News from the Plains. All this RED can make you BLUE
For the love of Christ
by Barry Friedman
"If Jesus came back and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up"--Frederick, "Hannah and Her Sisters"
On Monday, State Representatives filed House Bill 2317, or the Merry Christmas bill. The bill calls for more protections for Christmas and how it's celebrated in schools, such as religion based greetings and nativity scenes.
Were they having trouble with this? Did someone set up the manger incorrectly, cast only two wisemen, place the baby Jesus on his stomach?
“Oklahoma, we declare it is okay in the school houses to say ‘Merry Christmas’ and `Happy Hanukkah,’” Rep. Ken Walker said in a press conference Monday morning.
As the kids like to say, "Don't even."
Your artifice burns. You think by patronizing Jews, by allowing us on the team, we'll join you in your crusade against rampant secularism and Kwanzaa celebrations? This has as much to do with Hanukah (which, incidentally, pre-dates Christmas by about
165 years), as I do with skeet shooting.
Fear not, kids. It's safe to bring your dreidels to class again.
This is about your holiday and, once again, in Oklahoma, as elsewhere, the non-existent war on Christman continues--and not a piece of legislation too soon, for, sure, it starts with "Seasons Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas," but look what happens next?
But in a letter addressed to elected leaders including Mayor Mick Cornett and Gov. Mary Fallin, pastors from the metro area and cities, including Tulsa and Enid, asked why it was necessary “to mock the Bible in the Christmas season?”
Still, how petty and infantile do you have to be to propose legislation like this? How petty and infantile do you have to be to take the issue seriously?
And we're off ...
Here's Senator Jim Inhofe on his decision not to attend a "Holiday" Parade.
"If Jesus isn't there, I'm not there."
And then he literally took his
horse and went home.
For the love of Christ, we get it. You have a special relationship with Jesus and can hardly stop yourself from telling everyone you meet why. The desire to witness is overwhelming, encouraged.
Well, give it a shot anyway. You're like a teenage girl who thinks she's got the only boyfriend in school and won't stop annoying everyone with how cute he is.
Stop being so insecure. Have some faith in your faith.
I've said it before: we're not all Christian. Nor want to be. And a third grade teacher deciding to say "Holiday Tree" instead of "Christmas tree" (when neither appears in the bible) does not swing open the Gates of Hell.
"We are Resisting the cleansing of our school houses with religious thought and tradition," said Oklahoma State Rep. Ken Walker (R).
Oh, I thought you were just being schmucks.
And, worse, this nonsense has a cost, even beyond what it does to the reputation of the state.
"It encourages schools to violate the constitution. And by doing so get involved with legal rights and be unsuccessful," said the ACLU's Brady Henderson.
Unwilling soldiers in a fight they don't want to wage.
Henderson said the separation of church and state and the federal level will eventually overrule in court. And that will result in financial troubles for the schools.
It costs money that could go elsewhere, like ... to schools.
"This is a way legislators can score political points with the cost being born by school districts."
Speaking of, here's one--the guy who wrote the bill. While reading, if you feel the need to insert your fist in a Nutribullet, we'll understand.
“The purpose of the Oklahoma Merry Christmas bill is to put a beacon of light, a safe harbor, if you will, in the pages of statutes so that our children … and our parents can run to a lighthouse whose light shines boldly on the pages of Oklahoma’s law books and declares that they have a right to express their core beliefs and celebrate winter traditions without fear of lawsuit, retribution or reprisal,” said Rep. Ken Walker, R-Tulsa, during a Capitol press conference.
Jesus weeps (and facepalms).