entertainment?

This is the first one I clicked on:

The War on Religion

by Rep. Ron Paul, MD
by Rep. Ron Paul, MD



As we celebrate another Yuletide season, it’s hard not to notice that Christmas in America simply doesn’t feel the same anymore. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and those who don’t celebrate it overwhelmingly accept and respect our nation’s Christmas traditions, a certain shared public sentiment slowly has disappeared. The Christmas spirit, marked by a wonderful feeling of goodwill among men, is in danger of being lost in the ongoing war against religion.

Through perverse court decisions and years of cultural indoctrination, the elitist, secular Left has managed to convince many in our nation that religion must be driven from public view. The justification is always that someone, somewhere, might possibly be offended or feel uncomfortable living in the midst of a largely Christian society, so all must yield to the fragile sensibilities of the few. The ultimate goal of the anti-religious elites is to transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity.

This growing bias explains why many of our wonderful Christmas traditions have been lost. Christmas pageants and plays, including Handel’s Messiah, have been banned from schools and community halls. Nativity scenes have been ordered removed from town squares, and even criticized as offensive when placed on private church lawns. Office Christmas parties have become taboo, replaced by colorless seasonal parties to ensure no employees feel threatened by a “hostile environment.” Even wholly non-religious decorations featuring Santa Claus, snowmen, and the like have been called into question as Christmas symbols that might cause discomfort. Earlier this month, firemen near Chicago reluctantly removed Christmas decorations from their firehouse after a complaint by some embittered busybody. Most noticeably, however, the once commonplace refrain of “Merry Christmas” has been replaced by the vague, ubiquitous “Happy Holidays.” But what holiday? Is Christmas some kind of secret, a word that cannot be uttered in public? Why have we allowed the secularists to intimidate us into downplaying our most cherished and meaningful Christian celebration?

The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life.

The Founding Fathers envisioned a robustly Christian yet religiously tolerant America, with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance. Throughout our nation’s history, churches have done what no government can ever do, namely teach morality and civility. Moral and civil individuals are largely governed by their own sense of right and wrong, and hence have little need for external government. This is the real reason the collectivist Left hates religion: Churches as institutions compete with the state for the people’s allegiance, and many devout people put their faith in God before their faith in the state. Knowing this, the secularists wage an ongoing war against religion, chipping away bit by bit at our nation’s Christian heritage. Christmas itself may soon be a casualty of that war.


December 30, 2003

Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas.

http://digg.com/d18Jx7


There is no attack on religion in this country, if religion would step back into the place it belongs in, at home.

Religion has overstepped it's boundaries in this country for far too long.

People do not mind that people want to have religion at home but they want people to respect that not everyone is religious or has the same religion that they do.

Christians will not even recognize that Christmas was a pagan holiday before it was a Christian one and that not everyone wants to celebrate it as Christmas. They won't even accept a comprimise of respecting everyone by saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas because they are so used to being allowed cart blanc in this country.

Ron Paul buys into this because he is too far right for the average American.

So the fact that he wants people to be allowed to freely express their religion means that he is bringing religion into politics?

I ask, should muslim children not be allowed to pray at school when his or her religion requires?

All Ron Paul was asking for is tolerance. Did anyone else see anything different?

Personally someone that would be offended at a "Merry Christmas" has little to no character at all, and thinks the world should bend to his or her will.

Think about it. If someone in their own religion said good day, how the hell can that be offensive by any sane person?

Exactly. he is using Christianity as an example because it is a large sample of the population and what he knows best. Ron Paul is far from judging anyone on religious grounds and has done nothing but promote the tolerance of others, even while holding conflicting beliefs himself. That is what makes him a great man - he does not put himself ahead of what he feels is right.

He is not asking for tolerance, he is asking for us to go back in time to a time of religious majority because he thinks it is a "better" time.

Republican equals stuck in the mud of old times not allowing for the changing humanity. We are not what we used to be any more and good riddance as far as I am concerned. There were way to many prejudice ideals in the old ways, too much religious dogma, etc.....

Ron Paul equals old stuck in the mud ideals that we have outgrown and need to dispel.

Christians will not even recognize that Christmas was a pagan holiday before it was a Christian one and that not everyone wants to celebrate it as Christmas. They won't even accept a comprimise of respecting everyone by saying Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas because they are so used to being allowed cart blanc in this country.

Ron Paul buys into this because he is too far right for the average American.


this is a generalization. and I didn't see him be anything but tolerant. so what if someone says merry christmas...some people take it as an offense. i would not be offended if someone wished me good will for whatever their traditions are

What specificly made you think he wanted us to use religion as a way of life again?


You see i got the impression that he was just promoting tolerance. Like allowing the muslims to pray when they need to. Allowing Christians to say merry christmas, etc. Instead of exercising a Phobia of religion by being forced to be religiously neutral. Wouldn't it be culturally educating to let people practice his or her own religions openly? As long as you are respectful.

I agree with this philosophy. If a gesture was intended to be kind then take it as a kind gesture. It's about maturity.

if someone told me happy winter solstice...i'd take as a greeting not an offense.

The problem is they monopolize the holiday as if it theirs. They want Christmas stuff up but do not put up ALL RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS OF THE HOLIDAY at their public displays which is discriminatory. If you are respectful to ALL you have to include ALL, if not there can be nothing so that all religions are respected, understood?

He was not teaching tolerance, he was bashing those who will not allow the Christians the cart blance they are used to. You notice he states that " THE OLD TRADITIONS AND FEELING OF THE HOLIDAY ARE GONE". We have allowed Christianity too much power in this country and it has taken too much advantage of it and now feels put out by not being given the complete power they had before.

Ron Paul buys into this and it doesn't represent the average American anymore.

This is but one example by the way.

From what I read on his site is, he's doing more of a presidential job than Obama.
Up to Date, informative, calling for actions that would benefit the people. Urging people to get involved by making phone calls and submitting protest letters to the Reps and Congress.
If he don't get too danged old and people wake up to the corruption going on from the Top down, he could be a choice Americans, not the Media, vote in.
On the other hand, if Obama and his crew screw up bad enough, Ron Paul could be the alternative to step in and represent the people.

How would you represent the average american on this matter?

i see all kinds of holidays represented in stores here. for the record...not all christians celebrate christmas as a religious holiday. i celebrate it as tradition....frosty the snowman, rudolph, santa, etc

I'd voted for him...i haven't heard why not

Because I know that all people have different beliefs I gladly wish all Happy Holidays to make sure they are covered in my message. I believe most Americans are at this point of intelligent understanding. Just for example.

Ron Paul does not believe this way and it is not representative of the majority.

Yep, if I were to vote...Ron Paul would have had another vote, but I'm anarchist so I don't vote. Win or lose anymore we still get the same thing, no one really looks at the write-in candidates I wouldn't be surprised if most didn't even know what one was.

I'm an anarchist and I know that...