DEAR ANONYMOUS

01/03/09

"Do you think [a]theists should just 'shut up and go away' during the holiday season, that they have no rights whatsoever? They should just put up with having religious displays forced down their throats on public property?"

Why not? That's what Christians must do on Halloween, isn't it?

My children attended public schools, because I could afford nothing better. Every year, the public schools celebrated Halloween and forced their small charges to participate in various anti-Christian activities. And every year, I found it necessary to remove my children from school on the day of the Halloween parade and party, rather than allow them to participate.

Often, my children were taught fallacies and outright lies in public schools that, by the way, are funded with my real estate taxes!!

In one class, one of my sons was required to take to class an astrology column from the local newspaper. In lieu of that column, I sent a polite note advising the teacher that the study of astrology was in opposition to the religious beliefs of my family and asked her to give my son another assignment. She kindly agreed.

Note that I did not insist that the astrology assignment be removed from the curriculum, nor did I insist that a Bible study be instituted at the school. I simply requested an alternate assignment for my son. Are you able to understand the difference between standing up for one's own rights and trampling the rights of others?

And, or course, both my sons were taught the fairy tale of the theory of evolution, even though there is not a shred of scientific evidence to support that theory. Certainly, there is microevolution within species, but not one example of macroevolution exists in any of the fossil record. Yet my children were taught that nonsensical theory as fact — in public schools that were funded with my money!!

But back to Christmas.

What "rights" concern you, Anonymous? You already have the right to worship whatever deity you choose, or to worship none at all. You already have the right to hold whatever beliefs your conscience dictates, do you not? You already have the right to celebrate any holiday you choose, or to celebrate none at all. We all have these rights. I don't trample on your rights or try to ruin your holidays; I simply observe my own. I would appreciate the same courtesy from you.

So when you clamor for your "rights", I must assume you want the "right" not to be exposed to the 3-month commercial extravaganza that occurs in our nation each year. Frankly, I'd like nothing better myself, but that's not going to happen, is it? The only way to avoid the commercialism is to refuse to participate. I did. Why don't you?

You say you find the public displays at Christmas disturbing? Why? Most of them have nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity. The most popular public display is a brightly lit Christmas tree. There is certainly no basis for equating a decorated tree with Christianity. What, then, do you find offensive about it? Decorated trees should offend me, rather than you, springing as they do from Druid tradition.

We used to have a fine tradition of religious tolerance in this country. What has happened to it? Why do you hate Christianity? Why does it disturb you so much?

And you're right, Anonymous. Though I thoroughly enjoy reading your comments, I will not publish them. The reason is simple: This is MY Two Cents, not a dialogue.

I'm sorry this reply is late. You see, I was busy celebrating Thanksgiving, several birthdays, Christmas and New Year's Day according to the multi-cultural traditions of my family and I was paying not a whit of attention to the din around me. I hope you had the pleasure of doing the same.

I look forward to hearing from you again.

© 2009 by Libbi Adams. All rights reserved.

RIGHTS - OR SIMPLY REBELLION?

12/04/08

Lately, various groups have been making much of demanding their "rights" — "gays" and atheists, to name the two most prominent.

I find it curious that in their effort to obtain what they term "rights", these people find it necessary to attempt to destroy and denigrate the beliefs of others.

When my ancestors left Europe, they came to the New World and settled in Penn's Woods for the purpose of religious freedom. They wanted the right to worship God as their consciences demanded. They did not attempt to redefine the words "God" or "worship", nor did they attempt to foist their ideas of a humble, godly life on others; they simply wanted to avoid persecution for their beliefs.

Today's advocates have quite a different idea of "rights".

"Gay rights" involves revising the ages-old definition of marriage and teaching your children and mine that perversion is normal and acceptable, merely an "alternate lifestyle" — in public schools that are funded by our tax dollars.

As clearly demonstrated in California, they do not acknowledge the democratic process of election in this country, but resort to terrorism, vandalism and persecution in their effort to undermine the will of the majority and overturn the results of a constitutional amendment referendum.

Last night, I watched a curious program called "Sex Change Hospital". This documentary-type program followed two men through sex change surgery. Each of these men insisted he was born to be a woman, that he was a woman "inside", and that hormonal therapy and surgical alteration of his anatomy to make him appear feminine would enable him to be his "true self". Interestingly, both these men-turned-women had GIRLFRIENDS.

Yes, you heard me correctly. They were men who were attracted to women — but who wanted to be surgically altered so that they could engage in lesbian relationships. Talk about mental and spiritual confusion!

And then there are the atheists pretending to be "free thinkers" who want to spoil everyone else's Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations because they feel left out during the big American shop-till-you-drop marathon in December.

They insist on erecting Christmas trees, all the while loudly denying belief in a supreme being and ridiculing those who recognize God.

They insist they're only fighting for their "rights". Dare I ask what "rights"??

In all my life, none of my employers has asked me about my religious beliefs. None of my teachers ever asked me about my religious beliefs. None of my landlords ever asked me about my religious beliefs. I have never been discriminated against because of my religious beliefs or lack of them — and I daresay, neither have they.

In my experience, there was no religious discrimination in this country before "gays" and atheists took to bashing Christians and those they perceive to be Christians.

Each of us has the right to believe as our conscience demands. However, atheists want the "right" to push their beliefs on others. They want the "right" to ridicule believers — more specifically, Christian believers — publicly. They held a "Blaspheme Challenge" to entice gullible teens to deliberately blaspheme God and offered as an incentive a free atheist "documentary" DVD, loudly proclaiming that the only price is "one soul". This isn't an expression of their right to believe in a Supreme Being or not; it's a deliberate attempt to ridicule and undermine Christianity and Judaism.

They want to intrude into what they think is Christianity's major religious holiday, Christmas. Their "enlightened" minds are too dull to realize that this secular holiday has evolved from a minor religious holiday into nothing more than an excuse for excess. They know so little about the Christian religion they're bashing that they aren't even aware that the focus of Christianity is not Christmas, but Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection, which occurred during Passover.

These people aren't "free thinkers". Their pathetic arguments against the Gospel contain misquotes, outright lies and deliberate deception. They possess no discernment and are unable to discriminate between religious myth and true Christian faith. They are nothing more than intellectually-challenged contrarians.

I was once an atheist. I had been raised in the "church" and had seen nothing of God's power there. All I saw was hypocrisy, and I wanted no part of that. Since I found no evidence of God's existence in organized religion, I decided He did not exist. However, I did NOT demand that others adopt my belief or even accept it. I did not engage in a vendetta against Christians or churches. I did not push my belief on others. It was not necessary. I felt no need to justify myself or my beliefs by defaming others.

A few years later, I found myself face to face with the very real power of the One True God, and I became a believer. My belief in God and my acceptance of Jesus as my Savior and Lord has not required me to put my brain in neutral or to shelve my intellect.

Only atheism demands a closed mind and a stunted intellect.

And only a fool would demand fictitious "rights" by seeking to deny the rights of others.

© 2008 by Libbi Adams. All rights reserved.

A VERY MERRY UNCHRISTMAS

12/03/2008

The Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, the misnomer for a group of atheists, applied for and was granted the right to erect a holiday display on public property in West Chester County, alongside a crèche, a Christmas tree and a Menorah.

To celebrate the notion that they are slaves neither to religion nor tradition, these "freethinkers" have erected a 15-foot evergreen tree which they have dubbed "The Tree of Knowledge" and which they have decorated with colorful book covers.

Some view this as a satisfactory compromise. I do not. Why should Christians and Jews be forced to share their holidays with nonbelievers? Why should either holiday be compromised?

A number of questions arise, not the least of which is why would an atheist want to share in the celebration of either Christmas or Hanukkah, since both are based on worship of the One True God?

Speaking on Fox & Friends last December, a spokesman for the group said they just didn't want to be "left out", that they, too, enjoy getting together with friends and family, "especially at this time of the year."

And what, precisely, is "this time of the year" to an atheist? Anyone care to hazard a guess?

To Christians, it's a celebration of the time when God descended to earth to dwell among us in the form of his Son. To Jews, it's a commemoration of the rededication of the Temple, when a small flask of holy oil miraculously lasted eight days. To atheists, it's… Why, it's nothing at all! The holiday season holds no significance at all for an atheist!

If these folks were truly atheists, Christmas would be just another day. If they were truly atheists, rather than feel "left out" when they pass a Christmas display, they would rejoice that they are not among the poor deluded souls who celebrate such nonsense.

And then there's the evergreen tree they chose to erect—a Christmas tree, if you will. And they dare to call themselves "freethinkers"?! Surely one whose intellect is truly free, who is unencumbered by religious myths and cultural traditions, could have come up with something more original than a Christmas tree!!

The atheists claim to be promoting free speech and free thought with their display of a secular Christmas tree when, in fact, they are doing nothing more than copying the very tradition they claim to disdain—and setting a very poor example for their children in the process. They are telling their children, in effect, that they have nothing worth celebrating, no focus for their lives, so they must insinuate themselves into the holidays of those they claim to despise in order to feel they are a vital part of society.

Christmas is a Christian holiday. Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. If atheists don't wish to celebrate either, they certainly have the freedom not to participate!

But if they think that by erecting a Christmas tree decorated with covers of books written by atheist authors, they are persuading the rest of us that their sole purpose is to encourage free speech and free thought, they are deluded.

If atheists are the freethinkers they claim to be, then why don't they exhibit a little of that vaunted freethinking and create their own holiday? While they're at it, they could develop their own holiday traditions!

Ripping off someone else's holiday and aping their traditions are poor ways of communicating your supposed intellectual superiority! The members of the Freethought Society strike me not as freethinkers, but as little children sulking because no one else wants to play their game.

© 2008 by Libbi Adams. All rights reserved.