A Jew says 'Merry Christmas'

BOSTON .COM ^ | DECEMBER 19, 2004 | JEFF JACOBY

[CHARLITE]

Unfortunately, it isn't only nativity scenes and Santas that make an appearance every Christmas. The holiday season also heralds the annual return of Scrooge and the Grinch. Or, as they're known in Bellevue, Wash., these days, Sidney and Jennifer Stock.

The Stocks are atheists who want Bellevue's city council to remove the Christmas tree from the lobby of City Hall. Since "it is impossible for everybody's religious belief to be displayed and nonreligious belief to be displayed," Sidney Stock told reporters last week, "no religious beliefs [should] be displayed."

Jeff Jacoby's e-mail address is jacoby@globe.com

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

[CHARLITE]

CHECK OUT THIS SITE FOR THE RELIGIOUS TRUTH:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/forsakenroots.html

Patrick Henry, who is called the firebrand of the American Revolution, is still remembered for his words, "Give me liberty or give me death." But in current textbooks the context of these words is deleted. Here is what he said: "An appeal to arms and the God of hosts is all that is left us. But we shall not fight our battle alone. There is a just God that presides over the destinies of nations. The battle sir, is not of the strong alone. Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death."

These sentences have been erased from our textbooks

Was Patrick Henry a Christian? The following year, 1776, he wrote this "It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religious, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For that reason alone, people of other faiths have been afforded freedom of worship here."

[Uncle Miltie]

I oppose Government enforced atheism!

[IronJack]

nonreligious belief

This should more accurately be described as "nonbelief as a religion." Atheism, by definition, is an ABSENCE of a a belief in God. It is not a SOMETHING; it is the absence of something. Like darkness is not a presence but simply the absence of light.

That being the case, how can one advocate in favor of the absence of something? You're not arguing FOR anything, but against everything else. In doing so, you're also prohibiting the free exercise of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, or any other religion. And the First Amendment specifically prohibits any restrictions on the free exercise of religion.

Removing the Christmas tree, therefore, is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment.

[Cindy]

THE CHRISTMAS LINKS PAGE
http://www.truthusa.com/CHRISTmas.html

[Blood of Tyrants]

Real athiests shouldn't care WHAT you display because it is as fictious to them as little green men from Mars or Bugs Bunny. To them the Nativity is SOMETHING THAT NEVER HAPPENED. If it never happened, why should they care?

[MarkL]

Me too!

This Jew says, "Merry Christmas, and 'G-d Bless Us, Everyone!'" (I love the Alister Simm version!)

Mark

[eccentric]

Have Sidney and Jennifer Stock requested that Christmas be discontinued as a federal holiday? If not, why not? What do they think the holiday is for?

[lurkersince98]

Merry Chirstmas !!! From This Jew to You too, I Love
Pi$%ing of my liberal Jewish friends with a Cheerful MERRY CHRISTMAS !!
I love This Holiday..I love this Season

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

I oppose Government enforced atheism!

So you're not a communist. Commies love to enforce Atheism.

[Capriole]

Merry Chirstmas !!! From This Jew to You too, I Love Pi$%ing of my liberal Jewish friends with a Cheerful MERRY CHRISTMAS !! I love This Holiday..I love this Season

Good, we love you, too.

. . .from your Christian brothers and sisters who, like you, worship the God of Moses and Abraham

[hlmencken3]

Jeff Jacoby is, to the best of my knowledge, the only Orthodox Jew with a column in a major American daily!

[frannie]

God Bless you, all Christians should know, as I was taught, that the Jews are God's chosen people. We are only adopted.
Love to you and yours.

Frannie

[hosepipe]

[ I Love Pi$%ing of my liberal Jewish friends with a Cheerful MERRY CHRISTMAS !! I love This Holiday..I love this Season ]

LoL...
I love pissing my christian friends off by saying Jesus name isn't Jesus, and Jehovas name isn't Jehova.. Hebrew has no "J's"... I'm a christian that thinks Christmas has zero to do with Christ.. but it can be morphed to appear so.. Why not.. A couple days off work can't hurt.. Pray, sing, or watch football.. trimming trees can be fun.. Turn on the lights, sit by a fireplace, and a good Cabernet. Life gets a lot worse than that.. Merry Whatever, and happy Christmas too.. Lurker.. Atheists can be so much like Richard Simmons trying to act like John Rambo. Its just funny as hell to me..

[goldstategop]

Those who deny the majority's right to celebrate their beliefs as they see fit in reality cherish the rights of none. Tyranny of the minority is just as insidious and dangerous to the welfare and freedom of a free society as tyranny of the majority would be. Merry Christmas!

[X_CDN_EH]

The town council could add an athiest tree, a pine tree devoid of all decoration and needles.

[dsutah]

So do I! (grin)However, the version with Reginald Owen, the George C. Scott version, and the one with Mr. Magoo were all good too!

[eccentric]

Christians should take the secularism out of Christmas by moving the gift giving and other 'commercialistic activities to New Years Day. Christians should reserve Christmas for religious celebration such as church services, parades and plays about Jesus Christ, and by the gift of "service" to others. Secularist would then find themselves celebrating on a religious holiday, while Christians confused retailers by delaying their shopping until the after Chrstmas sales.

I heard that the name of Christ was Ishua, more closely translated to Joshua, but the Greeks translated it to Jesus. And Jehovah is also translated Yahweh.

[hosepipe]

[ I heard that the name of Christ was Ishua, more closely translated to Joshua, but the Greeks translated it to Jesus. And Jehovah is also translated Yahweh. ]

Nope... The Greeks don't have a "J" either..
It was the Roman Catholics translating Hebrew to Greek to Latin that did it.. Latin has a "J"... What else did the RCChurch do to morph reality to their point of view.?.

Lots of books have been written on that subject..
And FreeRepublic is not the place to lance that boil...
and drain the contents to congleal on your monitor..

[wardaddy]

Thank You Mr Jacoby!

[Polyxene]

God Bless You! When I was a child, our family doctor was Jewish. I think he and his family were the only Jews in our small town. He was also a very accomplished violinist, so at Christmastime, he would play violin with our town's community orchestra to accompany the singing of Handel's "Messiah". Dr. Horowitz obviously had no problem playing "Christian" music. He was a wonderful doctor and a wonderful man. I miss him very much.