Banning Baby Jesus

December 15, 2009
Arresting Baby Jesus

Knute Berger says it’s time to end the silliness around the annual War on Christmas.
By Knute Berger

The United States is trying to wind up the war in Iraq and is still fighting a tough campaign in Afghanistan. Rivaling these long conflicts in another quagmire: the annual “War on Christmas.”

Make no mistake, Seattle is often on the front lines of this war. In 2001, then-King County Executive Ron Sims made headlines by telling county workers not to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukkah.” In 2006, the Port of Seattle ordered holiday decorations removed from Sea-Tac airport when a local Jewish rabbi asked to display an 8-foot menorah.

That same year, Gov. Chris Gregoire lit a menorah in a ceremony at the state Capitol in Olympia, prompting angry Christians to request a Nativity scene be allowed in the building. In 2007 and 2008, such displays were allowed. Last year, along with the display of Christ, atheists gained national headlines by putting up their own exhibit in the Rotunda proclaiming that religion “hardens hearts and enslaves minds,” a thoughtful holiday sentiment.

The battles have resulted in various casualties. Sea-Tac banned all religious displays and replaced Christmas trees with cardboard birches and fake plastic snowdrifts. (And no, there were no fake plastic Seattle snowplows to sit by idly while the fake snow piled up.) In Olympia, the atheists’ display was kidnapped. And in the height of ignominy, the state Capitol Nativity scene’s figures had to be taken into protective custody because of vandalism fears. Yes, Baby Jesus was essentially arrested by the Washington State Patrol for his own safety!

There has been other fallout from the “War on Christmas.” One is that bureaucrats in Olympia put a moratorium on all Capitol displays and suggested stricter rules banning all displays, with the exception of an annual “holiday” tree. But some groups worried that the proposed rules were too sweeping, preventing signs and charts by groups like the League of Women Voters or the YWCA that come to the Capitol regularly to present their views to the public and the Legislature. Free speech is threatened, they say, if they are banned like Jesus.

Then there is the publicity. Greater Seattle has become a national whipping boy for those who believe that we’re a hotbed for a secular agenda that’s trying to drive religion from the public square. Foremost among the critics of Northwest holiday controversies is FOX-TV host Bill O’Reilly, who has said that banning Christmas displays is part of a progressive conspiracy to legalize “narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, [and] gay marriage.” It is an attempt to silence religious opposition, he claims.

More likely, public officials aren’t interested in anything so diabolical. They’re probably just tired of the din, the anger, the warfare that erupts — not over Christmas, but over the diversity of ways people have of following their faith. The intolerance cuts more than one way: The dominant Christian tradition in this country is religious, but also, for many, it is simply cultural. There are many atheists, Jews, pagans, and people who belong to no organized religion who celebrate Christmas. To narrowly define it as something only for Christians is to miss its importance in the larger culture.

On the other hand, there should be nothing wrong with a plethora of other holiday-time religious statements. Instead of assuming hidden political agendas, why not recognize that there’s more than one way to celebrate a season that so many people regard as sacred? Is one’s own religious faith really so feeble that it can be shaken by another’s cross, menorah, or rude sign?

Back during the 1918 flu epidemic in Seattle, Mayor Ole Hanson banned all public gatherings to prevent the spread of the deadly disease. His order included churches, and some religious leaders objected. Hanson replied, “Religion which won’t keep for two weeks is not worth having.” In other words, real religion is sturdy, not shakable by something as mundane as a deadly epidemic.

The “War on Christmas” is a made-up war by people who are intolerant and insecure. Real Christmas, and the sentiments of generosity and compassion it celebrates, will survive silly rules, bans, and challenges from nonbelievers. It is resilient, as are the faiths of others who don’t share in Christian beliefs. This fight is between people who pose no threat to each other.

It’s time to move toward “peace on earth” by calling a truce.

This story originally appeared in Seattle Magazine.


http://crosscut.com/2009/12/15/mossback/19405/

this is one war I'll gladly wage. I never really cared. Happy hollidays, merry Christmas. it never really mattered to me. I believe in God, I never really cared if you do or don't. It was your business and your call. But it has gotten to the point where i feel my rights are being infringed upon. So now I care. and now I'm going to react. say happy holidays to me and i'll respond merry christmas. sned a seasons greeting card and it will lay buried on my desk somewhere. a merry christmas one i'll hang and display. i will take my business to places that are christmas friendly. i'll make sure people know how i feel about God.

I also think we should legalize drugs and let gays marry. what does one have to do with the other?

Hey al you bell ringers out there, say Merry Christmas or I'l go to the bell ringers that do.

Joebert wrote:

Hey al you bell ringers out there, say Merry Christmas or I'l go to the bell ringers that do.

thumbs up

.
.

if I send you a Merry Christmas card can I use this stamp ?






The United States Postal Service offers a variety of holiday stamps including ones
marking Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

But there's one stamp that some people aren't giving the stamp of approval.

It's the Eid Greetings stamp, which honors two Muslim holidays.

There's an e-mail going around calling on "patriotic Americans" to boycott it.

Ahmed Bedier, President of the Tampa Human Rights Council and a Muslim,
has seen the e-mail and he finds it troubling. "This is a form of hate mail. Hate speech," says Bedier.
"It can be very dangerous and it's full of basically a lot of misinformation."

The e-mail sent to 10 Connects does contain some factual errors.
It says the stamp is new and that President Obama had it issued.
However, the stamp is far from new.

It's eight years old and was created when George W. Bush was president.



http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=120190&catid=8




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

actually, I didn't even know about these other stamps, I went with java today to mail off gifts and noticed the
holiday stamp display and asked the PO guy what the heck is EID ...he taught me and I googled it tonight.

If I get one it's going in the garbage...my choice as an American Christian. ooks ike I won't be seeing a card from you.

Joebert wrote:

If I get one it's going in the garbage...my choice as an American Christian. ooks ike I won't be seeing a card from you.

LOL....I didn't buy any of those... I was just curious and kinda surprised by them... I had never heard of EID

especially when the PO guy said they came out right after 9/11

I wonder how sales for those are....and the Kwanzza ones ... they also had Hannakah (sp?) stamps



actually, I can barely remember when I last mailed a stamped letter

I pay all my bills online ....

if it were'nt for College, I may have already forgotten how to write on paper

c/thru wrote:

.
.

if I send you a Merry Christmas card can I use this stamp ?






The United States Postal Service offers a variety of holiday stamps including ones
marking Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa.

But there's one stamp that some people aren't giving the stamp of approval.

It's the Eid Greetings stamp, which honors two Muslim holidays.

There's an e-mail going around calling on "patriotic Americans" to boycott it.

Ahmed Bedier, President of the Tampa Human Rights Council and a Muslim,
has seen the e-mail and he finds it troubling. "This is a form of hate mail. Hate speech," says Bedier.
"It can be very dangerous and it's full of basically a lot of misinformation."

The e-mail sent to 10 Connects does contain some factual errors.
It says the stamp is new and that President Obama had it issued.
However, the stamp is far from new.

It's eight years old and was created when George W. Bush was president.



http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=120190&catid=8




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

actually, I didn't even know about these other stamps, I went with java today to mail off gifts and noticed the
holiday stamp display and asked the PO guy what the heck is EID ...he taught me and I googled it tonight.

sure, i toss the envelopes anyway

No, I toss them !

Giada wrote:

No, I toss them !

well somehow they get tossed

KK wrote:

Giada wrote:

No, I toss them !

well somehow they get tossed

Tossed like salad?

Joebert wrote:

KK wrote:

Giada wrote:

No, I toss them !

well somehow they get tossed

Tossed like salad?

that was this moring

KK wrote:

Joebert wrote:

KK wrote:

Giada wrote:

No, I toss them !

well somehow they get tossed

Tossed like salad?

that was this moring

I tossed my lunch once!

Joebert wrote:

KK wrote:

Joebert wrote:

KK wrote:

Giada wrote:

No, I toss them !

well somehow they get tossed

Tossed like salad?

that was this moring

I tossed my lunch once!

tossing salads is much better

I agree, I hate being sick.

Joebert wrote:

I agree, I hate being sick.

puking sick for sure. but that isn't exactly what i was refering to

KK wrote:

Joebert wrote:

I agree, I hate being sick.

puking sick for sure. but that isn't exactly what i was refering to

Oh you mean being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm that way now.

Joebert wrote:

KK wrote:

Joebert wrote:

I agree, I hate being sick.

puking sick for sure. but that isn't exactly what i was refering to

Oh you mean being sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm that way now.

actualy i was going in another direction

Go any direction you want. Just step away from me...