Literally. There are elements within the Democrat Party that truly believe that our Constitution guarantees freedom FROM religion. The reality is that we are guaranteed freedom OF religion. Yet there are those secularist, athiest, intellectualists on the left pushing an agenda that removes Christ from Christmas and Christmas from the public square.
Many of the Top Dogs of Blogging are tackling this issue. Hugh Hewitt (go check out Hugh, too many links to list them all) and Jim Geraghty of NRO's Kerry Spot...when are they going to rename that?!... (here, here and even a little here), Deacon at Power Line, Jeff Jarvis at BuzzMachine, the list goes on and on and on...
My view from the "cheap seats". The snobbish elitists, be they secularists, athiests, intellectual know-it-alls, or whatever should not hold the rest of us hostage. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 75 to 80 percent of Americans consider themselves Christain or hold Christian beliefs. This is not a case of government forcing Christianity on the small yet VERY vocal minority. This is the intolerance and bigotry of the minority shouting down the beliefs of the majority. This annoying and easily offended minority don't want a secular society/government, they want an antiseptic society/government. [I'm sure that someone, somewhere will accuse me of setting up a strawman in that previous assertion and then knocking the stuffing out of it. I say prove me wrong before accusing me of using "strawmen".]
People who are easily offended by the religious and/or Christmas displays and references at Christmas time must be some sort of a strange combination of the nerdy kid that never "fit in" and got picked on alot at school, the Grinch and Mr. Potter (from "It's a Wonderful Life" - my personal favorite Christmas Movie, the old black and white Frank Capra one with Jimmy Stewart NOT the remake). There is just something wrong with them. Often it is wrong in a mean, capricious "I want everyone to be as miserable as I am" kind of way. America as a country and Americans in general are just not that way. Americans are a positive people. We have been since the begining.
The nattering naybobs of negativism just need to pipe down. The silent majority has been silent too long on this and other matters relating to behavior and morality in this great country. There is a fresh wave of conservatism sweeping the country, most likely as a part of post-election empowerment and euphoria. It's a good thing and it's about time.
Break. Break.
New, but related topic:
Now if I can just get HGTV to stop doing makeovers, etc. on gay couples homes and landscapes... getting really tired of explaining to the kids that "there is no mommy in that house"... Unlike the screeching banshees on the left, however, I don't wan't HGTV yanked off the air. Rather than watch the gay episodes, I just change the channel. Now before you get your underwear all in a bunch and scream homophobe, I'm not. What consenting adults do in the privacy of their own home is their own business. I just don't feel like I should get 30 minute glimpses into their fantasy jacuzzi makeover or whatever. Homophobe? No. Anti-gay? Not really. Believe homosexuality is wrong? Yes. Just because I believe it's wrong and I am against it doesn't make me evil. For those who are "socially liberal" or just plain liberal, you can stop screaming and climb down off the kitchen table now (your kids are watching you and they're ready to dial 9-1-1).
Have to run out for some last minute gift exchanging (Mrs. Hamilton's Pamphlets and I bought the same gifts for two of the little pamphleteers...Ooops! Great minds think alike!!). I'll continue the thread of Dems stealing Christmas with the Washington State Dems/King County/WA State Supreme Court Ripping off the Governor's race... Gotta run!
I thought of this over dinner and I may post this thought on other blogs discussing this:
What about New Year's Day for the secularists. That way, Hannakah (sp?) and Ramadan and Christmas can have equal value as religious holidays BUT for those whom don't believe in organized religion - just save the spirit of Christmas (as in gift-exchanging, celebrating Winter & life, helping the poor) for New Year's Day?
A thought...
Posted by: Josef | 23 December 2004 at 04:46 PM
I agree with all that, but I feel sort of sorry for Jewish people. I mean, it seems to me that we're not forcing anyone to celebrate christmas, but we are forcing *them* to celebrate Hanukkah. Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur (I think the former) is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, right? And yet it isn't really widely celebrated. Sure, Jewish coworkers tend to take a mysteriously coordinated sick day or something, but everyone else is kind of "hey, where'd bob go?" about the whole thing. Meanwhile Hanukkah, a minor holiday, is forced down their throat so Christians won't feel so guilty about Christmas. It's kinda funny.
Posted by: ninme | 24 December 2004 at 01:23 PM
I, for one, would *love* to see religious people of all stripes put up their decorations on government property during the holidays. What better way for the government to show their tolerance of all faiths than to allow a few Satanists or even Nazis express their religious feelings over the holidays? I cannot imagine any Christian would object to this, and would brim with cheer at the image of the baby Jesus swaddled in warm goat's blood.
Posted by: bushlicker | 05 January 2005 at 05:09 AM