Yvonne wrote:
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WhoElseCouldIBe wrote:
I'd have more sympathy for the protection of Christmas if it wasn't ripped off from the pagans in the first place.

I thought thou shalt not steal?

No one asked you for sympathy. People are stating a fact the religion especially Christianity is being attacked. Every year the atheist group put up a billboard attacking the birth of Jesus. Do they do that with Islam or the Jewish faith? No, I have never seen the attack on billboards by Christians calling out atheists for their lack of belief. There are billboards promoting faith but not attacking nonbelievers. Everyone has a right to believe or not believe without being attacked. It makes you wonder why are atheists are afraid of Christians, perhaps they are afraid of the truth.

WhoElseCouldIBe wrote:
I'd have more sympathy for the protection of Christmas if it wasn't ripped off from the pagans in the first place.

I thought thou shalt not steal?

skinny wrote:
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mscottc wrote:
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skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

It's real simple, No Jew or Atheist (of which I'm both, but I don't expect you to understand that), has ever told a Christian that you can't celebrate your religion. We do ask that you not force your religion on us or our government. And even the founding fathers found that a reasonable request, hence the "Separation of State and Church" in the first Amendment.
OTOH, Christians are constantly demanding that people who don't celebrate the way they do are somehow less than them. God forbid we don't celebrate Christ, or we are unpatriotic Americans and heathens.

So yes, some of you you Christians (certainly not all) are waging war on us non-Christians.

BTW, I'm happily married to a Christian woman who is very spiritual. Our marriage works because while she would like me to believe, she has never asked me to believe, nor has she ever demeaned me because I don't believe.

Who is demanding anyone force their religion?? I can care less what you are or aren't, so long as you do not force your religious beliefs on society. If you read the link which shows the NYC public school days off calendar, you would CLEARLY see that Christmas and Easter, arguably the largest celebrated holidays in NYC are not listed. Jewish and Muslim holidays which are celebrate in far fewer numbers are listed.

The NYC school district should accurately represent all the religious days off for what they are, or not list any at all.

You're an atheist? Fine, God bless you. But that does change the fact that there is a glaring omission of the most celebrated holiday in the country's largest school district.

Yet another victory for the Libs.

mscottc wrote:
Quote:

skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

It's real simple, No Jew or Atheist (of which I'm both, but I don't expect you to understand that), has ever told a Christian that you can't celebrate your religion. We do ask that you not force your religion on us or our government. And even the founding fathers found that a reasonable request, hence the "Separation of State and Church" in the first Amendment.
OTOH, Christians are constantly demanding that people who don't celebrate the way they do are somehow less than them. God forbid we don't celebrate Christ, or we are unpatriotic Americans and heathens.

So yes, some of you you Christians (certainly not all) are waging war on us non-Christians.

BTW, I'm happily married to a Christian woman who is very spiritual. Our marriage works because while she would like me to believe, she has never asked me to believe, nor has she ever demeaned me because I don't believe.

Pebble wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
Quote:

mscottc wrote:
Quote:

skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

It's real simple, No Jew or Atheist (of which I'm both, but I don't expect you to understand that), has ever told a Christian that you can't celebrate your religion. We do ask that you not force your religion on us or our government. And even the founding fathers found that a reasonable request, hence the "Separation of State and Church" in the first Amendment.
OTOH, Christians are constantly demanding that people who don't celebrate the way they do are somehow less than them. God forbid we don't celebrate Christ, or we are unpatriotic Americans and heathens.

So yes, some of you you Christians (certainly not all) are waging war on us non-Christians.

BTW, I'm happily married to a Christian woman who is very spiritual. Our marriage works because while she would like me to believe, she has never asked me to believe, nor has she ever demeaned me because I don't believe.

Other religions have their holidays intact, it is not watered down by political correctness. Merry Christmas is now Happy Holidays, the nativity scene now includes a snowman and Santa Claus. Public schools cannot sing Silent Night only Jingle Bells. No, I disagree, Christianity has been under attack and this attack has now spread to the military bases under Obama.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2 ... ans-because-of-hostile-c/

Pathetic.

There is no "war on Christianity." It is the predominant religion in this country.

"Happy Holidays" isn't political correctness, it is a polite way to greet someone during a specific time of year when that other person may or may not be of your same faith. I'm sorry that your life is so very sad that the very idea that politeness dictates that you can't say "Merry Christmas" to Jews, Atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, etc. is an affront to your delicate sensibilities.

I'd suggest for you to grow up if I didn't know that it is only your education level that is in grade school.

Yvonne wrote:
Quote:

mscottc wrote:
Quote:

skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

It's real simple, No Jew or Atheist (of which I'm both, but I don't expect you to understand that), has ever told a Christian that you can't celebrate your religion. We do ask that you not force your religion on us or our government. And even the founding fathers found that a reasonable request, hence the "Separation of State and Church" in the first Amendment.
OTOH, Christians are constantly demanding that people who don't celebrate the way they do are somehow less than them. God forbid we don't celebrate Christ, or we are unpatriotic Americans and heathens.

So yes, some of you you Christians (certainly not all) are waging war on us non-Christians.

BTW, I'm happily married to a Christian woman who is very spiritual. Our marriage works because while she would like me to believe, she has never asked me to believe, nor has she ever demeaned me because I don't believe.

Other religions have their holidays intact, it is not watered down by political correctness. Merry Christmas is now Happy Holidays, the nativity scene now includes a snowman and Santa Claus. Public schools cannot sing Silent Night only Jingle Bells. No, I disagree, Christianity has been under attack and this attack has now spread to the military bases under Obama.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2 ... ans-because-of-hostile-c/

mscottc wrote:
Quote:

skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

It's real simple, No Jew or Atheist (of which I'm both, but I don't expect you to understand that), has ever told a Christian that you can't celebrate your religion. We do ask that you not force your religion on us or our government. And even the founding fathers found that a reasonable request, hence the "Separation of State and Church" in the first Amendment.
OTOH, Christians are constantly demanding that people who don't celebrate the way they do are somehow less than them. God forbid we don't celebrate Christ, or we are unpatriotic Americans and heathens.

So yes, some of you you Christians (certainly not all) are waging war on us non-Christians.

BTW, I'm happily married to a Christian woman who is very spiritual. Our marriage works because while she would like me to believe, she has never asked me to believe, nor has she ever demeaned me because I don't believe.

skinny wrote:
Sorry, meant Not sure how you can claim this is Christians waging war on non-Christians, where it is actually the exact opposite!

skinny wrote:
It's not about knowing when it's Christmas. It's simply acknowledging it on the school year calendar. If the NYC school system can't acknowledge the most celebrated holiday in the world (and indeed, in NYC) then what gives them the right to list other religion's holidays by name?

drifterx wrote:
I'll give you Easter but do you really need a calendar to know it's Christmas?

skinny wrote:
Something worth noting.
In all 5 boroughs of New York, here are the rounded percentages of population of following 3 religions.

Christian 75%
Jewish 19%
Muslim 3%

I simply added all religious groups groups and avereged out the numbers.
http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.ph ... ics/3881-a-religious-city

Christians make up the vast majority, Jews are a large minority, and Muslims represent a rather small minority. What is interesting is that the NYC public school calendar does not list a single Christian holiday by name, but Jewish and Muslim holidays are represented.

It lists Christmas as "Winter recess" and Easter as "Spring recess".

To me, at worst this is by design.... at best, a glaring oversight.

How does the city's public school system, where the vast majority of it's citizens are of a particular religion, not acknowledge that in their calendar, but for smaller, more vocal minorities, their holidays are listed by name?
http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/0 ... dlySchoolYearCalendar.pdf

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devilsadvocate wrote:

Except that your family knew learning english was part of the deal. That we had set holidays, a national language, a specific culture - and that adaptation to that was expected. That isn't really true anymore. Maybe your family would have adapted anyway, but maybe not. Regardless, other families that didn't want to adapt didn't move here. Now, they are perfectly happy moving here - after all, they can get public housing, food stamps, social security, etc.

RichMauro wrote:
Reading through all of the arguments on this thread, if one were to decide to embrace religion I would wonder : "why?"

devilsadvocate wrote:
Quote:

drifterx wrote:
I think this is an exaggeration. There will always be people resisting and there are always people who are more that ready and willing to embrace the melting pot idea. You think the reason we are talking to each other in English today is because of nativists? No my friend, it is because immigrants like myself believe in America and we were welcomed by it despite my funny sounding language. I grew up here, went to school here, and work here with people who went through the same thing although not all the same experiences and with different degrees of assimilation. If you are claiming that America is over then I claim we are just getting started.

Except that your family knew learning english was part of the deal. That we had set holidays, a national language, a specific culture - and that adaptation to that was expected. That isn't really true anymore. Maybe your family would have adapted anyway, but maybe not. Regardless, other families that didn't want to adapt didn't move here. Now, they are perfectly happy moving here - after all, they can get public housing, food stamps, social security, etc.

RichMauro wrote:
Reading through all of the arguments on this thread, if one were to decide to embrace religion I would wonder : "why?"

devilsadvocate wrote:
Quote:

drifterx wrote:
I think this is an exaggeration. There will always be people resisting and there are always people who are more that ready and willing to embrace the melting pot idea. You think the reason we are talking to each other in English today is because of nativists? No my friend, it is because immigrants like myself believe in America and we were welcomed by it despite my funny sounding language. I grew up here, went to school here, and work here with people who went through the same thing although not all the same experiences and with different degrees of assimilation. If you are claiming that America is over then I claim we are just getting started.

Except that your family knew learning english was part of the deal. That we had set holidays, a national language, a specific culture - and that adaptation to that was expected. That isn't really true anymore. Maybe your family would have adapted anyway, but maybe not. Regardless, other families that didn't want to adapt didn't move here. Now, they are perfectly happy moving here - after all, they can get public housing, food stamps, social security, etc.

drifterx wrote:
I think this is an exaggeration. There will always be people resisting and there are always people who are more that ready and willing to embrace the melting pot idea. You think the reason we are talking to each other in English today is because of nativists? No my friend, it is because immigrants like myself believe in America and we were welcomed by it despite my funny sounding language. I grew up here, went to school here, and work here with people who went through the same thing although not all the same experiences and with different degrees of assimilation. If you are claiming that America is over then I claim we are just getting started.

brewster wrote:
Quote:

Yvonne wrote:
The Middle East and Northern Africa were basically Christian nations.

This is not at all considered an undisputed fact. There were Romanized Christian elites, but what percentage vs traditional animist is not known. Like today, there were never very many Jews anywhere.

Quote:

Islam means surrender they had a choice to surrender or die.

You mean like the choice put by Christians to residents of N & S America, Australia, Philippines, and Africa? You want to use a very carefully filtered version of history.

Yvonne wrote:
The Middle East and Northern Africa were basically Christian nations.

Islam means surrender they had a choice to surrender or die.

Yvonne wrote: I guess you must be a Hillary supporter who endorse her plans to increase the number of Muslim immigrants so this country can be like France with its bombs.