Posted on 12/26/2005 8:14:44 AM PST by Conservatrix
BETHEL — While controversy swirls over a substitute teacher who told first-graders that Santa Claus doesn’t exist, a local dairy farmer and church deacon has put the same message in a very public place. By erecting a sign along the eastbound side of I-78, between the Bethel and Grimes exits, Leonard H. Martin has taken it upon himself to shatter the myth of Santa Claus for any youngster able to read the message from the back seat of a car as their parents drive by.
It marks the second consecutive year that Martin has posted what he termed a spiritual message on his land adjacent to I-78.
Last year, the sign stated, “Santa is a myth, lying to our children brings moral decay.”
For this season, Martin toned it down slightly. The sign now reads, “Worship God, who is all knowing & all seeing, Santa is a Myth.”
Martin, who operates a dairy farm at 250 Legion Drive, Bethel Township, is also a deacon with Harmony Christian Fellowship.
“We wanted to bring out the point that (Americans) are making Santa out to be what God actually is,” Martin said Tuesday. “We’re making Santa a god. I believe that is idol worship.”
(Excerpt) Read more at ldnews.com ...
The Grinch lives...
I wouldn't be too hard on him. Apparently, he was born a 70-year-old curmudgeon, and has been losing ground ever since.
Not the best of all possible ways to make converts.
A very ironic statement, considering he's doing exactly the same thing.
I wonder what he told his kids when they first asked where babies come from.
Let me get this straight: Santa is a myth because the only proof of his existence is in the minds of believers based upon lore that has been passed down from generation to generation. Yet God is real even though his existence is in the minds of believers based upon faith based Bible stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The man is 35 years old and the humblest, devout Christian you would ever know.
The man is 35 going on 70. No question on his level of devout-ness. I would, however, dispute his being "humble". He seems to be arrogant enough to feel he has the right to trump a parent's right and responsibility to provide their own children with truth and morality.
GOD IS REAL; Santa is a myth. Having said that, I do not agree with the man putting up such bill board; he is going about it the wrong way.
The "bible stories" are based on eyewitness accounts passed down through the generations. The stories of my Grandfathers experience in WWII has been passed down now 4 generations, yet I don't doubt his "stories" even though most of his men were killed or are dead and he has no pictures to back up what he experienced. That is faith as well in what he is saying is true. But tell you what, when you see a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer flying through the air at the speed of light, please tell me because my Visa bill for playing Santa this year is going to kill me!
You see Santa Clause, I see St. Nicholas.
You didn't specify St. nicholas. You specified Santa. Fat dude, flying reindeer. Free gifts. Enslaved midgets in a sweatshop toy factory in the barren wastelands of the North Pole!
Whew! For a minute, there, I was afraid the fellow was going to say that single parenthood, serial marriages and welfare were the cause of "moral decay". :)
LOL.
According to those who judge by outward appearances of "piety", maybe.
Evidence of humility is teachability (like a little child). He may be humble - time will tell. Right now he shows evidence of being still quite spiritually immature.
The spiritually immature give themselves away by being guite legalistic (because the young still need guard rails), and at the same time, arrogantly assume that they're grown up enough to teach others what they should "do" to be "right with God".
"he is going about it the wrong way"
Using his free speech rights is going about it the wrong way?
I am afraid you just don't like the fact that his religion disagrees with yours.
Would you want him to go against his conscience any more than you would yours?
"was afraid the fellow was going to say that single parenthood, serial marriages and welfare were the cause of "moral decay"."
He would believe those are problems also that lead to moral deacy.
Why? Because he believes that you should worship God an not teach children lies?
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