This is not the behavior of people with genuine confidence in what they claim to believe. They have bought into a mythology they find appealing, and have evidently convinced themselves they have every right to display that myth on public property, owned by everyone. I'm sure there is no shortage of private property where they could put this display up, so why do they feel the need to force it onto the fire station's lawn? One of the things I like least about the Christmas season is the way it demands everyone's participation. Conservative Christians speak of a war on Christmans, but there is a war being waged here it is against the people who only want to be left alone.
Meanwhile, a display featuring Baphomet gets vandalized and destroyed beyond repair elsewhere in Iowa. They got the culprit (a kkkonservative kkkhristian two-time loser representing the "Party of Law and Order") but the damage is done.
Can you imagine what would happen if someone...anyone...should ironically set fire to that Nativity display in front of a fire station? There would be screams and howls for blood.
Take out your bibles and turn to Romans, Chapter 13, Verses 1 through 5. What does it say? That's right. It tells believers to not only obey all earthly laws and authorities, it tells them exactly why.
Now what part of that scripture is unclear to you?
Congratulations to the town of Toledo, Iowa for doing the 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 necessary to comply with the First Amendment. Although an argument can be made that Santa is just some additional Christian symbolism. There is a reason he's called Saint Nicholas.
“He’s kind to people who haven’t earned that respect.”
Which, ironically, is what the whole shebang, from the nativity scenes to the Easter baskets, is supposed to be about. Showing them how to walk their own talk. So rude!
The people of Toledo, at least a vocal group of people in Toledo, demanded the government break the law and trample the constitution. Once the display moved to private property, the city was in compliance, nothing more needed to be done. The nativity was prominently displayed, folks could see it by going the same route they did when it was at the fire station, and there’s no constitutional entanglement. But no. That wasn’t what this nativity display is for. It is for telling the citizens to confirm or else, it is for telling the world that Toledo is Christian only and no one else is welcome. Perhaps, if you have a menorah on your lawn the fire department won’t help if there’s a fire. Or if you don’t decorate your house, traffic is a little too bad for the ambulance to get to you on time. Well, maybe that is hyperbolic, but the display needs to be on government property for the mayor and the poorly educated and behaved Christian’s in the town to be happy. It’s not good enough to have their displays on the church lawns, or their own property, they need to have it where it doesn’t belong. And of course, it’s always the folks who bring the issue to the Christian’s attention that are the problem. I wish is could commit crimes and get everyone I know to show up at court and screech and holler so I don’t have to face consequences. What a fantastic way to operate a government.
So ... Toledo, Iowa seems to think they can be scofflaws in the face of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and The Catholic League wants to dare the Freedom From Religion Foundation to sue them. About all I can think of in rebuttal to that pair of fatuous statement is: 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢! It has been my observation that those who don't take the concept of State / Church separation seriously tend to learn the hard way that the FFRF and other such organizations DO, and are willing to take legal and effective action to support their seriousness. I'll say it again:
If someone was 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 feeling feisty, they'd make a Krampus to add to the display, complete with a sack full of terrified children being dragged away to their doom.
Then, just let the local Christians trip all over themselves trying to articulate why a 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 set of Christians' Christmas tradition doesn't belong with 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 Christmas traditions.
Jesus condemns men, women and children to eternal torment simply for not believing in him or refusing to enslave themselves to him. Santa merely leaves lumps of coal in one's fireplace stocking for bad behavior (or sics Krampus on unruly children). Jesus offers empty promises. Santa leaves physical gifts.
For shits and giggles, somebody please put up a Muslim display next to it blowing up the infidel Jesus and his silly Nativity scene for daring to blasphemy Allah.
Conservative always inventing “solutions” to problems that don’t exist. It goes hand in hand with the alternative reality they live in. Which is why they’re blind to the problems that DO exist.
Please please 𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 can TST donate a holiday display to the fire department?
This is not the behavior of people with genuine confidence in what they claim to believe. They have bought into a mythology they find appealing, and have evidently convinced themselves they have every right to display that myth on public property, owned by everyone. I'm sure there is no shortage of private property where they could put this display up, so why do they feel the need to force it onto the fire station's lawn? One of the things I like least about the Christmas season is the way it demands everyone's participation. Conservative Christians speak of a war on Christmans, but there is a war being waged here it is against the people who only want to be left alone.
Meanwhile, a display featuring Baphomet gets vandalized and destroyed beyond repair elsewhere in Iowa. They got the culprit (a kkkonservative kkkhristian two-time loser representing the "Party of Law and Order") but the damage is done.
Can you imagine what would happen if someone...anyone...should ironically set fire to that Nativity display in front of a fire station? There would be screams and howls for blood.
To the Christians of Toledo, Iowa...
Take out your bibles and turn to Romans, Chapter 13, Verses 1 through 5. What does it say? That's right. It tells believers to not only obey all earthly laws and authorities, it tells them exactly why.
Now what part of that scripture is unclear to you?
Congratulations to the town of Toledo, Iowa for doing the 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘶𝘮 necessary to comply with the First Amendment. Although an argument can be made that Santa is just some additional Christian symbolism. There is a reason he's called Saint Nicholas.
“He’s kind to people who haven’t earned that respect.”
Which, ironically, is what the whole shebang, from the nativity scenes to the Easter baskets, is supposed to be about. Showing them how to walk their own talk. So rude!
The people of Toledo, at least a vocal group of people in Toledo, demanded the government break the law and trample the constitution. Once the display moved to private property, the city was in compliance, nothing more needed to be done. The nativity was prominently displayed, folks could see it by going the same route they did when it was at the fire station, and there’s no constitutional entanglement. But no. That wasn’t what this nativity display is for. It is for telling the citizens to confirm or else, it is for telling the world that Toledo is Christian only and no one else is welcome. Perhaps, if you have a menorah on your lawn the fire department won’t help if there’s a fire. Or if you don’t decorate your house, traffic is a little too bad for the ambulance to get to you on time. Well, maybe that is hyperbolic, but the display needs to be on government property for the mayor and the poorly educated and behaved Christian’s in the town to be happy. It’s not good enough to have their displays on the church lawns, or their own property, they need to have it where it doesn’t belong. And of course, it’s always the folks who bring the issue to the Christian’s attention that are the problem. I wish is could commit crimes and get everyone I know to show up at court and screech and holler so I don’t have to face consequences. What a fantastic way to operate a government.
OT- The atrocious but inevitable result of abortion bans... women getting prosecuted for miscarriages: https://apnews.com/article/ohio-miscarriage-prosecution-brittany-watts-b8090abfb5994b8a23457b80cf3f27ce
Welcome to Gilead.
So ... Toledo, Iowa seems to think they can be scofflaws in the face of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and The Catholic League wants to dare the Freedom From Religion Foundation to sue them. About all I can think of in rebuttal to that pair of fatuous statement is: 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗧𝗪𝗢! It has been my observation that those who don't take the concept of State / Church separation seriously tend to learn the hard way that the FFRF and other such organizations DO, and are willing to take legal and effective action to support their seriousness. I'll say it again:
𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑑, 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑝𝑖𝑑 … 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑏 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑡.
Good thing they didn't try to install this one. Hilarity would have ensued...
https://imgflip.com/i/1gicvn
Frankly, whenever I see Santa and Jesus together, I always think of their battle on "South Park."
If someone was 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 feeling feisty, they'd make a Krampus to add to the display, complete with a sack full of terrified children being dragged away to their doom.
Then, just let the local Christians trip all over themselves trying to articulate why a 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 set of Christians' Christmas tradition doesn't belong with 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 Christmas traditions.
Santa made it all better.
Bildo got involved in this? What, did he run out of child molesters to defend?
Here's the 411 on Bill Donohue and his 'league'...
https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Bill_Donohue
Also...
http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2010/11/109-bill-william-donohue.html
Jesus v. Santa...Jesus v. Santa...
Jesus condemns men, women and children to eternal torment simply for not believing in him or refusing to enslave themselves to him. Santa merely leaves lumps of coal in one's fireplace stocking for bad behavior (or sics Krampus on unruly children). Jesus offers empty promises. Santa leaves physical gifts.
Winner: Santa
For shits and giggles, somebody please put up a Muslim display next to it blowing up the infidel Jesus and his silly Nativity scene for daring to blasphemy Allah.
Conservative always inventing “solutions” to problems that don’t exist. It goes hand in hand with the alternative reality they live in. Which is why they’re blind to the problems that DO exist.