Posted on 12/08/2005 9:59:06 AM PST by AliVeritas
I never thought I’d live to see the day that Christmas would become a dirty word. You think it hasn’t? Then why is it that people are being prevented from saying it in polite society for fear that it will offend? Schools are being forced to replace “Christmas vacation” with “winter break” in their printed schedules. At Macy’s, the word is verboten even though they’ve made untold millions of dollars from their sympathetic portrayal in the Christmas classic, “Miracle on 34th Street.” Carols, even instrumental versions, are banned in certain places. A major postal delivery service has not only made their drivers doff their Santa caps, but ordered them not to decorate their trucks with Christmas wreaths.
How is it, one well might ask, that in a Christian nation this is happening? And in case you find that designation objectionable, would you deny that India is a Hindu country, that Pakistan is Muslim, that Poland is Catholic? That doesn’t mean those nations are theocracies. But when the overwhelming majority of a country’s population is of one religion, and roughly 90% of Americans happen to be one sort of Christian or another, only a damn fool would deny the obvious.
Although it seems a long time ago, it really wasn’t, that people who came here from other places made every attempt to fit in. Assimilation wasn’t a threat to anyone; it was what the Statue of Liberty represented. E pluribus unum, one out of many, was our motto. The world’s melting pot was our nickname. It didn’t mean that any group of people had to check their customs, culture or cuisine, at the door. It did mean that they, and especially their children, learned English, and that they learned to live and let live.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Actor and commentator Ben Stein recently wrote an essay saying that Jews should feel no shame about having so much power in Hollywood, because it's a sign of how much they love America. He said the same about Christmas.
"I have always felt that no one loved Christmas like the Jews," Stein wrote in an e-mail. "No family tensions, no disappointments about the wrong gift, just that great Christmas spirit. For a Jew to be in America at Christmas, with all the love in the air, after two millennia of being hunted and killed at Christian holidays, is pure bliss, and I believe we feel it keenly."
The irony, of course, is that these days, even the secular Christmas songs are being attacked by the anti-Christmas zealots.
The "Holiday Spirits" will have to visit them.
Interesting. Here is another view of ACLU and its alliances, from the IASPS website. Does anyone recognize the author? It's a new name to me.
IASPS - News Behind the News
http://www.iasps.org/index.php
December 6, 2005
Jews and the ACLU: Is there a revolt underway?
The battle over things Christian in public life in America has finally been joined by all of the relevant parties. Until just recently, this battle has been a one-sided slaughter. Formerly, the armies were the enemies of religion and religious practice versus the practitioners of Western religion – Christianity and Judaism. In public terms, however, the battle lines formed around the American Civil Liberties Union (the ACLU) against the Religious Right, consisting until recently of mostly evangelical Christians. One need only look at the state of constitutional law today to know which side has suffered the greatest casualties.
But a historic change is in the works. While the ACLU has been led by (and has been the ideological home for) secular American Jews, clear enough since the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, the American Jewish community at a grass roots level is beginning to form a serious opposition to the anti-Christian crusade led by the atheistic and anti-religious Jews. This change is working its way into new grass roots Jewish protests against the attack on Christianity – an almost unheard of alliance just ten years ago.
But the question is Why have religious Jews been silent for so long, as secular Jews attacked religion in general and Christianity in particular? Why now do we find observant and non-observant Jews finally standing up to the assault against America’s Christian roots? To understand this change, it helps to understand how ordinary Jews see things.
Jews who immigrated to America did so in the main before World War I. Eastern European and Russian Jews retained their religion in the first and second generation. By the second-half of the 20th century assimilation was the rule. But what went unnoticed by many Jewish leaders –and the term, “Jewish leaders” is a contradiction in terms --was that Jews did not move to embrace Christianity, they moved toward liberalism; and worse. Indeed, the Lubavitch Chassidic movement headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, and led by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (the Lubavitcher Rebbe), understood this. He began a successful revival movement reaching out to non-religious Jews by establishing “Chabad Houses” in wealthy secular neighborhoods where non-religious Jews congregated, bringing a taste of the Old World mostly forgotten by these affluent and assimilated Jews –and relentlessly leftist.
The “Jewish Return Movement” expanded the Chabad group, and other orthodox Jewish groups that understood that Judaism was succumbing to secularism in America and not to Christianity. It was clear the chief opponent of the Chabad movement to bring religion and religious life back to the secular public was the secular Jew, represented by the “American Jewish Leadership.” While this body is also “relentlessly leftist,” outsiders are not clear what is going on. There is the “pro-Jewish” Front –it’s called the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); and there is a Jewish-Communist Front –it’s called the ACLU. Both Fronts have the same goal: de-Judiazation of Jewish religion/de-capitalism and de-nationalism of the U. S./”peace” in Israel if there must be a Jewish state at all.
It is not an accident that secular American Jews are major contributors to the ACLU, and it is no accident that the most public faces of the American Left over the past forty years have been and continue to be Jews – Barbara Streisand and George Soros, to name just two of the more prominent public voices in the Left Anti-War, Anti-Religion Movement today. That American Jews have been at the forefront of the elite’s multi-cultural, dumbing-down of America and the vanguard of such human rights and civil rights movements as fighting for abortion-on-demand, public embrace of homosexuality, and the entire agenda. And they want Absolute Immigration, the more non-Judeo-Christian the better, but non-White will do almost as well. For a non-Jew to say so openly, however, would lead to a politically correct public flogging. As for other Jews saying such things, heresy in effect, it's really never been done until now.
But the change in the battle lines over the heart and soul of America has occurred as of late because a growing number of Orthodox Jews, and notably non-Orthodox Jews are coming to the realization that the greatest enemies to the Jew in America are America’s greatest enemies. Today, these enemies occupy two ends of a continuum: one end views America’s Christian founding as evil, in need of rescission; the other end of the continuum has the same view but seeks destruction. The first of these two is the Elite secularists, Jews and non-Jews. This group or movement seeks to rescind and reconstruct the national identity of America, which is properly understood as a Christian nation that embraced the Christian principles of mercy and kindness, and also courage to sing Christmas carols in public! It is in no small part the Christian notion of “catholicity” that has mixed with the anti-Christian and anti-American viruses now consuming the host organism from within.
On the other side is Islam. Here there’s no ambiguity save for what the ADL and the ACLU can foment in the modes of civil rights, “a nation of immigrants,” American fascism, multiculturalism and the like. But everyone knows Islam is bent on the destruction of the West. Of course this includes the Jews, as well as Christianity. One would need to be suffering from the worst case of denial to miss the connection between Terrorism and Islam. Look to any, really any Moslem country and you will find the ancient pattern: murder for Jews and Christians, and persecution for the live ones. Compare, for example, the greatest manifest evil to a Moslem anywhere – a Jewish Zionist State – with any of these moderate Moslem nation-states (or their immigrant populations in Detroit, Washington or anywhere else in the world), and the idea of Muslim “moderate” dawns clearly.
Still, readers cannot now be surprised to hear the Israeli Elites are very much in tune with the anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-Israel ACLU in this country, just as American Muslims are in tune with the Israeli elites and with the ACLU. The Israeli Elites have called for Israel to reject its Jewish roots and to embrace a universal, multi-cultural, inclusive “citizenship” in its stead. In contrast, find ten Jews or Christians in any Arab country and you will find a tiny minority living in fear of death and destruction. The one historical exception, Lebanon, was destroyed. Do you recall by whom? By an indifferent West, but above all Lebanon was betrayed by Israel under the “Jewish leader” Barak who betrayed Jews as well. (In fairness, this is what identifies a Jewish-Leader, for current example, consider Mr. Sharon himself. Never miss a chance for peace if all that's required is the "sacrifice" for it in the form of Jews.)
The American Jewish community at large is slowly coming to grips with its own indifference to the secular attack against Christianity in America and recognizes in some small way that the Elite’s war on everything American, including its Christian roots, is the first step toward an America that will have no will to fight the existential threat of Islam for it is already crumpling under the threat of the ACLU and the ADL.
The fact that the ACLU was founded by a non-Jewish (Boston) communist, and positioned as a “pacifist” anti-War organization in opposition to America’s involvement in World War I is now manifest as it does battle against every effort by Americans to confront Islamic terror within and without. American Jews who have not committed themselves to the destruction of Christian America have come to recognize, in as yet unarticulated way, that the siren call of Civil Rights and Human Rights is laden with a deeply invidious purpose. This purpose, until now not obvious to the vast majority of Jews, has been set off and contrasted by the dye of the spilt blood of innocent Americans and brave American patriots fighting for freedom in far off lands at the hands of Mohammad’s warriors.
David Yerushalmi
I enjoy these songs. I don't put them in the same category as the great Christmas carols -- O Holy Night is my favorite.
I believe that people who enjoy the warmth and loving feel of the season may be inspired to look further into the One whose birth is celebrated. Some will, many won't -- but I don't think you can blame that on the music.
Personally, I know the meaning of the season, and I am unashamed to state any time any where that Jesus Christ is the reason for the season. But I still enjoy Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye!
Speaking as an Orthodox Jew, I can confirm what you say. In my own personal opinion, I respect and admire people who celebrate their holidays meaningfully. So even though a nativity scene may have no particular appeal to me, and even if it represents a religious perspective I don't agree with (ie: Jesus as saviour), I respect the devotion to the message that it offers to people who observe the holiday. They're doing a lot better spiritually than the people with the Inflatable Snowman or those who are "ashamed" or afraid to openly show their faith because it might offend someone.
A little secret: I have some favorite holiday (yes, I said holiday) tunes that I enjoy hearing this time of year. So thank you to my Christian friends for celebrating Christmas. Enjoy.
A very cogent response, even though I don't agree. Thanks.
This sounds like Exhibit A for the argument that there is indeed a War against Christmas. Truly appalling. Which school district is this?
Besides...those aren't Jews..They're fake jews.
They're perverts, socialists, deviates, crooks,
atheists, scum of the human gene pool, that
*pretend* to be jews, so that any time anyone calls
them on their acts of souless scummery, they
squeal "Anti-Semetism!" & "jew haters" &
"Persecution"...when what they are doing, and
why they are being confronted, has nothing to
do with judaism or being a jew. They hate
christianity, not because they are jews..they
don't really care about judaism..they really hate
all faiths..as that would mean they could be held accountable for their evil ways.
They aren't jews. Not and act as they act. not and
do as they do, not and believe in what they push.
They are fake jews...they are fake humans.
You have to read the entire article. A better title would be the "Fake-Jewish Grinch Who Stole Christmas." REAL Jews have no problem with Christians celebrating Christmas and I believe that is the author's point. These so-called "Jews" who populate the ACLU know nothing of what this country is about and even less about their own religion!
I actually like Christmas for a number of reasons previously stated by others but also because as a Jewish serviceman, I usually volunteer for duty on Christmas Eve/Day. I feel good that I'm freeing up a Christian shipmate to be with their family and you get "points" for taking the duty on a holiday;-)
I think that a lot of folks in this country need to stop spinning their wheels with this PC crap when we have real enemies that we need to deal with!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HANNUKAH Freepers!
Oh Lord, I've never thought of it in that light. That's amazing.
Thanks for posting. Amen to what he said...
Broward County Florida - Ft. Lauderdale and all territory between Miami & Palm Beach. It's ACLU's vacation spot, home of the Anti-s, the worst spoiler county in an otherwise Red state. We have nothing to do with this district now, but I do know that Gay organizations have made inroads into this district and have a GLSN curriculum in place.
That is one weird paragraph. You can see a lot of ambivalence in it that raises some real questions.
Home school is a good option.
"Everyone should be forced to at least walk through a government school to witness the indoctrination American kids are being force fed."
Maybe you should find a different district. Not all public schools are the same you know.
Being Jewish, I should report, Christmas was never celebrated by my family. But what was there not to like about the holiday? To begin with, it provided a welcome two week break from school. The decorated trees were nice, the lights were beautiful, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was a great movie, and some of the best Christmas songs were even written by Jews. . .
It is the ACLU, which is overwhelmingly Jewish in terms of membership and funding, that is leading the attack against Christianity in America. It is they who have conned far too many people into believing that the phrase “separation of church and state” actually exists somewhere in the Constitution.
You may have noticed, though, that the ACLU is highly selective when it comes to religious intolerance. The same group of self-righteous shysters who, at the drop of a “Merry Christmas” will slap you with an injunction, will fight for the right of an American Indian to ingest peyote and a devout Islamic woman to be veiled on her driver’s license.
I happen to despise bullies and bigots. I hate them when they represent the majority, but no less when, like Jews in America, they represent an infinitesimal minority.
. . .I should point out that many of these people abhor Judaism every bit as much as they do Christianity. They’re the ones who behave as if atheism were a calling. They’re the nutcakes who go berserk if anyone even says, “In God we trust” or mentions that the Declaration of Independence refers to a Creator with a capital “C.” By this time, I’m only surprised that they haven’t begun a campaign to do away with Sunday as a day of rest. After all, it’s only for religious reasons – Christian reasons – that Sunday, and not Tuesday or Wednesday, is so designated.
This is a Christian nation, my friends. And all of us are fortunate it is one, and that so many Americans have seen fit to live up to the highest precepts of their religion. Speaking as a member of a minority group – and one of the smaller ones at that – I say it behooves those of us who don’t accept Jesus Christ as our savior to show some gratitude to those who do, and to start respecting the values and traditions of the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens, just as we keep insisting that they respect ours.
Merry Christmas.
We haven't been in public schools for many years. But it is a shame that so many other millions of children are being subjected to all kinds of indoctrination & PC agenda at the expense of their education.
Many of those types of Jews like the Palistianians and want the PLO to have statehood. They also don't like Sharon, a strong Israel, and their nuclear weapons. Some of those types have even said that Israel does not have a right to exist.
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