At issue is an atheist billboard displayed in the Washington State Capitol in Olympia, Wa. along with a "Holiday tree" and a nativity scene. (Apparently, there is no menorah this year.)
The placard, installed by local members of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, reads:
At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.
More on the story here.
According to Gov. Christine Gregoire, a Democrat, and State Attorney General Rob McKenna, a Republican, it is the state's policy to allow any group to sponsor a holiday display "regardless of that individual's or group's views."
Here's the problem. The atheist display doesn't simply express the beliefs of atheists or secularists; it attacks the beliefs of the religious. Its message, except for the first line, is entirely negative, and the last line is actively insulting to believers, implying that they are hard-hearted and weak-minded.
A Christmas display on public property, paid for by the taxpayer, that explicitly attacked non-believers would be inappropriate. So is this.
Perhaps Gregoire and McKenna are right as a matter of publc policy. (Though, if all viewpoints may be represented in holiday displays in the State Capitol, where do you draw the line? Would a placard urging Jews to convert to Christianity be appropriate? How about a "God Hates Fags" placard from the abominable Fred Phelps?) However, those fine folks from the Freedom from Religion Foundation are wrong as a matter of respect, civility, and common sense. They have chosen to express their views in a manner almost calculated to cause irritation. They are also perpetuating the stereotype -- which underlies much of the hostility to atheists in America -- that an atheist is not just a non-believer but someone who actively attacks and denigrates religion.
If they truly wanted to get into the holiday spirit, how about a placard saying something like, "At this season of the Winter Solstice, those of us who do not believe in a deity celebrate the beauty of the natural world and join believers in wishing for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men." A positive message that, among other things, would have countered the widespread notion that atheists "believe in nothing."
20 comments:
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning
Commentary.
My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crèche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then D r. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem ( D r Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein
That would only, be fair if the christian sign said something to the effect of:
At this season of the Winter Solstice, those of us who do believe in a deity celebrate Christmas (even if he was actually said to be born sometime in the summer and this holiday was purposely moved to coincide with the preexisting pagan holiday) join non believers in wishing for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men.
You really need to be fair.
The holiday is full or the remnants of pagans religions, the date, the mistletoe, the tree.
To get offended that someone wanted to point out that there is no more reason to believe in monotheism system we have now over the polytheistic system then (that christians trampled and stole from), is quite hypocritical.
Have a nice day.
I lulz at all of you.
A片下載的成人影片下載的免費A片下載的日本A片的情色A片的免費A片的成人影城的成人電影的線上A片的A片免費看
米蘭情趣用品的情趣用品的情趣的飛機杯的自慰套的充氣娃娃的AV女優.按摩棒的跳蛋的潤滑液的角色扮演的情趣內衣的自慰器的穿戴蝴蝶的變頻跳蛋的無線跳蛋的電動按摩棒的情趣按摩棒的
情人趣味用品的柏拉圖情趣用品的成人論壇
艾葳酒店經紀公司提供專業的酒店經紀, 飯局小姐,領檯人員,領台,傳播妹,或者想要到台北酒店、林森北路酒店,私人招待所,或者八大行業當酒店PT,酒店公關,酒店兼職,想去酒店上班, 日式酒店,制服酒店,ktv酒店,禮服店,整天穿得水水漂漂的禮服酒店,鋼琴酒吧當酒店領檯,酒店小姐,公關小姐??,還是想去制服店當上班小姐,水水們如果想要擁有打工工作、晚上兼差工作、兼差打工、假日兼職、兼職工作、學生兼差、兼差、打工兼差、日領工作、晚上兼差工作、酒店工作、酒店上班、酒店打工、兼職、兼差、兼差工作、酒店上班等,想了解酒店相關工作和特種行業內容,想找打工、假日兼職、兼差打工、或晚班兼職想擁有快速賺錢又有保障的工作嗎???又可以現領請找專業又有保障的艾葳酒店經紀公司!
艾葳酒店經紀是合法的公司工作環境高雅時尚,無業績壓力,無脫秀無喝酒壓力,高層次會員制客源,工作輕鬆,可日領、現領。
一般的酒店經紀只會在水水們第一次上班和領薪水時出現而已,對水水們的上班安全一點保障都沒有!艾葳酒店經紀公司的水水們上班時全程媽咪作陪,不需擔心!只提供最優質的酒店打工,酒店上班,酒店打工環境、上班條件給水水們。心動嗎!? 趕快來填寫你的酒店上班履歷表
水水們妳有缺現金、有卡債、缺錢卡奴的煩腦嗎?想到日本留學日本打工嗎?妳是工讀生找工作??想要擁有高時薪又輕鬆的夜間兼職工作,打工機會和,假日打工,兼職工作日領假日打工的機會嗎??想實現夢想卻又缺錢沒錢嗎!??整天還在煩腦如何賺錢有什麼賺錢方法,和賺錢最快方法!?,想要打工,日領工作,短期打工,兼差工作,打工兼差工作嗎!?,
請加入我們艾葳酒店經紀公司工作單純輕鬆”高時薪”又可日領徵想要當傳播妹,上班小姐,酒店兼差,酒店兼職,歡迎學生打工,!!!
加入我們實現夢想就從現在開始^__^
Find Internet Marketing resource hare Online Marketing Strategy | Internet Marketing Tools | Online Marketing Campaign | Online Marketing Business | Online Marketing System | Online Business | Online Home Business | Online Business Tips | Internet Marketing Online
Oes Tsetnoc one of the ways in which we can learn seo besides Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa. By participating in the Oes Tsetnoc or Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa we can improve our seo skills. To find more information about Oest Tsetnoc please visit my Oes Tsetnoc pages. And to find more information about Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa please visit my Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa pages. Thank you So much.
Oes Tsetnoc | Semangat Mengembalikan Jati Diri Bangsa
Thanks for sharing this nice blog articles.
website design
professional seo
website optimizer
logo design
realsoft tech
Reading this essay writing I suppose that all be fine!
A good diet and exercisechi flat iron can reduce stress during finals
Thank you verychi flat irons much time she spends most of his executive vice president of the Student Association, the managementchi Straighteners irons and staff Roberson Museum and Science Center, Jenna Goldin little one on one
with cheap chi Straightenersher pillow.
Realy like with this post
Ida Hyuji Dot Com
Thanks for this article, very useful
Car Collections
nice share thanks a lot :)
download free pc games
affiliate review
If we are a variety of oil in some of these backwater places, these are precisely wherever these small seafood backside,Inches Farling mentioned"I'm air jordan shoes allayed I am living, nevertheless I am terrified for anyone whom have not been found still," he said, incorporating that she intentions to Air Jordan stay in San Felipe through the research in addition to expectation others remain living The ocean King, that Bill jigs within the U Air Jordan Cheap Photos released because of the Asian deep blue exhibited numerous sunburned anglers in T-shirts as well as Bermudas waiting to have over a Cheap Nike Air Max coach Individuals are tired now," Henry Scott mentioned Company spokesman Alan Jeffers said there is simply no direct link in between all those Nike Air Max troubles along with the pipe failureIn William placed the hands on his / her tummy and also joked in relation to pigging Air Max 2011 out for the getawayThe particular 20-year-old Silvertip pipe supplied 40,500 casks a day to a refinery throughout Billings coupled some sort of route Ed Hardy Shop of which moves underneath the lake
This is one of the most incredible blogs I have read in a very long time. Your blog is great for anyone who wants to understand this subject more. Great stuff.
Affordable Logo Design
At thisbuy Diablo 3 gold season of the Winter Solstice, those of us who do not believe in a deity celebrate the beauty of the natural world and join believers inCheap GW2 Gold wishing for peace on Earth and goodwill toward men
犀利士
壯陽藥
壯陽藥哪里買
犀利士
威而鋼
犀利士哪里買
犀利士
壯陽藥
Reflective essay writing always needs to be more detailing or expressing so the audience (teacher in this case) can see appropriately the conditions of what was happening and have aclear picture in their minds. A decent reflective essay should have a method for noting and inquiries for to comprehend it better as well as for to get the great outcomes and having rules for future. There should be three sections of reflective essay structure including presentation of the subject, depicting background and breaking down and toward the end finish of the entire essay and for preparation of the essay it should be partitioned in no less than three sections comprising of what did happen, what is the consequence of that and then to wrap things up what should be possible or will be done in the aftereffect of that encounters. Most of the students have problems doing these tasks themselves or they do not have time to do it, we offer our services for reflective essay writing. Our expert team members endeavoring to give incredible support of reflective essay writing. Our team give splendid help to students and do great structuring while at the same time writing the essay by following every one of the codes and rules. We ensure that students get a superb outcome from us as they anticipated from us and also student get contend reflective essay from us before time limit given. Reflective Essay Writing Service
live assignment help
https://topacademictutors.com/business-plan-writing-services/
https://topacademictutors.com/my-assignment
Post a Comment