As a member of the club, the Christian club, that is, I have never felt that I was being victimized or that I was at war. I grew up in a small city that was about as Christian as it gets. The Levys were the only non-Christians I ever knew. Even the Unitarians had wreaths on their church that was about 2 blocks from my house. People move around more nowadays and small southern cities just aren’t as isolated as they used to be.
I don’t feel the slightest ounce of war in my direction. I don’t care if people in stores tell me Merry Christmas or happy holidays. I don’t care if they don’t even mention it. Why should they assume I am Christian? They shouldn’t unless I am wearing a cross the size of a grapefruit or am in a nun’s habit.
As for religious symbols in the public square, if everyone gets to display theirs, then fine. Otherwise, put up your manger scene at your church. I will probably drive by and admire it.
Now, do I want to melt all the Frosties, send Santa packing, or tear down the wreaths and bells? No. Those are holiday icons. Decorated trees are also seasonal. I certainly have no problem with Christmas trees. Those are cultural symbols, not religious. In fact, lets not forget the origin of the Christmas tree. All people since the beginning of time have celebrated the lengthening of the days or the winter solstice.
Holiday parties replace the Christmas party in offices and schools. Let’s look at it another way–why would you want anyone to feel unwelcome? Plenty of us work with people who are not Christian. If we have holiday parties, then everyone can participate and feel a part of the spirit of the season. What on earth is wrong with that. In other words, why be a clod?
I think it is high time that some Christians stop with the martyr syndrome. Enough victim mentality. It isn’t becoming and its fake. For the record, I expect no more than 10% of all Christians feel like they are victims.
Well, I tried. Really I did. But the minute Ed’s mug showed up on the screen, I had to……Ah, never mind.
The repugs are always whining about something.
@Wolverine
Same here… Once I saw theEdshow in the top left I didn’t go any further. I grew up in a house with an abusive father so I don’t listen to or tolerate douche bags who beat women.
Interesting, Peterson. How come you don’t have the same qualms about some of the verbally abusive, vulgar messages you have left for Elena and me that never made it to print? I actually don’t see much difference.
I find his conservative background, because he wanted to make money, just about as unforgivable. However, I believe in second chances. Also wife beaters generally don’t just stop. Its usually a life long commitment to very bad behavior. We haven’t seen anything else about him involved with domestic abuse, now have we.
The records are sealed. Maybe Ms. Zimmerman gave him a shiner or two also. Unless I see repeat performance, I will just chalk it up to everyone losing their temper. Divorces are nasty things. I once knew a woman who threw a bucket of chicken at the guy. That is battery.
Am I ever glad I don’t watch this crap! Besides, I thought the Grinch stoled Christmas. Mele Kalikimaka.
I am a bit sympathetic to the way some devout Christians in America feel at least somewhat persecuted.
If you’re dating, looking for a life partner, it’s difficult.
If you want your kids to grow up without being exposed to sexual material and violence and profanity, it’s more or less impossible.
But, there’s no active conspiracy against Christians or Christmas. It’s just the case that as we continue into the information age, most people fall further and further from religious belief.
I expect the devout of all the major religions feel the same issues. The ‘westernization” that so many hate includes all the things you mentioned.
In fact, I suspect even athesists hate their kids’ exposure to sexual material, violence and profanity.
The problem is, too many people take the “foot loose” approach to correcting the problem. It doesn’t work because some folks always take it to the unreasonable. Case in point, KK’s in Old Town Manassas.
How many people would have found common ground if they had looked at what they really didn’t like and started the discussion there, rather than an all out disapproval of the entire place because it dealt with S-E-X?
In my case, I don’t like the hard core porn movies that denigrate women. Debbie does Dallas and every motorcycle gang in Texas types of movies. I also don’t like wet tee shirt contests in the name of breast cancer. Same reason. Only one person who opposed that establishment ever talked to me about it from that point of view. Most of the pitchforks and torches crew just approached it from the “its dirty” point of view. Some even showed their “christianity” (NOT) by writing get out of town letters, telling the owners what horrid people they were.
Now whose side is a person like me going to come down on the side of? I can turn a blind eye on things I don’t like if I think someone is being “foot loosed.”
@Moon-howler
“We haven’t seen anything else about him involved with domestic abuse, now have we.”
A few years later he shot and killed his dog, Red, because the dog didn’t do what he asked him to do. Does that count?
In September 2007 he roughed up a woman in a Detroit Lakes, Minnesota bar. Does that count?
Prove it using court records.
I thought maybe you would be apologizing for the verbal abuse to Elena and me. What do I hear? Crickets.
Furthermore, the point of the article was what Barry Lynn of Americans United said, not what Schultz said.
Schultz isn’t the focus.
For the record, I can prove the verbal abuse. I have it all as part of this blog.
Funny how our intrepid Ms. Palin (and Fox) have ignored the “War on Thanksgiving.” Next year it’ll be changed to “Black Thursday & Friday.” Now THAT’S a real thing…
Gasp! Let us not besmirch the reputation of our beloved capitalism, for heavens sake.
middleman, that’s a great point. As is so always the case, we end up talking about what’s not real because our “leaders” don’t want to confront anything that IS real.
Well, if ya got it show it. period. Did I ever call either of you “sl**s”, “c***s”, “bitches”, “whores”, etc…? You have every last word I’ve ever posted, both those you have let thru your censoring and those that have not.
You have already insinuated I’m a racist, saying you have a plethora of evidence, but have yet to show a shred of it (border line defamatory BTW with nothing to back it up. Now your accusing me of “shultzing” you? Please keep in mind the vile, misogyny voiced by that fat, drunk, piece of ****.
So, if you want an honest conversation about this than post your proof. Like I’ve said before, I’ll own up to and defend what I can and will be the first to apologize for what I can’t. Period….
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No and if you had, you wouldn’t be here having this conversation right now.
There are other forms of verbal abuse.
I have 777 past comments that were not published. I am not going to go through them just to embarrass you. Many of them have been abusive to Elena or me.
You really need to clean up your trap. We don’t insist on no profanity but you often cross the line. I plan on editing your comments.
I don’t like your name calling. It is unacceptable on this blog. Again, Ed Schultz isn’t the issue. Barry Lynn and the imaginary War on Christmas is the topic.
If you don’t like the people we put up here, no one is forcing you to come on the blog.
Your comments are unpredictable. That is the reason I keep you in moderation.
The so-called “War on Christianity” meme is nothing more than a marketing gimmick directed at the dull, ignorant, and weak-minded. As a Christian who has spent a fair amount of time in a number of different cultures, I can say with complete confidence that there is no easier place on earth to be a Christian than in the United States of America. As I told Citizen Tom a few days ago, Christians in the USA have a very cushy posting (Tom is worried that martyrdom is in our future). Try being a Christian in northern Nigeria, southern Egypt or the Sudan, Saudi Arabia, major portions of Pakistan, North Korea, and then come talk to me about how the US is waging a War on Christmas. Complete, utter nonsense.
I remember a sermon from my days growing up in a small town in the center of the Republic when a minister preached about how horrible it was that Christmas had been abbreviated to “X-mas.” As an 8 year old, I was all in for the preacher on that point. It was horrible. Until my father (a classics scholar of some accomplishment) explained that the “X” was the Greek letter “Chi”, which, of course, stood for Christos, the Annointed One, the Messiah. Boy, was I embarrassed. Of course, I was also 8 years old, and perhaps should get a bit of slack for not having had time to form an analytical brain. But the War on Christmas crowd now seems to have an average chronological age somewhere north of 8 years. I cannot begin to imagine what their excuse might be.
Thanks for the reminder that we do have religious freedom in this country and how many places would persecute you for being a Christian.
I have heard enough victim mentality to last several seasons.
@Scout
When it comes to the war on Christmas the only thing I think of is this… It’s only Christmas, so-to-speak, that’s ever targeted by atheists and liberals (along with other Christan holidays).
Why don’t they ever mock Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, Shavu’ot, or Passover?
When was the last time Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha was mocked or attacked? Eid Al-Adha is where Muslims usually sacrifice an animal. Where are the animal rights activists?
Atheists and liberals? What have either group done to Christmas? Targeted?
I have never felt like that at all. Do some non-Christians feel like its wrong to display religious symbols on public property? Yes. Government is supposed to be neutral.
Those holidays you mentioned are minority holidays. I have never even noticed them with the exception of Rosh Hoshanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover. Its difficult to object to something you don’t notice. Jews really don’t try to shove their holidays down your throat. Why would I care if they put on a public or semi public display? I don’t go howling off if I see a Chanukah message on my TV. Same for Christmas. Why would I want to mock someone else’s religion. I try to not even do that to snake handlers. they have a sincere believe that God will protect them from the serpents. I was taught “not to test the Lord thy God.”
Christianity is the majority religion in the United States. Sometimes we forget that not everyone wants to celebrate with us.
Seriously, I have never understood why churches don’t just do their own display on their own property. It makes perfect sense to me. I don’t understand the need to “take over the town.”
I can’t wait to see who is fighting who in Leesburg. It’s worth a drive out there just to see.
Sarah Palin told Liberty University students that there is a war on Christmas. What do you know!
I actually heard O’Reilly charge the Pope with injecting religion into politics with his comments regarding trickle-down. A right-wing spokesman complaining about religion in politics!
I couldn’t believe O’Reilly did this with a straight face! He must be immune to irony!!
If O’Reilly is sincere in his beliefs, he’ll attack the Pope vociferously. And vice versa.
Jesus was not into supply-side economics … though if some “Christians” had their way they’d rewrite history as this cartoon suggests. http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/17_franken.html
snicker