets of vandals, Barker said.

In Wisconsin, someone threw acid on it one year, and some people turned it around and hid it in the back rooms of the state Capitol, and in Washington state, someone walked it out of the Capitol and threw it away, Barker said. The Washington state sign was later found in a ditch near a country radio station and returned to the capitol in Olympia.

This is the second year the Freedom from Religion sign has been at the Illinois State Capitol.

Haupt said in addition to the sign, the Nativity Scene and the Christmas tree, there is also a Soldiers' Angels wreath, and a tabletop display from the American Civil Liberties Union that says the group "defends freedom of religion." A Hanukkah menorah had also been on display until the Jewish Festival of Lights ended on Saturday.

For the second year in a row, the Capitol also has an aluminum Festivus pole commemorating the fictional holiday created in "Seinfeld."

Adam Harrington, cbs2chicago.com