Happy Holidays from President Bush

[1John2_26]

In another thread a person linked an article from the Americans United for Seperation of Church and State organization implying it odd that President Bush would send out a non Christmas card.

What else should the President of a secular society do?

Would it have ben OK for Bush, a Christian, to have sent out "Christmas" cards?

If there is a "war on Christmas," should our elected officials be taking sides?

[micatala]

In another thread a person linked an article from the Americans United for Seperation of Church and State organization implying it odd that President Bush would send out a non Christmas card.

What else should the President of a secular society do?

Would it have ben OK for Bush, a Christian, to have sent out "Christmas" cards?


If there is a "war on Christmas," should our elected officials be taking sides?

Allow me a bit of hubris, and let me pretend I am the President for a bit (but without all the baggage that W currently carries).

I would feel free to send out Christmas cards to my friends and relatives who were Christians. If I knew someone was not Christian, I might send them a generic holiday greeting card, wish them a Happy Hannukah/Kwanzaa/Ramadan whatever, etc.

I would certainly not take sides in any real or supposed war on Christmas.

In the current climate, I might make a statement like the following:

In this time when many of our citizens are celebrating treasured religious holidays and traditions, I think it is appropriate that all of us pause to reflect and be thankful for the freedoms that we as United States citizens enjoy.

The founding fathers of our country had the foresight to design a structure of government that included our right to worship and celebrate our religion as we see fit, or not to worship at all, if that is our choice. I believe they did this in the full knowledge that we as Americans will always entertain diverse religious views, and that we will sometimes disagree, even vehemently, about these. Certainly the founders had ample experience with religious controversies in their own time, and were well aware of the historicial controversies that pre-dated them, some of which contributed to the populating of our nascent nation.

But I also believe that the founders had a vision for a civil society where, even though great divisions might exist, whether religious or otherwise, the citizenry would be able to accomodate these divisions without undue conflict, in a spirit of mutual respect. This is not necessarily an easy thing to accomplish in all circumstances. But our finest citizens have always, I believe, worked to further this vision, and I would encourage all of us to do what we can to make this vision more of a reality in our own time.

Those of us who are Christians, I believe, bear a greater responsibility to bring this vision about. This is because any majority, religious or otherwise, must be wary of using its numerical advantage, whether intentionally or unwittingly, to infringe upon the rights of the minority. Our own history is an unfortunate testament to the evil that results when this is not the case.

So, in closing, let me encourage you to feel free to express your religious beliefs or lack thereof as the case may be, and to offer each other seasonal greetings as you see fit in a spirit of toleration and mutual respect.

[Nirvana-Eld]

My ballot's going to Mic!

I don't think theres really a "war on chrismas" I think it's just the extremes on both sides of the left wing/right wing spectrum just looking for something new to argue about, this being political correctness concerning chrismas, I think it is rediculous though for people to be making "holiday trees". The tradition started in Christianity, no need to extract it from Christianity. I think the AUCS might be a little shocked that the President is actually trying to appease them a little bit by trying to bend to their way of thinking. I honestly hope to God if he's out there that elected officials do not take sides or not exaggerate it more than it really is.

[ENIGMA]

I think it is rediculous though for people to be making "holiday trees". The tradition started in Christianity, no need to extract it from Christianity.

Actually the Christmas tree was one of the many things that the Christians ripped off from the pagans. Yuletide sound familiar to anyone?

...and now you know... *cue a few seconds of appropriate commercial exit music*

[USIncognito]

In another thread a person linked an article from the Americans United for Seperation of Church and State organization implying it odd that President Bush would send out a non Christmas card.

I'm not "another person." I have a user ID and if you're going to reference me, please use it.

What else should the President of a secular society do?

I thought this was a Christian nation founded on Christianity. And what do you mean we're a secular society? 90ish percent of Americans believe in some form of deity or are adherants to some religion.

If the President is so worried about being a uniter and not a divider, I wish he'd been so thoughtful when it came to the Iraq war.

Would it have ben OK for Bush, a Christian, to have sent out "Christmas" cards?

If there is a "war on Christmas," should our elected officials be taking sides?

Well, there is no war on Christmas, but since the reactionaries are using it as a wedge issue, of course he should have... otherwise Bill O'Reilly and Pat Robertson need to include the President as an enemy in the supposed war in Christmas.

[1John2_26]

I referenced "USIncognito" for this thread topic. OK?

America is a secular nation and a quick or exhaustive reading of the constitution should nail that down. America does not proclaim any religious documants like Islamic countries do. Presdente like all elected officials are dividers. There is no way a Republican can make a Democrat happy and stay a Republican. And of course the same goes for a Democrat President. Bush, did an admirable thing here in choosing to go on the side of the Christian bashers. Christians shouldn't let anti-Christians wiory them. Why? Christ wins. I read the end of the book first. Bill O'Reilly and Pat Robertson report true things. Like it or not.

[Bugmaster]

Actually, the President is a citizen like any other. If he wants to send out Christmas cards to his friends and family, he's fully within his rights to do so. Now, if he wants to mandate Christmas cards on the national level, that's another story...

[Chimp]

Bill O'Reilly and Pat Robertson report true things.

Please don't try to defend those two knuckle-heads. For being
all for Christmas, they seem to be spreading dischord, not good cheer.
Bah Humbug.

Bush also included a quote from Psalms...hardly secular.

A few things to ponder...

The tradition of bringing evergreens into a house during winter stems
from the belief that they would protect you from evil spirits...eventually
it developed into a western tradition ( mostly via Scandanavians and
Germans ) involving Christmas trees.

Holiday (which Steven Colbert pointed out recently) means HOLY-DAY

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

[1John2_26]

So Bush as usual did what was appropriate.

By the way, Jesus celebrated Hannakuh right?

Quote:
Bill O'Reilly and Pat Robertson report true things.

Please don't try to defend those two knuckle-heads. For being
all for Christmas, they seem to be spreading dischord, not good cheer.
Bah Humbug.

I do not fear the truth. The only people that do are usually on the side of dishonesty. O'Reilly is the new word for BOO! But I never recoil from hearing it.

I like the psalm thing from Bush. He-he-he-he.