Just in case we were too busy buying our children poisonous toys from China and forgot, Christmas is in fact a Christian holiday, says Congress.
So now back to your shopping with all you holy rollers.
It's only commercialized when you buy crap that doesn't shove Christianity down your throat.
It's sad that in this country we need to have a religious litmus test for a Presidential candidate, at least in the Republican Party.
Mitt Romney's presidential campaign should be judged on his ideas, his stances on policies and his record as Governor of Massachusetts from 2003-2007, not on whether or not he worships at a temple or a church. Today's speech by Mitt Romney, where he almost seemed desperate, is a sad event in our history.
I found this part of Romney's speech especially titilating;
Let me assure you that no authorities of my church, or of any other church for that matter, will ever exert influence on presidential decisions. Their authority is theirs, within the province of church affairs, and it ends where the affairs of the nation begin. As governor, I tried to do the right as best I knew it, serving the law and answering to the Constitution. I did not confuse the particular teachings of my church with the obligations of the office and of the Constitution - and of course, I would not do so as president. I will put no doctrine of any church above the plain duties of the office and the sovereign authority of the law.
"If God, as they say, is homophobic, I wouldn’t worship that God."
-Archbishop Desmund Tutu
The right wing of America enjoys winning their victories by attacking those on the left. You've heard their talking points; The lefties want America to be defeated because they hate it. They want soldiers to die because they hate them, and so on. It's the simplistic way the right wing wins, inspire fear and hatred in their base. Those who aren't educated enough about the world to understand it's not so simple after all.
The left does not wish to see America "defeated," and they defenintely don't want to see Islamic fundamentalists win. We're the party who opposes religious fantaticism, Christian, Islam, any religion, we certaintly don't want to see a world governed by Islamic fundamentalism.
Those on the right see the world in black and white. The was made apparent in President Bush's "you're either with us or with the terrorists" speech back in 2002. If you don't see eye to eye with the way our leadership is fighting Islamic fundamentalists, they you obviously want Al-Qaeda and their lackeys to win.
The genius of the left (and some on the right like Ron Paul) is that we know the world isn't black and white. The world isn't that simplistic. It's not our way or their way. Those on the left still believe that our leadership isn't perfect and are not right all the time just because they make decisions to oppose our enemies. We are not required to stand by our President, even when he's wrong because we don't want him to look "weak" to the world. Just because our leadership acts against terrorists or "enemies of America" does not make him infalliable. Our leadership made a blatantly wrong decision on Iraq, a decision that the left (and some on the right) would argue was counterproductive toward our fight against Al-Qaeda. Perhaps there is more to this "war on terror" than military might. Perhaps dropping bombs from planes or rolling tanks through the desert aren't the only ways to fight terrorism.
Those on the left see little difference between the Islamic world and the world the right wing wants America to live in. Both are authoritarian to totalitarian where there would be little dissent or criticism of our leaders. Both inject religious doctrine in our society. Both force their populations to live under the microscope of their governments, who track every move you make and word you say. The right wants to bring "freedom and democracy" to the Middle East, but want to sanction warantless wiretapping, elimination of habeus corpus and oppression of dissenters in the United States. They want to free these countries from the hardline Islamic sharia law that allows them to oppress women, execute homosexuals, and force Islam into every aspect of society, but the same people want to force prayer in public schools and legislate archiac biblical laws oppressing homosexuals and women's rights.
The right likes to think they're strong because they act like warriors. They think supporting military action against anyone who disagrees with us is warrior-like. They see weakness as wanting dialogue and not war. They see the American military as a means to scare Islamic populations into supporting our side. They see the American military as a means to show strength and bravery, The truth is, it was the right that has inspired the cowardly insecurity that has enveloped our nation since 9/11. We cower at the first threat of an attack. We live in a world where a panic ensures in ourselves if we see an Arab-looking man get on the subway with a backpack. We live in a society where we have to get molested before we get on an airplane. We live in a nation where we're ready to give up basic rights that we had for over 220 years because of a bunch of cave dwellers. We survived more dangerous threats; Fascism, Communism, Anarchism, a Civil war, without having to give up our basic freedoms. The right uses the military and war as a cover to hide their fear.
No matter who the Republican nominee is next year, whether it's Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, or John McCain, expect their campaign strategy to focus around the slogan "Vote Democrat and Die." Expect them to paint the Democrats as Anti-American, cowardly, and "against us" because they're not "with the President." Expect it to work.
I'm tired of watching politicians on both sides of the political aisle pander to churches to get elected. I'm tired of hearing candidates talk about their relationship with God, like it's the end all be all for a politician today. Whether or not the Treaty of Tripoli had any major means, there is no doubt that the Government of the United States supported the fact that the United States was not a Christian nation. Thomas Jefferson, a founding father whom the Christian fundamentalists argue wanted a Christian nation, vehemently defended the Separation of Church and State; The religiosity of a candidate should not be an issue. Religion has no place in politics. Even Jesus said so when he uttered the words; "Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." Call me a Jesus-hating, Godless, wicked far left wing radical. I don't care. I'm proud of being on the far-left on this issue. If supporting a secular government makes me a radical, then I'm a radical. I know I'm not going to change many minds here. I know all those Christian fundamentalists who continued to try and make this country the United States of Jesus. I'm not an atheist, I'm not out to make everyone else an atheist. I'm not seeking to close churches and ban Christmas or Easter. I'm a spiritual person and I'm OK with my relationship with God. I don't want my religion mixed with and corrupted by politics. I like it just the way it is, thank you.
Senator Obama belongs to the political party that defends (or is supposed to anyway) the separation of church and state Thomas Jefferson, our first Democratic President, so greatly promoted. Democrats and Libertarians have been vilified for too long recently, being called Godless and wicked because they refuse to give in to Christian fundamentalists who wish to turn the United States, the very nation that championed the secular state, into the Jesus-obsessing equivalent of the Middle East.
We live in a secular country with a secular government. I'm proud of that. I'm proud of the fact that I feel we must defend our country from Christian fundamentalists who want to use the Bible to further their hatred, ignorance and bigotry, Christian fundamentalists who want to use the pulpit to gain power. Our politicians shouldn't have to have to go to churches and hold "faith rallies" to get people to vote for them. I'm tired of hearing people attack those on the left for "outlawing God." These people are enemies of the America laid out by our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and even George Washington, who all spoke of Separation of Church and State. In 1797, the Senate unanimously approved and President John Adams supported, the Treaty of Tripoli that ended the Barbary Wars. Article 11 of the treaty reads;"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between church and State."
No wonder we're such big fans of Saudi Arabia. We're like one constitutional amendment away from being their Christian twin.
Religious Zealots meet Democracy.
If you can't live with being offended, then leave the freedom and democracy of Sweden. You do not have any right to murder people for being offended.
Jews of the world, Ann Coulter says you need to be perfected.
Just another example of how this bitch is a Nazi in a miniskirt.
I hardly thought they would endorse Giuliani. I figured this would happen.
Still, I don't think they're stupid enough to split the conservative vote and throw the election to the Democrats. All GOP candidates struggle at best against all the Democrats, splitting the vote would almost certainly guarantee them a win.
Or Giuliani would have to suddenly find God, for find some reason to oppose abortion and gay rights and explain his flip-flopping (9/11 made me pro-life.) Either way, Democrats win.
They will always exist, but I knew the day would come when they would be no more organized politically as white supremacists or communists. That day seems to be coming closer.
And our wonderful SECULAR nation breathes a sigh of relief.
"I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles ... personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith,"
"We need to be very precise then, about what I said wearing my stars and being very conscious of it, and that is, very simply, that we should respect those who want to serve the nation but not through the law of the land, condone activity that, in my upbringing, is counter to God's law."
If you want to follow "God's law," then perhaps you should become a General in the Pope's army, but here in America, the only law that matters is the one the 13 colonies approved in 1787. Sometimes it agrees with "God's law," sometimes it doesn't. If you can't accept the times it doesn't, then perhaps you shouldn't be a part of our government.
Have a nice day :-)
Newt Gingrich's laughable rational to why the President of Iran shouldn't have spoken at Columbia;
“I think it is an outrage for the university to lend its prestige to a dictator whose Government executes homosexuals, tortures and kills journalists, lock up students”
San Diego's Republican Mayor Jerry Sanders, who decided, against the popular opinion of his party and probably his city, that he will endorse San Diego's City Council resolution calling for the legalization of gay marriage in California.
Previously opposed to gay marriage, but supportive of civil unions, Mayor Sanders gave an emotional press conference that may very well symbolize the change in opinion of the nation as a whole. Sanders, choking back tears, said;
"I've decided to lead with my heart. . . to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice...I just cannot bring myself to tell an entire group of people in our community that they were less important, less worthy, or less deserving of the rights and responsibilities of marriage than anyone else simply because of their orientation."
Sanders' daughter, Lisa, is a lesbian and Sanders claims she and her parter is a big reason why he changed this mind on the issue;
"In the end, I could not look any of them in the face and tell them that their relationships—their very lives—were any less meaningful than the marriage that I share with my wife Rana,"
I really do believe the day is coming that this will become a non-issue. The day is coming when gays will be given the same legal rights. A majority of the country still opposes it, and it may take a decade or two to change that, but all we need to do is point to places like Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa and Massachusetts, where gay marriage is legal and society has not crumbled to the ground.
It's hard to accept change, especially something as massively new and different as gay marriage. Americans don't handle differences and changes very well, it takes time, but thanks to men like Jerry Sanders, who decided to follow his heart and not his political party, we're on that road.
Sanders may loose the next election because of it, but he'll loose gracefully and bravely.
"As Republicans we must oppose discrimination and defend traditional marriage: one man, one woman,"
What riles me the most is that they said this;
The court also found that the state has an interest in promoting procreation and that the General Assembly "has not acted wholly unreasonably in granting recognition to the only relationship capable of bearing children traditionally within the marital unit."
Why is it so imperative we get a President different that the current one?
In one day, the Supreme Court whacked campaign finance reform, limited free speech and gave our tax money to religion.
All decision were 5 to 4, and were decided essentially by Bush appointees Roberts and Alito.
Any more of these guys on the bench and we'll become the Christian Republic of America so fast you'll fall down dizzy.
By a vote of 81-65, the New York State Assembly became the third state legislative body in the US to vote to legalize same sex marriage. Last year, both houses of the California legislature endorsed same-sex marriage, but the bill was vetoed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The bill got some bipartisan support. Four Republicans, two men from the Hudson Valley and two women from the Adirondacks, voted for the bill;
Mike Spano (R-Yonkers), Joel Miller (R-Poughkeepsie), Teresa Sayward (R-Essex County) and Dede Scozzafava (R-Gouveneur) all voted aye.
21 Democrats and 1 Independent voted nay, breaking with party line; Peter Abbate (D-Brooklyn), Daniel Aubertine (D-Cape Vincent), Joan Christensen (D-Syracuse), Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), Bill Colton (D-Brooklyn), Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Brooklyn), Francine DelMonte (D-Niagara Falls), Ruben Diaz Jr. (D-Bronx), Dennis Gabryszak (D-Cheektowaga), Sandra Galef (D-Peekskill), David Gantt (D-Rochester), Diane Gordon (D-Brooklyn), Timothy Gordon (I-Delmar), Auriela Greene (D-Bronx), Carl Heastie (D-Bronx), Dov Hikind (D-Brooklyn), William Magee (D-Nelson), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth), N. Nick Perry (D-Brooklyn), Annette Robinson (D-Brooklyn), Robin Schimminger (D-Kenmore), Anthony Seminerio (D-Richmond Hill).
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselear) has already said the bill will be dead on arrival to the Senate, so it'll almost certainly will not reach Governor Spitzer's desk this session.
Spitzer would sign it if it did. It would make New York the second state to legalize gay marriage after Massachusetts and the first to do it legislatively.
The Massachusetts State Legislature put a stop to a proposed referendum for a amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage.
By a 151-45 vote, the two houses of the state legislature, together for a constitutional convention, defeated a proposed amendment that needed 50 votes to pass. The amendment had previously gotten 60 votes in the last session. The representatives who changed their votes include 2 State Senators, both Democrats, and seven state Representatives; five Democrats and two Republicans.
A yea vote wouldn't have made any difference, the amendment would've failed anyway if put before the people. Three and a half years into legalized gay marriage in Massachusetts, there's enough support statewide to keep it legal in a referendum, granted it wouldn't be that large of a victory and it would help the Republican candidate for President next year should it be on the ballot.
Among those running for the GOP nomination for President...former Governor Mitt Romney, who came up with the idea of this constitutional amendment.
Coincidence? Decide for yourself.
Catholic Conservatives are lining up in hopes of bringing down GOP front runner Rudy Giuliani.
No matter how much of a hero you are, the Religious Right will destroy you if you don't endorse their middle ages philosophy on the world.
This is why I don't want to be President.
