Atheist 'Holiday Decorations' Really Aren't Sitting Well With Christians - Do you get offended by holiday decorations?
Atheist 'Holiday Decorations' Really Aren't Sitting Well With Christians
It's that time of year again, everyone ... the time of year when people start hating each other even more than usual, thanks to holiday decorations. A group of Christians
in Santa Monica, California are in a federal court today in regards to a
lawsuit they've raised against their fair city -- their fair city that
wouldn't allow them to display an elaborate 14-scene nativity for the holidays.
No, Santa Monica officials don't hate baby Jesus. They're not letting any religious (or non-religious) group display "holiday" decorations or scenes. Because, to put it bluntly, they're over it.
A-men.
A little background information for you: Last year in Santa Monica, people entered a lottery to determine who would get to put up holiday displays in the 21 lots in one of the city's parks. Eighteen of the 21 spaces wound up going to atheists, who put up signs that read things like, "Religions are all alike. Founded upon fables and mythologies"; Christians won two spots, and a Jewish person won one. Needless to say, all was not calm during the month of December. Despite their efforts to be nonpartisan, city officials were accused of being anti-Christian. Hence, the lawsuit.
Here's what I think: I think everybody ought to fix themselves a nice tall glass of whiskey-spiked eggnog, or Manischewitz wine, or, hell, Zima, and simmer the crap down. Every single year, it's the same thing. This religious group hates this thing; another religious group hates another. It's ridiculous. November/December used to simply be a fun time of year where we eat more than usual and had time off from work. Now it's like a g.d. election. Santa Monica held a lottery (for decorations!), and that was the outcome. That's not being anti-anything, that's politics.
I honestly forgot about the "decor wars" until I came across this story, and I'm already dreading the annoying things to come. Each year, the arguing gets a little more elaborate, a little more nasty. Pretty soon, no one is going to be allowed to put up decorations anywhere, and we're all going to have to sit in our houses with our hands folded for a time out.
Would I enjoy seeing a giant, 14-scene Nativity while walking through a park? Yeah, that would be a no. And it would definitely be a little jarring seeing the cheerful holiday signs the atheists "decorated" with. But I certainly wouldn't wage a war against it either. I mean, aren't we all exhausted from the election?
Do you get offended by holiday decorations?
There is Constitutional offense.
The same reason the atheists don't want religious displays on public lands is the reason the religious people want them.
Just having them displayed there indicates endorsement, no different than when you drive through a neighborhood at the holidays you can tell who is part of which religious tradition by the displays they have on their houses.
No I do not get offended by holiday decorations. If I find it offensive I look away or avoid the scene
I'm just offended by billboards. Any billboards. They fuck up my view of the mountains. Fucking billboards.
But, if one group is allowed to display on public property, all groups should be allowed to display as well. The lottery idea was...not so well thought out.
Quoting frogbender:
I'm just offended by billboards. Any billboards. They fuck up my view of the mountains. Fucking billboards.
But, if one group is allowed to display on public property, all groups should be allowed to display as well. The lottery idea was...not so well thought out.
Yeah, i'm far more offended by being constantly marketed to than i am by being forced to look at somebody elses holiday display when i drive down the road.
I'm more offended that some of my neighbors have their Christmas decorations up and on at night time already.
Quoting romalove:
There is Constitutional offense.
The same reason the atheists don't want religious displays on public lands is the reason the religious people want them.
Just having them displayed there indicates endorsement, no different than when you drive through a neighborhood at the holidays you can tell who is part of which religious tradition by the displays they have on their houses.
Can we talk more about that? 'Cause i don't see this as a case of equal opposites.
People want manger dispalys (and whatever) at city halls because it's nostalgic for them, not wanting them because you think they are irritating isn't the same thing. Is that an over simplification?
Quoting UpSheRises:
Quoting romalove:
There is Constitutional offense.
The same reason the atheists don't want religious displays on public lands is the reason the religious people want them.
Just having them displayed there indicates endorsement, no different than when you drive through a neighborhood at the holidays you can tell who is part of which religious tradition by the displays they have on their houses.
Can we talk more about that? 'Cause i don't see this as a case of equal opposites.
People want manger dispalys (and whatever) at city halls because it's nostalgic for them, not wanting them because you think they are irritating isn't the same thing. Is that an over simplification?
I don't see it that way.
I see that it is very very important for religious people to have those displays on public lands because, to them, it indicates we are a country of their religion.
If you knew how many times I have been told this is a Christian country (it isn't, it is a secular country with a supermajority Christian population, which is a very different thing) you might understand better where I am coming from.
If it's nostalgic to see nativities people can see them on their homes, lawns, trees, churches, garages, barns, charm bracelets, restaurants, shopping malls, sports stadiums, beauty parlors, television sets, etc.
It doesn't have to be there except for the reason I stated, IMO.
Do you find this to be a waste of money?
- Cafe Steph
on Nov. 19, 2012 at 1:57 PM