Secular Left Posts

December 15, 2005

Cal Thomas, a conservative columnist, has gone against his conservative brethren. Both in a recent column and on the FOX News Channel, Thomas complained about the efforts in support of “Merry Christmas”. In his column titled “Not so silent night”, Thomas writes:

“The effort by some cable TV hosts and ministers to force commercial establishments into wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas” might be more objectionable to the One who is the reason for the season than the “Happy Holidays” mantra required by some store managers.

I have never understood why so many Christians feel the need to see and hear “Merry Christmas” proclaimed to them at stores by people who may not believe its central message. While TV personalities, junk mail letters and some of the ordained bemoan the increasing secularization of culture; perhaps some teaching might be helpful from the One in whose behalf they claim to speak.”

So we may not agree with everything Cal has to say but at least on this issue he gets it.

December 12, 2005

The new Family Life Center might be able to help a few hundred people while approximately 2,000 disabled children and adults may have to be sent to extended care facilities if they are to get any treatment at all.

It is a shame when people donate more money to churches than they pay in taxes yet complain that churches and other religious groups should get more tax payer money to do what the government should be doing. Real people with real problems get hurt.

December 6, 2005
Stevie Wonder and John Lennon
Stevie Wonder and John Lennon

I have wanted to avoid debunking Internet rumors and myths because it is a hard job to do but one I came across this past weekend hit close to home. I felt I needed to say something.

What happens is someone states something and part of the quote is then posted across the Internet without attribution and the average reader might think it is true without reading the complete context.

December 1, 2005

The holiday season always causes a frenzy with the religious right. From installing Baby Jesus on courthouse lawns to chastising businesses for not expressing Merry Christmas, political and religious conservatives are hell bent to force everyone to remember why we have Christmas.

The Liberty Counsel and James Dobson are on the front lines in the “war” on Christmas and Bill O’Reilly has gone crazy.

November 27, 2005

Samuel Alito’s confirmation hearing is going to start in January and one area he is sure to be questioned about is his legal views on the separation of church and state.

Unlike the failed nomination of Harriet Miers, Alito has a judical history to look at to see if he may be a friend of real religious liberty – one that supports the separation of church and state.

According to an AP report this weekend, Alito’s record on religious cases is all over the spectrum.

November 25, 2005

France and many countries in Europe have issues with immigrants. Most are from current or former colonies. The new citizens have learned the language and made efforts to be part of their adopted countries, but due to old colonial classism, the hosts really don’t want them and this causes them to be segregated. These new people are not treated as equal. They may have the same rights by law, but like we saw in the US South for 100 years after the slaves were freed, they aren’t treated as equal.