The War on Christmas nuts have surfaced in my area.

Posted by Z-Man

I was reading the local paper today (the La Salle tribune) and came across this gem. In the letter the writer claims the usual war on Christmas line. She says atheists are attacking Christmas by "removing nativity scenes, taking down crosses, and in one school celebrating Christmas has been banned." I'm guessing that she is talking about the removal of religious symbols from government and public property. When the writer fails to realize is that religious symbols are not allowed on public property due to the separation of church and state clause of the constitution. As far as removal of nativity scenes. I see all kinds of them up and down my block, on private property which is where religious displays belong I also see plenty of crosses and other Christmas decorations and they are very pretty. But they do not belong on public property. I'm even gong to question weather Christmas should be a federal holiday. I mean it is at it's heart the celebration of what Christians believe to be the birth of Christ. I know the courts have ruled that it has enough secular meaning to be considered a federal holiday but as was pointed out to me last year by a relative who did not like a blog post I wrote about what Christmas means to me on my mysapce page, Paraphrasing now, if it were not for the birth of Christ we would not have the holiday." That being said then should it really even be a federal holiday. Sounds to me like it violates the separation of Church and state.

Also, the letter writer talks about how atheists are trying to destroy Christmas. On the contrary. Most atheists and agnostics like myself are not trying to ban or otherwise destry Christmas. We just don't think it should be displayed on government or public property. Most of us take a live and let live approach. I and most people who question weather the god of organized religion actually exists respect others beliefs. We just don't want them shoved down our throats. As far as her claims of, "Why attack something you don't believe in." Again, no one is attacking her beliefs or her practicing her beliefs. She has the right to believe what she wants and practice her religion how she wants. What we are against is the display of religious symbols on public property. Keep the religious symbols on private property where they belong. Not on government property.