Secular Left Posts

December 15, 2005

More on “war” on Christmas: writer wants special treatment for Christians

Robert Meyer tries to make a case that businesses expressing “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” are being offensive to and exclusive against Christians.

“Free exercise of religion isn’t realized by an exclusion of all. This is an attempt at negative neutrality that publicly squelches the free exercise of religion, but does nothing constructive to ultimately avoid conflict. It amazes me how the First Amendment, which protected the public’s free religious exercise from intrusions by the government, now is twisted so that the Establishment Clause is used to sanitize the public square from any mention of God.”

Find out why and how he is SO wrong on the next episode of Secular Left…..

Read the postMore on “war” on Christmas: writer wants special treatment for Christians
December 15, 2005

Cal Thomas gets it on “war” on Christmas

Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist, has gone against his conservative brethren. Both in a recent column and on the FOX News Channel, Thomas complained about the efforts in support of “Merry Christmas”. In his column titled “Not so silent night”, Thomas writes:

“The effort by some cable TV hosts and ministers to force commercial establishments into wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” might be more objectionable to the One who is the reason for the season than the “Happy Holidays” mantra required by some store managers.

I have never understood why so many Christians feel the need to see and hear “Merry Christmas” proclaimed to them at stores by people who may not believe its central message. While TV personalities, junk mail letters and some of the ordained bemoan the increasing secularization of culture; perhaps some teaching might be helpful from the One in whose behalf they claim to speak.”

So we may not agree with everything Cal has to say but at least on this issue he gets it.

Read the postCal Thomas gets it on “war” on Christmas
December 12, 2005

Public funding for church social work not really needed

The new Family Life Center might be able to help a few hundred people while approximately 2,000 disabled children and adults may have to be sent to extended care facilities if they are to get any treatment at all.

It is a shame when people donate more money to churches than they pay in taxes yet complain that churches and other religious groups should get more tax payer money to do what the government should be doing. Real people with real problems get hurt.

Read the postPublic funding for church social work not really needed
December 6, 2005

Wonder believes Lennon’s atheism led to his murder in 1980?

Stevie Wonder and John Lennon
Stevie Wonder and John Lennon

I have wanted to avoid debunking Internet rumors and myths because it is a hard job to do but one I came across this past weekend hit close to home. I felt I needed to say something.

What happens is someone states something and part of the quote is then posted across the Internet without attribution and the average reader might think it is true without reading the complete context.

Read the postWonder believes Lennon’s atheism led to his murder in 1980?
December 1, 2005

Have a Merry Christmas… Or Else!

The holiday season always causes a frenzy with the religious right. From installing Baby Jesus on courthouse lawns to chastising businesses for not expressing Merry Christmas, political and religious conservatives are hell bent to force everyone to remember why we have Christmas.

The Liberty Counsel and James Dobson are on the front lines in the “war” on Christmas and Bill O’Reilly has gone crazy.

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November 27, 2005

Is Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito a friend to religious liberty?

Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearing is going to start in January and one area he is sure to be questioned about is his legal views on the separation of church and state.

Unlike the failed nomination of Harriet Miers, Alito has a judical history to look at to see if he may be a friend of real religious liberty – one that supports the separation of church and state.

According to an AP report this weekend, Alito’s record on religious cases is all over the spectrum.

Read the postIs Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito a friend to religious liberty?