Jesus Versus the Atheists (Washington State Gov. Gregoire insults Christians Worldwide)

Townhall ^ | Dec 6, 2008 | Bill O'Reilly

[SeekAndFind]

Just in time for the Christmas season, Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire has insulted Christians all over the world. Inside the state Capitol building in Olympia there is a traditional holiday display featuring a tree and the Nativity scene; perfectly appropriate since the federal and state Christmas holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

But this year Gregoire decided to add another item to the display. Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

You read that correctly. The governor of Washington State has permitted an attack on religion to be displayed in her office building as part of a Christmas presentation.

Even the producers of "The Twilight Zone" would have rejected this script as being too far-fetched. Gregoire's behavior is offensive, insulting to all people of faith and totally incomprehensible.

Unless you know what's going on in Washington State.

Seattle now rivals San Francisco for secular-progressive nuttiness. The city fathers are allowing public nakedness in city parks and nude bike riding, and in Fremont, a Seattle suburb, they actually put up a statue honoring Vladimir Lenin, the father of communism.

Some on the Seattle school board actually supported denigrating Thanksgiving by teaching children about the atrocities against Native Americans by the Pilgrims.

In addition, Washington State voters have passed assisted-suicide legislation, and the state gives out free birth control pills, including the "morning after pill."

On the quality-of-life front, the streets of Seattle are full of homeless people, but they don't have to be out in the rain. The city will pay to house alcoholics and drug addicts if they want it. They can actually get free furnished apartments. Taxpayers, of course, pick up the tab.

Outside of the Seattle area, Washington State is fairly conservative. But the big-city population base rules, and far-left zealots are running wild. However, they may have overstepped on this Christmas deal.

I believe that most Americans, even those living in the far-left enclaves, respect uplifting traditions like Christmas, where peace and love is the theme of the great day. Calling religion "enslaving" doesn't exactly fit into the peace and love scenario, does it? Can't we all just get along for a few weeks in December?

The answer to that question is no. Not in Washington State, where the governor believes a few nuts have a legal right to run down the Christmas tradition in the lobby of the Capitol building. At this point there is little left to say except this: Where are the wise men when you need them?

[GOP Poet]

Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church is Seattle frequently says that there are more dogs than Christians in Seattle. Driscoll and his fellow believers are preaching Christ to those who will listen.

So true. Many of the churches are more lefty socialist type attitudes. Jesus and God in their minds are there to just serve their lefty, political big government and control attitudes. The others? Atheists, Agnostics, New Age, Environmentalism, witches. Take your pick. Not many real Christians in Seattle at all. The ones that I do know do not live there full time.

[Earthdweller]

That's easy to remedy...put another placard right next to it saying...

”There are no gods but secularism, no devils but those we believe in, no angel but those we agree with, no heaven except unatanable human utopia or hell except a world of tolerance that is not accepting of all beliefs. There is only our natural world that we worship. Scientific religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

[randog]

Or my favorite:

A man who ceases to believe in God does not believe in nothing; he believes in anything.
- G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

[deannadurbin]

I’d tell her, “Christine, don’t forget to drink a nice cool glass of water before you croak. It’s the last cold thing you’ll ever feel. Toodles!”

[Blood of Tyrants]

For a few years I have advocated having several states split up since a tiny area in the cities with large populations override the will of the people in rural areas.

Easter Washington splits from Seattle.
Most of Oregon spits from the Portland area.
Most of Pennsylvania splits from the Philadelphia area.
Most of Illinois splits from Chicago.
Most of New York splits from NYC/Long Island

This would give us 10 more US Senators who would be MUCH more conservative than the ones currently from those states.

And I have examined the constitutionality of it, too. In order for a state to split, that state legislature must approve it. And we know that it is practically impossible to get liberals to relinquish their power over people, even if those people don’t want them so we just claim that your differences are too great to stay as one state and sue Congress to recognize you as a new state.

[Clemenza]

Chris Gregoire has always claimed to be Catholic.

[Pelagius of Asturias]

You all need to make a promise - You will not gripe complain or otherwise protest when the courthouse places passages from the Quran on the lawn during Ramadan or Eid.

Anyone who complains about Islamic proselytizing on the courthouse lawn, will be a known hypocrite.

[tflabo]

"The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right that Heaven itself has ordained"... George Washington

How far the leftards have strayed from the words of GW. It's time to change the name of that state so the good words of President George Washington are besmirched no more.

[sionnsar]

Thanks to SandyInSeattle for the ping.

But I have to speak to one element of this piece which repeats something I read frequently on FR:

and in Fremont, a Seattle suburb, they actually put up a statue honoring Vladimir Lenin, the father of communism.

I do not believe this is in honor of Lenin, for several reasons. First, it came here by "accident" -- bought by a private (Seattle) citizen (a carpenter if memory serves me right) from the shipyards at Gdansk, Poland, for reasons of his own. How it passed on from him, possibly following his death, I do not know.

Second, the setting is not exactly respectful. It's not even in a public park, it's on the street in front of a Taco Del Mar, a capitalist running dog roader lackey that (gasp!) hires employees to do its dirty work of serving fish tacos to the masses for a profit.

Third, although I am rarely in Fremont and even less frequently see the statue, it's never been shown much respect. The last time I saw it it had some very old faded brown garlands on the hat -- topped with a bright yellow "rubber" ducky on the brim. Previous memories reinforce this treatment, clearly tolerated if not encouraged or executed by The Peoples' Soviet of Fremont.

Finally there is a small plaque nearby that I think talks a little about the history of the statue but which also talks about details of the statue itself. And until I read it I did not quite recognize the stylized flames and guns at Lenin's back, recollecting the Revolution. Given the dislike of Seattle's liberals for guns, and violence and other lawlessness not executed towards their own goals, this is surprising.

Personally I think this statue (and its plaque) ought to be preserved. Though Fremont, in front of a Taco Del Mar, right on the street, is not the right place for that.

I think this statue of Lenin would be better situated in a museum of man's inhumanity to fellow man.

Say WA? Evergreen State ping

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this ping list.

Ping sionnsar if you see a Washington state related thread.

[muawiyah]

“Catholic” is a word covering a lot of territory.

[tflabo]

Chris Gregoire has always claimed to be Catholic.

Just like she claimed to win the 2004 election for governor?

[Lorianne]

But this year Gregoire decided to add another item to the display. Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

I don't have a problem with this from a 1A point of view. Let them have their say. It is rude and meant to provoke Christians, but what's new about that?

[muawiyah]

Islam, of course, is a form of government, a social order, a religion, .... ALL WRAPPED UP IN ONE.

Moslems have a problem "fitting in".

[sionnsar]

Dear Governor: I will be praying for you.

Keep praying. So long as she draws breath, there is hope.

[muawiyah]

The anti-Ateists need a sign ~ "Atheists have response times in their optic nerve and visual cortex that are much slower than those of normal human beings."

Recent research places the difference at a critical 30 milliseconds ~ and when it comes to detecting otion that's enough to make you accident prone and unable to think more than a couple of steps ahead.

Frankly, I don't think the Atheists would care to have a scientifically accurate and provable sign concerning their "slowness" posted anywhere.

[tflabo]

”There are no gods but secularism, no devils but those we believe in, no angel but those we agree with, no heaven except unatanable human utopia or hell except a world of tolerance that is not accepting of all beliefs. There is only our natural world that we worship. Scientific religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

Also ask them if they are willing to give their lives to defend this statement or recite it on their deathbeds? They cannot nor will not because they are immoral fools full of cowardice.

[Earthdweller]

"Frankly, I don't think the Atheists would care to have a scientifically accurate and provable sign concerning their "slowness" posted anywhere."

ROTFLMBO!

[Lorianne]

I think we should let them make their bed and then lie in it.

People in San Fran are starting to get upset with the bed they’ve made. They’re protesting the homeless in defecating parks and panhandling on the streets and in front of homes. People are starting to pass laws against this stuff ... in San Fran!

I suspect the same thing will happen in Seattle sooner or later. You just have to let them wallow in the mire for a while longer yet.

PS I actually had someone from Seattle try to tell me there were no homeless people in there. But I’ve been there and seen them. Lots of homeless Native Americans too, I saw them lying on the hard concrete in the cold. It’s shameful for a place that claims to be so ‘progressive’.

I suggest: Rub it in their faces whenever you can how shameful it is how poorly they treat Native Americans in Seattle ... that get their ire up real fast. Try it, it’s fun!

[Pelagius of Asturias]

Muskims insist that we “fit in.”

This is the United States we have no “Church of America “ If a government institution accomodates a Christian display, it is therefore obligated to allow all other religious displays for those religious observances.

If you are a Christian and are offended by displays of other religions, well TS.

[CaliGirl-R]

Today, my city here in CA had their Christmas parade. One of the “floats”, a truck pulling a decorated flat bed trailer, had a huge banner “Keep Christ in Christmas”. I bet in alot of cities across the US, they wouldn’t have been allowed to enter the parade.

It made me feel good and I cheered loudly when they went by, and wondered if any of my fellow citizens were offended by the banner.

All the parade participants were yelling “Merry Christmas”, not “Happy Holidays”.

These kind of things stick out now, because of all the articles I have read here at FR stating how people are so offended by Christmas.