Thursday, December 11, 2008
Just Let Me Live
I am tired of political correctness.
This time of year we have "holiday trees" in public places and "winter shows" in schools. God forbid that the word Christmas be used. It might offend non-Christians. Forget the fact that Christmas is the national holiday we're celebrating.
A Christian family in our California neighborhood has their house on the market. Every year this family has beautifully decorated their front porch and lawn with a variety of Christmas lights. This year--nothing. Why? Because the realtor said no. What if nonbelievers--or Muslims or Buddhists or whatever--drove by as potential buyers and were offended? This family had to fight to even put up a Christmas tree in their living room.
Bulletin to realtor--the nonbelievers, Muslims and Buddhists I know still celebrate Christmas. They put up trees and give gifts. They don't believe in the Christian origins, but they do take part in the secular celebrations of our national holiday.
Still, oh dear, those who might be offended ...
This politically correct climate is insanity. Why can't we live and let live? If I were in Israel, I wouldn't be offended by the nation's celebration of Hanukkah. If I lived in a Muslim country, I'd understand their celebration of Muslim holidays. I wouldn't agree with their religion. But I wouldn't demand some watering down of their celebration to suit my beliefs.
You have an anti-Christmas story of your own? Today's your day to rant. Have at it.
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12 comments:
No anti-Christmas rant here. Just a celebration of what I've seen and heard.
Even the most bah humbug person still has to purchase groceries and possibly get a haircut. Many businesses decorate their shops however they want because it's their shop and it IS Christmas. So the Scrooges can listen to Bing Crosby's O Little Town of Bethlehem while they browse through the canned goods.
By golly, it's Christmas and they're gonna hear about JESUS one way or another.
So good for you, little Mom & Pop shops who decorate and play the Christmas music. Good for you!
I don't have an anti-Christmas story to share, but I'll rant a little.
My frustration is that we are supressed more and more each year--"can't say Merry Christmas, you'll tick someone off." or "can't decorate your office, because your co-workers don't celebrate Christmas" ...blah blah.
Well, I don't like Halloween. I think it's a celebration of Darkness which I'm not into. So should I start telling everyone to quick saying "Happy Halloween" to me? And to not decorate or give out candy???
NO....because like Brandilyn said, can't we just live and let live? Jeez.
Thanks for the post today, Brandilyn
What amazes me is how some institutions quickly jump to exorcise the origins of Christmas while other places don't bother. I was in Starbucks and a equally chic local coffee chain this week, and both had Christian carols in the mix with the secular ones.
My guess is that the people behind anti-Christmas policies are passive-aggressively promoting their own beliefs, or they simply lack courage, which seems to be a worse failing.
We decorate our mom and pop shop with a christmas tree and a nativity scene. I've never had a customer complain and they enjoy being wished a merry christmas. I refuse to be politically correct. When checking out at store, I will wish the clerk Merry Christmas. They generally can't say it first and are quite happy to reply in kind with a huge smile.
On the evening news Tuesday night, we saw a report that one of the elementary schools here in Eastern NC had removed the song, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" from their "Holiday Program" because a Jewish parent had complained that it had Christian elements.
-- Sarah Salter
Politically correct ANYTHING drives me nuts. We're in, uh, America! Freedom of speech, religion--Helllloooo!
Don't get me started.
I did receive an email from Jay Sekulow and the ACLJ which explained my legal rights for Christmas to me. ?????
My stupid, excuse me, my PC state has a Nativity scene in the capitol building. Along came some atheists and put up a sign beside it which spouted off about "no gods, no angels, no demons", etc., and after some falderahl (sp.? I kinda like that spelling, though), our PC and gutless governor let it stay there. Makes me want to throw up.
No anti-Christmas story, but several recent anti-Christian stories.
The day before the election, I posted on the subject at my blog, including this line: The pervading question I have is, how should my Christian faith inform my decisions?
I had a commenter quote that line, then these thoughts: With all due respect, ma’am, your Christian faith has no belonging whatsoever in determining law in our country. You are most certainly entitled to your opinions, your beliefs and the right to practice your faith, but you are not allowed, nor is anyone of any faith allowed, to decree that people, in our country, are bound to the law of any higher power.
A week and a half later, I posted about the Santa Barbara fire (Montecito, actually. This is the one that destroyed a number of buildings at my alma mater, Westmont College) in conjunction with a sort series on suffering from a Christian perspective. Another commenter felt it necessary to take me to task for mentioning how God had protected the 800 plus students holed up in the Westmont gym:
frankly above post is a little creepy. i guess if “unbelievers” ride it out well too, “god” will get the credit for that also? Or maybe we are s’posed to take away that only atheists/agnostics/buddhists/hindus/wiccans/muslims etc will be harmed?
... Save your praise for the heroic firefighters doing an incredibly brave job, ...
and yes some of them, and some of the homeowners, and no doubt some of the volunteers are doing so without resort to belief in christian mythology
So an element in society doesn't want Christmas displays, Christian faith to inform a Christian voter, or Christians to praise God publicly for His protection.
What's wrong with this developing pattern?
Becky
So...no one should rely on his/her belief in forming how to vote? Logic, please?
Becky, you'll enjoy this post:
http://churchwhisperer.com/2008/12/11/tension-between-two-friends-church-and-state/
Amen, Brandilyn.
Our country was founded on Christian principles and on faith in God. These people need only to read the Declaration of Independence and our constitution to know this. But their eyes are blind and their ears are deaf because of the lies they have listened to in their hearts.
Nonetheless, they all will one day discover the truth - much to their great sorrow. Let's pray they listen before then.
Well, I, for one, am getting ready to go CHRISTMAS shopping with my mother-in-law.
And no one can take that away from us.
Heh. When I was in high school, I decided to get a couple of my closest friends something for Christmas - one of the girls though I knew was not a Christian - she was a Sikh - and I realized - wait - do they celebrate Christmas?
So I asked. And the answer was of course YES. Not only did I give her a present, she gave me one.
And btw, Mr/Ms. Realtor - Sikhs are the ones who its part of the religion to carry ceremonial knives around with them. Really don't want to offend them if you can help it.
:)
Brandilyn, you said: So...no one should rely on his/her belief in forming how to vote? Logic, please?
I suppose the point is that we're suppose to rely on what someone else tells us to vote for rather than on our own beliefs! LOL
Thanks for the link to that article. Good stuff. At one point Blake said: It would be utterly impossible to read ANY of the founding father’s documents and draw that conclusion. Unfortunately, I suspect that many people parroting lines like "separation of church and state" have not READ any of the founding father's documents.
Becky
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