Ironworker Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Missouri is an odd place. It's like the crux of every crackpot view in the country. We got the most wacky libs and the most hard core cons you can imagine. One guy complaning is not a good reason to take anything down. However this kind of religous sleight of hand is common here. "But why should anyone complain about our totally secular CHRISTmass tree?" it's almost like they are fishing for controversy. Perhaps MO State just feels they could use some attention. With everyone shouting "help, help, we're being oppressed" I'm certainly not opposed to doing away with public state funded displays of any religious holidays which is exactly what a CHRISTmass tree is. The whole all inclusive state funded religious display is no better and is exactly why the state should stay out of religion doesn't stop anyone from putting up their own display on their own property and with their own dime. Bah frigity humbug and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Jack Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Ary - full of useless stuff Spleens, Appendices, Kidneys, Intestines sort of stuff? Yup, she has a full set of appendices, from A to F, and they're annotated, too.... Fixed that for you. <Shoots the gremlins in his keyboard for screwing up the scheduling and confusing an "extra letter" day for a "missing letter" day...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokingwreckage Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I see absolutely no reason why the state shouldn't put up decorations for locally celebrated holidays of any religious persuasion they feel like. If I went to a majority Chinese area and there was no Chinese New Year I'd feel vaguely cheated, and if local government makes it a holiday or a half-day and puts up lanterns, all well and good. Now, forcing people to partake in religious observance is entirely another thing.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironworker Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I see absolutely no reason why the state shouldn't put up decorations for locally celebrated holidays of any religious persuasion they feel like. If I went to a majority Chinese area and there was no Chinese New Year I'd feel vaguely cheated, and if local government makes it a holiday or a half-day and puts up lanterns, all well and good. Now, forcing people to partake in religious observance is entirely another thing.... We're not talking about the courthouse lawn in podunkvill or a private school we're taking about a state college campus. People come from all over the world and all over the country to go to school and work there. Personally I wouldn't bat an eye but some controversy should be expected. Makeing a big deal out of it is silly it's not news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabascojunkie Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Yesterday I heard about a school district in I think Spokane, Washington that put out a schedule of the school year. It included Hannukah, Kwanza, "Winter Break", and lots of other holidays. No Christmas on the Calendar. Lots of people were very offended and they fixed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldarchy Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 see I just don't get how it became ok to celebrate other holidays and include them but then if ever the words Christmas escape your lips you are just the worst person on earth! Sort of like how racism is apparently percieved. I hate to say it but there are still racists out there but it seems that some people have this idea that whites are the only ones that are racist and we hate any one of a different color, culture, country, etc. When in fact I've experienced more racism directed at me for being a white southerner. Go fig! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I just hate everyone with equal malice so I can never be accused of being -ist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabascojunkie Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I just hate everyone with equal malice so I can never be accused of being -ist. To quote the immortal Slayer- "I hate everyone equally You can't tear that out of me No segregation -separation Just me in my world of enemies" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 The majority is always the bad guy. Case in point: In my job I have co-workers I've known for many years. Some of these co-workers go out for lunch and, if I'm so inclined, I ask them to do me a favor by picking me up a To-Go order from a restaurant they're going to. But, because some non-white, temporary employees who had never been in the area before, who didn't know me from Eve or Isis, complained that they weren't asked if they wanted food picked up as well and vocally challenged it was because we were racist since my co-workers and I are white. So, I had to either stop asking them to occassionally pick me up something healthier and more appetizing than the cafeteria food, or they had to make the offer to everyone in the area, which meant about ten to fifteen people. It had nothing to do with race, religion, or anything else except that these co-workers of mine and I had a long-term working friendship. None of us knew any of the others and I was even hard pressed at times to remember their names (and they were only in the area for about three months instead of year-round). It wasn't even about them offering to get me food. *I* asked them. Regardless, it caused a lot of tension last year as a result. I still believe it all stemmed from the majority of the people in the long-term positions being white, although our main boss isn't and we have several others who aren't. But yeah, I'm a little peeved that Christian holidays are demonized while the holidays of other religions are glamourized and extolled. And as for the whole separation of church and state in the Constitution... read it. Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Note Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. To me, and knowing my history, this means that there will be no Church of the United States. Basically, the Government cannot create a government-controlled religious entity as Henry VIII did, nor can a religious body, such as the Vatican, control the actions of the government. This expressly even grants people the right to freely celebrate their religion, be they Christian, Mormon, or the Congregation of Worshippers of Green Socks. It does not say a state or federal building building cannot decorate for a holiday as the employees of those buildings wish to. People tend to read way too much in too few words. The only person who can allow something to offend them is you. If you choose to be offended because I think Green Socks created the universe, that's your problem, not mine. If I want to paint Santa's reindeer as a bipedal goat-man with moose antlers, a forked tail, and cavorting around a giant, flaming statue made of sticks with nekkid elves, that's my deal. If you don't like it, don't look at it. People get offended over the littlest, most insignificant things and it's way past the time for people to just stop and look at the real issues that hurt us instead of things that can easily be ignored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 (edited) Ary, wow, your work place has a bunch of hypersensitive babies in there. How could they actually force anyone to pick up lunch for anyone, or even enact disciplanary action since it is outside the realm of their job duties. Should have told them to pick up your lunch just to see how indignant they got then Edited December 5, 2007 by Qwyksilver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Remember who I work for, Qwyk. ANYTHING that can possibly be construed as "offensive" is quickly dealt with. I'm currently surprised some areas can still put up Christmas decorations. I've started to abstain just in case some wack-job with a corncob up their (place where the sun don't shine) decides my idea of Christmas decor is offensive to their idea of Christmas/WhateverHoliday decor. And to add: I say Merry Christmas. If you don't like it, that's your problem. I'm not even Christian, but, to me, the words embody the spirit of the season, not any particular religion (I don't CARE about what the history of the saying is, that's what it means to me, so don't even go there). I celebrate Christmas as a celebration of life and the rebirth of the world after the cold winter. It's the circle of life, nothing to do with someone who was born a couple of thousand of years ago. It's a personal thing, just as all religion is. What one thing means to one person means something else to another. And, darn it all, Santa says "HO HO HO!" Sorry, feeling ranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Another instance of Santa being brought to trial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CuCulain42 Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 Not only does Santa regularly use derogatory words, he also encorages a poor diet and obesity:Top doctor in U.S. says big guy sets bad example Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fieldarchy Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 well of course he sets a bad example but then again what parent sets a good example for their child these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixminis Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I just hate everyone with equal malice so I can never be accused of being -ist. Correction, perhaps folks will not be correct if they accuse you, but they certainly can accuse you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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