"Irv Sutley ... is a lifelong atheist and is also chairman of the Sonoma County’s Peace and Freedom Party."
Maybe those skin lesions are cancerous.
Posted on 12/23/2009 9:10:48 AM PST by markomalley
SAN FRANCISCO — It was the week before Christmas when Irv Sutley, a former warehouse worker, first saw the offending ornament in a government building in Sonoma County, just north of here.
“I was turning around in the lobby, and I noticed the tree,” Mr. Sutley said. “And then, I noticed the angel.”
Mr. Sutley, an atheist, said he then went to the office of the county Board of Supervisors. “And there was a star,” he said.
Technically, neither stars nor angels belong to any particular religion. But to the mind of Mr. Sutley, 65, a veteran who has fought to keep religion out of public meetings and buildings, the symbolism was clear.
“For most people, a star atop a tree at this time of season represents the star of Bethlehem, which is a cult symbol, the cult being Christianity,” he said, adding that the government should be neutral on religion.
Sonoma County officials conferred with their lawyers, and on Monday the acting county administrator, Chris Thomas, asked county departments to remove stars, angels or any other religious symbols “so that we can celebrate the season yet not appear to endorse Christian or other religious doctrines.”
Mr. Thomas cited a 1989 Supreme Court decision, Allegheny v. A.C.L.U., which stated that while Christmas trees could be seen as secular, they could also be seen as religious if decorated with religious symbols.
All of which pleased Mr. Sutley, who said he had found about a half-dozen stars on other trees around the building in Santa Rosa. He said he found none in the social services department, in which he found a religious placard during the holidays last year. (It, too, was removed.)
(Excerpt) Read more at elpasoinc.com ...
Then he noticed his straight ticket to H@LL! Leave us alone, d@mn you atheist.
Atheist killjoy ping
Some kind old Christian should stick a star up this “veteran’s” ass.
SIX STARS?????? THANK GOD HE STOPPED THIS FORCING OF RELIGION DOWN OUR THROATS! The gaul of the city to add stars to a Christmas tree! Next year they might be so bold as to add candy canes. THE HORROR!!!!!!
So he just turned around a “saw” the offening star? And found something that offended him last year? What loser trolls city buildings looking to be offended?
Obviously he doesn't understand anything the Supreme Court has ever said.
What a jerk. Goes around looking for things he decides are offensive. Why can’t private citizens display their own property in a public workplace?
Sounds like Moscow on the Bay.
But this a$$wipe has no problem with the 50 stars on the flag he fought for?
Keep his no-god god worldview out of the workplace too.
The same text that says the government cannot establish a state religion cannot use the power of the state to block or ridicule same beliefs.
The atheist supremacists seek to make atheism the only promoted religious view by the State.
The removal and total absence of a star is a statement of his beliefs. But, of course, he wouldn’t see it as that.
Won’t California be falling off into the ocean soon? All that stupid weighs too much.
Apparently California chooses atheism and Californian Americans are pleased to deny God and our Constitutional guarantee of freedom of religious expression.
Obama’s White House tree has a portrait of Mao, a portrait of a transexual, and Obama pictured on Mt. Rushmore.
Maybe that is the god this man wants.
Sing some new carols:
“I’ll have a RED Christmas, comrade...”
“Christmas in the gulag...”
"Thats like simply describing hitler as a former WW1 veteran. Google this guy! He was accused in a murder for hire plot, provided a gun to someone accused in a terrorist attack on a US military base, and was a member of the communist party. Do your homework on this loser!"
What season would that be?
First day of winter? How long have the decorations been up?
Will they come down at the end of winter?
When will the spring season decorations go up?
Mr. Sutley has been traumatized by the sight of a star. Poor Mr. Sutley requires hospitalization (whether he wants it or not). It must be a living hell to be a Mr. Sutley. How can he make it through the day? So sensitive, offended at every turn. Mr. Sutley how can you make it through something like Thursday? Do you know that Thursday is named after a pagan god? We are surrounded by religious symbolism. You must be tearing your hair out. I will pray for you.
See also:
California Official Orders Removal of Christmas Angel After Complaint
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2413797/posts
(NOT duplicate, another article on the same topic from a different source)
Bingo, we have a winner !
I find HIM offensive and demand HE be removed ! And I'm an agnostic !!
I’d bet good money that Mr. Sutley lives an unhappy, miserable life, filled with an all-consuming hatred and jealousy. I’m not surprised that he lashes out at everything even remotely associated with Christianity. Hate will make you do that.
I truly hope he opens his heart to Jesus Christ before his time comes. I really do.
These are the fruits of subjective reality, brought to you by public education.
What an assclown!
There are no “atheists” - just God haters.
Why do they listen? Ignore this schmuck for a few days and it’s over. If he sues and wins a judgment, let him sue the county to collect. Enough already.
"The Peace and Freedom Party is an open, multi-tendency, movement-oriented socialist party. We are united in our common commitment to socialism, democracy, feminism and unionism and our common opposition to capitalism, imperialism, racism, sexism and elitism."
http://www.peaceandfreedom.org/home/
Christianity is a cult , yaknow.
Boy, is he in for a shocker.
I wonder when he is going to sue God for putting stars in the sky? Or does he just stare at the ground to keep from seeing the heavenly stars?
I wish someone would stick star up his behind.
Hey, Irv, that’s not a star, it’s a light bulb.
people really suck sometimes..
And still needing to grow up.
If all the religious symbolism is removed, it is no longer “Christmas” that’s being celebrated. I wish these atheists would put their money where their mouths are and work on Christmas day.
What would happen if these rulings were ignored?
Huh. Some interesting stuff comes up if you search that name.
Keep the angle on the tree.
Well, I’m offended by its removal!!! Maybe it’s time those of us, the majority, start suing over the REMOVAL of things like this!
And Obama hangs a Mao ornament from his Christmas tree in full view of everyone.
"Irv Sutley ... is a lifelong atheist and is also chairman of the Sonoma County’s Peace and Freedom Party."
Maybe those skin lesions are cancerous.
“But this a$$wipe has no problem with the 50 stars on the flag he fought for?”
It was the way it was written. It fooled several so far. The guy isn’t a veteran.
The guy is a veteran of keeping religious symbols off public property. That is what he has “fought” for. If the guy was an actual prior member of the service you can be sure it was peace time, the guy never left the states, and most probably didn’t function well either ending up in the brig or quickly leaving the service.
Plus, the guy is a “former” warehouse worker. In other words he is unemployed.
So, a completely unsavory blowhard spends his time hating Christianity and living off the government tit. Sounds like a future legislator for California. He should run for office.
There are times when violence is uncalled for. However, there are times when violence is appropriate. The distinction is when people who are offensive and oppressive seek to dominate and control others, and seek to hide behind and use the grace given to others who are not offensive and oppressive.
This is why, for example, when neo-Nazis wanted to march through Skokie, Illinois, a heavily Jewish area, with the sole purpose of inflicting emotional distress on people, despite what the ACLU said, it is *not* free speech. In doing so, they were not petitioning the government. They were seeking to intimidate and harm people in their own homes.
A star or an angel on a Christmas tree is a passive display, even more passive than music. No one is “oppressed” by such a display, forced to watch it with more than a passing glance. And no reasonable person could assume that it is a statement of policy.
But for an individual to demand its removal, turns a voluntary act of emplacement, into an involuntary act of removal. This is an effort to control and dominate, an offensive act, and an un-American act. As such it should be treated the same as if someone knocked on the door of a black citizen, then told them to move out because the knocker is “offended” by blacks.
And in this case, violence is very called for, either for the atheist or the racist. And a lack of violence will encourage them to commit future acts of offense and oppression.
is also chairman of the Sonoma County’s Peace and Freedom Party.””
Sure does not say much for that particular political party, does it??
Hope there are no American flags in the Sonoma County government offices. Each of those would have 50 of the offending stars.
That guy is just looking for ways to be offended. And I should remind all that to be offended is an overt choice. This guy chooses to find that which brings others joy to be offensive.
Inclusive not exclusive. These morons need a beat down.
Atheists need to stop forcing Their Religion down our throats!
Well, those Christians are confused b/c Jeremiah 10 is talking about the heathen and their idol worship of trees and things made of gold and silver, etc. The main theme there and admonitions was against idolatry....not trees or gold or silver...Many of those christians that feel that way about Christmas Trees have televisions, which serve as much more of an idol than any tree...
Yes, I know that, but Jeremiah is admonishing them from even having them there, whether or no. Do you despise his advice?
I hope this idiot doesn’t look up in the sky at night if he is so offended by stars...... I suggest if he has a problem with those stars, then he needs to talk to God......oh, wait, nevermind....
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