This is What Happens When Politicians Get Bored
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. -- Love, The First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
House passes resolution announcing the importances of x-mas and the christian faith to the entire United States.
H. RES. 847 (December 6, 2007)
Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.
Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;
Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;
Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;
Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible;
Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;
Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;
Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;
Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God's redemption, mercy, and Grace; and
Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
Apparently, the House of Representatives want to just throw out the FIRST DAMN AMENDMENT of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION and think that the country is doing well enough that they don't actually need to do their fricking jobs. You know, silly things like fixing the economy, ensuring basic health care for everyone, or sending aid to war-striken areas of the world. Those silly things don't need serious consideration, but flicking off the Constitution in the name of religious arrogence and discrimination of every minority religion in the world (which as a whole out-number the christians!!!)--now, that is good, American hard work! These people deserve a good pat on the back for their efforts to improve our society...and by a good pat on the back, I mean sent to a third-world country where christians are actually the minority and discriminated against in the same manner that they discriminate against every American who follows one of the many other religions or has no religion. Try having to hide everything about yourself out of fear of anything from being fired or run out of your neighborhood to being beaten or raped. It's to the point that you have to be careful who you mention a non-x-mas winter holiday around or say "Happy Holidays" to. This is supposed to be a civilized country, but we can't even seen to remember how to truely be civil and treat others like human beings worthy of the same freedoms we enjoy.
Here are the parts of the resolution I really take issue with:
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
This just reinforces the messed up myth every right-wing nutjob wants to believe that this country was founded only by christians and based on christian values. You cannot re-write history, people! I don't care how much you wish it was true, several of our founding fathers were Deists, Unitarians, and/or closet Atheists in a time where saying, "I'm an Atheist" pretty much meant getting your arse kicked by your neighbors. George Washington didn't go to church (even when people bugged him about it), was a Master Mason (as close to open-minded humanist as one got those days), and one of his closest friends went on record after Washington's death that he had been a Deist. Ben Franklin declared his Deism himself: "Some books against Deism fell into my hands...It happened that they wrought an effect on my quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a through Deist." Thomas Jefferson's writings are very critical of the christian faith and the behavior of devout christians, and he approved of scepticism in all things. In his own words: "Question with boldness even the existence of a god." At times, James Madison was even more critical of christianity: "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." Thomas Paine was a strong anti-theist and greatly disapproved of organized religion: "Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity." As a group, these founding fathers were quite clear in stating that America was not founded as a christian nation and that this was to be a nation of all people. Many of them were still active in the government and John Adams was president when the Treat of Tripoli was signed and with it the statement "As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion..." that appears in the Article 11 of the Treaty. John Adams felt that the founding of this country on the merits of people rather than with any hint of theocracy, was of the utmost importance: "Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind." These people had seen what happened when the government got in bed with organized religion and knew the pain it caused on the freedoms of the common person. Is it no wonder that they wanted a non-religious nation?
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
Okay, this one I'll keep this one shorter. Bigotry is NOT telling someone that they need to stop being a dick, cannot have special treatment or be the only recognized religion, and cannot discriminate against people who are different from them. You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when someone recognizes that people of other religions and Atheists actually EXIST in this country or try to include them in the winter holiday season! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when you are told that--No, you cannot kill / beat up / fire / ostrasize / etc. a gay man or a lesbian woman or an intersex child who wants to just be seen for who they are instead of their gender! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when religion is kept out of medical decisions between a woman and her doctor, out of our public science curricula, and out of funding decisions about life-saving research! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when I say that I don't agree with you and I want to live my life according my values and beliefs! Someone doesn't have to basically be a mirror image of you and allow you to be a spoiled, violent child in order to not discrinimate against you!!!
House passes resolution announcing the importances of x-mas and the christian faith to the entire United States.
H. RES. 847 (December 6, 2007)
Recognizing the importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.
Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;
Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;
Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;
Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who believe in the salvation from sin offered to them through the sacrifice of their savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and who, out of gratitude for the gift of salvation, commit themselves to living their lives in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Bible;
Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;
Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its roots in Christianity;
Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;
Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God's redemption, mercy, and Grace; and
Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;
(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
Apparently, the House of Representatives want to just throw out the FIRST DAMN AMENDMENT of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION and think that the country is doing well enough that they don't actually need to do their fricking jobs. You know, silly things like fixing the economy, ensuring basic health care for everyone, or sending aid to war-striken areas of the world. Those silly things don't need serious consideration, but flicking off the Constitution in the name of religious arrogence and discrimination of every minority religion in the world (which as a whole out-number the christians!!!)--now, that is good, American hard work! These people deserve a good pat on the back for their efforts to improve our society...and by a good pat on the back, I mean sent to a third-world country where christians are actually the minority and discriminated against in the same manner that they discriminate against every American who follows one of the many other religions or has no religion. Try having to hide everything about yourself out of fear of anything from being fired or run out of your neighborhood to being beaten or raped. It's to the point that you have to be careful who you mention a non-x-mas winter holiday around or say "Happy Holidays" to. This is supposed to be a civilized country, but we can't even seen to remember how to truely be civil and treat others like human beings worthy of the same freedoms we enjoy.
Here are the parts of the resolution I really take issue with:
(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;
This just reinforces the messed up myth every right-wing nutjob wants to believe that this country was founded only by christians and based on christian values. You cannot re-write history, people! I don't care how much you wish it was true, several of our founding fathers were Deists, Unitarians, and/or closet Atheists in a time where saying, "I'm an Atheist" pretty much meant getting your arse kicked by your neighbors. George Washington didn't go to church (even when people bugged him about it), was a Master Mason (as close to open-minded humanist as one got those days), and one of his closest friends went on record after Washington's death that he had been a Deist. Ben Franklin declared his Deism himself: "Some books against Deism fell into my hands...It happened that they wrought an effect on my quite contrary to what was intended by them; for the arguments of the Deists, which were quoted to be refuted, appeared to me much stronger than the refutations; in short, I soon became a through Deist." Thomas Jefferson's writings are very critical of the christian faith and the behavior of devout christians, and he approved of scepticism in all things. In his own words: "Question with boldness even the existence of a god." At times, James Madison was even more critical of christianity: "During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." Thomas Paine was a strong anti-theist and greatly disapproved of organized religion: "Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity." As a group, these founding fathers were quite clear in stating that America was not founded as a christian nation and that this was to be a nation of all people. Many of them were still active in the government and John Adams was president when the Treat of Tripoli was signed and with it the statement "As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion..." that appears in the Article 11 of the Treaty. John Adams felt that the founding of this country on the merits of people rather than with any hint of theocracy, was of the utmost importance: "Thirteen governments [of the original states] thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without a pretence of miracle or mystery, and which are destined to spread over the northern part of that whole quarter of the globe, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind." These people had seen what happened when the government got in bed with organized religion and knew the pain it caused on the freedoms of the common person. Is it no wonder that they wanted a non-religious nation?
(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and
Okay, this one I'll keep this one shorter. Bigotry is NOT telling someone that they need to stop being a dick, cannot have special treatment or be the only recognized religion, and cannot discriminate against people who are different from them. You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when someone recognizes that people of other religions and Atheists actually EXIST in this country or try to include them in the winter holiday season! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when you are told that--No, you cannot kill / beat up / fire / ostrasize / etc. a gay man or a lesbian woman or an intersex child who wants to just be seen for who they are instead of their gender! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when religion is kept out of medical decisions between a woman and her doctor, out of our public science curricula, and out of funding decisions about life-saving research! You are not being persecuted or discriminated against when I say that I don't agree with you and I want to live my life according my values and beliefs! Someone doesn't have to basically be a mirror image of you and allow you to be a spoiled, violent child in order to not discrinimate against you!!!