Then there is the basic incompatability of inclusion of *any* religion with the rights of our token athiest. Do athiests have rights, Wolf? Do we have the *same* rights as Christians? :eyebrow:
- Pie

re·li·gion n.

1- a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe. b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.

2- The life or condition of a person in a religious order.

3- A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.

4- A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
If you have enough zeal, Pie, or conscientious devotion. ;)

The problem I've got, Bruce, is that 1B is the only way it is observed in this country by that vast hulking Chrisitian majority. The promotion of organized religion is the antithesis of everything I "believe"!

Still incompatible.

From the Associated Press on 22 Dec 2005: Funny. Santorum did not have a problem back when the Dover School Board was openly promoting religion in the schools. Suddenly he has a problem with his Thomas More Law Center that was (according to the judge) Will PA reelect Sen Santorum? Probably. PA reelects 98% of its incumbents. Future victims of religious extremism have remained in denial until it is too late. Even the good people of Dover PA never saw this coming - in part because few really appreciate how serious Christian extremists are to American principles and government. As court testimony demonstrates, some on the school board voted for ID because they did not even know what it was. In PA, such ignorance is still found in the public. (However some 'always' Republican friends have recently admitted that George Jr may have been a mistake. That is a major concession for one.) Santorum, like George Jr, publically approved of what religious extremists in Dover were doing. Each specifically said so using the word ‘Dover’. Suddenly Santorum pretends not to be a Christian extremist? Suddenly he no longer approves of what he previously encouraged? Maybe he lurks in the Cellar and is now worried?

Hi Rick! You don't have a problem. Most PA residents don't care. Only Christian extremists vote with religious furvor - and vote who they are told to vote for.

You have as much right to your beliefs/disbeliefs as a Christian does to theirs. The fact that they believe in a particular Godform does not intrude upon your ability not to believe. Displays of religious iconography do not harm you, or anyone else. You are not forced to participate in their practices, nor am I.

If someone would read a Bible in your presence, that is their choice, and their right. If they ask that you read the Bible, you have the right to decline. If they would attempt to press the issue and inist that you read the Bible, accept Christ as your personal savior, or sacrifice a lamb to appease the Gods, and don't respond to your requests to desist, THEN they are harrassing you and you can pursue legal action against them.

Well, I've decided not to celebrate the whatchamacallit season at all. Solves the problem for me, and I have had a completely stress-free, non-commercial whatever-everyone-else-who-wants -to-argue-about-semantics-wants-to-call-it season. I AM going to a friend's house for that one dinner that people get together for on the 25th of December, but that is just because I want to hang out with her. I expressly asked that no one buy me a gift this year and I have bought no gifts. It is more important to spend time with people you care about.

I am a whatever-this-season-is-called drop-out. I resent that corporate America is now trying to start the (insert your favorite term here) season at the beginning of November. It is getting absolutely ridiculous. I quit--I'm not even a Christian--so, I quit.

I'm gonna sit back and let everyone else get stressed out and buy a bunch of useless junk for the holiday/Christmas/Xmas..blah, blah, blah, ad nauseum season. And argue with each other over what we are going to call a season that no longer stands for the secular or religious sentiments that it once did. Maybe we should just call it the "buying season." Because that is what it is really about.

A joyous buying and arguing season to all, and to all a good night!

My two cent...

My increasingly senile mother has already decided that I have ruined Christmas. I am not entirely sure why she has decided this. Neither is she, and hopefully by tomorrow she will have picked something else to obsess about.

hmmmmm...


:idea:


Why not, "Peace on earth"?


:rainfro: :biggrinba :stpaddy: :dreads: :muse: :us: :ivy: :earth:


:ipray:


:grouphug:



:gift:

Merry Holidays, everyone!

(even you, LJ!)

:shocking: :shocking: :shocking:

religion: a popular cult

cult: an unpopular religion

Because it's not "The American Way"tm
Because it's our duty to save the heathens from the evils of their oil, gold, diamonds, etc.
Because it's not profitable. ;)

I understand what you're saying.
My point was under "4- A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.", if you have the zeal, the government must recognize your position as a valid religion and include it as acceptable. :D

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL THE HEATHENS OF THE WORLD

Happy Holidays! - Christmas, Yule, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or (insert winter solstice holiday here) to all of my Cellar friends, not-friends, and lurkers.http://www.cellar.org/images/smilies/present.gifhttp://www.cellar.org/images/newsmilies/elkgrin.gifhttp://www.cellar.org/images/moresmilies/santa.gif

I prefer Thanksgiving anyway because it is basically the same thing minus the traffic and the maxed out Mastercard.

To all of you:
However you celebrate the occasion, may it be filled with happiness.
If you don't celebrate it, hell , have a great weekend! :beer:

Uh, wha? Are you sure you're talking about the Thanksgiving I'm thinking of? The Thanksgiving that involved a 7 hour drive turning into a 13.5 hour drive?