They Still Deliver My Mail on Yom Kippur
Christianity is destroying America. George Bush sealed his presidential bid when, in an early debate, he told the United States that his favorite philosopher was Jesus Christ. From there it has been a brouhaha (with increasingly less ha-ha) of war, divisiveness, mysticism, prayer, paranoia, and a sense that the worse things get, the closer Christians are to their rapture.
Mike Huckabee is the heir apparent to the millions of evangelical votes that re-elected Bush in 2004. If the most "Christian" is elected, fundamentalists believe we are keeping God on America's side. To underestimate their voting power is an invitation to spend another election night nauseated in front of a red map of the USA.
The framers of our Constitution knew that religion within government is wrong. So dangerous, in fact, that they specifically earmarked its detachment from the process: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..." Thomas Jefferson called it "a wall of separation between church and state." Layered with the Iraq War, our unconstitutional alignment with Christianity sends a powerful message that we will be intolerant of anyone hedonistic enough to not believe that Jesus Christ died on a cross to save us from our sins.
Evangelical influence is all over the election of 2008. The debates are laden with questions about candidates' favorite Bible verses or how often and heartily they pray. The thought that a grown person -- the leader of the free world -- would actually sit down and hear voices to guide him in major decisions is blood-curdling mad. Listen to John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, or any of the other candidates and you'll hear a group of seemingly intelligent people sounding silly in order to placate lunacy. I'd like to hear a debate where the candidates are asked how quickly they are going to eliminate Bush's trash legislation called "the faith-based initiative."
On December 11th the Congress passed "House Resolution 847: Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith." It passed 372 to 9. Only nine members of Congress -- all Democrats -- had the guts to stand up and say "nay" to this waste of their time and our money. The legislation resolved:
"That the House of Representatives --
(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world."
America needs to be a progressive country that reasons rather than prays, looks to science rather than God, and listens to the Constitution rather than crackpots. We need a country that doesn't just respect Christmas by law, but where believers unite with the majority and honor peace by demanding an end to America's wasteful occupation of Iraq. "Good will towards men" must extend to all, no matter what their race, religion, or sexual preference.
Alzheimer's disease, AIDS, cancer, and overpopulation must be dealt with scientifically, so that American citizens are not forced to look towards the heavens for an answer that will never come. Think of all the suffering that could have been relived had the pope called for condom use during the AIDS crisis, or if George Bush in his quest for a better tomorrow, had embraced science rather than the Holy Ghost.
H. Res. 847 is vile. It is petty, FOX-News based political posturing, wrapping hatred and prejudice under the cloak of religion. What are we who are represented by the nine dissenters to do?
Our Democratic Congress has dropped the ball not only on ending war, but on stopping America's isolating religious policies. To imagine the suffering in Darfur, in Iraq, or across America and put this piece of legislation forward is making a mockery of the lives being lost, and the needless suffering strangling the world.
In America we are free to honor Christmas, Yom Kippur, Ramadan, or any of the scores of holidays that grace the calendar. Like every sunrise, Christmas is just another day. 24 hours. Generally it's cold and there's nothing to do. Merriment is a celebration for every waking second of our lives every day of the year. Christmas is a joyous day simply because we are alive. America must embrace science along with peace and tolerance, or the entire human race -- not just Christmas legislation -- is pointless.
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Can I get an 'amen!"??
I have no idea how to get through the heads of the fools who are trumpeting the "Christian ideals and faith" of our founding fathers. Thomas Jefferson HATED the bible, calling it a collection of fantasy geared for the control of the uneducated, wielded by the cruel and corrupt for their own benefit. The men who gathered to form a new nation were DEISTS!!! They believed there was a force or assemblage of knowledge greater than their own because they knew they could NOT answer or explain many more questions than they could. They believed in a God, but were not bible-thumping "Christians". Christ would cringe if he were here to see the attrocities committed in his name. I have read the bible, am not a believer, but I do think the basic instruction provided would be excellent IF, and that's a MIGHTY big "IF", it were followed by those who pretend to such position that they "look to a higher father". Such pretense is pure hubris, like everything else spewed by the religious right. The United States was NOT formed under the auspices of Christianity. Our Constitution FORBIDS this. This is to say that every Jew, Muslim, Wiccan, and the American Indian are lesser beings. We all know what has been done to the Native Americans, now we just have to wait until bushit turns Blackwater against the small towns and villages and provides the century with a new Wounded Knee. I will not be surprized to be shot dead in the parking lot of my local supermarket for being outspoken about the corruption of this adminstration, and neither should anyone else who posts here and tells it like it is.
You are correct and on the mark.
Religion should play NO role in our government.
Our government was formed to PROTECT religious freedom - not to sponsor one "brand" of religion over another. It was founded to honor everyone's beliefs and to let them believe as they see fit, without promoting religion in general or particular.
We all embrace science. Its liberals that reject it.
The first law of thermodynamics says matter/energy cannot come from nothing. Therefore, the universe itself could not have formed naturally.
It is striking that on many issues, Christians are extremely divided. The political history of Christianity, even since the Micean Council in Constantinople which was convened to establish a unified Church, has been riddled with persecution, bloodshed, and injustice.
Although the disagreements between Christians today are fought with less bloodshed, protestants still don't trust Catholics, Seventh Day Adventists still practice their sabbath on Saturday instead of Sunday, Quakers and Puritans still shun the lot of them as less holy. Some evangelicals still preach a hatred of Jews for the killing of Christ, while others, like Hagee, preach that loyalty to Jews and Israel is necessary at all costs, as a prerequisite of the second coming. Other groups, like Jehovahs Witnesses and Mormons, are recognized as "Christian" by the rest of the outside world, but not amongst the mainstream of protestant belief. Christian Scientists, Unitarians, the list goes on, I wonder, which "Christian" groups belief was recognized by this piece of legislature?
From what I can tell, the "Christmas Story of Jesus" is being focused on by Congress to distract us all from the fact that the North Pole, home to Santa and his eight reindeer, is being threatened by global warming. So now we have to give gifts to each other instead of waiting for his, because the elves are too busy to make presents since all their time is being spent feeding the starving polar bears. Go shopping America!
Once again our mainstream news media is destroying us with its impotence when dealing with this religious nonsense. I do not remember any journalist or major newspaper asking any of the candidates about "Rapture" or "Armegeddon."
Christianity was a direct descendant of Zoroastrianism, the first religion to promote the belief in a single god. The Christ story is a religious myth, the details of which were drawn from the cultural context of ancient times. In order to be taken seriously as a deity, the subject of worship had to be born of a virgin. It fit in with how the people of the time understood divinity. Alexander the Great, Augustus Caesar and Buddha were said to have been born of virgins.
The idea of Jesus coming to Earth in order to be sacrificed corresponded with the ancient belief of human (or animal) sacrifice being necessary to appease the gods. The resurrection, as well, was a necessary part of the story, again based on cultural beliefs of the time, in order to affirm that Jesus was a living god.
Jesus is a mythical figure in the tradition of pagan mythology and almost nothing in all of ancient literature would lead one to believe otherwise. There is not a conception associated with Christ that is not common to some or all of the Savior cults of antiquity.
I total agree with the fact that its not religion destroying America, its politics! The unchanging,greed, of our government leaders have lost sight of American Values, in god we trust is not part of the problem, serving other than who elects them has caused a giant rift between the people and, the lobbyists puppets. When ever i get on a web site of any candidate, they ask for money, my $100. is not going to make any difference, lobbyists Million Dollar donations, are the direction the candidates are going to go. Don't blame religion, And, i'm a Veteran and, never had Veterans Day off!!! GO FIGURE?
I can't believe this resolution even got a vote. What is wrong with these people? Don't they know why they are in Washington. I can't believe only nine people stood up against this idiocy. This is the most discouraging thing I have heard in a while. How is it that we can't get votes to end the occupation of Iraq, extend health benefits for poor children or impeach the treasonous Dick Cheney but they jump all over each other to support some meaningless "Christianity is great resolution". As if Jesus would care of their petty prideful tribute. Jesus would be the first to say they have totally missed the point. The teachings of Jesus are about humility, generosity and helping the downtrodden. This Congress is the Rome of our times and their resolution is like Rome's declaration that Ceasar is Lord of all.
Celebrating the winter solstices was around long before the church piggy backed on Christ’s birthday to it.
But what this country really needs are religious parties. The Jews, Hindus Muslims etc. could all run their perfect religious candidate. Then we could celebrate all of the specific religious holidays associated with the current President. All the agnostics and atheists could be deported to Mexico. That would make room for all the Mexican immigrants to stay here and work for peanuts. Aren’t all Mexicans Catholic? And aren’t Catholics Christians?
And my wife says I’m cynical.
The wall between church and state protects both sides. It is regarded as improper to mock religious beliefs, point out how nonsensical they are. But if they want to throw down the wall then let us accept that and really go after them. All criticisms of religion become acceptable. For an analysis of the nonsense and arguments to use and what we should do see the chapter "Does the word God exist?" in
Our Almost Impossible Universe:
Why the laws of nature make the existence of humans extraordinarily unlikely
and
randomabsurdities.wordpress.com
I do notice the use of a rather tired defense among Christians to criticism. I have often heard Christians jump into the fray and use the defense “we aren’t all like that” to answer criticisms about extremism in their faith. Yet the same Christians who “aren’t all like that” offer deafening quiet while Pat Robertson calls for the bombing of the State Department, or the Pope condemns non-Catholics while shifting child-diddling priests from parish to parish, or Tim LeHaye calls for the blood of non-Christians to run in the streets, or Mike Huckabee touts his morals while lying about his role in letting a rapist free on the streets for political vengeance. The silence speaks volumes. One can only assume that their silence means that they support these views, yet when an outsider criticizes their stand on an issue, suddenly “we aren’t all like that”. It starts with the “we aren’t all like that” defense, then moves on to labasting the questioner for tarring all Christians with the same brush, and ends by dismissing the questioner as a non-believer with an axe to grind.
For a change, I would really love to see and hear these “we aren’t all like that” Christians actually take a stand and speak up when their public leaders issue volatile and hateful statements or when they demonize everyone under the sun who is not a member of their congregations. I would like to see them do this publicly before an outsider has to make the initial response. Instead, the norm appears to be “we aren’t all like that” Christians who offer silence, and then after the fact in the safety of relative anonymity express respectfully worded dissent, but even then usually only after an outsider has had the audacity to criticize their faith. It ultimately sends an obvious message loud and clear: Most Christians in this country would prefer to be seen as united through silence with the hate-spewing extremists of their religion rather than publicly express what they “really think” and be affiliated with heathens.
Christianity is a bunch of weak and small minded people getting together to make each other feel better about being weak and small minded.
Why do they have such trouble with sex and booze and gambling? Does me buying a lotto ticket, having some wine, and doing the horizontal hula (with a same sex partner) have ANY effect on them what-so-ever?
And this rapture b.s.
It really freaked me out when I read that when this happens, they all float NAKED to heaven.
Hee-larious!
The people that freak out because Larry Flynt makes millions selling pictures of naughty bits to willing buyers, fantasize about floating around NEKKID with all their friends and family.
Can someone explain that?
Finally, Christmas has jack to do with christianity, anyway, unless they're praying to Sam Walton, R.H. Macy, and Herbert Marcus!
First, to the poster that argues that the term “separation of church and state” do not appear in the Constitution, they are correct. However, this term is applied to condense the overall principle. The term was coined based on a letter between founding father and then president Thomas Jefferson and the Danbury Baptists in which he clarified the founder’s intentions pertaining to religion in the First Amendment in that it had erected a "wall of separation between church and state.”
The First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...." In short, this requires our government to remain neutral and not take sides and show favoritism to any particular religion. Practice it all you like and enjoy your freedom to do so, but do not expect the government to enforce your religious views on others. Further, the Treaty of Tripoli ratified in 1797, states outright that the United States of America is most definitely not a nation founded on the Christian religion.
It tickles me that when the “separation of church and state” is largely seen as an obstacle to Christians forcing their views on other people, then it simply does not exist. However, if a speaker from a non-Christian faith is tapped to open the prayer, then Christians will be the first to stomp out of the room and demand to know where the separation of church and state is to save them from this infidel trying to force their heathen religion on them.
I don't have much interest in Jesus and don't especially like so-called Christianity (are there any real Christians?), and I don't even like Christmas.
But still, it's much better than atheism.
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