This is one of the better e-mails I have received in a long time!
I hope this makes its way around the USA and Canada several times over!!!!! So Be It!
THE LAW IS THE LAW
So if the US and Canadian government determines that it is against the law for the words "under God" to be on our money, then, so be it.
And if that same government decides that the "Ten Commandments" are not to be used in or on a government installation, then, so be it. And since they already have prohibited any prayer in the schools, on which they deem their authority, then so be it. I say, "so be it," because I would like to be a law abiding US citizen, or Canadian citizen. I say, "so be it," because I would like to think that smarter people than I are in positions to make good decisions.
I would like to think that those people have the Publics' best interests at heart.
BUT, YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE I'D LIKE?
Since we can't pray to God, can't Trust in God and cannot Post His Commandments in Government buildings, I don't believe the Government and it's employees should participate in the Easter and Christmas celebrations which honour the God that our government is eliminating from many facets of American and Canadian life.
I'd like my mail delivered on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving and Easter. After all, it's just another day.
I'd like the Supreme Court to be in session on Christmas, Good Friday, Thanksgiving & Easter as well as Sundays. After all, it's just another day.
I'd like the Senate and the House of Representatives, or the Parliament to not have to worry about getting home for the "Christmas Break." After all ~ it's just another day.
I'm thinking that a lot of my taxpayer dollars could be saved, if all government offices & services would work on Christmas, Good Friday & Easter. It shouldn't cost any overtime since those would be just like any other day of the week to a government that is trying to be "politically correct". In fact.... I think that our government should work on Sundays (initially set aside for worshipping God...) because, after all, our government say that it should be just another day....
What do you all think????
If this idea gets to enough people, maybe our elected officials will stop giving in to the minority opinions and begin, once again, to represent the 'majority' of ALL of the Canadian and American people.
SO BE IT...........
Please Dear Lord,
Give us the help needed to keep you in our country!
'Amen' and 'Amen'
Touch�!
These are definitely things I never thought about but from now on, I will! and I will be sure to question those, in government, who support these changes .
At the top, it says "I hope this makes its way around Canada and the USA
several times over!!!!!" Let's see that it does. Keep it in your mailbox and resend it whenever someone new comes along.
But actually, there is a bit of an urban legend in the email: that the government has banned prayer in schools. It hasn't. Any student can sit at their desk and pray to their heart's content. What the government banned was setting aside a period of time when everyone (whether or not they're christian) is supposed to pray.
On another note, it's interesting to consider that the Puritans actually did ban the celebration of Christmas.
Charybdis
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 | 08:26 AM
Ban Christmas and Thanksgiving?!?! Screw that. I may be an atheist but any paid holiday from work is alright by me. (Besides, I've never found Thanksgiving to be a very religious holiday anyway. I already work on Good Friday and Ash Wednesday so those don't count. Easter is on Sunday and you will take away my weekends when you pry them from my cold, dead hands!)
Lastly, Christmas is a simply a commercial holiday for me and most of my friends. A time for decorations and festivities. I know that Christians take it far more seriously but too bad. They started the commercialization - I simply revel in it. It's fun to pretend that Santa is coming with lot's of presents. I don't have to actually believe to enjoy the holiday.
Maegan
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 | 11:09 AM
I work on all holidays except Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years DAY, July 4th, Memorial Day, & Labor Day. All other holidays are considered working days. If I want off for Easter or Good Friday or anything else I can use my vacation/sick time for it. I do have to volunteer to work at least 8 hours for any of the above holidays...I can split it up or work all at once. I liked it when I was at the library & we got off for everything. I just hated August.
I know Jewish children who celebrate Christmas, because their parents don't want them to feel left out. I celebrate Passover...and I'm not Jewish.
But I don't think that we can force recognition of specific holidays...Students can also have a Bible Club or Prayer Club or something, because it's voluntary.
Paul
Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2004 | 04:25 PM
Smarter people than you are in positions to make good decisions, Carole.
Eric
Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 | 07:20 PM
The government governs ALL people, not just Christians. How would Christians feel if our money also reflected Buddhism, or Satanic religions? How would Christians feel if they showed up at the Post Office and there was a plaque delineating the 6 paths to Hell and the best ways to worship the dark lord?
The government observes Christmas and Easter not because of law, but because much of the government is made up of U.S. Citizens who ARE Christians. It's not a give and take where just because there's a holiday, for equal time they don't deliver mail. Government workers get the holiday so that they CAN observe their religious experiences. It's about respect. Saying that one wants their mail delivered because they can't pray as a group in public schools is not the same thing and is simply not respectful. It is also not very Christian-like. Christianity is about loving one another, not having a tantrum because you don't get your way.
There is no law that says one cannot pray, it says that prayer cannot be mandatory in classrooms. Why would it be important for a Christian to make people of other faiths or even non-faiths pray at school? It does not stop anyone from praying on their own or to themselves any time they want. In fact, you certainly couldn't stop a student from praying on his/her own. A prayer is a prayer whether it is said out loud or not. In fact, a prayer forcibly said in a classroom by rote can hardly be very sincere. A prayer said silently to one's self with meaning surely is going to be heard with more gratitude by God than a classroom of children who probably don't even know why they're doing it. The same with the pledge of allegiance. I had no idea what it meant or stood for even though they made us recite it most of my early school years. So what was the point?
It's easy to criticize the "government" for things, but we must all remember that the government is made up of the PEOPLE, and many of those people are Christians that would be punished by taking away the holidays, just to be punitive. Do you really think that Christ in his teachings would want us being punitive because our government was looking out for ALL its citizens and not just Christians? Would Christ ever even be punitive? Take a look at John 8:7 where it says, "So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." There is a lot of great hidden meaning in that verse.
I think more people need to ask themselves what Christ would do in situations like this. I don't think that being punitive would be in his teachings. The Pope just passed judgement on gay people becoming priests. Does he really think that Jesus would want that? Don't you think that Jesus would be glad to have ANYONE preaching his gospels? (Again, see the above verse). Don't you think Christ would be proud to have everyone at his side who wants to be there?
We need to stop thinking selfishly about things and think more about what Christ would have wanted and what he would do today if he were here. I don't think he'd be bitching about what our currency says or whether there are plaques in Government places. There are far more important topics in the world that we should be worrying about.
John 13:34 says "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." That includes the government.
Luke 6:29 says "If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic." The government may have taken prayer out of the classroom, but they cannot take your prayer. So instead of taking away the holidays, turn the other cheek.
