Town Vows to Defend Nativity “Until Hell Freezes Over”

I say GO Nativity scenes.

I say GO to everyone who believes in the higher spiritual - and can I ask you, ATS members, why are you on ATS if you do not believe in higher spiritual beings?

What I am saying is, please let everyone believe in their higher spritual powers.

And I am saying freedom to everyone to believe in their own higher powers.

All I am saying is UP UP UP with the angels.

Originally posted by TsukiLunar
reply to post by PrimalRed

 

I am with you. Since this is a free country and ALL religions are entitled to the same perks, why cant they put up all types of religious symbols?

Because not all people have religious symbols... because not all people practice a religion... because religion and the public sphere do not go together and it's unfair to put a Nativity Scene on public property, most especially if there is a complaint about it. A political entity being governed by religious belief is a theocracy, the exact thing the Founding Fathers were trying to escape.

Originally posted by mobiusmale
Absolutely. If these activities are not breaking any laws, then they should be told to chill out, and not to try to impose their religion-centric worldview on others. They can ask (like the Atheists in this case), but we don't have to listen.

This is how I'm seeing your response. Christians have the right to do what they please because they have the morality of belief in God behind them, and the rest can just go jump off a cliff - but they do acknowledge their complaints, as long as those complaints are made WHILE falling off the cliff.

group of east Texas pastors has decided enough is enough — declaring their intentions to to fight back against Wisconsin atheists who are demanding that a Nativity located on the lawn of the Henderson County courthouse be torn down.

So a group in wisconsin has nothing better to do than to scour the country stomping out any precieved threats from the "fundies"? These guys are just LOOKING for a problem

reply to post by PrimalRed


Can you tell me why my tax dollars should support your religion?

I really want to hear the republican answer.

reply to post by PrimalRed


Well then you solved that problem didn't you.
No need for any more from you about OWS then. All solved.

Originally posted by GR1ill3d

I fail to see how erecting a nativity scene in celebration of a traditional American holiday in any way constitutes the County establishing a law that requires people to observe the Christian-related aspects of the holiday period...nor does it prevent anyone from exercising their non-Christian beliefs. So...I don't believe your argument holds water.

Baby Jesus says hello.

If Christmas was a still a fully pagan holiday and had nothing to do with the nativity scene. This story wouldn't even get a second glance.

Are you kidding? When is the last time you saw icons of pagan holidays put on the lawn of any public building? Are you saying that there is some sort of war on Christianity and Christian holidays in this country, and that pagans can just do whatever they want on public property? Because... dude, I really don't think we're living in the same country if you truly believe this. You must be living in Bill O'Reilly's fantasy "War on Christmas" world where all liberals are trying to get rid of holidays and destroying Christianity... Christianity is and will likely always be the dominant and most powerful religion in this country, and it will always be the one that gets away with having their icons on public property for 35 years until someone says something. If it had been a Muslim, pagan, Jewish icon, it would have been gone the first year it was up.

(Please forgive me if I misinterpreted your comment.)

I actually don't even know what there is to argue about. The sad truth of the matter is that this holiday isn't even about religion anymore. It's all about corporate America digging into all of our pockets a little deeper and making all of us slaves to their greed.

If the true origins of Christmas had ANYTHING at all to do with Jesus, then I would agree with them. But it doesn't, so I don't.

Originally posted by Kryties

Originally posted by mobiusmale
nor does it prevent anyone from exercising their non-Christian beliefs.

But that is EXACTLY what is happening. The Christians are questioning the right of the atheists to practice what they believe. What the hell gives them that right, considering they are so up in arms about perceived persecution of themselves?

Sorry...but no...the County is not, and Christians in general are not, questioning the right of Atheists to not celebrate Christmas if they wish.

It is a fringe group who is against all religions who are questioning the right of Christians to practice what they believe. If you read the article, I believe you will find that it says that the vast majority of the citizens of this community are practicing Christians...so they overall have likely supported the idea of their tax dollars being used (35 years ago) to acquire this nativity scene (assuming it was not donated to the County).

I seriously doubt that any Wisconsin tax dollars were used to fund these decorations.

Originally posted by Algernonsmouse
reply to post by PrimalRed

 

Can you tell me why my tax dollars should support your religion?

I really want to hear the republican answer.

what is it with everyone on ATS and these horrible strawman arguments? Did i ever claim to be christian?

Originally posted by PrimalRed

Originally posted by Algernonsmouse
reply to post by PrimalRed

 

Can you tell me why my tax dollars should support your religion?

I really want to hear the republican answer.

what is it with everyone on ATS and these horrible strawman arguments? Did i ever claim to be christian?

What is it with you jumping into arguments you run from when anyone addresses you outside your OWS talking points?
Your post directly defended the Nativity scene. I really do not give a flying # what religion you are. Just tell me why my tax dollars should pay for any Christian display. Especially one you apparently support from outside the Christian religion. This argument should be fascinating.

Originally posted by spacekc929

Originally posted by GR1ill3d

I fail to see how erecting a nativity scene in celebration of a traditional American holiday in any way constitutes the County establishing a law that requires people to observe the Christian-related aspects of the holiday period...nor does it prevent anyone from exercising their non-Christian beliefs. So...I don't believe your argument holds water.

Baby Jesus says hello.

If Christmas was a still a fully pagan holiday and had nothing to do with the nativity scene. This story wouldn't even get a second glance.

Are you kidding? When is the last time you saw icons of pagan holidays put on the lawn of any public building? Are you saying that there is some sort of war on Christianity and Christian holidays in this country, and that pagans can just do whatever they want on public property? Because... dude, I really don't think we're living in the same country if you truly believe this. You must be living in Bill O'Reilly's fantasy "War on Christmas" world where all liberals are trying to get rid of holidays and destroying Christianity... Christianity is and will likely always be the dominant and most powerful religion in this country, and it will always be the one that gets away with having their icons on public property for 35 years until someone says something. If it had been a Muslim, pagan, Jewish icon, it would have been gone the first year it was up.

(Please forgive me if I misinterpreted your comment.)

I think you might have misread what I was meant. I was saying if they wanted to put up a paganism symbol (in which Christmas is really based from) It would be shot down, torn apart faster then a kamikaze fighter in WWII.

If it had nothing to do with Christianity in the first place and was still a pagan holiday this wouldn't even get a second glace.

Originally posted by GR1ill3d
I actually don't even know what there is to argue about. The sad truth of the matter is that this holiday isn't even about religion anymore. It's all about corporate America digging into all of our pockets a little deeper and making all of us slaves to their greed.

Which is why it is really a secular holidat no matter how hard Christians tried to hijack it. Unfortunately the Nativity has nothing to do with corporate greed and everything to do with one particular religion.

Originally posted by mobiusmale
Sorry...but no...the County is not, and Christians in general are not, questioning the right of Atheists to not celebrate Christmas if they wish.

It is a fringe group who is against all religions who are questioning the right of Christians to practice what they believe. If you read the article, I believe you will find that it says that the vast majority of the citizens of this community are practicing Christians...so they overall have likely supported the idea of their tax dollars being used (35 years ago) to acquire this nativity scene (assuming it was not donated to the County).

I seriously doubt that any Wisconsin tax dollars were used to fund these decorations.

So basically you are saying that because Christians are more prevalent than atheists in that town, they have the right to completely ignore the wishes of another group of people.

Wow. I almost wish it worked that way in REAL LIFE.

By the way, you are barely containing your hatred of the atheists, it is seeping into every post you make. Love and Forgiveness my ass.

Originally posted by mobiusmale

Originally posted by Kryties

Originally posted by mobiusmale
nor does it prevent anyone from exercising their non-Christian beliefs.

But that is EXACTLY what is happening. The Christians are questioning the right of the atheists to practice what they believe. What the hell gives them that right, considering they are so up in arms about perceived persecution of themselves?

Sorry...but no...the County is not, and Christians in general are not, questioning the right of Atheists to not celebrate Christmas if they wish.

It is a fringe group who is against all religions who are questioning the right of Christians to practice what they believe.

You forgot to add this is in a courthouse lawn Not on the churches private property. That is what the problem is.

Atheists do not care what you practice nor do we question your right to practice it. Just don't practice it on land that is paid for by the taxpayers. It doesn't even matter if the majority of them are Christians or not.

Originally posted by Algernonsmouse
reply to post by mobiusmale

 

I really do not care one way or the other but I would really like for some of you to explain to me why my taxes should go to your religion in this country of America where we have freedom of religion as you just pointed out. Forcing my to pay for you God does not sound that free to me. Please explain.

I think that practicing Christianity and celebrating traditional American holidays are two separate things.

Last time I checked, Christmas is a declared national holiday...and associated with it are many traditional decorations that towns and cities have put up for generations, going back to the very founding of the Country.

Governments, on all levels, spend a certain amount of money to commemorate all national holidays...think Fourth of July, for example.

Why should Christmas/New Years (maybe the biggest festive time of the year) be any different?

Originally posted by Algernonsmouse

Originally posted by PrimalRed

Originally posted by Algernonsmouse
reply to post by PrimalRed

 

Can you tell me why my tax dollars should support your religion?

I really want to hear the republican answer.

what is it with everyone on ATS and these horrible strawman arguments? Did i ever claim to be christian?

What is it with you jumping into arguments you run from when anyone addresses you outside your OWS talking points?

Are we on the same planet? Am i running from anyone? It looks to me like you just want to make up crap to argue with due to your lack of a coherent argument.
So far you have accused me of being christian and "jumping in and running". I fail to see how anyone joins in a thread without "jumping in" and i fail to see how i am "running"

Your post directly defended the Nativity scene. I really do not give a flying # what religion you are.

You obviously do, otherwise you would not be so quick to call me christian...

Just tell me why my tax dollars should pay for any Christian display. Especially one you apparently support from outside the Christian religion.

So you are from texas i take it? Im not sure why your tax dollars would go towards it, it is more than likley the nativity scene from last year and the year before put up by one of the local churches. Do you know how much it costs to put up an old nativity scene? Probably not as much money that will be used up through all the court crap about this.

reply to post by mobiusmale


I see governments splashing out millions of dollars on Christmas related decorations and such yet I don't see millions being splashed out on celebrating Mithraism, or Druidic celebrations, or even a national day for atheists.

To say the system is not lop-sided toward Christianity is to be pulling a giant beanie over your head, blocking your ears and screaming "Lalalalalala" to drown it out.

reply to post by PrimalRed


We know you have an agenda guy, but calm down on the anti-semitism.