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It's Okay To Say "Merry Christmas!"....Another Homerun For Freedom Of Religion
Alliance Defense Fund ^ | Nov. 15, 2004 | Alan Sear

Posted on 11/16/2004 9:06:20 AM PST by Lindykim

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To: Lindykim
There has been an annual light display in one of our parks for years. It started off as a bunch of Christmas lights in the trees and cars would drive through the park at night to see them. Very pretty.

Time went by and the county took over the display. More and more "stops" were added with ever more intricate and elaborate displays. Costs went up so the county looked for sponsorships. Last year Calvary Chapel wished to sponsor a display that included a cross and said "Jesus is the reason for the season."

Someone complained - we are talking about Broward County, Florida - and Calvary was told they could not sponsor because they had a religious theme. Understand, this whole display started as a Christmas celebration, but now had become a "Holiday Festival of Lights." Yeah, right.

Calvary sued and won. They had their display put up last year.

This year the county announced that because they could not control the content, there would be no more sponsorships of the displays. The article in the paper went on to describe the festive pirate display, snow display, bear display, etc. Of course there are no Christmas themed displays at all.

21 posted on 11/16/2004 10:35:45 AM PST by Crusher138 (Support capitalism. Check out www.USAPoliTees.com)
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To: Protagoras
"I don't know why anyone would feel moved to wish a non Christian a merry Christmas. How about, "have an nice day"."

You have a point, I suppose.

I could say, "Have a Nice Day on December 25."

But it is much shorter just to say, "Merry Christmas."

Why would a non-Christian want to take offense at a simple wish from one person to another for merriment on a particular day?

22 posted on 11/16/2004 10:42:56 AM PST by chs68
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To: MineralMan
I don't do Easter greetings.

LOL, how insensitive of you!

23 posted on 11/16/2004 10:44:15 AM PST by Protagoras (No wonder we have problems, big tents have lots of clowns inside)
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To: chs68
I could say, "Have a Nice Day on December 25."

That would make no sense unless you were trying to make some point. Kinda like saying "have a nice day on April 22nd". No need to differentiate.

But it is much shorter just to say, "Merry Christmas."

"Have a nice Day" is only 12 letters, the other is 14.

If you were a Jew, why would I wish you a happy Ramadan?

Why would a non-Christian want to take offense at a simple wish from one person to another for merriment on a particular day?

I never claimed they would, but I'm sure some do. My point had nothing to do with the person hearing the greeting, only the one offering it.

24 posted on 11/16/2004 10:55:24 AM PST by Protagoras (No wonder we have problems, big tents have lots of clowns inside)
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To: MineralMan

***When did you not have that right?***

When our public schools turned the holiday into a Winter Holiday instead of a Christmas Holiday. My point is to keep saying Merry Christmas because it IS a Christian holiday. And your polite reply of Happy Holiday is fine.


25 posted on 11/16/2004 11:06:33 AM PST by kitkat
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To: kitkat

"***When did you not have that right?***

When our public schools turned the holiday into a Winter Holiday instead of a Christmas Holiday. My point is to keep saying Merry Christmas because it IS a Christian holiday. And your polite reply of Happy Holiday is fine."

But, your original message had to do with saying, "Merry Christmas" to store clerks. You said you were going to take that right back. You never lost that right.

Indeed, schoolkids say "Merry Christmas" to each other all the time. They never lost that right, either.

However, the schools cannot offer up a Christmas celebration with Christian symbolism as an official function. That is true. The reason is that every school has students who do not celebrate Christmas, because they are of another faith or because their sect of Christianity forbids them to celebrate Christmas. So...the school stays out of religious celebration.

The children, however, may wish anyone they want a "Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or even a Happy New Year," as they choose.

The government may not officially celebrate religious holidays where people are compelled to attend, and school is one such place where people are compelled to attend. That's how it works. Individuals, however, are free to celebrate whatever religious holiday they wish. That is their right.

Government has no rights. Only people have rights.


26 posted on 11/16/2004 11:23:10 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: Lindykim

BTTT


27 posted on 11/16/2004 11:25:19 AM PST by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: MineralMan

Bless you for having a 'good' attitude Mineralman. I suspect that if we could see exactly how many atheists are pushing the anti-Christian juggernaut we'd discover that there aren't too many. The guilty ones are activists, some motivated by resentment and others by a social-change-making agenda.


28 posted on 11/16/2004 11:31:26 AM PST by Lindykim
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To: MineralMan
The government may not officially celebrate religious holidays where people are compelled to attend, and school is one such place where people are compelled to attend. That's how it works.

It works wrong.

Having said that, there should be no compulsory education nor government schools.

29 posted on 11/16/2004 11:32:54 AM PST by Protagoras (No wonder we have problems, big tents have lots of clowns inside)
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To: Protagoras

"Having said that, there should be no compulsory education nor government schools."

OK, but there are, and that's very, very unlikely to change.


30 posted on 11/16/2004 11:33:59 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: Lindykim

"I suspect that if we could see exactly how many atheists are pushing the anti-Christian juggernaut we'd discover that there aren't too many. "

You'd be right. I know a few atheists, other than myself, and none are activists. They're about as "live and let live" as any group I know.

I only know a few, though, because atheists don't have a place to meet like a church or something. We're pretty much non-joiners.

Anyhow, have a Happy Thanksgiving!


31 posted on 11/16/2004 11:35:45 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: Lindykim

"London printers Charles Goodall & Sons became the first to mass-produce Christmas cards. In 1862 they created cards saying "A Merry Christmas." Later, they designed cards with various designs, including robins, holly, mangers, snowmen, and even Little Red Riding Hood."

Saying "Merry Christmas" has been around longer than the PC freaks we have to deal with today. I say, say whatever you want to whomever you want and let the chips fall where they may!

If you want to get someone REALLY riled up, offer them a Candy Cane, LOL! Go check out why for yourselves, below...

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/christmas2.html


32 posted on 11/16/2004 11:42:20 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
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To: MineralMan
OK, but there are, and that's very, very unlikely to change.

You may be correct, in the mean time, intelligent people without an agenda, should have no problem with Christmas greetings or any other type of peaceful greetings of good will in school.

33 posted on 11/16/2004 11:48:20 AM PST by Protagoras (No wonder we have problems, big tents have lots of clowns inside)
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To: Crusher138

The celebration of Christs' birthday is the fundamental basis for Christmas. It's the very 'spirit' of Christmas. As seculars continue to erase the reason for Christmas, they also remove all meaning and purpose for it. And as their eradication agenda progrsses, eventually people will begin to question why they ought to bother buying gifts, putting up trees, decorating, etc. Why bother with the expense and trouble if its just another day like any other. And that is how Christmas will wither away and die in America.

Already it's becoming more difficult to find wrapping paper that looks like it's for Christmas and not for some kids day or some "winter celebration".


One day I was reading Goebels action plans for eradicating Germany's existing holidays so as to replace them with what the Nazis felt were more fitting. His strategy was exactly what is occuring here in America: introduce resentment towards the holiday so as to divide the people; introduce into use another name for the holiday,ostensibly to
soothe tensions {Christmas is being replaced by 'winter solstice'}, continue to strip all meaning and purpose and then eventually, the holiday will simply wither and die.




34 posted on 11/16/2004 11:53:46 AM PST by Lindykim
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To: MineralMan

snip.....Anyhow, have a Happy Thanksgiving!


The same back at ya'!


35 posted on 11/16/2004 11:55:46 AM PST by Lindykim
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To: Protagoras
Having said that, there should be no compulsory education nor government schools.

Perhaps. However, I think we need to acknowledge that public schools, in some form, are going to be with us for the foreseeable future. It's like the welfare state- conservatives have to accept that it's not going anywhere anytime soon. We should focus on trying to make public education work, whether by breaking the teachers' unions or fighting for school choice.

36 posted on 11/16/2004 12:09:19 PM PST by Modernman (Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. --Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Modernman
We should focus on trying to make public education work,

That cannot happen anymore.

whether by breaking the teachers' unions

Always worth a try, good luck on that one too.

or fighting for school choice.

You already have school choice.

Now all you have to do is get them to stop stealing your money and giving to other people to whom it does not belong in order to send their children to school.

37 posted on 11/16/2004 12:14:22 PM PST by Protagoras (No wonder we have problems, big tents have lots of clowns inside)
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To: Moose4

I'm in Union County. The moonbats here seem to keep a low profile.


38 posted on 11/16/2004 12:19:05 PM PST by Tax-chick (The whole world has gone crazy. Their beebers are stuned and there's no turning back.)
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To: Protagoras
Now all you have to do is get them to stop stealing your money and giving to other people to whom it does not belong in order to send their children to school.

That's never going to happen.

39 posted on 11/16/2004 12:20:26 PM PST by Modernman (Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. --Benjamin Franklin)
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To: Tax-chick

Oh good, you're in the sane part of the state then. I read about some of the stuff that goes on in Mecklenberg County and I can't believe it.

}:-)4


40 posted on 11/16/2004 12:23:27 PM PST by Moose4 (I'm not white trash. I'm Caucasian recyclables.)
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