Pennsylvania Town Debates Controversial Christmas Lights

[ElfBot]

It is a tough issue. Should the city hang lights at Christmas or stay dark out of respect for the Christmas-offended?

Read more... (http://mymerrychristmas.com/2006/pennsylvania.shtml)

Source: Christmas in the News (http://www.mymerrychristmas.com)
Christmas News as gathered from thousands of sources and chronicled at My Merry Christmas.com, the Internet's largest Christmas site.

[sheepsnot]

Just how ridiculous are people going to get? First of all, there are only a small amount of people who are going to say they are offended. Vocal, yes, but small. They always get what they want because they are passionate and will get in your face until you back down, but that's no reason to give in on what the overwhelming majority of people want. Do you want to know why all holiday decorations can be linked to religion if you think hard enough? Because all creation reminds you of the Creator if you think hard enough. The reality of a Creator is not just for weak minded people who otherwise would have no direction. So many of the greatest minds throughout history believed in a creator that the idea is well worth investigating. And if, after checking it out, one decides it not worthy of attention, fine, but don't then decide that any expression of religion by a publicly funded organization is wrong. Millions of people don't like their tax dollars being given to people who could work if they applied themselves, but it does. I hate the fact that my tax dollars fund the protection of agencies whose purpose it is to snuff out life before it gets a chance to defend itself, but watch my money go there every two weeks! No measurable harm comes to putting snowflakes up on poles. None. If you don't like it, learn to compromise and get along or we'll end up like too many other countries around the world. :x :sad:

[Jeff Westover]

I have to disagree with you a little, Sheep. The "offended" at Christmas are almost never vocal. In my study of this through the years politicians go to great lengths to protect folks from being offended but they never say just who the offended are. When it comes to Christmas, they are a faceless crowd.

That is more than anything else the reason why people get so upset about publicly funded (in many cases private funds are used) Christmas celebrations. All of these people are supposedly offended...we just don't know who they are.

Take a look at all the headlines we've collected through the years on this topic. NEVER do you see just who we're being politically correct for...we're completely at the whim of political leadership who claim it is true.

It's a crock.

Jeff

:???:

[sheepsnot]

That's an interesting take, JW. Perhaps we need to require that the politicians who claim to speak for those without a voice produce those offended folks so we can ask them ourselves just what it is about religious terminology they can't stand. There are some things I can't stand, for whatever reason: bullys, rap music, cranberry sauce, etc. And I don't allow the first two in my house and the 3rd on my plate, but I allow ALL of them to exist in my neighborhood and at the mall because those places aren't mine. It is arrogant in my view when we try to outlaw something that is in itself not morally wrong. OK, the bullying is wrong anywhere, but you get my point. What is going through a person's mind when they hear someone else say, "Merry Christmas!" and they decide it must not be allowed? Do they honestly believe that no one should be allowed to express such a thing in their presence? If I move to a country whose foundations are predominantly Muslim, should I lobby to stop their religious expressions in public because those expressions don't represent my belief system?

[Jeff Westover]

Ah, but that's my point entirely. I think the lack of offended victims usually means a politician is advancing an agenda and not really seeing to anyone's offense.

No cranberry sauce??!! Blasphemer!

Jeff

[sheepsnot]

I've been called a blasphemer before, but let's not bring my mom into this. I know we can develop a taste for things and my friends think it is weird when I order food I don't like just for that purpose, but I don't like the fact that cranberry sauce doesn't even remotely taste good to me. I wish I could like it, but can't. I remember we used to buy some sort of bread in a can, which I always thought was WWII surplus. Any idea what it was?

[lpstong]

You know it just would be great to walk down a street without getting stares or people going agast on me for my beliefs. We all want individuality yet I cant have mine for my beliefs. Sometimes I feel like being in a Communist country and have to hide and worship my beliefs in my house. For fear of punishment and public ridicule for saying things like Merry Christmas.