'Obama says that they will have a Holiday Tree this year instead of a Christmas Tree. Do you agree?"

Let the games begin. There’s a poll going around on Facebook (based on a made-up email) that the Obamas have outlawed the use of the word “Christmas” to describe the green thing that holds up ornaments during the month of December, and insist on calling it a “holiday tree” instead. Anyone who is not a paranoid, gullible, racist, religious moron could smell from a mile away that this doesn’t pass the stink test but it turns out that a surprising number of my Facebook friends are paranoid, gullible, racist, religious morons.

I checked Snopes, the email rumor busting web site, and sure enough, they’ve researched this one. Not only will the Obamas refer to their decorations as being of Christmas in nature, they are even reversing previous Bush-era policies that barred the use of religious symbols on the Capitol Christmas Tree, which is set up on the West Lawn of the Capitol on the Mall.

The Capitol Christmas Trees are cut each year from a national forest, and this year the tree is being provided, ironically enough, by Arizona, Sen. John McCain’s home state. School children, Brownie troops, and retirement community residents in the Grand Canyon State have been busy making ornaments for the tree that reflect Arizona-ness, and according to the photo gallery on the tree’s web site, CapitolChristmasTree2009, we’re going to see a lot of decorated gourds, metal stars, Mr. Sun Faces and cacti. The only Forest Service imposed requirements (and the Forest Service and Architect of the U.S. Capitol are in charge here) were that ornaments had to be weather-proof, not made of glass or plastic, and meet size requirements.

I’m sure this won’t be the end of it. Every year, the “It’s O.K. to say Merry Christmas to me” folks claim to be the victims of a conspiracy of politically correct language that prohibits good Christians from using the word “Christmas.” To level the score, they go ballistic when anyone uses the word, “holiday” instead. The result is a draw. It becomes impossible to know whether it’s more politically incorrect to say “holiday” or “Christmas,” so people sit at keyboards consumed in doubt, not knowing how to proceed.

This year, what with the worked-up birthers, tea baggers, anti-taxers, death panel believers, Klan fans, gun nuts, and anti-government anarchists out there, we can expect even more idiocy.

At Pensito Review, we know exactly what to do. It’s not O.K. to say merry Christmas to us, unless you really mean it and aren’t making an angry political statement.

http://www.pensitoreview.com/2009/11/10/first-shot-in-the-war-on-christmas-fake-obama-holiday-tree-rumor/

The president represents all Americans, not just
xtians who believe in xmas.

I'm a Christian who hates Christmas.

Sorry for yelling. I just wanted everybodies attention.

The original post is about a bullshit EMAIL that has morphed into a BULLSHIT POLL on (bullshit) FACEBOOK>

OP says the bullshit EMAIL has been debunked by SNOPES.COM

More at the link:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/christmas/ornaments.asp

CLAIM: The White House has decreed that its 2009 Christmas trees will be reffered to as "Holiday Trees and will not display ornamanents bearing religious themes.

FALSE

========

The end! Have a great weekend!

I read it completely backwards based on the subject line.

Uh, credibility? Who?

Whatever.

Don't know why people aren't reading your original post correctly


http://www.snopes.com/politics/christmas/ornaments.asp

CLAIM: The White House has decreed that its 2009 Christmas trees will be reffered to as "Holiday Trees and will not display ornamanents bearing religious themes.

FALSE

obviously--- we just think they're purty.
:D

And for all the sticklers out there: if I'm willing to say things like, "Christ, what an idiot," then I can say "Christmas" without being a hypocrite.

Just like Independence Day, or Labor Day. As such, it is a holiday for ALL Americans.

I've had asshole Christians call me a hypocrite for taking off from work on Christmas, since I'm not a Christian. They ought to petition Congress to repeal the act that made Christmas a National Holiday if they want to keep it all to themselves. In the meantime, they can just shut the fuck up about how it's THEIR holiday and non-Christians shouldn't celebrate it.

It tweaks the hell out some of the Holier-than-Thou types to see a non-Christian enjoying THEIR holiday. The funny thing is, if I refused to acknowledge Christmas at all, and dared to say to them "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" that would offend them, too.

Otherwise known as home.

The Earth's 23.44-degree tilt is the *REAL* "reason for the season" so here in
the Northern Hemisphere, let's all celebrate!

Tesha

Happy Short Day! The sun's coming back, we're not going to die in ice!

I think we should have another celebration at the summer solstice because it's not going to be hot anymore. Maybe that's just me, I'm not a hot weather person. :-)

> I think we should have another celebration at the summer solstice
> because it's not going to be hot anymore. Maybe that's just me, I'm
> not a hot weather person.

Actually, because of the thermal inertia of the planet, the coldest and hottest
days of the year greatly lag the solstices, so I'm not sure you can celebrate
the end of the heat on June 21st ;). But it's still an important day and if we
need an excuse, we can always celebrate "Solar Solidarity with our Siblings
of the Southern Hemisphere Day".

Any excuse for a celebration is okay with me! :)

Tesha

It doesn't effect what I call mine, nor should it.


And mine is a Christmas tree.

and I'm not religious but it's still a Christmas Tree.

(warning, this is the worst xmas song evah and sung by Bette Midler in this video just to make it even worse)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV_BGqgbxdc

and I responded with "Dude, it's a hoax. Probably a good idea to avoid FB polls." with the link to snopes.

A work acquaintance posted that one. I asked them who is actually proposing that? Somebody is having a ball publishing these inane polls that are whipping up the teabaggers.

Spanish.

Whether I'm going to Trinidad in the north to Chula Vista in the south, Point Reyes along the coast to Mariposa County inland... From our great cities of Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco... our beautiful rivers and mountains and valleys named Monterey, Diablo, and San Joaquin...

It should all be ENGLISH ONLY! :o

I have to say that since we stole the state from Mexico, I must agree and it is fitting tribute, harummph, harummmph.:crazy:

"I can't believe you're so gullible. Why not check things out before posting something that makes you look so foolish."

The kid's half my age, but looks up to me. He's got a good heart. But he's just learning the ropes in not reacting simply on emotions. I appreciate your advice, but he got the point.

Twice and it was almost as if I was invisible...only one person each time took the time to see what I had linked. The others just started yelping and whatnot.

"Did you put up your tree yet"

"Did you take your tree down yet"

"F**king cat knocked over the tree!"

"I'm never putting up this stupid tree again"

www.democraticunderground.com

Let's start acknowledging that we are a multi-cultural country with pride and joy

And the so-called Christians have stolen it anyway.

I'd rather be inclusive of other traditions than water down one to suit everyone.

http://www.snopes.com/politics/christmas/ornaments.asp

CLAIM: The White House has decreed that its 2009 Christmas trees will be reffered to as "Holiday Trees and will not display ornamanents bearing religious themes.

FALSE

But I think that my multi-group idea is interesting.

I had forgotten that!

they can't criticize him without supporting the terrorists ... or something like that! Win!

There's nothing like a big fir tree covered with lights, a fir tree, btw, that dates back to ancient tree worship. Am I wrong? Every once in a while we get a letter to the editor admonishing us all for using pagan decorations and outlining with painful detail what they all meant.

I am sure that some people would flip out over that, but I think these people need to be constantly reminded that they can't impose their Christian beliefs on others.

What's the point of calling it a holiday tree when people of other religions don't give a fuck about the tree at all?

Maybe we should tell the Jews to stop already with that Hanukkah Menorah business and just call it the "holiday candelabra." You know, so Christians and Muslims don't get pissed off and feel left out.

Our will have a Christmas tree, but that's our choice. (See how that works, Bill-o?)

maybe they need to reread the Bible.....lol


It is all part of ancient pagan religions....including the tree..

Christanity has lots of similarities with some of budda's teachings, were any of those mentioned above related to buddah? Where did those teachings come from? So many gods?

After 50 years of doing the xmas tree thing I am TIRED. Most of those years as an athiest. But if one of my family members wanted to donate a religious do dad, fine. Didn't give it much thought since I was once a believer. Tree would define the family. Last year I refused to put up a tree, TIRED, and I'll be damned if a daughter-in-law didn't come over with xmas tree with ornaments in hand. Soooo, while I was doing food the tree was decorated by the volunteers. Damn pretty tree, but, guess who had to take it down and store it...... Bottom line, I'm too tired to care - about the tree. Actually I told the DIL the other day I wasn't having xmas, too tired, and she damned near insisted, for her kids sake, family doncha know. Well, I told my son that I couldn't tell her no and that I was too tired, hahahaha. They have a lovely house and I would love to have xmas there. Decorated tree, food already cooked, no worry about getting My House prepared for guest, she could have the pleasure of that. Figure it's the young ones time to carry that damn torch.

and the vacuum cleaner.

When we had decorated trees at that time of year, we got live ones, usually red cedars, and planted them afterwards. Maybe I will buy a holly tree for this year, though I am not digging out the decorations.

Its his home, he can have a naked chick dressed up like a christmas tree for all I care.

The nuts who are offended by the word christmas and the nuts who think its being taken from them do the same crap every year. BORING!

the waste of perfectly good trees for the sake of a few weeks of a holiday season.

I think that was probably the worst thing about Christmas for me as a kid...seeing all the discarded "bodies" thrown out on the curbside.

Yeah...I was a strange kid.

WE used to do it with a live one but it died in a move . We keep the tradition alive with a "cactus" we bought in Mexico. I agree about the dead trees. I also always request live plants opposed to dead flowers

After giving my daughter my huge fake xmas tree the family complained that I wasn't doing the tree thing the next year so I "sorta" decorated my large live pencil tree. It was called the Charlie brown xmas tree. Hey I like a good laugh. It's called creativity, right?

every damn thing has to be a controversy..

I know my Christmas/Holiday/Whatever you want to call it tree isn't traditional but I am thankful to the pagans for giving us this and so many other ways to have fun.


Jeremiah 10:2-4
"Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen.... For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not."

.

Just sayin'

Even that didn't help lol

are the fundies fretting about the whole clusterf*ck not being "properly" observed.

No tree, no decorations, none of that crap in the White House.

But I know it won't happen.

Most christians have NO idea that the December holiday was a pagan winter festival co-opted by the Christians. Has NOTHING to do witt he birth of christ at all.

The looneytoons on the far right have been protesting any kind of slight even perceived for a long time. It's not a big deal to anyone else, unless their buttons are being pushed by the religious right. They have a magnificent capacity to confuse, bewilder, and assail anyone who doesn't have the same faith. These people are, in the vernacular, master baiters, and there is nothing they won't try if it will suit their purposes.

Throughout history, these people have used devious means to prop themselves up, including becoming martyrs for their cause. They have stolen pagan holidays, they have instilled a deep hatred among their adherents for those with other religions, played the propaganda card a hundred times longer and twice as effective as Josef Goebbels could ever dream, and have consistently played the role of victim to win more battles. We have rarely seen such fanaticism elsewhere in the non-Xtian world--in fact, between the Holy Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition (et al), and a few other notorious periods of history, they have had the upper hand in punishing anyone who wasn't Xtian. The events on 9/11? The Spanish Inquisition alone, over a three hundred year stretch, was responsible for 5,000 deaths. The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre death toll was at the very least 5,000 Huguenots, though some historians place that figure much higher.

Relgious extremists are always going to be cruel, self-centered and self-righteous. I saw an article today about a Republican, believe it or not, Bob Inglis, who said that there are (in his eyes) two different GOP types--the "hard right" and the "religious right," and he said that the "hard right" was quite scary, as they would be willing to let people die in order to keep a health care amendment fail. It's at http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/11/13/gop-congressman-chides-the-hard-right/ A quote: According to the paper, Inglis said "hard-right" conservatives have told him that they are willing to let people who don't have health insurance "die on the steps of the hospital" to make a point about the problem of "free riders."

"As a religious right guy, I'm thinking there was a guy named Jesus who had some things to say about these kinds of concepts," Inglis added. "And I don't want to live in a society that lets a few test cases die on the steps of the hospital. I can't go there."

This republican seems to see the score, as laid out by the hard-liners f the right, as something so unsettling that even he couldn't agree. And while he is a so-called "Christian" he also seems intelligent enough to know when bad is bad, and terrible is terrible. He doesn't appear to be a fanatic, but as I don't know him, I couldn't know for sure, only that I agree with him for the most part, only as someone who is an atheist, I can't judge him on his beliefs, unless they were extreme and it doesn't appear they are.

Regardless, we're going to have to put up with assholes like Rush, Hannity, Bilk-O and their ilk for quite a bit longer. The only way we are going to get anywhere with the majority of people in this country is to stop reacting to the shit they try to promulgate and ignore them. The "crisis" will pass, and perhaps in a couple of years we can see a change in how people react to those of us who aren't part of the Xtian religion. Hey, it's better to get our collective blood pressure down when we know that the extremists aren't going to change, so we need to adjust our attitude, knowing that they're just being assholes.

...'war on Christmas.' It's just another divisive tactic used to distract people from important issues. We should not allow it to work. :) JMHO.

After all.. the poor workers in China are suffering because of the economic "slowdown".

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/03/eveningnews/main5059809.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea.8

Most of the things that people do in this country to celebrate Christmas have absolutely nothing to do with the birth of Jesus and that includes Christmas trees. People do these things because they are fun. One doesn't need to be Christian to have a Christmas Tree and having one isn't a display of belief in Christ or Christian faith.

I was raised Jewish and one day in 2000 we had an Orthodox Rabbi come and speak to us about the possibility of Joe Lieberman becoming Vice President. Somebody asked him whether or not as Vice President he should participate in the whole national Christmas tree thing. The Rabbi said no because of its religious undertones. Even at age 12 I thought that was the dumbest thing ever. Certainly he shouldn't have to participate but if he wants to then I don't see how it's a betrayal of his faith to participate in a secular tradition.

Every year I have to tell a few people that the whole thing is a bunch of crap and liberals don't give a shit if you want to have Christmas.

And that Obama is GOING to?

I was obviously transferred to an alternate Earth in my sleep. Do hamburgers eat people, here?

family cannot appease 330 million of Americans. Some won't have food on that day and if he can help to feed the, kudos to him. A tree is not that important!

By the way, I love President Obama

Isn't that the two thangs that AZ is known for? Golf (in a desert)...golf course require TONS of WATER (for those who don't know), and further WATER in a desert?

DECADES of 'wretched excess' needs to finally put to death, not 'glorified in any way'.

It's a crying shame how politicians are using children, who naturally want to be happy/proud of where they live to prop up a VERY VERY UNSUSTAINABLE PLACE like AZ. Green fields in AZ is NOT 'normal' or okay.

Skiing in Dubai is not 'okay'.

Sure, you can 'stretch the limits', just "because you can", but once the 'fun and novelty' quickly wear off....if there's no good purpose to the endeavor, the lustre/appeal/allure is LOGICALLY quickly gone.

...and the 'all-wise' INVESTOR is left with nothing. *POOF* Gonne, thatta-way ......> (south)

He can call it the ChrismaHannaQuanzika Tree if he wants to. :-)

I mean, really, haven't we all grown out of christmas yet?

It's gonna make OReily's head explode, LOL!

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is still a Christmas Tree. :shrug: