http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/14163580.htm


JESUS CHRIST......
Umm wait, that didn't come out right....

Why can't they let us worship our fertility goddess symbols in peace. :(

The decorations — including the stuffed rabbit, Easter eggs and a handcrafted sign saying "Happy Easter," but nothing depicting the biblical account of Christ's death and resurrection — were put up this week in the office of the City Council by a council secretary



That most retarded thing I have ever heard. How is this offensive to non-Christians? Bunny rabbits and eggs are from Pagan origin to begin with. God Damnit this is out of hand.

Very out of hand as the athiests continue to try and force their lack of faith down our collective throats. News flash children, you're in the extreme minority.

I doubt the eggs/bunnies inflame your indignant need to notworship.

Hey, don't believe in God or the holidays that celebrate that belief? Fine, you won't find me coming into your goddamn homes or place of work forcing you to worship....

Edit: To top that off, you sanctimonious bastards, if you truly don't fucking believe then the items/days/dieties are just empty symbols how can they fucking oppress you.

Sorry, sore subject...

Fandros

LOL, You know, I've always thought if people were true Athiests, they wouldn't take the Holidays off. They'd be there at work with the rest of the nonbelievers.
But you know, they take the days off as well. Guess the oppression is just so bad, that they need the time off.
I wonder if War Protesters will still take off July 4th? I mean the Revolution was a pretty violent affair. Why celebrate it?

Very out of hand as the athiests continue to try and force their lack of faith down our collective throats. News flash children, you're in the extreme minority.

I don't see where it stated that the decision maker is an atheist. Plenty of Christians want to maintain separation of church & state as well. I do agree, tho', that this is a stupid decision, demonstration of how skittish public officials often are about the possibility of offending someone. A single person writes a letter or makes a phone call, and all hell breaks loose. There are breaches of separation that do need to be addressed -- this isn't one of them.

I agree Thor, it's an assumption on my part that it's an athiest behind this. But is it so far fetched on my part?

Fandros

I wouldn't use "far-fetched," but I think it unlikely for two reasons:

1) Rightly or wrongly, public officials are skittish about religious representations on public property. It can result in a lawsuit that is costly to the municipality and to the taxpayer (tho' suing over this instance would be stupid).

2) The vast majority of Americans are, if not Christians, at least theists of some stripe. Atheists are very specifically unwelcome in positions of power and possibly the most distrusted (http://www.ur.umn.edu/FMPro?-db=releases&-lay=web&-format=umnnewsreleases/releasesdetail.html&ID=2816&-Find) minority.

I think it more likely that this decision was an idiotic expression of good intentions.

I wouldn't use "far-fetched," but I think it unlikely for two reasons:

1) Rightly or wrongly, public officials are skittish about religious representations on public property. It can result in a lawsuit that is costly to the municipality and to the taxpayer (tho' suing over this instance would be stupid).

2) The vast majority of Americans are, if not Christians, at least theists of some stripe. Atheists are very specifically unwelcome in positions of power and possibly the most distrusted (http://www.ur.umn.edu/FMPro?-db=releases&-lay=web&-format=umnnewsreleases/releasesdetail.html&ID=2816&-Find) minority.

I think it more likely that this decision was an idiotic expression of good intentions.

And seriously, this is just fricking ridiculous. It is my belief that there is some jackelope out there right now just itching to sue someone over something....anything.....as long as it's something they can sue over. So so depressing :(

It's an unfortunate truth, Fil. Look up Larry and Jeanne Caldwell if you're interested in seeing some frivolous lawsuits from the theistic angle. Their latest lawsuit (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46807) was just dismissed -- reasons for its baselessness can be found here (http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2005/10/a_baseless_laws.html).

A little common sense would go a long way...

To be honest, why have a problem with this?

Separation of church and state is one of the best features of our constitution, IMO. Someone had to go all the way to the Supreme Court to remove a display of the 10 commandments from a courthouse - and as much as I agree with the 10 commandments, removing the display was the right thing to do. Many of us don't want legislation turning religious beliefs into anti-abortion law.

Is it a pain in the butt? Sure is. Is it dumb? Ayup. Is it the right thing to do? Seems like it.

Gaea really likes the little chocolate-covered malted milk eggs, I have heard.

Just if it was an atheist who did this, doesn't mean all atheists would agree with this guy.
They had the spring equinox pegan symbols of fertility up, the much more secular symbols than having a crucified jesus hanging up or something.
Seriously, its not even a strictly christian holiday anymore.
As for holidays, so I am an atheist, and I celebrate christmas, easter, etc, as days to relax, enjoy myself, and get together with those who are close to me.
However, if any tax money or government funded display of religious symbols went up, I'd be against it.
All groups have dumbshits, atheists and theists, doesn't really invalidate all other atheists' or theists' claims, beliefs or lack of.

Shakesphere said it best:
Kill all the Lawyers.

The War on Christmas/Easter/Religion is over. YOU WON SIXEE!... Jesus appeared on an Aircraft Carrier with a big "Mission Accomplished" banner and said so. The people protesting Easter now are just part of an insurgency in its last throes. Worry not. With any luck itll give Bill OReilly another six months of brainless popcorn programming.

Take another bong hit, dude.

Man, I can't believe this item took so long to bring up O'Reilly. Who can forget his made up news story about WISCONSIN SCHOOLKIDS BEING FORCED TO SING THE WRONG WORDS FOR CHRISTMAS CAROLS!!!1!!!!!11! OMG THEY'RE RUINING CHRISTMAS!!!1!!

Must be the paranoia from all that cannibus you toked up on earlier.
Take some shrooms and mellow out, dude.

Very out of hand as the athiests continue to try and force their lack of faith down our collective throats. News flash children, you're in the extreme minority.

I doubt the eggs/bunnies inflame your indignant need to notworship.

Hey, don't believe in God or the holidays that celebrate that belief? Fine, you won't find me coming into your goddamn homes or place of work forcing you to worship....

Edit: To top that off, you sanctimonious bastards, if you truly don't fucking believe then the items/days/dieties are just empty symbols how can they fucking oppress you.

Sorry, sore subject...

Fandros

I'm not christian but I've always enjoyed easter. Just like christmas is a day to enjoy time with your loved ones and give gifts, easter is a day to wake up to a crapload of candy waiting for you, and find candy hidden everywhere as a kid. It's just traditional, like valentines day without the self-hatred, or halloween except the candy comes to you..

But taking that stuff down doesn't make any sense, since they weren't christian simbols in the first place. It wasn't necessarily an atheist, just an over-pc moron.

easter is a day to wake up to a crapload of candy waiting for you, and find candy hidden everywhere as a kid.

We have found that with the kids all grown and out on their own, we can still have fun with Easter by getting real drunk the night before and hiding stuff for us to try to find the next morning.:p

Exactly Disc which is why the separation of church and state argument baffles me. Unless it was a Christian who protested and wanted the stuff taken down? Jesus, people need to relax and play more video games!

Ok, well...Easter. Easter is a religious holiday.

The secular representation of Easter is bad tasting marshmallow bunnies and chicks, chocolate candies of all shapes and sizes, hiding these candies and hardboiled eggs for kids to find.

Unfortunately, it's still called Easter. Throw all the above out and it's still Easter, which is a religious holiday.

This can't be accepted by all until the name is changed to Xster.

So, when you put up your bunnies in the Court House, make sure the sign says, "Happy Xster!" and everything will be alright. Aight? :p

WISCONSIN SCHOOLKIDS BEING FORCED TO SING THE WRONG WORDS FOR CHRISTMAS CAROLS!!!1!!!!!11! OMG THEY'RE RUINING CHRISTMAS!!!1!!

"....AND THEY SHOT KENNY!!!"

Sorry popped into my head when I saw that. :o

LOL, I think Easter has become 1 of the less religious of the "Christian" holidays.
If you know your history, the Early Christians adopted the existing holidays (aka Pagan Holidays) into their own. Easter became the time they remembered the Crucifiction (although I would think the end of the year would be a better time for this Holiday). For thousands of years, the Pagans celebrated the renewal of the Earth at this time of the year, Hence the Eggs and Bunnies.
Now if you really want to make a certain Christian group mad, try giving a Jehovah's Witness a chocolate bunny.
They remember that a bunny is a pagan symbol, and they get EXTREMELY huffy if you do.

I am suddenly reminded of the comedienne Elaine Boosler, and her routine about the after-Easter candy sales, and the rush to hoard stale Peeps.

Picture the person, standing on the street corner shaking, scratching their nose, and asking passers-by "Hey, got Peeps?"

Ugh, Peeps are just...ugh. I ate them by the bucketful as a kid, but now just the thought makes me gag a little.

My favorite PC moment right now is how the school takes off for Good Friday, but refuses to call it that. But we take off for major Jewish holidays, and we call them by their names. Most peculiar.

Legislation is now in committee to ban all advertising and sales related to Arbor Day; the rationale being that the planting of trees and nurturing the growth of greenery is a blatant nod to the practice of worshipping Tunare, and is therefore religious discrimination.

Maybe I should plant some trees. Tunare isn't all that fond of me...