Posted on 12/13/2004 6:25:10 AM PST by conservativecorner
"Christmas with the Kranks" is not only the name of a holiday movie this year, it is also a national trend. Once again, Christmas is under siege by the growing forces of secularism. Put these facts in your stocking:
Federated Department Stores, which includes Macy's, has suggested that managers avoid displaying "Merry Christmas" banners and have ordered employees not to talk about it.
In Denver, a church was banned from the Festival of Lights parade because it wanted a religious theme to its float.
The Maplewood, N.J., school board has banned religious music from "holiday" concerts.
Mayor Bloomberg insists that the lighted tree outside City Hall is not a Christmas tree, it's a holiday tree. (What holiday, Mr. Mayor?) Surveys show that more than 90% of Americans celebrate the federal holiday of Christmas, signed into law by President Ulysses Grant in 1870. Despite that overwhelming number, Christmas continues to get hammered.
The anti-Christmas forces say it's all about diversity, protecting the sensitivities of those Americans who get offended by the mere mention of the birth of Jesus. Somehow I haven't been able to locate any of these folks who find a baby in a manger so off-putting it ruins their day.
So the diversity excuse is a bunch of bull. What's really going on is a well-organized movement to wipe out any display of organized religion from the public arena.
The secular-progressive movement knows that it is organized religion, most specifically Christianity and Judaism, that stands in the way of gay marriage, partial birth abortion, legalized narcotics, euthanasia and many other secular causes. If religion can be de-emphasized, a brave new progressive society can be achieved.
It has happened in Canada. Once a traditional religious country, Canada has become like Holland in its embrace of the secular movement. Some facts: In 1980, 79% of Canadians said religion was important to the country. The number has fallen to 61%. In 1971, less than 1% of the Canadian population reported having no religion whatsoever; that number has risen to 16%.
The fall of religion in Canada has corresponded to a change in public policy. Canadians have legalized gay marriage and any kind of abortion, and the age of consent for sex is 14. Can you imagine American adults being allowed to fool around with children that age? I can't.
The Canadian model is what progressive Americans are shooting for, so religion must be dealt with. Since Christmas is the most demonstrative display of organized religion, a strategy of minimizing the birth of Jesus makes sense.
I know this sounds conspiratorial, but it isn't. Most of those marginalizing Christmas have no idea about the big picture. They simply think they're looking out for the minority of Americans who don't celebrate the birth of Christ.
But committed secularists in the media, courts and education system know what's going on. And now so do you. Merry Christmas!
Except, of course, for those who want people to abandon their individuality in subservience to the State.
How true. How sad.
BTW, anyone see Christmas with the Kranks?
We Christians are getting what we deserve from the filthy hands of the secular-progressive movement. For generations now, we've allowed this godless bunch to steal our national traditions and we've let unelected judged to degrade America's morality. They started with banning God from the public schools, then they opened to flood gates to abortion. Now they are pushing for queer marriages.
It's time to take our country back WITHOUT apologies. Give the secularists the back of our collective hands and run their stooges out of the judicial system.
A case of the tail wagging the dog! In a democracy, the majority has an obligation to ensure the rights of the minority are protected. Since when is not being offended a right? Just the opposite...being offended means someone else's right of free speech is in fact being exercized.
Freedom of religion is not freedom from religion!
If everyone decided to celebrate the spiritural meaning of Christmas instead of the commercial meaning the National economy would collapse.
>is not a Christmas tree, it's a holiday tree. (What holiday, Mr. Mayor?)
Well, duh... Yule. That's where the tradition comes from.
Vikings rule!!
> It is an old agenda:
Christmas as a celebratory holidy is a relatively new thing... Victorian era or thereabouts. Prior to that, it was dour at best, and largely frowned upon in the US.
Humbug.
Well said.
Pray for W and Our Troops
The the wet-blanket crowd wishes it to be frowned upon again, no?
http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/holidays/christmas/real3.html
"The pilgrims, English separatists that came to America in 1620, were even more orthodox in their Puritan beliefs than Cromwell. As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings. ...
After the American Revolution, English customs fell out of favor, including Christmas. In fact, Congress was in session on December 25, 1789, the first Christmas under America's new constitution. Christmas wasn't declared a federal holiday until June 26, 1870. "
Hey Bill ... go talk to Plan Parenthood
Christmas just kills you, doesn't it?
It's all a side effect of the will of a vocal minority violating property rights by using force; the force of government, or the force of mob rule.
The problem is that in this forum, the Oklahoma gun owners receive our support, while the anti-Christmas people receive our scorn...yet, they are both basically the same.
In order to protect free speech we have to accept (and defend) speech that we disagree with, in order to protect religious freedom we have to accept (and defend) religions that we find distasteful, in order to defend government by the people, we have to accept (and defend) the right of people with whom we disagree to participate in the electoral system, and in order to protect our own personal property rights, we have to accept (and defend) the ability of others to set conditions of access and use of their own property, even if we disagree with their conditions.
I defend Macy's right and ability to freely display whatever signs of the Season they wish to display on their windows for the same reason that I support the right of property owners to control access to, and set rules pertaining anyone's presence on their property.
I oppose the tactics of the anti-Christmas movement for the same exact reason that I oppose the group who advocates the violation of property rights in Oklahoma.
They are both anti-freedom.
My freedom lies in whether I decide to shop at Macy's or not shop at Macy's depending on how I feel about their Seasonal displays, as my freedom lies in deciding whether or not I will work for an employer based on their policy regarding guns at the workplace.
You are correct ... they have every right in this country to display what ever sign they wish
But is that really what they want or are they caving to the anti's ??
About every fifth column, O'Reilly hits the nail on the head. He has done so here. Kudos for Bill.
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