[Ought Six]

'Nontheists' Add 'Winter Solstice' Sign to Religious Displays (http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewCulture.asp?Page=\\Culture\\archive\\200412\\CUL20041208b.html)


By Susan Jones, Morning Editor
CNSNews.com
December 08, 2004

(CNSNews.com) - As the Wisconsin State Capitol decks the halls with season's greetings, a "Winter Solstice" sign stands there to tell people, "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation said this marks the ninth year it has placed its "Winter Solstice" sign in the first-floor rotunda in Madison.

The sign carries the following message composed by the group's founder, Anne Nicol Gaylor:"At this season of
the Winter Solstice
may reason prevail.

"There are no gods,
no devils, no angels,
no heaven or hell.
There is only
our natural world.

"Religion is but
myth and superstition
that hardens hearts
and enslaves minds."According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the back of the sign reads, "State/Church: Keep Them Separate." And a taped-on caveat reminds readers, "Thou shalt not steal."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation said it posts its sign in an effort to balance the annual Nativity pageant and other "displays of religion" that fill the State Capitol in December.

"The nonreligious are 14 percent of the U.S. population," Annie Laurie Gaylor said in a message on her group's website. "If religious activities are going to take place in the Capitol, then there should be representation of the views of Wisconsin's nonreligious citizens as well."

The Freedom From Religion Foundation said its sign "reminds citizens of the real reason for the season" -- the Dec. 21 Winter Solstice, which is the shortest and darkest day of the year.

The group says the Winter Solstice has been celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere for a millenia by festivals of light, decorations of evergreens, gift exchanges, parties and feasts.

"Freethinkers don't mind sharing the season with Christians, but we think the natural origins of many of the customs of this time of year should be acknowledged," Gaylor said.

[SmartAZ]

That's not freedom from religion, it's anti-religion. They're not free at all.

[nanna]

Those who consider the Winter Solstice a holy day probably aren't too pleased with this either.



nanna

[LizardQueen]

Bingo, SmartAZ.

While I'm not Christian and generally support an all-or-nothing display policy in the interest of fairness, this is a fight-picking religion-bashing display, which is in bad taste this time of year.

There's a fine line between expressing your own beliefs and trashing those of others and methinks this one crossed it.

If they had said "Happy Secular Holidays" or "We believe in shopping - Happy Holidays" or something like that (or even just kept the first paragraph only) I'd roll my eyes but support it, as those don't expressly try to tear down the beliefs of others.

My mother always said "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all". A lot of people on all sides of todays society need to hear that :lol:.

LQ/Tweak

[lars]

Anne Gaylor has been a Madison WI atheist-leftist gadfly for at least 30 years. She has raised her daughter Laurie to carry on the family business. Boring scolds.

http://www.quotemeonit.com/gaylora.html

[lcb]

as a non theist, i believe the sign is that of idiots. i just put up the xmas tree this afternoon. you don't need gods to celebrate a time of giving, but you also don't need to smear the beliefs of others in the process.

[Darkimbolc]

As a polytheist who DOES celebrate Yule (Dec 21st), I would like to say a few things:

1) YULE IS A RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY YOU IGNORANT BASTARDS!!!!!!!!
2) The Constitution's view on religion is one of inclusion not exclusion.

[et95648]

I agree that Xmas is based on the Winter Solstice. The date and many of the customs come from the Winter Solstice. You can check on this in the encyclopedias. You can read in the Bible what God thought of the Xmas tree and their customs. Jeremiah 10:1-6!!!

[Chills]

Was there Christmas trees at the time of Jeremiah?

just wondering.

[Flint]

Anita should be here reminding us that Christmas isn't the solstice itself, but falls three days after the solstice. That's because mithra, the sun god, is said to have died on the solstice. Mithra took 3 days to come back to life, and THEN we celebrate.

(Mithra was also born to a virgin, died to save the world, performed miracles, and otherwise eerily presages the protagonist of the Christian religion by a few hundred years. Mithra was well known to the NT's authors. Plagiarism was a respected tradition at the time. Could this mean anything? Nah...)

[Chills]

That's because mithra, the sun god, is said to have died on the solstice. Mithra took 3 days to come back to life, and THEN we celebrate.

(Mithra was also born to a virgin, died to save the world, performed miracles, and otherwise eerily presages the protagonist of the Christian religion by a few hundred years. Mithra was well known to the NT's authors. Plagiarism was a respected tradition at the time. Could this mean anything? Nah...)


If memory serves me well... there were a few other gods in the same general time frame with many of the same attributes..dont know about the birthdate though.....

Interesting stuff this morphing of religions eh. :yes: