December 15, 2005...3:03 pm
Over Reaction Central
While I don’t agree with everything Pia of CourtingDestiny.com usually has to say, I must agree with the posting made here.
The post says
I’m a New York Jew; a life long Democrat and a card carrying member of the ACLU. Much of the time I’m very disappointed in the Democratic party, but at this moment it’s better than the alternative. I don’t believe in all of the ACLU’s causes, but I believe that everybody has a right to be represented.
But when I read blogs that blame the ACLU and/or minority groups for taking Christ out of Christmas, I have to say that as a Jew I, and most Jews, want you to celebrate Christmas. On Christmas Jews traditionally went to the movies and ate Chinese food. We think it would be good if you spent time in church or with your family; as we liked it when the theaters weren’t packed.
The post then goes on to say
Before the news of the mega churches closing I wrote a post in my personal blog about the Christmas/holiday season mess. One of the comments was from a Jewish blogger, Neil, who is usually very witty and tres lite. He really struck a chord; couldn’t stop thinking about his comment and asked for permission to quote him.
Frankly, I think one of the things that makes our country so great is that the majority religion has tried so hard
to make minorities feel comfortable. Where else have Jews and others been made to feel as equals and as comfortable with Christian holidays? Certainly not in many European countries where you are considered Jewish first, then a citizen of that country.New York is not the rest of the country. I think it would be nice to bring back some of the religiosity to Christmas in big cities, so it isn’t such a consumerized holiday. Thank you, Christians, for being so good to the rest of us. You can now celebrate Christmas a little more openly.
However, things are different in smaller cities and towns around the country. Those places have a habit of mixing up religion and public policy. It is places like those where I don’t think it appropriate for the public sector to promote religion symbolism and ideology.
Here is where I want to delete most of what I wrote before Neil’s comment. It feels too silly. As Jews we do feel grateful to the Christians in this country for allowing us to be full citizens. We’re grateful because our great grandparents weren’t, usually, allowed to own land, have a profession or be citizens of their towns. They were allowed to be conscripted into the Czars army so they could wipe out Jewish villages. We’re grateful that they left and came to this remarkable country.
It is important we who are of the “majority” religion in this country remember why this country was founded in the first place: FREEDOM!
Taking our religion and shoving down other people’s throats just because we know we’re right runs opposite, not only of the wishes of the founding fathers, but the desires of the Founder of our Faith, Christ Himself! In another post, I defined Tolerance as:
I acknowledge your right to believe or do as you believe even if I believe you are dead wrong. It means respectfully disagreeing on some matters while recognizing common ground where it exists. This is also a two-way street and I expect the same respect I give.
We did we as a nation decide tolerance was making everyone think and act like us?
The post finishes up with
Many of us are fully assimilated; marry outside our religion; feel and look WASPier than the biggest WASP. But there’s always one moment when something happens that reminds us that other people view us as different. I know that most people are rational; that most people don’t believe this. (Did a Google “ACLU” “Christmas” search and this was the number one document.)
According to ACLU “Christmas haters” everyting refering to Christ inpublic has to go. But try as they might, they can’t take the spirit out of Christmas, something this group is in dire need of. Boy talk about selfishness
Yes let’s talk about being selfish; selfish is the same woman saying the following.
The Constitution can be read front to back, sideways, upside down, and nowhere does it read there needs to be a separation of church and state. Good grief! The framers would have been very dense or dumber than a box of rocks, to put separation of church and state in the most “intentionally” misunderstood document, and then proceeded to have a nation built on God and in every aspect of their lives
Good grief, indeed. If this is true then I have to not only be grateful to you, but bow down to your religious superiority, and that is where I draw the line.
Just understand that we’re not your problem. You are. If a person can find G-d in a concentration camp, any American can find G-d anywhere. It’s up to you to put Christ back in Christmas, not us.
I could never celebrate Christmas as a secular holiday. Why? It is the symbolic observation of Christ’s birthday no matter how you look at it. But selfishly I want you to celebrate it so that I can see the trees, lights, decorations and even go to some Christmas parties. That’s right; Christmas parties at peoples homes. Every other year my friends make an Italian feast in their Tudor house in Forest Hills Gardens, a picture perfect Ives & Currier Christmas community. It’s wonderful, but I will never have a Christmas dinner in my apartment.
Merry Christmas; Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Winter Solistice. I will call this season whatever you want me to call it as long as The First Amendment remains intact. And I will always be grateful to the USA for allowing my family to live as full citizens for over a century. Grateful but I will never feel less an American than you do. And I thank G-d for organizations like the ACLU that make sure I will always be a full American.
Quite frankly, I feel we Christians should be ashamed of ourselves! We preach the message of Christ and yet refuse to live the life of a servant. We must remember we share this planet with others who believe differently that we. While we may feel and know they are wrong, we MUST respect their right to believe as they do. It is ultimately their choice as to who/what they believe in and while we may tell them what we think, THEY ultimately must choose. We have NO right to force our convictions upon them. Convictions which are accepted by force are not truely accepted.
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