LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY exotic_princess)

Link here

No suit, no menorah, just talks for what to do next year to be more inclusive. The rabbi got 'odius' calls and emails... people protested at the airport and workers set up their own individual trees at ticket counters.

I don't care if the rabbi was just trying to get attention, direct attention to the lack of menorah, sue for inclusivity, whatever - He had a lawyer/handler, that guy should have done his research and told the rabbi Look, you're kinda going about this the wrong way. It's annoying, and it fans the 'war on christmas' flames too much for my liking.

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY wyldraven)

Happy Holidays Raises Hackles

( Excerpt. Click Headline for full story. )

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY vanar_en_daeor)

Wyldraven's posting below reminded me of something I saw on the news last night.

I really wish I could find a picture of these flags, but from what I saw on tv, all I thought was "Winter" when I saw them. They had a blue background with white snowflakes and "Welcome" text. The shape was like many of those hangable flags I see all year in front of ppls houses. The stars I can't comment on because I didn't really notice them in the brief shot they showed. (Did anyone see/hear about this and have a link to a picture?) Still, as I said, I thought of Winter and they looked nice.

Edit: I think they may have been the "snowflake" one on this page(or VERY close to it): http://www.anyflag.com/holiday/bwinter.php (I also now understand why the designer used the 6 pointed stars - because of the inside of the snowflakes.)

Has it really gotten to the point where you can't even hang a Winter theme based flag for the holidays because someone is going to take offense to it? I'm sorry, but that's really really sad. And I have the feeling that if it they were of more traditional christmas colors, there may not have been much of an issue (which is why I think this fits into the happy holidays/war-on-christmas thing. My apologies if it doesn't.).

===================

Is That a Menorah or, Well, Just a Snowflake?
By ERIN DUGGAN
Published: December 10, 2006

When the New Castle Town Board was brainstorming ways to attract holiday shoppers to downtown Chappaqua, a local merchant suggested lining the two main streets with flags, as is done for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.

Last week, about 50 flags — blue and white with snowflakes, six-pointed stars and “Welcome” down the side — appeared. The problem, some residents said, is that the flags use two of the three colors traditionally associated with Hanukkah, are shaped like dreidels and use letters in a Hebrew-style block font.

“There seems to be confusion,” said Janet Wells, the town supervisor, who received several phone calls and e-mail messages last week from residents upset that a hamlet as religiously diverse as Chappaqua would pay for flags that appear, at first glance, to be inspired by a particular faith.
( Read more... )

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/10/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/10wenoticed.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FR%2FReligion%20and%20Belief

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY idragosani)

The Creationists/IDers are moving away from biology and genetics and into physics and astronomy:

http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewWeb&articleId=12282

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY idragosani)

Tofu might turn your kids gay! Soy products are "devil food"!

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53327

LJ-SEC: (ORIGINALLY POSTED BY redstar826)

the fact that a game like this exists is just mind boggling to me

'Convert or die' game divides Christians
Some ask Wal-Mart to drop Left Behind

Ilene Lelchuk, Chronicle Staff Writer

Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart, a major video game retailer, should yank it off its shelves.

The Campaign to Defend the Constitution and the Christian Alliance for Progress, two online political groups, plan to demand today that Wal-Mart dump Left Behind: Eternal Forces, a PC game inspired by a series of Christian novels that are hugely popular, especially with teens.

The series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins is based on their interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation and takes place after the Rapture, when Jesus has taken his people to heaven and left nonbelievers behind to face the Antichrist.

Left Behind Games' president, Jeffrey Frichner, says the game actually is pacifist because players lose "spirit points" every time they gun down nonbelievers rather than convert them. They can earn spirit points again by having their character pray.

"You are fighting a defensive battle in the game," Frichner, whose previous company produced Bible software, said of combatting the Antichrist. "You are a sort of a freedom fighter."( Read more... )