Name That Disciple - A Fun Bible Review Game

Have you wondered what it would have been like to be one of Jesus' disciples? The Bible shows that the disciples exhibited a gamut of emotions while with their Savior - everything from pure elation to fear. How much do your children know about these great men of God? Do they know that these chosen men were really just like them with thoughts, feelings, strengths and weaknesses?

Here's a game that will be sure to capture your children's attention as they learn more about Jesus' twelve friends. It's called "Name That Disciple"...

Here's what you do:

You will need to make 12 cards. Number the cards 1 through 12 on their fronts. On their backsides, list the information points found below for each disciple. You do not want the child to see the disciple's name, so you may want to discreetly label each card so that only you know which disciple the card refers to. I made my cards on my computer and added some nice color and images. My finished size for each card was 4in x 6in. Finally, laminate your cards for long-term use.

How to Play:

Divide your class or group into 2 teams. This game will be best played if you study each disciple beforehand. Have one child come up from the first team and have him pick a number. You, the teacher, will take the card off the board and explain that you are going to give a clue about one of the 12 disciples. The first clue that is read will be worth 500 points. After hearing the clue, the child may try and guess which disciple is being talked about. If they guess right, he will earn 500 points for his team.

If he guessed wrong, a player from the other team will get to hear the next clue, which will be worth 400 points. Again, a guess may be offered. Play goes back and forth like this between the teams until one team has given a correct answer. The number of points earned will be the amount listed by the clue. Obviously, the clues get easier and therefore each clue given is worth fewer points. If no one succeeds in guessing the correct disciple, a new card is picked. The team with the most points wins!

Peter: 500 Points: This disciple prayed for the crippled man at the gate Beautiful to be healed. (Acts 3:1-6) 400 Points: He miraculously escaped from prison. (Acts 12:1-19) 300 Points: He was a fisherman by trade. (Mat. 4:18) 200 Points: Jesus changed his name to "The Rock". (Mat. 16:18) 100 Points: He denied Jesus 3 times. (Mark 14: 67-72)

James: 500 Points: King Herod killed him with a sword. (Acts 12:2) 400 Points: He was the son of Zebedee. (Mat. 4:21) 300 Points: He was at the transfiguration of Jesus. (Mat. 17:1) 200 Points: He and his brother John were called the "Sons of Thunder". (Mark 3:17) 100 Points: His brother was John. (Acts 12:2)

John: 500 Points: This disciple traveled around with Peter preaching the Gospel. (Acts 8:14) 400 Points: Jesus told this disciple to take care of his mother after He died. (John 19:26) 300 Points: He was a fisherman with his brother James. (Mat. 4:21) 200 Points: He wrote the book of Revelation. (Rev. 1:12) 100 Points: He was Jesus' closest friend. (John 13:23 loosely)

Andrew: 500 Points: In the miracle of the "feeding of the 5,000", this disciple pointed out the young boy who had a lunch of 5 loaves and 2 fish. (John 6: 8-9) 400 Points: Before he was a disciple of Jesus, he was a disciple of John the Baptist. (John 1:35-40) 300 Points: He spent the day at Jesus' house. (John 1:39) 200 Points: He was Peter's brother. (Mat. 4:18) 100 Points: After meeting Jesus, he first went to tell his brother peter they had found the Messiah. (John 1:41)

Philip: 500 Points: To test him, Jesus asked this disciple where they would find bread enough to feed the multitude of 5,000. (John 6: 5-6) 400 Points: He was from Bethsaida in Galilee. (John 12:21) 300 Points: This disciple asked Jesus to show them the Father. (John 14:8) 200 Points: He told Nathanael about Jesus. (John 1:45) 100 Points: An angel told this disciple to tell the Ethiopian about Jesus. (Acts 8: 26-40)

Bartholomew: 500 Points: Jesus told this disciple that he would see great things like heaven open up and angel descending and ascending on the Son of God. (John 1: 50-51) 400 Points: Jesus first saw him sitting under a fig tree. (John 1:48) 300 Points: Jesus told this disciple that there was nothing false in Him. (John 1:47) 200 Points: Philip told him about Jesus. (John 1:45) 100 Points: He was also named Nathanael. (According to the book of John.)

Thomas: 500 Points: "Jesus saith unto him,...because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20: 29 KJV) 400 Points: Jesus said to this disciple, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) 300 Points: He was also called Didymus. (John 11:16) 200 Points: He said he would not believe Jesus was alive unless he saw the nail marks in His hands ant. (John 20:24) 100 Points: Jesus asked this disciple to put his finger into His side after His resurrection. (John 20:27)

Matthew: 500 Points: This disciple had a dinner party that Jesus attended along with many tax collectors and "sinners". (Mat. 9:10) 400 Points: At this dinner party, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees why he was eating with sinners. (Luke 5:30-31) 300 Points: He was also called Levi. (Luke 5:27) 200 Points: He was a tax collector. (Mat. 9:9) 100 Points: He wrote the first book of the New Testament.

James (the younger): 500 Points: Paul visited this disciple in Jerusalem and told him how many Jews were coming to know Jesus. (Acts 21:18) 400 Points: According to Scripture, Jesus appeared specifically to him after His resurrection. (I Cor. 15:7) 300 Points: He was a brother of Jesus. (Gal. 1:9) 200 Points: He was the son of Alpheus. (Acts 1:13) 100 Points: He possibly wrote the book after Hebrews in the New Testament.

Jude: 500 Points: This disciple asked Jesus why He was showing Himself to the disciples, but not to the world. (John 14:22) 400 Points: He was also called Thaddeus. 300 Points: He was the brother of James (the younger). 200 Points: He was the author of the second to last book in the New Testament. 100 Points: His name rhymes with "dude".

Simon: (Not as much is known of this disciple.) 500 Points: He was from Galilee. 400 Points: He was also called "The Zealot". (Mat. 10:4) 300 Points: Clue: He was not simple like the Mother Goose rhyme says.

Judas: 500 Points: He was a thief and helped himself to the money bags. (John 12:6) 400 Points: He was willing to take money for handing Jesus over to the authorities. (Mat. 26:14-16) 300 Points: He betrayed Jesus with a kiss. (Mat. 26:48) 200 Points: He hanged himself for betraying Jesus. (Mat. 27:5) 100 Points: His last name was Iscariot. (Mat. 10:4)

If you liked this Sunday School/Homeschooling idea, then sign up to receive Scripture Lady's Free Email Kid Tips packed full with creative ideas and receive 6 FREE BIBLE REVIEW GAMES to help get the kids you minister to excited about the Bible!

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Kathy Vincent is the director of a performing ministry for children called The Scripture Lady and has been traveling around Southern California for the past 14 years ministering to preschoolers and elementary aged children with the Word of God through musical, thematic presentations.

She is also a regular seminar speaker, author/creator of over 30 products for the Christian children's worker and a veteran homeschooling mom of two.

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Book Review - Trust in the Lord by Deen Kemsley

Refreshing Reflections on the Cross

"Trust in the Lord" is written for those hungry to contemplate and reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and His great love, to see fullness replace emptiness and harmony replace loneliness. Deen Kemsley captures the heart of Christ's own thoughts as he reflects and shares intimate experiences of his own spiritual journey.

Deem invites the reader to become familiar with the Savior at the cross to receive a new vision of who Jesus is, to know Him. He writes from his own personal experiences as well as from the experiences of others to illustrate the a walk with Christ to the Cross. He explains underlying truths and foundation of the Christian faith. He reminds the reader of the undeserved but limitless miracle of God's love demonstrated on the Cross of Calvary. He explains how this love produces joy in times of difficulty, affliction, and frustration. These moving illustrations draw the reader into an eager search for a fresh encounter with the Lord Jesus.

I recognized a need for personal to revival, and recognized my own helplessness, without the redemption provided through Christ's death on the cross. I am eager to experience an enrichment of God's presence in my life as he works to reestablish wholeness in my life.

Deem Kemsley's writing resonates with uplifting encouragement, inspiring challenge, and amazing insight. The book challenges the readers to a fresh genuineness in for their search to fulfill their deepest, truest potential.

As reviewed for Midwest Book Review

Richard R. Blake, Christian Education Consultant, Book Store Owner

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A Cashless Society and the Mark of the Beast

It was recently announced that cash will no longer be accepted on the London Bus system and the use of plastic cards, which can be preloaded with credit, will be insisted upon. This follows on from a similar announcement in Kenya where public transport will also go cashless and switch to an electronic payment system.  

The move towards cashless transactions is very much an increasing trend and governments throughout the world are pushing the idea of a “cashless society” i.e. a world where all payments are made electronically. Obviously, proper records will have to be kept and these will have to be readily available to all those concerned. Important and powerful, global organizations including the UN are involved but developments along these lines could have massive implications for individual freedom and privacy.

Supporters point to an obvious reduction in overheads by removing the need to produce/secure physical cash along with possible reduction in tax evasion, armed robbery and black market fraud. Critics are wary of governments operating in a George Orwell inspired world and being able to monitor every item of economic activity.  The NSA snooping story adds weight to these claims  

The debate continues but  some governments e.g. UK and Kenya are already working hard to reduce  the reliance on cash. The end objective, which may be years down the line, can only be an eventual end to all cash transactions and a world economy based digital commerce.

It has been portrayed as a natural progression and an example was a CNN feature on 2/7/14 called “The Evolution of a Cashless Society,”  which described the progress made by various countries. The eventual introduction of a cashless society was presented as inevitable and apparently the United States is at a “tipping point” while Canada, Belgium, France, Sweden, and others are “almost cashless.” Other countries are either at the “inception” or “transitioning.” 

In reality, the “trends” are not happening naturally and big business is playing a major role. Governments are driving the cashless society developments with taxpayers money and well funded foundations are joining in to build support. For example, in September 2012 the Ford Foundation, launched the "Better Than Cash Alliance" which describes  itself as a partnership "to empower people by shifting from cash to electronic payments." The partners include big business representatives like Visa and Citibank as well as the UN 

Maybe the move towards a cashless society is a natural progresssion or part of evolution but the arguments against are not being heard. If the trend continues, it seems that all transactions will eventually take place electronically and the need for cash will be eliminated but will the technology always work? Will we need a card for the bus, a card for the train and one for each store or will a universal payment system be developed? What if the card is mislaid?

Various systems are in development and a system using a mobile phone to make payments has been used successfully. Again a mobile phone can be mislaid and what happens then?
Mobile phones are routinely used as tracking devices and an increase in their use can only make it more widespread

Some organisations have advocated the use of a human micro-chip with the eventual goal of each person having a device inserted under the skin and able to use it to provide identification and to make electronic payments. 

Maybe this is the path we'll follow but there is massive potential for making mischief. Do we really want to give the government the ability to track every move we make? In a cashless society, a political opponent could be removed from the economy and wouldn't be able to buy food. A power cut would cause absolute chaos

It might be a the fulfilment of prophesy because Revelations 13:17 reads 

“And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name,”

Paul M Williams

Financial Costs Related To Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is one of the most debated topics in the world. Human rights groups and several other opponents constantly question how another human being's life can be taken in the name of justice. Several of these also claim that capital punishment incurs a lot of expenses, which is borne by taxpayers. While the execution itself is not expensive, there are several other costs that are incurred by the administration when a convicted criminal is sitting on death row.

Trial Cost 
Due to the requirements laid down by the US Supreme Court, cases where the capital punishment is sought are often more expensive when compared to cases where the death penalty is not sought. All potential jury members have to be painstakingly questioned about their views on the death penalty. During the course of this questioning, which takes a few days, there are additional costs associated with paying the prosecutors, court staff defense lawyers and the presiding judge. Jury selection can be a long drawn process in capital punishment cases if the opposing lawyers are unhappy with the jury panel selection.

Furthermore, the defendant is allowed to bring in experts and character witnesses. The testimonies of these experts and witnesses are important, as it could help the defendant beat the death penalty and get a lesser sentence. So, this also adds burden to the trial cost.

Appealing 
If a person is sentenced to death, he/she can appeal the sentence. This means that more costs are incurred due to the long appealing process. The average length of a appeal process in case of capital punishment is around 15 to 20 years. The Urban Institute's study revealed that due to long appeal process, in the state of Maryland, state prosecutors spend $1.9 million more to get death penalty in a case compared to a case where the punishment is incarceration in prison.

Incarceration Costs 
During the time that a death row inmate is appealing his/her sentence, incarceration is mandatory. This increases the basic cost of housing the prisoner in a prison. Furthermore, prisoners on death row are more likely to harm themselves or others, and hence, they are housed in a separate prison compared to the general population in the prison. This also costs additional expenditure, which is borne by the state.

Conclusion 
Costs associated with capital punishment are immense and at times because of this, many state governments prefer abolishing death penalty, as incurring this expense could adversely affect other law enforcement measures. In fact, the money spent on capital punishment cases could be better utilized to improve the general law and order situation in a state.

Kum Martin is an online leading expert in laws. He also offers top quality articles like:
Capital Punishment Pros, 
Capital Punishment History

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Capital Punishment - Barbaric or Appropriate?

There was a time when capital punishment was the accepted form of punishment in relation to a multitude of crimes. An alternate punishment was not open to discussion because the death penalty was the method considered most responsible for providing a deterrent for others who may have considered similar crimes.

However, over the last several decades most European countries have left capital punishment behind. Today these countries and many others embrace a punishment that includes life behind bars, but does not subject violent criminals to the death penalty. In North America it is Canada and Mexico that have moved away from capital punishment while America remains tied to a state determined form of the death penalty.

Many Asian and Arab countries also hold onto the idea that the death penalty can be useful as a punishment against crimes such as murder. In America there remains strong support for the death penalty. The truth is while there is considerable support for capital punishment there is also a widening gap among those who would like to see exceptions made under certain circumstances while others resist any exceptions.

One compelling argument stems from the idea that justice can't always be served if the convicted is dead. The premise is essentially that there may likely be individuals who have been subjected to the death penalty that were innocent. If there were some new forensic technology that could prove someone's innocence a few years from now why would we consider the use of the death penalty?

If we look at it purely from the standpoint of other civilized countries we may be inclined to determine that the death penalty is a barbaric form of justice that does not need to be used in the 21st century.

Even among those who espouse Christianity as their religion of choice there is deep division over the use of capital punishment. Some believe the idea is in conflict with a God who is referred to as 'love'. Others view capital punishment as a way to enhance the countries ability to maintain a more civil society. In ancient times capital punishment was often used by new leaders to execute those who had been in opposition to their newly established rule. This was often normal for a new ruler who wanted to be assured the people would respond well to the new reign.

However, in present times the debate over the death penalty centers around the individual who will be put to death for violent crimes. While the issue tends to center around the convicted some would argue that it is the victim that is most often forgotten. It has been said, "The victim had no choice in how they were treated, so why does the convicted seem to receive special treatment?"

Numerous stories are available that follow perpetrators of violent crimes who revisit those offenses when released on parole. Those who are for the death penalty see this as a validation of their argument.

The role of capital punishment as a deterrent finds those who are emotional on either side of the argument. There are those who believe the individual can be rehabilitated while others believe this is a weak form of justice that could lead to deadly consequences in the end.

Discuss Capital Punishment [http://www.controversialforums.com/Capital-Punishment.php] and the Death Penalty [http://www.controversialforums.com/Capital-Punishment.php] at Controversial Forums in our Debate Forums [http://www.controversialforums.com].

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Death to Capital Punishment

Since its creation, the death penalty has been a controversial issue in America. Supporters of capital punishment claim that it is the best form of justice and that it makes society safer. However, the death penalty is detrimental to society. It does exactly what it tries to prevent: murder. It is inhumane and cruel; for these reasons all of the other civilized, democratic countries in the world have banned the use of capital punishment in their legal system [4]. The United States stands alone in its support and legalization of capital punishment for good reason; the death penalty is not an effective or appropriate form of punishment. Morally, the death penalty is wrong and makes the state as guilty of crime as the criminal. It does not deter crime in any way, but actually increase the number of murders. Lastly, innocent humans have been executed in the past and will continue to be wrongly murdered with the continued legalization of the death penalty. For these reasons, the death penalty is wrong and should be abolished in America.

There is no question that the death penalty is a moral issue. Is it right for the state to murder someone who killed another person? Advocates for the use of capital punishment believe that "the punishment [should] fit the crime," which is usually murder [3]. They believe that murder is the best way to right the wrong committed by the criminal. These advocates for capital punishment state that it is the only fair punishment for murder. Justice is meant to put the victim back where he was before a particular incident. For this reason, the person responsible for a vehicular accident pays to repair the other vehicle, putting it in the position it was before the incident. Unfortunately, there is no way to compensate the victim of murder, so death is viewed as the best solution for society. Other supporters point to Christianity, the Bible, and other religions, claiming that the moral code of most people allows for the execution of criminals. The most famous biblical quote regarding justice, "an eye for an eye," has been interpreted many different ways over the years, mainly to say that the Christian Bible supports capital punishment. This approach does, after all, remove the threat of evil from that particular criminal, increasing the safety of those who do good. However, these advocates conveniently overlook the fact that supporting the death penalty is comparable to them supporting the murder of a person. Supporters claim that killing is punishable by murder simply because there is no other equivalent to death, but how does this make killing right? All murder is a serious crime in this country and other civilized, democratic countries, thus murder by the state should also be a crime. Thomas Jefferson desired for America to be founded and built on the idea that "all men are created equal" in the eyes of the law. The state is not above the morals of the people within it, therefore it cannot act in a way that its citizens cannot also act. It is immoral for the state to murder anyone. Christianity, which helped create American law, also opposes the use of capital punishment. Jesus could have easily condemned his Roman executioners and even asked God to kill them, but he did not because that would have just made him a murderer as well. Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict the XVI, the former and current leaders of the Catholic Church respectively, both oppose the use of Capital Punishment in the world today. The Church has since changed its official view on capital punishment to oppose the murder of criminals as well. All murder is wrong and can never be justified. Capital punishment is just as immoral as murder by a criminal.

There is also the question as to whether or not the death penalty deters crime. Supporters aggressively point to a drop in crime rate as a result of capital punishment. Amnesty International, a leading organization for the protection of human rights, found in a survey that the death penalty does not deter "murder to a marginally greater extent than does the threat and application of the supposedly lesser punishment of life imprisonment." Additionally, DeathPenaltyinfo.org (DPI.org), the leading non-biased web site for information on the capital punishment, shows that "states without the death penalty have had consistently lower murder rates" than those that support it. Thus, the death penalty does not deter crime in any way, but on the contrary, its use increases the number of murders in America.

How certain is the death penalty? Advocates for the death penalty state that it saves lives in the long term. Others even argue that the ends justify the means; the deaths of a few innocent people are simply the price to pay to have a supposedly "safer" society. This is absolutely wrong. It is unacceptable for anyone, the state or a criminal, to kill even one innocent person. Killing innocent citizens deprives Americans of the "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness" that all people are "endowed by their creator" with (Jefferson). America was built on the idea that all people have the right to their own lives, thus the murder resulting from capital punishment is unconstitutional, especially the murder of innocent people. The sad reality is that "states will continue to execute people who are later found innocent" if capital punishment is allowed [1]. There have been five innocent people freed on death row per year from 2000- 2007 [2]. This is forty innocent citizens that would have been unjustly murdered due to capital punishment. Look at the image below, every number is one person who was sentenced to death, but found innocent just in time. Purely the fact that anyone on death row was found innocent is evidence enough that many innocent people have died in the past and more will continue to die solely because of capital punishment.

The death penalty is barbaric and unconstitutional. The Eight Amendment in the Bill of Right states that "excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted," which capital punishment advocates. Murdering someone for a crime is cruel and unusual, which is why all of the other civilized, democratic countries in the world, except America, chose to abolish the death penalty [4]. Benjamin Franklin, the most influential and arguably the most important of America's founding fathers, once said that "it is better [that one hundred] guilty persons should escape than that one innocent person should suffer" in prison; this idea has become the foundation of the American justice system. Franklin would abhor the use and implications of the death penalty in America today. Because of capital punishment, America cannot consider itself among the great, civilized nations of the world.

For the Original article and the sources: http://www.newpolity.com/2010/08/12/death-to-capital-punishment/

For other articles like this, check out: http://www.newpolity.com/

[1] Amnesty International. "The Death Penalty Should Be Abolished." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Cengage Learning, 2009. Web. 27 Oct. 2009.
[2] Death Penalty Information Center. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. http://deathpenaltyinfo.org/.
[3] Otis, William. "The Death Penalty Saves Lives." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Cengage Learning, 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2009.
[4] Simon, Paul. "Capital Punishment Does Not Make Nations Safer." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale Cengage Learning, 2008. Web. 27 Oct. 2009.

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War on Christmas? Part 2: Who is Lying to Whom?

The Truth:

 War on Christmas: As reported in USA Today in December of 2005: Last December, a group called Public Advocate for the United States (which claims to defend America's traditional family values) sent some Christmas carolers over to sing in front of the ACLU offices in Washington.

Carrying signs reading "Merry Christmas" and "Please Don't Sue Us!" -- they also seem to have carried with them some rather strange imaginings about an assault on Christmas.

To tell the truth, the ACLU is not often serenaded by Christmas carolers. So it was with some excitement that the staff went outside and joined in the singing. They brought with them cookies and warm drinks to share. One staff member, who is an ordained Baptist minister, did a little witnessing about his faith to some astonished proponents of family values.

Fox News did broadcast the event (as a part of its "war against Christmas" campaign). Although the visiting singers were shown, the cameras failed to include any footage showing that everyone had participated in the caroling. Rather than reporting the facts, the anchor preferred the propaganda: "We believe the ACLU heard the message loud and clear, but they don't care." 5.

What about all of the reported claims where the Secular Left is attacking Christmas?

The majority of incidents I have been able to find thus far that are reported to be evidence of this alleged "War on Christmas" by the Secular Left have, in fact, been proven to be hoaxes. I prefer to call them what they are, lies.

• In Saginaw, Michigan it was alleged that Township schools opposed red and green clothes and prohibit singing Christmas songs. The fact is that the official school color is green and that no such policy ever existed. 26
• In Watchung, N.J. it was alleged that the city council passed a policy to start calling the Christmas tree a "Mitten Tree" replace all references to Christmas with the word "Holiday." In response Mayor Albert Ellis said the "Tree of Lights" is sponsored by the local rescue squad as a fundraiser. The town has been doing so for 15 years. The town has a holiday display policy negotiated with the two local churches. The policy allows private citizens to erect holiday displays. 26
• In Plano, Texas, the school allegedly told the students they could not wear red and green because they were Christmas colors. The district has responded by saying this is not true and never has been true. The Superintendent has expressed frustration that this story continues to circulate and instructed its attorney to write to Bill O'Reilly, requesting a correction. 26&27
• At Glendale-River Hills School District in Wisconsin it was alleged that they prohibited any song close to the Christmas holiday from having any religious "motive or theme," yet they would still allow secular and Hanukkah holiday songs. The district responded by saying this is not true. In fact they do recognize the Christian religious tradition with songs being sung that include "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "I Saw Three Ships." 26

Lying, by omission, is still lying. To intentionally report only half the truth in order to promote false claims is unconscionable, especially from someone who is expected to report the truth as a member of the forth estate. The members of the press have an obligation to report the whole truth. With these blatant attempts at misdirection the agenda becomes clear. This is another attempt at creating a wedge issue designed to separate the Christians from the "liberal left" and manipulate the moderate independent voter. Isn't it ironic that these self proclaimed Christians have to bear false witness in order to manipulate the public? After all doesn't their own God order "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

Secular Legislation:

Where is all of this legislation that is being pushed through that allegedly strips Christianity from America as many have claimed? Where are all of the "activist decisions" by the courts that have left religion lying in a pool of its own blood about to expire?

It doesn't exist, these false claims and misdirection are designed to keep America from seeing what is really going on.

Take witness;

[S]ince 1989...more than 200 special arrangements, protections or exemptions for religious groups or their adherents were tucked into Congressional legislation, covering topics ranging from pensions to immigration to land use. New breaks have also been provided by a host of pivotal court decisions at the state and federal level, and by numerous rule changes in almost every department and agency of the executive branch.

One result is that religious institutions participating in essentially secular business ventures now enjoy financial and other advantages over their secular competitors. And, a greater tax burden falls on ordinary citizens.12

The Courts:

The distinction that the press fails to make over and over is that the ACLU and other groups are trying to hold the government accountable to the First Amendment which prohibits the government from making a law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

There are numerous examples of the ACLU defending Christian Americans and their right to express their faith in the public square.

For example, in 2006 alone:

1. The ACLU has helped a New Jersey student's right to sing "Awesome God" in a voluntary after school program. 6
2. In Louisiana the ACLU filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Christian man who was protesting Wal-Mart based on his religious beliefs. Wal-Mart had the man chased away for carrying a sign that read "Christians: Wal-Mart supports Gay Marriage and Gay Lifestyles. Don't Shop there." 6
3. The ACLU of Rhode Island filed an appeal in federal court on behalf of an inmate who was barred from preaching during Christian religious services, as he had done for the past seven years under the supervision and support of prison clergy. The prisoner, Wesley Spratt, believes his preaching is a calling from God. Prison officials cited vague and unsubstantiated security reasons for imposing the preaching ban on Mr. Spratt. The ACLU argued that the ban violates the religious freedom guaranteed to Mr. Spratt under federal law. 6
4. The list goes on, and on, and on.....

The ACLU lists approximately 80 such cases defending religion in places like the public square and public schools over the last 5 years. The alleged war on Christmas is what generates ratings - the truth, apparently, does not. The media continuously fails to point out the vast number of cases where these groups that are "determined to exterminate religion in the public square" and kill Christmas have expended vast resources to protect the very thing they are being accused of trying to destroy. Traditional Values?

Individuals are free to preach on the street corner, that is their right under the Constitution. They just aren't allowed to use tax payer dollars to fund their preaching. The government is prohibited from endorsing that person, or stopping that person. It is so very simple yet there is a huge percentage of Americans that chose to believe the exact opposite and demand that their government do the same. How patriotic is it to ignore the Constitution and force un-American values on Americans?

The attacks on the courts and several attempts to pass legislation that strip the courts of their Constitutionally defined duties are as un-American as Stalin.

Using the law to deny rights or to silence dissenting political opinion is the warning bell that danger lies ahead. To silence political free speech and dissent is more in line with policies of the Red Coats.

If these anti-democratic actions are allowed to get a foothold, it will be the beginning of the death of America and the birth of another giant theocratic government or dogmatic dictatorship.

The same people that are screaming "Beware of Burning Flags and Marrying Fags." are the exact people that are attempting to yank the Constitution and the Bill of Rights right out from under us all.

The Religious Right has been very affective in their campaign of terror. They are constantly running around and bellowing at the tops of their lungs about the DANGER AMERICANS FACE, the DANGERS AMERICAN CHILDREN FACE, the DANGER MARRIAGE FACES, and on and on and on. They distract the average person from real issues through fear and erode their rights while they look the other way. Didn't anyone learn from the story of Chicken Little or the Little Boy that Cried Wolf?

There is further irony in the fact that the Religious Right has the highest divorce rate in America.9 How can it be that the righteous, who are waging the war against homosexuals in God's name, have the highest divorce rates? I thought the Gays were destroying marriage?

If the Religious Right are the saviors of Marriage in America, then how is it that "90% of divorces among born-again couples occur after they have been 'saved?' 9

Look at how the Religious Right entertains their children with the new computer game "LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces". 29 This game is a perfect example of the hypocrisy that these Religious Right groups preach. They protest and demand new laws to protect their children from games that depict street violence or emulate warfare unless that game promotes their world view to "Conduct physical & spiritual warfare : using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world." 29 The game takes place in New York City after the rapture. The objectives of the game include creating Christian militias in order to roam the streets of New York City. Simulate Christian conversion of non-believers while killing those who will not convert. After large scale and violent battles players must use prayer to recharge their "soul points" which are drained by all the killing. Doesn't this just sound more like "Grand Theft Auto: The Rapture?"

Then we can mention the sexual misconduct by the conservative religious leaders, both liberal and conservative, but all Christians.

Wake up people. This is like having Michael Jackson telling you how to protect your children from sexual predators!

What's the Point here?

There most certainly is not a war on Christmas, much less religion. There is no great conspiracy by the Secular Left nor is there some hidden "Gay Agenda." These are fabricated lies designed to divide Americans with fear.

Inversely, there is definitely a great and vast conspiracy by the Religious Right to gain control of the United States and its government, to pass laws that reflect their values, and to revoke rights that our Constitution currently protects. I don't have to make this stuff up, they have said so in they own words and in writing thereby making their thoughts and intentions perfectly clear.

There are those that would argue, "80% of America is Christian; the majority rules." That is also completely and utterly wrong. The United States Constitution was drafted with a specific intent of protecting the minorities from majority rule, which is clearly explained quite eloquently on the United States Senate's website:

For over two centuries the Constitution has remained in force because its framers successfully separated and balanced governmental powers to safeguard the interests of majority rule and minority rights, of liberty and equality...17

What to do?

We should all be more vigilant in protecting our Constitutional rights. We should all get offended when our tax dollars are used to proselytize or build houses of worship. Religion, like people, should be able to stand on its own two feet and be funded by its believers. If welfare for people or corporations is not good for America, why should we remain silent about welfare for religion? 22&23

The only people that can hurt Christianity are the Christian extremists. If you fear that religion is falling in numbers in America like they did in Europe then stop the Religious Right's zealous venture towards theocracy in the United States.

The reason religion has failed in Europe is solely because they have or had state-sponsored and state-funded religion. The Europeans have seen the horrors of that sponsorship and they remember them.

Europeans also greatly resent their tax dollars being used to support a religion that they themselves may not subscribe to. Therefore, they stopped going to church and stopped believing the myth.

So to close:

The preponderance of evidence shows that we need understanding and tolerance to grow, not fear and not war. There is absolutely no way our tiny little minority can harm Christianity or kill Christmas. After all...

1. We still like getting presents.
2. We still like the days off from work.
3. We still enjoy the extra time with family and the big dinners.
4. We aren't organized enough to pull it off.
5. We don't have the money to pull it off.
6. We don't care enough about it to even try to pull it off.

Oh yeah,

1. The majority of my fellow liberals, they are Christians too.

I predict that the harder the Religious Right pushes their agenda to achieve their theocratic goals the harder individuals that are liberal and moderates in this country will push back. America is the land of the free. Remember that one person's religion is another person's mythology; to each his or her own. Sources:

1) Religions in the U.S. - Wikipedia collection from U.S. Census Bureau.

2) Adherents.com - ("membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc")

3) The Telegraph U.K. - Jedi Knights

4) Media Matters - Bill O'Reilly & The War on Christmas, Religion out of the public square & Secular Progressives.

5) Fictional War on Christmas: USA Today

6) ACLU - The ACLU has numerous examples of where it defends religious liberty.

7) Theocracy Watch - A Religious Right watchdog group.

8) Americans United for the Separation of Church and State - The Religious Right in their own words.

9) Religious Tolerance - Divorce rates are slightly higher for Born Again Christians than Atheists or Agnostics.

10) Statement by the President - Activist Judges

11) Renew America - Calling Someone a liar

12) Rational Radical - Podcast #65

13) Wedge Document (PDF file), a 1999 Discovery Institute fundraising pamphlet. Cited in Handley P. Evolution or design debate heats up. The Times of Oman, 7 March 2005.

14) Dover Trial - Full text of Judge Jones' ruling, dated December 20, 2005 (PDF File)

15) Killing Policeman was a gift - [http://judicial-inc.biz/Horsley.htm]

16) Refuse & Resist - Anthrax Threat letters sent to 250 Abortion Clinics

17) Majority Rule - U.S. Senate Website

18) McCollum v. Board of Education

19) Eric Rudolf - Christian's raising funds for Abortion Clinic Bomber

20) NY Times - Run, Rudolph, Run June 31, 2003

21) NY Times - Sympathy for bombing suspect may cloud search for evidence - June 2, 2003

22) March, 2004, issue of Church and State - "Faith Czar" Jim Towey announced $40 billion dollars was now available to religious charities.

23) NY Times - Lawsuit Challenges Use of Federal Aid for Bible-Based Counseling 09/13/2006

24) Christians against Christmas - http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Xmas_ch2.htm

25) Puritan & Reformed against Christmas

26) American United - The Religious Right's Phony 'War on Christmas': Mything in Action

27) Plano Independent School District - Public Statement

28) Find Articles - Jerry Falwell Opens Law School To Train 'Radical' Attorneys

29) Left Behind: The Game - PC Game that is based on the left behind series of books.

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War on Christmas? Part 1 The Evidence

Under Attack?

 In America it seems that numerous Christian leaders claim that Christianity is under assault, in a war even. It would also seem this war is being fought on many fronts.

For example; The War on Christmas & the "Battle" against "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, the forceful removal of "God from the public square" and the forced removal of "God from our public schools," and of course the "Hidden Gay Agenda."

Setting Standards: Robert Meyer states in one of his articles the following:

"To call someone a liar, you must know something about the thoughts and intentions of the individual making the claim. In this era of reckless character assassinations, we have become impervious to the principle that if lying is despicable, then calling someone a liar gratuitously is proportionally as repugnant.11

It is with this in mind that I proceed.

Religiosity in America: America is a religiously diverse country, with one clear majority.

Jews: Approximately 1.4 % of Americans are Jewish while approximately 0.22% of the world is Jewish.1&2

Muslims: Approximately 0.6% of Americans are Muslims while 21% of the world religions are some form of Islam. 1&2

Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese traditional & Primal Indigenous: The World Report shows that these religions collectively account for 32% of the world population and approximately 1% of the United States population. 1&2

Agnostics Atheist Humanists, Theist & Jedi Knights3: Based on the World Report about 8% of people world wide have no religion or are atheist/agnostic and 8% are theists, meaning they believe in a god or gods with no revelation while they are less than 1% of the American population. 1&2

Christians: According to Adherents.Com 33% of the world's Population is some form of Christian. While the U.S. Census approximates that 80% of Americans are some form of Christian. 1&2

Who is really waging a war on who? The easiest way to identify a "war monger" is by their own pro-war rhetoric.

Pat Robertson: "There will be Satanic forces... We are not... up just against human beings, to beat them in elections. We're going to be coming up against spiritual warfare."

Pat Robertson, Road to Victory, 19917&8

Robertson named his enemies in a 1992 newsletter, Pat Robertson Perspective. The list includes, among others, the National Organization for Women, the National Education Association, the National Council of Churches, the Gay-Lesbian Caucus, as well as People for the American Way, and Americans United for a Separation of Church and State. They are lumped together as the "Radical Left." 7&8

"The strategy against the American Radical Left should be the same as General Douglas Macarthur employed against the Japanese in the Pacific... Bypass their strongholds, then surround them, isolate them, bombard them, then blast the individuals out of their power bunkers with hand-to-hand combat. The battle for Iwo Jima was not pleasant, but our troops won it. The battle to regain the soul of America won't be pleasant either, but we will win it."

Karl Rove: "We need to find ways to win the war" Karl Rove, President Bush's chief political strategist, and deputy chief of staff told a gathering of the Family Research Council in March, 2002. 7&8

Tim LaHaye: Reverend Tim LaHaye co-authored Mind Siege: The Battle for Truth in the New Millennium, published in 2000. The best-selling book issues a call to arms for evangelical Christians to battle against secular humanism. Mind Siege declares that secular humanism is a "religion," and issues marching orders to evangelical Christians to gear up for an all-out battle to root secular humanists out of public life; their bottom line is that "No humanist is fit to hold office." 7&8

Paul Weyrich: Paul Weyrich said in a talk, "The real enemy is the secular humanist mindset which seeks to destroy everything that is good in this society." 7&8

James Dobson: "Children are the prize to the winners in the second great civil war. Those who control what young people are taught and what they experience - what they see, hear, think, and believe - will determine the future course for the nation." 7&8

Children At Risk: The Battle for the Hearts and Minds of Our Kids, Word Publishing, 1990, p. 35

Jerry Falwell: "One day, I hope in the next ten years, I trust that we will have more Christian day schools than there are public schools. I hope I will live to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we won't have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be!"

America Can Be Saved!, (Sword of the Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tenn.) 1979, p. 52-53

"[T]he only hope for the inner city is vouchers, so that all the churches can go in and plant Christian schools in the inner cities and capture these fatherless young people for Christ and teach them biblical discipline and so forth. It's either God or it's ruin for our country, I do believe."

"The 700 Club," Sept. 3, 1996, (reported in Church & State, October 1996, p. 19)

D. James Kennedy: "This is our land. This is our world. This is our heritage, and with God's help, we shall reclaim this nation for Jesus Christ. And no power on earth can stop us." 7&8

Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul, (Zondervan Publishing House, 1997)

"God forbid that we who were born into the blessings of a Christian America should let our patrimony slip like sand through our fingers and leave to our children the bleached bones of a godless secular society. But whatever the outcome, one thing is certain: God has called us to engage the enemy in this culture war. That is our challenge today." 7&8

Character & Destiny: A Nation In Search of Its Soul, (Zondervan Publishing House, 1997) 7&8

"How much more forcefully can I say it? The time has come, and it is long overdue, when Christians and conservatives and all men and women who believe in the birthright of freedom must rise up and reclaim America for Jesus Christ." 7&8

Tom Crouse: Crouse called on the church to stop worrying about appearing tolerant and start proclaiming the truth, saying that Jesus was the most intolerant person in the world. 7&8

Christian Citizens regarding the Christian Terrorist Eric Rudolph:

Crystal Davis: "He's a Christian and I'm a Christian and he dedicated his life to fighting abortion," said Mrs. Davis, 25, mother of four. "Those are our values. And I don't see what he did as a terrorist act." MURPHY, N.C., May 31, 2003 20

Betty Howard: Changed the sign in front of her diner from "Roast Turkey Baked Ham" to "Pray for Eric Rudolph." Mrs. Howard said she was going to start an Eric Rudolph legal defense fund. Many customers have already said they would chip in. 21

"Bless his heart," Mrs. Howard said. "Eric needs our help." 21

I challenge you to find similar, verifiable rhetoric, from the Secular Left. I couldn't find any. In fact, my searches only found vast fonts of rhetoric from the Religious Right.

Common Sense & Simple Math: The "War on Christmas", the vast conspiracy by the "Secular Left" engineering the death of Christianity in America and the numerous other claims made by the "Religious Right" just do not add up.

Here is why:

Let's do some fairly simple math: Approximately 80% of Americans are Christian. Approximately 8% of Americans are secular if you include, atheist, agnostic & theist. That is a 10:1 ratio. It just doesn't add up that such a small minority could hold so much influence over such a vast majority. This would require a far greater amount of resources per person amongst the minority to be able to exert such a disproportionate influence.

Let's exercise some common sense: If there has been a war on Christianity in America it has been a greatly sustained war and appears to have started in the 1948 in the McCollum v. Board of Education case where religious education in Public Schools was first struck down by the Supreme Court.18

We should consider how much money it takes to wage war. If there is one thing we American's should be acutely aware of, it is that war is not cheap. War costs money, a sustained war costs even more money.

When it comes to fund raising we should consider some things about the "Secular Left" versus the Religious Right. It is fairly safe to assume that the Religious Right is one of the most effective fund raising machines in the world. The sources to validate such claim are so vast it would take a book about the size of Encyclopedia Britannica to track them all.

Where's the organized effort by the left? Where are the meetings? How can you have a war without meetings and organization? I have never been invited to one, I have never seen a Death to Christmas handbook, nor can I find one. There are no leaders or organizers in the "War on Religion." How can you go to battle without a clear chain of command? The only document we have is the U.S. Constitution while the Religious Right has the Wedge Strategy.

Let's consider some of the problems with the "Secular Left":

1. They are too fragmented, the left's greatest weakness is that they go in too many directions at once and can almost never agree on a single cause. It is either, save the whales, save the trees, save the owl or save the (Fill in the blank).
2. A lot, not all, of the extreme left are financially disorganized and don't do as good of a job at raising money as the Religious Right.
3. They are an extreme minority, with a 10:1 ratio they have a much smaller base from which to raise funds. The point being, it is far easier for the Religious Right to raise money to fund a war simply because a vast number of Americans are Christian.

The question then is how can a sustained and expensive war be waged by the Secular Left? No Money, No War. Let's consider some of the problems with the "Religious Right": The tactics actively utilized by the Religious Right are themselves evidence of the fact that they don't have a legal leg to stand on. They know their actions are unconstitutional. Thus the Religious Right's only approach is: a. To create their own theistic law schools where teaching falsehoods and granting law degrees to people that have been indoctrinated into a false belief system about the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is the primary goal. 13&28

a. As Falwell himself states" "We are unabashedly proactive," "We are on a mission to return America to her religious heritage. We're hoping we are training the lawyers who can turn the legal profession back to the right." 28

b. In an interview with the Associated Press, Falwell added, "We want to infiltrate the culture with men and women of God who are skilled in the legal profession. We'll be as far to the right as Harvard is to the left."28

b. To create a public campaign of disinformation which: 13

a. Promotes the false idea that The United States of America was founded as a Christian Nation. 13&14

b. Redefines Science, the Scientific Method & Scientific Theory to include the supernatural as a plausible explanation as cited in the Discovery Institutes own document appropriately titled "The Wedge Strategy." 13&14

c. Uses lies and deception, intentionally marketing falsehoods about science,13 education,13 birth control, abortion, stem cell research, the War on Christmas, etc...

d. Uses hateful rhetoric, even alluding to calls for violence, such as prayers for the death of people such as Pro-Choice participants, Supreme Court Justices and other "Activist Judges."

e. Raises funds to mount the criminal defense of people that commit acts of terrorism by murdering doctors and nurses that perform abortions, or planting bombs at abortion clinics. 19

f. Commits terrorist acts to promote a fundamentalist agenda. 16&19

g. Attempts to legislate away the intended checks and balances as defined by the Constitution and using false claims about Activist Judges that are "legislating from the bench" as a means to undermine the law.

h. Promotes laws that undermine the very essence of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and our Democracy by silencing free speech.

i. Intentionally undermines and degrades public education by promoting a theistic agenda that is designed to force a single religion and world view upon the children of America regardless of their families' belief system.

The Lies: War On Christmas: Fox News host Bill O'Reilly claimed that "it's all part of the secular progressive agenda ... to get Christianity and spirituality and Judaism out of the public square." He then added: "[B]ecause if you look at what happened in Western Europe and Canada, if you can get religion out, then you can pass secular progressive programs, like legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage, because the objection to those things is religious-based, usually." 4

The War on Christmas as some like to call it is far from a reality. Though I can actually find one group that is opposed to Christmas, it is not the Secular Left:

"There is no day commanded in scripture to be kept holy under the gospel but the Lord's Day, which is the Christian Sabbath. Festival days, vulgarly called Holy days, having no warrant in the Word of God, are not to be continued." The Directory for the Public Worship of God Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster. 25

Kevin Reed offers this summary of the Puritan opposition to Christmas: 25

"(1) No time of worship is sanctified, unless God has ordained it; (2) unscriptural holy days are a threat to the proper observance of the Lord's day because these holy days tend to eclipse the sanctity which belongs only to the Lord's Day; (3) the observance of unscriptural holy days tends toward the superstition and innovation in worship which is characteristic of Roman Catholicism." (Christmas - An Historical Survey Regarding Its Origins And Opposition To It) 25

What would our godly forefathers think of the nonsense that goes on at this time of the year, in and out of public worship? We can only imagine what they would have thought of Santa Clause - 'who sees and knows all about little children'. That some Christians even lie to their children, telling them that there is a Santa is almost incredible - their children may well ask when older, 'Is God fictional too, just like Santa and the Tooth fairy?' We plead with you not to try to put Christ 'back into Christmas' for he was never there, nor does he belong there. We ask you instead to stand apart - though admittedly this is very difficult, and you will be vilified for it - and emphasize God's weekly Holy Day all the more. 25

The reasoning for this Christian opposition to Christmas is based on the historical evidence that the real origins of the Christmas holiday are in fact rooted in pagan and non-Christian traditions. According to these Christians, the act of celebrating Christmas is actually an affront to God and his son.

The ignoble nature of the origins and customs of Christmas can be found in many standard reference sources; therefore, we will not dwell on them in great detail. It is appropriate, however, to mention a few highly significant facts pertaining to the origins behind Christmas. 24

...

The transition from festivals commemorating the birth of a sun god to a celebration ostensibly for the Son of God occurred sometime in the fourth century. Unable to eradicate the heathen celebration of Saturnalia, the Church of Rome, sometime before 336 A.D., designated a Feast of the Nativity to be observed. 24

The only references to an actual organized effort to eradicate Christmas and remove references to Jesus from Christmas are solely by Christians for Christian purposes.

Of course I am not saying there are not any members of the secular left that advocate or even call for the end of religion. There is Richard Dawkins who is very outspoken about the damage that has been done to society in the name of religion. There most certainly are others like him, however, this does not constitute an army nor a major organized force against religion.

The Assaults on Christmas:

• In Saginaw, Michigan it was alleged that Township schools opposed red and green clothes and prohibit singing Christmas songs.26
• In Watchung, N.J. it was alleged that the city council passed a policy to start calling the Christmas tree a "Mitten Tree" replace all references to Christmas with the word "Holiday." 26
• In Plano, Texas, the school allegedly told the students they could not wear red and green because they were Christmas colors. 26&27
• At Glendale-River Hills School District in Wisconsin it was alleged that the schools prohibited any song close to the Christmas holiday from having any religious "motive or theme," yet they would still allow secular and Hanukkah holiday songs. 26

Gays will Destroy Marriage & The Earth: Focus on the Family founder James Dobson warned those attending the Friday afternoon rally at Oklahoma Christian University that the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman must be protected. ... "Homosexuals are not monogamous. They want to destroy the institution of marriage," Dobson said. "It will destroy marriage. It will destroy the Earth." Activist Judges:The Whitehouse has a Statement by G.W. Bush; The sacred institution of marriage should not be redefined by a few activist judges. All Americans have a right to be heard in this debate. I called on the Congress to pass, and to send to the states for ratification, an amendment to our Constitution defining and protecting marriage as a union of a man and a woman as husband and wife. The need for that amendment is still urgent, and I repeat that call today. 10

Continued in Part 2:

http://ezinearticles.com/?One-Mans-Religion---Part-2&id=397903

Sources:

1) Religions in the U.S. - Wikipedia collection from U.S. Census Bureau.

2) Adherents.com - ("membership/adherent statistics and congregation statistics for over 4,200 religions, churches, denominations, religious bodies, faith groups, tribes, cultures, movements, ultimate concerns, etc")

3) The Telegraph U.K. - Jedi Knights

4) Media Matters - Bill O'Reilly & The War on Christmas, Religion out of the public square & Secular Progressives.

5) Fictional War on Christmas: USA Today

6) ACLU - The ACLU has numerous examples of where it defends religious liberty.

7) Theocracy Watch - A Religious Right watchdog group.

8) Americans United for the Separation of Church and State - The Religious Right in their own words.

9) Religious Tolerance - Divorce rates are slightly higher for Born Again Christians than Atheists or Agnostics.

10) Statement by the President - Activist Judges

11) Renew America - Calling Someone a liar

12) Rational Radical - Podcast #65

13) Wedge Document (PDF file), a 1999 Discovery Institute fundraising pamphlet. Cited in Handley P. Evolution or design debate heats up. The Times of Oman, 7 March 2005.

14) Dover Trial - Full text of Judge Jones' ruling, dated December 20, 2005 (PDF File)

15) Killing Policeman was a gift - [http://judicial-inc.biz/Horsley.htm] 16) Refuse & Resist - Anthrax Threat letters sent to 250 Abortion Clinics

17) Majority Rule - U.S. Senate Website

18) McCollum v. Board of Education

19) Eric Rudolf - Christian's raising funds for Abortion Clinic Bomber

20) NY Times - Run, Rudolph, Run June 31, 2003

21) NY Times - Sympathy for bombing suspect may cloud search for evidence - June 2, 2003

22) March, 2004, issue of Church and State - "Faith Czar" Jim Towey announced $40 billion dollars was now available to religious charities.

23) NY Times - Lawsuit Challenges Use of Federal Aid for Bible-Based Counseling 09/13/2006

24) Christians against Christmas - http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Xmas_ch2.htm

25) Puritan & Reformed against Christmas

26) Americans United - The Religious Right's Phony 'War on Christmas': Mything in Action

27) Plano Independent School District - Public Statement

28) Find Articles - Jerry Falwell Opens Law School To Train 'Radical' Attorneys

29) Left Behind: The Game - PC Game that is based on the left behind series of books.

**Hyperlinks to sources removed in order to comply with EZine policy limit of 3 external hyperlinks. Contact me via profile for hyperlinks by e-mail.

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Secret Service Santa - An embedded teacher reports from the war on Christmas

There are 8 million stories in the naked city, and not very many of them are about the War on Christmas, but this one is. Los Angeles is like that. People tend to live day to day without thinking about the fact that they are on the front lines of a War On Christmas. Or that they're naked. But I do. I have to. It's my job. Who am I? MaryC. I'm a public school teacher.
(cue Dragnet music)

December 14. A perfect winter day in southern California. Only 11 days before
Christmas, and the good people of Los Angeles were going about their ordinary lives: in the downtown office buildings, disgruntled temps put cover sheets on TPS reports, at the Farmers Market, housewives dickered with greengrocers over the price of Bartlett pears, while in West Hollywood, apple-cheeked young women with a stars in their eyes and dreams in their hearts searched for someone cosign the financing for their breast enhancement. Pretty typical. But beneath the comforting rhythms of everyday life, this day was anything but typical and the students at my school knew it. We all knew it. We had a special visitor coming that day. A man many know as Santa Claus. Alias St. Nicholas. Alias Kris Kringle. No distinguishing marks or scars.

He was coming to deliver toys to the children of our "inner-city" school. A dangerous assignment, but he was ready, and so were our men in blue, khaki and suits. Yes, Santa Claus was coming to town, with a Secret Service escort. Tall, broad-shouldered men with sunglasses and radio earpieces, any one of which was ready to take a bullet for Santa. More importantly, they were ready to kill for Santa. So I warned my first graders against making any sudden movements or rushing to Santa to give him a hug, lest that roly-poly belly that shook when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly was the last thing they ever saw.

9:30 am. We marched out to the playground. The students were happy and excited. I was tense and worried, and constantly scanned the crowd of children and adults. I'd been warned by battle-scarred veterans of the War on Primary Colored Napkins that we were under attack. Would one of these people try to stop Christmas from happening at a public school? Could the Secret Service agents hold off an assault of pro-Happy Holiday sentiments until Bill O'Reilly arrived with his bag full of horror?

Sirens began to sound in the distance, and an armored limousine came roaring onto the playground. Screams of delight rose from the crowd as Santa himself exited the vehicle, surrounded by a crack team of grim-faced security elves.

Carols were sung, and the Bomb Squad truck arrived with the presents. Yes, even Santa's presents had become potential weapons in this Yuletide Battle, but these gifts had been screened for explosives and deemed safe to hand out.

The students lined up and waited patiently for their turn. That's when HE showed up. The villain who's tried to steal Christmas EVERY YEAR since 1966. It was the Grinch. The kids noticed him right away, and screamed for the surrounding agents to DO something. But like George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden, the Feds apparently just weren't that concerned about the Grinch.

But our students eyed the green monster warily, shouting each time he crept closer to Santa. That's when we spotted it. The gun. The Grinch was strapped, and he'd come to waste Father Christmas (better known by his hip hop name, Malcolm Xmas). Suddenly, everything seemed to move in slow motion: The Grinch's paw going to his belt to retrieve the weapon. The children's shouts of terror, fingers pointing to the danger. The gun was out of the belt. It was aiming. But not at Santa! At the children! The fiend! Water sprayed forth in a deadly (well...a moist) fountain. Students ducked and covered! And that's when the agents reacted.

The Grinch was wrestled to the ground. Nightsticks disguised as candy canes where whipped out and used to bludgeon the monster. His hands were cuffed, and the children cheered as the verdant fiend was frog marched off the playground. I saw one agent rip open a package of glow sticks, and follow the entourage off to a waiting van. Someone was going to get some pretty interesting Holiday Photos in their Christmas card this year.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I lined my students up to return to our room. The class wrote their names on their presents and happily lined up for lunch. They didn't seem affected by their near extinction (or collateral drenching) at the hands of anti-Christmas insurgents from the ACLU and Media Matters. Or a Treasury agent who drew the short stick and had to wear the goofy green felt costume. But we survived. We had been on the front lines and lived to tell about it. I thought the danger was over. I was wrong.

A "runner" came to my classroom later that afternoon. She handed me a note which read: Don't forget! The Holiday Program is tomorrow! Be at the auditorium at 1:00!

Holiday Program. I smiled grimly at my class of brave 6 and 7 year olds. "All right, saddle up, you candyasses. Let's get back in the War!"

If you enjoyed this tongue in cheek look at "The War On Christmas", enjoy more political and pop cultural comedy at World O Crap [http://www.world-o-crap.com/blog]!

Mary Clevenger is a Los Angeles based writer. When she's not fighting in the "War on Christmas", she is writing the next great American Novel.

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