I think you should fear more for your children. It's already known as Xmas. If you work in a federal office and come dressed in Santa gear and proclaiming Merry Christmas to everyone, someone could sue you and the workplace for creating a hostile work environment. Now if someone comes in and starts screaming happy Kwanza or whatever, it will be a "elebration of diversity"
if you're a Christian, you should expect persecution. Christ himself was crucified and said his followers shouldn't expect anything better. if you're not being persecuted in some way, you're doing it wrong. but it's not to worry about. i think we make way too much of trivial things. in this country, we're allowed to worship as we see fit. no one can prevent me from praying. no one call haul me off to jail for worshipping God. i'm thankful for that. and the Astros made it to the World Series!!!!!!
Great points Max. I wonder though, where do you think we draw the line? We are commanded by God to follow the rules of our government and that we must bear and expect persecution of our beliefs in some form or another. Yet, there are some presumed Christians who have the necessary influence to change some things. Do you know what I am trying to say? I don't want to shove my beliefs down someone else, but at the same time, part of me says "well, we have the power to do something on a higher sphere of influence". It's very tempting sometimes, especially when you're galvanized by yoru desire to do what you think is good.
There's simply too many. Just Google "sued for celebrating christmas" and you can click to your heart's content.
As an agnostic, I would have faced persecution in the past, such as in Spain during the Inquisition. Your statement illustrates one of the truly great things about this country, and one that is, in my opinion, constantly under assault. I'm thankful for our religious freedom as well. The Astros getting to the Series? Man, we may have finally seen divine intervention in our lifetime. How else could we explain it? I may have to convert!!! Keep D&D Civil.
If you think fear leads my life you have another thing coming. I'm not afraid of much in life but that doesn't mean I'm going to go let my kid take pixie sticks from the sex offender down the street. If you'd like to see proof of human sacrifice I'd like to introduce you to the nation of Haiti. There are ritualistic sacrifices all the time, all over the face of the earth from America to Zimbabwe and if you truly believe that there isn't then I'd love to live in your dream world. I'm not saying that the virgin down the street is being sacrificed tonight to please the voodoo gods, but simply from the history of the holiday it is something I choose not to recognize... and further it is a holiday that was made famous by the Catholic Church, something I have no affiliation with. Funny that you bring up the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause, I don't use those to celebrate the "important" holidays either... they are just commercialization of America at it's finest, but if you think the joyful sound of Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny is equal to witches, goblins, devils and ghosts to a 5 year old, then by all means it's your kids. I see no problem with kids believing in Santa or the Easter Bunny during the early years or having them as symbols to the holidays, but the kids in my family know exactly the meaning of those days long before they know who the story of Saint Nick. Sure kids in America can handle a little trick-or-treat but last time I checked the youth of America has gone down hill over the last 50 years, so maybe it is time to try something else? I'm not saying Halloween is the reason kids go bad, but I was a kid once and know that I wasn't exactly an angel on most Halloweens. If you feel safe with your kids going door to door and by all means they are your children and you know best. My family and friends choose to go a different route and somehow this upsets you? I didn't push my views on anyone or call anyone a "sinner" for celebrating the day, because I'm not a judge or jury or God for that matter. People asked for views on the subject and I gave mine and simply because I have different views on the holiday gives you reason to dissect my every comment on it in a quest to somehow make you look the superior intelligence? Honestly, you're typing out a tiered reply on everything I say so it must really get under your skin... funny, but this day is just like any other day in most people's book, you might try looking at it that way too.
The Christians that I know use Jesus' birth and Resurrection to represent Christmas and Easter. If someone chooses to have Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny represent Christmas and Easter, I would venture to say that are not true Christians.
i've been reading a bit about the Inquisition. wow...what a messed up way to communicate a message of grace and love. yeah...clearly the Astros' success is a sign that God exists. let me know if you'd like to catch a game next year and talk about Jesus!
i understand what you're saying...but i think the church in the US has allowed the trappings of our faith..our public faith, anyway...to become idols. i hear CHRISTIANS say that we're "kicking God out of our schools!!!" in horror. And I wonder if they're reading the same Bible I am. The God I know doesn't get kicked out of school. there's so much energy spent on things like these....when there are much more meaningful ways to communicate God's love for people....by simply being the "hands and feet" of God to those around us. without griping and b****ing the whole time.
If you don't mind, I'm going to steal your hands and feet line. It's a very good counter argument against those of us who seek to control the brain by influencing politics.
Yeah Christians are bashed so much I'm amazed that I'm not allowed to go and beat up those Jehovah's Witnesses who tell me I'm worshipping a false god or all those Christian prayer groups on campus who kept on trying to get me come to the Bible Study meetings or that the Faith Based initiative isn't only meant for non-Christian groups. As I said in the other thread Christians in America aren't anywhere near being persecuted and still wield an inordinate amount of clout compared to followers of other religions. If you don't think so ask yourself why was Harriet Mier's main positive that she was an Evangelical Christian while one of the biggest negatives about Joe Lieberman is that he's a devout Jew? If you Christians think you're being persecuted or bashed imagine being a Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Pagan or any other religion for most of US history. In comparison to when it wasn't that long ago where Jews were legally zoned out of neighborhoods and for many Native American religions they were legally forbidden to practice their religions Christians today got it very easy.
