Adding a menorah and some generic non-religious Xmas stuff and calling it a day doesn’t provide the same righteous indignation victimization dopamine rush.
Conservative Christians never stop trying to mark their territory in the public square, owned by everyone. They simply do not grasp the fact rights are not matters of majority rule, and they can't seem to get their heads around the idea anyone could possibly be justified in taking offense at THEIR religion. There is no shortage of places on private property where this nativity scene could be placed.
Everything christians want, they get. Everything they hate is illegal.
You see, the gov't is there so that they don't have to sully their hands. They're not for killing, the bible clearly and unambiguously demonstrates that (stop laughing!). They don't kill, but if the gov't executes someone they hate, then their hands are clean. Just like with the crucifixion, it was the Romans, not the Jewish leaders.
Christians want the gov't to be their proxy in enforcing everything they want. They don't want abortions (actually, they do), so they have the gov't interfere in everyone's lives. They don't want a nanny state, but they want the gov't to bail them out when things go wrong. They don't want same sex marriage (they do), so they want the gov't to interfere in same-sex couple's lives. They want parental ownership of children, but not for those who raise their children the wrong (non-christian) way. The gov't is the enforcer of their ideology. So, no drag queen reading hour for your children. No medical treatment for trans-children - unless it's conversion therapy.
And when christians don't get their way, the gov't is interfering in christians' lives. Even if only by allowing "them" to do what they want with their lives instead of what christians want.
A village, not too far from where I live and not too long ago, used to put up, in front of its court house, a nativity scene san any secular decorations. Their reality lens is very parochial in thinking that all folks should accept the Christian faith. While visiting the village I'd check out their library and noticed they stocked their shelves with magazines and books promoting Christianity. On one visit I was shocked by having to experience being proselytized by one of the library staff because I was reading a science magazine. I told the staff member that I did not want to listen to their sales pitch, but that resulted in the staff member doubling down on their pitch. After reading this latest F.A. posting I checked out the front of the courthouse and found that secular holiday displays have been erected, along with the nativity scene, which means the village government figured out how to honor the Winter Solstice season for all folks.
Want to put up a display at a fire station to honor someone/something?
Fine. I suggest a monument to all those Iowa firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. The display can even be year-round, demonstrating the stark reality that the biblical deity is nowhere to be found when comes time to put out a raging inferno.
They wouldn't have to address this issue if their display had stayed on private land. This isn't christians being persecuted, it's christians pushing the limits so they can claim they're being persecuted.
Which is roughly like saying that we want to find a way to have our meeting underwater without holding our breath and not drowning. I find it phenomenal that there continue to be public officials who want to believe that a religious display on public property is somehow acceptable WHEN IT ISN'T. If they wanted to add the Constitution display which the FFRF came up with years ago, it would be one thing, but these people seem to think there is some loophole they can exercise in their favor.
There ISN'T ... and once again, city officials are about to waste a whole lot of taxpayer money on lawsuits when they should damned well know better.
"Yes, of course we have slaves. We've always had slaves. Our people have held slaves for thousands of years. It's a tradition. It's one of our folkways. How dare you come along and tell us we can't do it? We've ALWAYS done it!"
I know I'm a nitpicky little shit, but it's just 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 me and I have to mention it before it drives me nuts: why in the 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 is the shed 3D but all the people and animals and even the improvised furniture 2D? Pick one or the other and 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 to it, damn you!
Adding a menorah and some generic non-religious Xmas stuff and calling it a day doesn’t provide the same righteous indignation victimization dopamine rush.
Setting fire to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Conservative Christians never stop trying to mark their territory in the public square, owned by everyone. They simply do not grasp the fact rights are not matters of majority rule, and they can't seem to get their heads around the idea anyone could possibly be justified in taking offense at THEIR religion. There is no shortage of places on private property where this nativity scene could be placed.
This is how laws work:
Everything christians want, they get. Everything they hate is illegal.
You see, the gov't is there so that they don't have to sully their hands. They're not for killing, the bible clearly and unambiguously demonstrates that (stop laughing!). They don't kill, but if the gov't executes someone they hate, then their hands are clean. Just like with the crucifixion, it was the Romans, not the Jewish leaders.
Christians want the gov't to be their proxy in enforcing everything they want. They don't want abortions (actually, they do), so they have the gov't interfere in everyone's lives. They don't want a nanny state, but they want the gov't to bail them out when things go wrong. They don't want same sex marriage (they do), so they want the gov't to interfere in same-sex couple's lives. They want parental ownership of children, but not for those who raise their children the wrong (non-christian) way. The gov't is the enforcer of their ideology. So, no drag queen reading hour for your children. No medical treatment for trans-children - unless it's conversion therapy.
And when christians don't get their way, the gov't is interfering in christians' lives. Even if only by allowing "them" to do what they want with their lives instead of what christians want.
Always like a dog peeing on a tree with these folks.
“It’s unfortunate that we even have to have this discussion”. Hmmmm, yes, Brian, but it’s because you’re flouting the law. See how that works?
A village, not too far from where I live and not too long ago, used to put up, in front of its court house, a nativity scene san any secular decorations. Their reality lens is very parochial in thinking that all folks should accept the Christian faith. While visiting the village I'd check out their library and noticed they stocked their shelves with magazines and books promoting Christianity. On one visit I was shocked by having to experience being proselytized by one of the library staff because I was reading a science magazine. I told the staff member that I did not want to listen to their sales pitch, but that resulted in the staff member doubling down on their pitch. After reading this latest F.A. posting I checked out the front of the courthouse and found that secular holiday displays have been erected, along with the nativity scene, which means the village government figured out how to honor the Winter Solstice season for all folks.
Tradition ? Like forced conversions and throwing women in water to see if they are witches ?
"The only question is when the city’s leaders will come to the same conclusion."
Quand les poules auront des dents.
Want to put up a display at a fire station to honor someone/something?
Fine. I suggest a monument to all those Iowa firefighters who gave their lives in the line of duty. The display can even be year-round, demonstrating the stark reality that the biblical deity is nowhere to be found when comes time to put out a raging inferno.
"Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven."
-- Jesus, in Matthew 6:1
I'm also thinking that Nativity could be a graven image. A clear violation of the 2nd Commandment.
How about we put up another sign that says, "Birth of Quirinus, 500 B.C. The original son of gods."?
Or the classic, add a Santa with a knife in the back ground, with the sign, "There can be only one."
Link: https://www.texastribune.org/2023/08/11/texas-prison-lawsuit-fetal-rights/
Texas: 𝑭𝒆𝒕𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒖𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒕’𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚!
They wouldn't have to address this issue if their display had stayed on private land. This isn't christians being persecuted, it's christians pushing the limits so they can claim they're being persecuted.
𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑙 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 “𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑙𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑝𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.”
Which is roughly like saying that we want to find a way to have our meeting underwater without holding our breath and not drowning. I find it phenomenal that there continue to be public officials who want to believe that a religious display on public property is somehow acceptable WHEN IT ISN'T. If they wanted to add the Constitution display which the FFRF came up with years ago, it would be one thing, but these people seem to think there is some loophole they can exercise in their favor.
There ISN'T ... and once again, city officials are about to waste a whole lot of taxpayer money on lawsuits when they should damned well know better.
"Yes, of course we have slaves. We've always had slaves. Our people have held slaves for thousands of years. It's a tradition. It's one of our folkways. How dare you come along and tell us we can't do it? We've ALWAYS done it!"
I know I'm a nitpicky little shit, but it's just 𝘣𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 me and I have to mention it before it drives me nuts: why in the 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 is the shed 3D but all the people and animals and even the improvised furniture 2D? Pick one or the other and 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵 to it, damn you!