ABC's Barbara Walters Slams White House Christmas Card for including Scripture

www.lifesite.net ^ | 12-14-07 | Colleen Raezler

[dynachrome]

LOS ANGELES, CA, December 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Barbara Walters likes to receive Christmas greetings from high-profile celebrities and leaders, but apparently not if they refer to the Bible.

On Thursday's episode of ABC's The View, Walters expressed dismay that President and Mrs. Bush would send out greetings containing Scripture.

During the segment, Walters showed the other gals some of the "highfalutin Christmas cards," and explained the White House card:

[elcid1970]

“We should make them wear little yellow stars so we can tell.”

As in Jews, yes? That’s a little extreme; like suggesting that those who disagree with you are.....Nazis?

[OESY]

"Hewwo! This is Baba Wawa! ... I'm speaking to you tonight from my home which you all saw on my wast special and weawwy wiked awot -- wemember? ... We took a wittle tour of my pwace and you got to see some of my weawwy intewesting personal bewongings -- wike a miwwow, a cwock, and a wittle wump of coal. ... Pwetty engwossing. I thought so, too. That's why, for my next special, instead of wasting time with extwaneous pewsonalities wike the Pwesident of the United States, the whole show's going to be about one tewwific pewson who I weawwy wespect -- me! ...

"Instead of talking to cewebwities, I'll be talking to myself. It'll be fwee, fwank, weal and weveawing. ... I'll be taking you back to my apartment and you'll have a ware opportunity to see some of my favowite twinkets, incwuding my wings, my wugs, my dwapes, my pwants, my wecords, my wipsticks and my twue waison d'etwa. ... Also - also, my wange, my wadiator, my wadio, my wecord pwayer, my waincoat, my nasal aspiwator, and my best fwiend, Wita Taywor. ...

"Now, a wot of people thought my wast pwogwam was pwetty cwummy. Well, this one's twuwy cwammed with cwever wevewations, wapport and wepartee. ... So tune in to "Baba Wawa Talks to Herself." It should be pwetty tewwific...."

.

[annelizly]

Do Tell!!!!!

[Let's Roll]

Bah-wah, it’s Christ’s Mass - get it? Christmas.

[Mr. Mojo]

Walters upset at seeing a little Old Testament scripture?

She’s wound way too tight.

[OESY]

"Sawwy. Wong pictsha. I couldn't find a good image that makes me look life size. I must be melting, which makes me think: If I whah a twee, I'd pwabably be a weeping willow.

"Uh.. this is my wast moment on NBC, I want to wemind you to wook fow me along with Hawwy Weasoneh weeknights at 7 o'cwock.

"I want to take this oppohtunity to apowogize to NBC. I don't wike weaving. Pwease twust me, it's not sowuh gwapes, but, rathaw, that anotheh network wecognizes in me a gweat tawent for dewivering welevant news stories with cwystah cwahity to miwwions of Americans. It's the onwy weason I'm weaving. Weahhy."

.

[Ace's Dad]

Sorry to be blunt here, but what did you expect? Did you want the Jewish person to acknowledge your holiday?

I expect civility. My Jewish sister and I celebrate both holidays.

[OESY]

willow = wiwwow

[DouglasKC]

“We should make them wear little yellow stars so we can tell.”
As in Jews, yes? That’s a little extreme; like suggesting that those who disagree with you are.....Nazis?

The poster I responded to asked this question:

How the heck is anyone to know who’s a jew and who’s not? It’s getting so you can’t say Merry Christmas to anyone.

I assumed his response was tongue-in-cheek as was my answer.

[Mr. Mojo]

If someone tells me Merry Christmas, I simply say "thank you".

Me too. ...and then I return the same greeting. And I'm Jewish.

We should make them [Jews] wear little yellow stars so we can tell...

The vast majority of Jews aren't in any way offended by "Merry Christmas" greetings. ...or anything Christmasy, for that matter. Best just to let the few who are be scroogebergs and don't worry about it.

[DouglasKC]

Sorry to be blunt here, but what did you expect? Did you want the Jewish person to acknowledge your holiday?
I expect civility. My Jewish sister and I celebrate both holidays.

I'm glad you and you're sister are getting along.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

What’s the name of her show - “The Spew?”

“The Pew?” “The PeU”? “LePeu?”

[pandoraou812]

Walters is an idiot. An over the hill, dementia-suffering wrinkled Lefty prune bag whose best days ended before the first Moon landing.

Very good description of her.

[DouglasKC]

The vast majority of Jews aren't in any way offended by "Merry Christmas" greetings. ...or anything Christmasy, for that matter. Best just to let the few who are be scroogebergs and don't worry about it.

Great to hear that the majority of Jews aren't offended by Christmas. From Christmas on askarabbi.com:

Christmas is not a Jewish holiday. Many Christians think if Christmas as an American holiday or a secular holiday or a cultural holiday, but most Jews do not think of Christmas that way. According to the 1990 National Jewish Population Survey, 82% of Jewish households never have a Christmas tree. See http://web.gc.cuny.edu/dept/cjstu/36th.jpg. In fact, most Jews (even many highly assimilated Jews) are offended by the notion that Christmas is everybody's holiday, and are offended when Christians pressure us to celebrate it.

From Ask the Rabbi

: Our neighborhood has a Christmas party every year and they hold it in my cul-de-sac. There are always lots of Christian symbols in the lawn decorations, and I wanted to dedicate a portion of our lawn to the many Jewish neighbors. So I thought to decorate a small tree with blue lights and hang some large dreidel ornaments on it. I wanted to include the religious significance by adding a lighted Menorah. If you know where I can buy lawn decorations, that would be really great. I don't want to offend my Jewish friends by doing it the wrong way, and I also thought it would help educate my Christian brothers on the festival.

THE AISH RABBI REPLIES:

Thank you for your kind words, and I appreciate your interest and sensitivity toward your Jewish neighbors. But... please realize that a Christmas party is not appropriate for Jews! As much as Christmas has been secularized by the media, it still essentially remains a Christian religious holiday.

And if your Jewish neighbors pretend not to mind, well, they're probably just being polite.

Apparently there's a LOT of scroogebergs out there.

[wardaddy]

Cogent, that’s the way it always was when I was growing up

and ....the most Christmasy spirit I ever really felt was in midtown Manhattan in the 80s

back when folks weren’t so worked up

[Mr. Mojo]

Some very religious Jews are indeed offended by such things. ...like the rabbi you quoted. But the vast majority not only aren’t offended, but enjoy the holiday. Try getting out more — it’ll do you some good.

[Mr. Mojo]

the most Christmasy spirit I ever really felt was in midtown Manhattan in the 80s...back when folks weren’t so worked up

I hear ya wardaddy. ...way too many worked up folks out there.

[ryan71]

Funny how the non-Christians want to celebrate our Christian holiday without Christ.

Long ago, Christmas became part of our American fabric, no matter how much some people want to deny it, now.

America was founded, settled, and established by Christians. If it doesn’t stay that way, it will cease to exist, at some point. GOD will see to it.

[DouglasKC]

Some very religious Jews are indeed offended by such things.

As opposed to the "not very religious Jews"? Christians have a term "CINO". Christians in name only:

Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Mat 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'
Mat 7:23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

...like the rabbi you quoted. But the vast majority not only aren’t offended, but enjoy the holiday.

The not very religious ones?

Try getting out more — it’ll do you some good.

I get out quite a bit and enjoy it. Thanks!

[Mr. Mojo]

That's right, most secular Jews enjoy the Christmas holiday. Many religious Jews do as well, and aren't offened in the least by anything connected with Christmas. The rabbi you quoted is an exception.

But if pointing out the exception and presenting it as if it's the rule gets you off, so be it.