Kinda hard to do when the word Christ is in there. Wouldn't it be called Secularmas? Doesn't have the same ring to it.
So there's no secular aspects to Christmas? Seriously?
No, not really. All of it is Christian symbolism in one way or another.
If you insist.
I do. :mrgreen: No, seriously though. Everything from Santa, to Christmas trees, to candy canes. It is all steeped in Christian symbolism.
I remember when the Elf On A Shelf was present at the Last Supper.
Hi Pol, I found it ironic as our Constitution does not mention a Supreme being yet the Declaration of Independence does. It references a Supreme Being 5 different times.
"Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God" are the first two. Actually these are the words of Cicero the philosopher, 1st Century B. C like other early philosophers believed there was a source of higher law that never changes. From Cicero “Nor may any other law override it, nor may it be repealed as a whole or in part… Nor is it one thing at Rome and another at Athens, one thing today and another tomorrow, but one eternal and unalterable law, that binds all nations forever.” Of “Nature’s God,” the second reference to deity is, of course, more explicit and needs no explanation.
The third reference to God is the word “Creator” found in the second paragraph. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The fourth is Supreme Judge in the last paragraph. “We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown…”
The fifth and last reference to a Supreme Being is Divine Providence. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.”
In this great country you have the right to believe or not believe in anything you want. And people need to respect that because if they don't they risk losing their own religious freedom.
However, the closer government becomes to the people (state, local) the less secular it becomes as evident in state constitutions. But even then, no one has the right to "force" their beliefs onto another. While I am sure the Satanist display was set up to mock those of faith during the holiday season, what do you expect from a Satanist? Same with some atheist groups who seem to be working overtime to tear down religious symbols important to others. Or recently in the news where Muslims complained about a crucifix and it was removed. There are plenty of examples of intolerance in our society.
"judge not, lest we be judged."
Satanists can all go to hell.
The people of Florida never should have allowed the bastards to place the damned display in the State Capitol in the first place. Satanists can all go to hell.
A commonly misunderstood phrase. It does not mean "don't judge". It means one will be judged as one judges others. Basically, 'judge not harshly or you will be judged harshly'.
It's "judge not ___, lest ye be judged ___". The "___" is filled in by context.
I realize it's asking a bit much of the reader to interpret as such, but the context provided does so according to every scholar I've read.
No, not really. All of it is Christian symbolism in one way or another.
Many of the traditions connected to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ have non-Christian origins. Items like the Yule log, the Christmas tree, and the very placement of the observance during the darkest time in the calendar year stem from pre-Christian religious observances.
So the barrier to allow religious freedom should be whether or not it "creates unrest" in the majority population?
It is not in the religion business. If a town hangs a banner over the main street welcoming the homecoming of their winning team it doesn't mean they are in the sports business either. Ticker tape parades though the streets of New York doesn't mean the government is in the business of whoever is being honored. It is just that people often get together to publicly celebrate an event that has culture connections, and society is generally better off for it.
The one glaring omission in your analogy is that religion is specifically listed in the Bill of Rights as being unavailable for public establishment. Sports teams escaped the forefathers entirely.
I always figured Jefferson for being a Raiders fan. Learn something new every day.Turns out Thomas Jefferson was a diehard Steelers fan and wanted to be free to use government property to commemorate their championships.
It isn't worth it. There are a couple of people here who are so completely and utterly clueless and without the capacity for reason, it isn't worth even seeing what they have to say.
I disagree Countryboy. The yule log goes back to paganism. So does holly and mistletoe. Look up Christmas tree in the Encyclopedia Britannica and you will get a history lesson in the first paragraph about tree worship in ancient pagan customs.No, not really. All of it is Christian symbolism in one way or another.
Greetings, ecofarm. :2wave:
You are correct. None of us are perfect, but someone who would beat or starve an animal is not right, and I can't help wondering what went wrong in their life. Cruelty is never acceptable, IMO, which is why I am with an animal rescue group to save them. So sad.....
Why are some religions entitled to a display and others not?
Just calling a set of beliefs a religion does not make it so. If a bunch of lousy mutts wanted to resurrect the cult of thuggee from old India, which was devoted to murdering people for the goddess Kali, and call it a religion, should the rest of us have to let them put up a memorial in the state capital?
There are quite a few Supreme Court decisions on religion in the public square under the Establishment Clause, and not all of them make much sense. Nothing in the First Amendment requires completely tolerance of every group of nuts that comes down the pike.
Turns out Thomas Jefferson was a diehard Steelers fan and wanted to be free to use government property to commemorate their championships.
So then Santa isn't a religious figure?No, though I suspect you spend a lot of time on your knees.
When Coke used their influence to convince people that Santa had a Red Outfit and not a green one, that's in Genesis 6:21Lol. You do understand the meaning of the word, "symbolism", right?
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