Freedom From Religion...

[Squeaky Bunny]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

As a history teacher it stuns me that that is the exact line from the Bill of Rights concerning (and the ONLY line concerning) religion in the entirty of the Constitution of the United States of America and everyone always drops the part bolded and italacized.

There are a few of us who have read and understand the U.S. constitution, unfortunately not enough it seems.

What about those who blame George W. Bush for all kinds of skullduggery and mischief and can not get it through their heads exactly what powers the president has and does not have?

[Archae45]

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."

As a history teacher it stuns me that that is the exact line from the Bill of Rights concerning (and the ONLY line concerning) religion in the entirty of the Constitution of the United States of America and everyone always drops the part bolded and italacized.

There are a few of us who have read and understand the U.S. constitution, unfortunately not enough it seems.

What about those who blame George W. Bush for all kinds of skullduggery and mischief and can not get it through their heads exactly what powers the president has and does not have?

We saw the same thing all through the 1990's.

The thing is, religion is a very private experience, it's when it's forced on to the public it becomes diminished.
Just look at the theocracies around the world, in public they brag about how "holy" they are, but in private they are the scummiest people around.
This happens a lot in the US with those who are publicly "holy."

Like that blind Muslim cleric in NYC, he's sitting in jail now for the rest of his life, practically forgotten.

Jimmy "I have sinned, boo hoo hoo" Swaggart is back on TV, but his audience is really tiny.
Likewise Jim Bakker.

Jerry Falwell has gone back to his roots, the "Bible of hate."
He started out his ministry by defending segregation and racism, never repudiated that, and has gone back to anti-Semitic comments.
"The Jews are returning to their land of unbelief. They are spiritually
blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Saviour." - Jerry
Falwell

In Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jews are causing more and more trouble, it was one of those who killed their PM.

[Squeaky Bunny]

The worst part are the really cheezy decorations that come out every year.

I usually see them at Wal-Mart, but every so often the lousy ones are in some gadget catalog.
Like a 18 inch tall Christmas tree spray painted red, white and blue.

Or the Scooby Doo nativity I saw one year.

Nothing is so good that someone can't mess it up royally or corrupt its intentions completely.

I do enjoy Mannheim Steamroller and I thank Rush Limbaugh for introducing them to me and helping to spread their popularity.

John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)."?

I hear it and think that this is from someone who expounded that "Christianity will go - it will vanish and shrink, . . . We are more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity."

This year it was one of those blow up Santas, but it was frikkin' 15 feet tall!

Don't wanna go there. Now, if it were a 15' inflatable pink bunny. . .

[Ezekiel Sweetsir]

I'd just like to point out the majority of "pagan" or "wiccan" believers arnt as arrogant or as flakey as the one portrayed in the web comic. I hope thats not what the artist is trying to portray. As in the Christian religion, or any other religion, its the oddball fanatics who get the attention due to their uncommon and eratic behavior. Like the belief all islamic people blow themselves up to prove a point. Or the Christians who go around smacking the tar out of people with Bibles. Or Wiccans who go make love to trees. Only the Radicals and "wannabes" do such thing, mostly to gain the attention by becoming stereotypical. And we feed them what they want. dumb***es ***holes ruin everything in this world. My insight.

[Archae45]

John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)."?

I hear it and think that this is from someone who expounded that "Christianity will go - it will vanish and shrink, . . . We are more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity."

He might have been smoking the wacky tobacky at the time...

[Squeaky Bunny]

He had to have been when he met up with Yoko, but I digress.

[Archae45]

He had to have been when he met up with Yoko, but I digress.

No, this was years before.

Lennon made the off-the cuff remark, and he regretted it later, apologizing and saying straight out he was wrong.

He wasn't totally inaccurate at that time, however, worldwide, the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, remember this was during their "Fab Four" days. (1964-1967)

[LoneWolf23k]

Beltane definetly seems to be the negative kind of wiccan.. I should know, one of my friends and rpg gaming buddies is that kind of wiccan. He dislikes christianity and anything right-wing (although he also dislikes Osama Bin Ladin and Co).

And in his opinion, Humans as a species are just plain evil and unworthy.. In his campaign settings, either humans don't exist or they're the Bad Guys of the setting. I'm as aware of the potential for human evil as the next guy, but I also acknowledge the potential for human good, too.

Anyways.. I think that someone should point out to Beltane's kind of pagans that ages ago, christianity used to be the minority religion oppressed by a pagan-dominant society.

And back then, the christians had a lot more to complain about in terms of oppression.

[Ezekiel Sweetsir]

Human's arnt neccesarily evil, infact, nothing is really evil. Good and Evil are perceptions. No one's the bad guy in their own life. Somehow they justify their actions with their own logic. The Human race is just unenlightened. The way they're being raised and taught is repeating a cycle of fear and descrimination.
"Look out for number one."
"Beat out the competition."
"Survival of the fitest."
"It's not MY fault."
"Don't play with that kid, he's (Racial or religious slur)"
Not only that, but the human race is lazy, even I'm guilty of lazyness. However, some more than others, and in different ways. They're spoon fed the "truth" and being weened on it, they refuse to try any other flavor than that to which they're used to. Consider the Jews back in Christ's times, laughing at the idea anyone could be related to God. Same thing is happening with Mormon's today as well. They added another book to the bible, and some (not all, not sure of the percentage) christians are "disowning" them as Christians.
So many wars fought over religion, it's disgusting. It's the mindset of dehumanizing anyone outside one's own familariaty. I personally take the time to try and understand the general gist of all religions. My discovery is that all religions have all the broad rules. The ones most don't follow. the differences is the times, places, names, different Gods, and degrees of extreme there is. Definition of extreme in religion? History time.
A group of pagans in the Pelopanessus(sp?) peninsula in Greece were farmers. The communities were actually ruled by women. Instead of having a husband, usually her brother would be the one taking care of her and protecting her. Back then, they slept with anyone they wanted. Through this, they didn't know men were involved in procreation. Upon the discovery of this (I wonder HOW this was triggered?), the ruling woman would take up one called a "Sacred King." Usually it was the most strong, handsome man in the community. To keep the king's image as a fertile model of a man, they would keep him from aging by killing him. Some communities allowed him to bleed into the ground, other's the "Queen" would consume his flesh. Gruesome, ne? Well, it was slowly reformed on down, and became animal sacrifices. As time went on, people began taking up permanent partners as the Queen did with the Sacred King. This was usually ceremonious. Sound like something exsisting today?
Sorry, I guess I got carried away, my apologies.

[Archae45]

I like Mel Brooks' version of how religion got started in his "2,000 Year Old Man."

He said they used to worship a guy named Phil who could beat them up, until one day Phil got hit by lightning.
So the first word for "God" was "Gevalt!"

[Squeaky Bunny]

shoulda been GeVOLT!

[Mad Mike]

How shocking!

(Ugh - that was just bad...)

[Alfador]

shoulda been GeVOLT!

*giggles*

My 2 cents on the subject...When I saw Saturday's strip, I had to post.

I don't like Political Correctness. Basically it means that if one person overreacts to something, all our freedoms are restricted. People need to lighten up. I don't consider myself Christian, but I celebrate Christmas with all the trimmings because my family does. If friends invited me to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever the heck else kinda winter party holidays there are, I'd be there in a heartbeat. And I'd be singing, dancing, enjoying their traditions right along with 'em.

Offended by joyful celebration? ME? Just try it. I dare ya.

What Beltane SHOULD have done, were she THINKING CLEARLY, would be to request, instead of taking the Christmas decorations down, that she be allowed to ADD some Solstice decorations or something. But no, that would involve her spending money, and putting forth effort, no, can't have that. Gah. When will people learn that the world does not revolve around them? It rotates on an axis leading from the geographic North pole to the geographic South pole, which precesses slightly. It revolves around a G-type star that supplies it with a significant amount of energy in the form of electromagnetic waves of various frequencies.

[Squeaky Bunny]

You're right except I don't think the decorations were ever put up. They were disposed of beforehand.

Beltain might have misspoke or made a preemptive complaint to beaverboy. To be honest, I think He's been proven to be an assclown from some other 'incidents' with the employees. Hard to say otherwise.

A better question is where was she during Halloween?

[Sharuuk]

Political Correctness......the absolute proof that when you try to please everybody, NObody will like it.

And somebody needs to ask the "Ditzy Wic" just exactly how symbolic decorations celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace is so hostile to her!

Shaaruuk

[Alfador]

Political Correctness......the absolute proof that when you try to please everybody, NObody will like it.

Preeecisely.

And somebody needs to ask the "Ditzy Wic" just exactly how symbolic decorations celebrating the birth of the Prince of Peace is so hostile to her!

Well, there are always people out there who feel that ANY expression of a religion other than their own is hostile to them, simply because SOME members of that other religion are thusly hostile.

[Sharuuk]

Well, there are always people out there who feel that ANY expression of a religion other than their own is hostile to them, simply because SOME members of that other religion are thusly hostile.

I don't buy that....she, just like all the other "professional victims" that liberals can't coddle enough, just wants to be guarenteed her "right" not to be offended.....by anything. Bulls**t!

I was coming out of a WalMart on Dec 23 and as I passed this woman, I smiled and said, "Merry Christmas". In an ice cold voice she says, "What if I don't celebrate Christmas?"

I answered,"Well then, don't."

"I'm offended that you should think I celebrate Christmas..yadda, yadda, yadda....!"

My B.S. tolerance level has already been completely passed. While I may not be the best representative or spokesman for Christianity, I've had all I can stand of these assclowns and I blew up in this broads' face like a grenade in a cereal box.

Without a complete recitation of what I said, suffice to say that I told her that since I wasn't Kreskin and couldn't read what passed for her mind and that this was the most widely celebrated religeous holiday in this country if not the world, that I gave that greeting to everyone and to just take it as it was intended. I continued for the better part of 2-3 minutes right there in front of the store at considerable volume.

The finale was my telling her that she and others like her needed to get over it, get over themselves, and above all, get a life........and one final thing......."Merry Christmas".

Her face looked like either a stomped-on frog or a trout on a pier.....bulging eyes and mouth opening & closing with no sound coming out. I truely believe she was expecting a groveling apology for "offending" her and not public ass-chewing...surprise lady...top that off with the applause, cheers, fist pumps and laughter that came from some 30+ people that had gathered at the doors when I went off on her and the scene is complete. She gave me a glare of pure undiluted hatred, turned and stalked back to her car followed by hoots and jeers from the 'gallery'.

I had people coming up to me thanking me, laughing so hard they were crying, pounding me on the back and saying how much they appreciated what they had just witnessed.....I had done what so many of them had wanted to do. I wasn't looking for kudos or anything else, I was just fed completely up with this "I'm offended by people wishing me Merry Christmas" bullsh*t.

Whether or not it was the right way to handle it, I don't know. But it FELT SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!

Shaaruuk

[Labrusca]

Shaaruuk, count me as another (albeit long distance) member of that gallery!!! God Bless You, Merry Gentleman!!

[Alfador]

Well, there are always people out there who feel that ANY expression of a religion other than their own is hostile to them, simply because SOME members of that other religion are thusly hostile.

I don't buy that....she, just like all the other "professional victims" that liberals can't coddle enough, just wants to be guarenteed her "right" not to be offended.....by anything. Bulls**t!

You say that you don't buy what I was saying...perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough: I AGREE with what you are saying. I said "there are always these people, blah blah" meaning that these people are a FRUSTRATION that is never going to go away!

Political Correctness and similar forms of garbage. Blah. Let me get one thing straight. I consider myself liberal, but I can get along with many people who consider themselves conservative, because in both cases, we're pretty moderate. It's the foaming crazies on BOTH sides (or in the case of religious debate, all MULTIPLE VARIED sides) that we don't like. Extremists. That's what we don't like.

[Mad Mike]

Y'know, Shaaruuk, there are times when politeness and restraint are called for, and there are times when it is necessary to crack someone between the eyes with an ax-handle. You were definitely in an ax-handle situation!

If she had turned to you and said, "I don't celebrate Christmas, but I appreciate the sentiment," or something along those lines, it would have been polite for you to offer a gentle apology and a "Season's Greetings" to her and you would have both walked away unperturbed. As it was, she chose to get in your face, blasting you with her intolerance and insensitivity. Unfortunately, this woman was so twisted up in her feelings of self-righteousness that trying to make a point to her is tantamount to beating your head against a brick wall. Your one true accomplishment is to guarantee that the woman will think twice before blowing up at the next person to wish her "Merry Christmas". That, in and of itself, was worth your effort.