Saturday, December 17, 2011

Atheists Up in Arms Over NJ Town‘s ’Keep Christ in Christmas’ Sign

We read:
"The nation’s War on Christmas controversy has reached Pitman, New Jersey, where atheists are railing against a Knights of Columbus banner that is hanging over a street in the middle of the town. The message, which reads, “Keep Christ in Christmas,” has non-believers frustrated, claiming that its presence may be a Constitutional violation.

“Unnamed residents” who live in the borough reportedly contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the well-known atheist group based in Wisconsin, to defend them against the sign’s presence (the FFRF frequently claims that “unnamed” sources are behind their threats). The group has asked the town to remove the sign.

Andrew Seidel, the FFRF’s constitutional consultant, believes that the banner should not be hanging over the town’s Main Street. “It’s a group endorsing religion over a public right of way,” he said.

The town’s mayor, Michael Batten, though, doesn’t agree. “I think it’s a sad state of affairs that our country, we kowtow to the minority and not the majority of people who like that sort of thing to stay,” he said. Batten claims that the sign is attached to private property and that it merely hangs over a county road.

According to one resident, the Knights of Columbus’ sign has been hung during the Christmas season for the past 45 years.

Source

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

If it were a "keep mohammed in Eid" sign these same liberals would be praising it as Diversity and tolerance.

Anonymous said...

Those who are uncomfortable in their denial of god find any expressions of religion make them uneasy while those like our host are in fact comforted by religious expression.

Why should one group's expression of their religion be subject to whether someone else might be made uncomfortable because their faith in their own belief is so weak?

Thank you JR for showing how the strong react vs. the weakness showed by these complaining organizations.

Sig said...

Two issues here:

1. "unnamed residents"
This is one of our biggest problems today. We put too much credence on anonymous information and complaint. Gone are the days of people who boldly stand up for rights. These are cowards, and nothing more.

2. Stating facts does not mean endorsement.
The fact is that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. While the specific date of Jesus' birth may be debatable, the celebration is historically and traditionally factual. The fact of Christmas representing Christ is no less factual any other celebration, religious or secular. Stating these kinds of facts in no way implies endorsement of religion.

Anonymous said...

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...

The Knights of Columbus has as much right to express their religious beliefs in public spaces as these unnamed people do to ignore it. If the K of C are not allowed to express their beliefs, it is giving the control free expression to these others. The first amendment give us the right to express our views and you the right to ignore them. It doesn't give you the right to censor mine because you don't agree with them. The government doesn't have to be religion free -- it must be religion neutral. There's a difference.

Anonymous said...

Isn't it odd how the atheists always seem to find that one "complainer" in almost every town or city? I wonder if it's the same person, and the atheists keep moving him/her/it around. Hmmm...

BTW, that road is not govt. property. It's owned by the tax payers.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:06 - I have never heard this articulated as well as you have done. You completely hit the nail on the head!

Anonymous said...

If the Catholic knights can erect a sign about keeping Christ in Christmas, then any other society or group has the right to erect a sign about keeping Christ out of Christmas. As anyone with any knowledge of history knows, the current "Christmas" festival is a blending of pagan/winter festival celebrations with Christian overlays (about the birth of Christ) plus more recent secular/commercial embellishments.

Bird of Paradise said...

Tell those atheists to GET A LIFE and quit being so darn self centred and selfish DARN ME GERATION WUSSIES

Anonymous said...

Pitman is an interesting place for this to occur. The town was originally a Methodist camp. The 12 streets radiating from the central church were arranged like a wagon wheel and each represents a disciple of Jesus. Check it out here:
http://binged.it/siEpls

Kee Bird said...

Linus is right about christmas its not only getting too commercial its getting too dangerous

Anonymous said...

When are these Gop circus clowns going to "Stop the Religion BS" and get on with the "JOBS"!!!!! Morons!!

Anonymous said...

As soon as the Cowboy Poet idiots in the Senate get out of the way!

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:48........... Well said! And let's not leave out the King of all Kenyans in the White House. Remember anything that passes that would actually help this country, must pass by a veto proof, super majority or the King will block it.

Anonymous said...

The tyranny of the minority marches on.

Dr. No said...

How true Anon 9:04. That's precisely why we must bring back public hangings. What better way to give the community a chance to get together. Also, it's an Enviro-friendly way of ridding our society of the pestilence known as leftists and atheists.

And, unlike what the lying Marxist-in-Chief promised, after the hangings, just think of all those graves that have to be dug. Now those are truly "shovel-ready" jobs!

Grow up folks. You know in your heart that there are way too many people in this country. Why not get rid of the truly undesirable, (ie: leftists) while helping our economy at the same time.

Gather the kids, wake up granny, and bring your own pop-corn. A great night out for the entire family. Watch for our really special "events", when we'll have some elected lying crooks "up" for your entertainment. And, it's all FREE!!

Anonymous said...

Dr. No,

How true. Sounds like Adolf Hitler's Final Solution. Count me in!

Joey said...

If a sign about keeping Christ in Cristmas is deemed to promote Christianity, then by the same token, a sign about keeping Christ out of Christmas would be seen as promoting atheism.

Flu-Bird said...

Christmas comes from the word CHRISTS MASS

Anonymous said...

The Christian Feast of Christ's Mass was just tacked on to the old pagan festival of Yule aka Saturnalia, etc., etc. celebrated at the time of the winter solstice, when the Sun starts to rise higher again in the sky and the rebirth of life approaches again with Springtime, so important to agrarian cultures. The birth of Christ, Light of the World, etc. fits in well with the concept, though 'Son of God' and 'Sun' are only coincidental to germanic languages.

Anonymous said...

Mythology marches on...

Kee Bird said...

Evolution is myth annon 4:18

Anonymous said...

The evolution of myth is not myth.