Do you have a lot of rw fundies with in-your-face christmas displays

[The_Casual_Observer]

this year? Really mean spirited aggressive ones with huge "merry christmas" lightups? I used to like decorations, but now it looks like some kind of fucked up threat I'll show you deal. I feel like shorting the fucking wires.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I never like Christmas displays

but the one I find most disturbing is the one at the Boone Co (AR) courthouse, which features a big American flag as well as toy soldiers and snowmen.

[Skidmore]

34. We have one down the street from us that sounds similar.

Some guy has put a giant light display in the form of an American flag across the front of his house and all the shrubbery in the yard is decorated in red, white, and blue. Then there's the creche. It's like someone tried to smash the 4th of July and Christmas into the same day. If we get fireworks on Christmas eve, I'm going to be really freaked.

[rolltide2005]

2. ok wait a minute

how in the hell is "Merry Christmas" mean-spirited? I mean come on now.

It's not like they have 50 ft blow up * dolls with Bush is Lord on them and shit like that.

[Rockerdem]

29. I think that what the poster means

is that this year, the content seems to be more religious in content. More creches and fewer Santas or elved. There always have been huge light and ornament displays. But it looks like that this year the preachers -not just the fundie ones either - have put the message out: rub their noses in it.

At least where I live.

[InvisibleBallots]

37. there IS something going on right now that is different than usual

I have seen what you mean, and I do think that "the message has been put out".

Both the right-wing fundies - and the secular left wingers - are being goaded into a fight about Christmas. It's a perfect distraction from the economy and the war. You'll see fundies with huge decorations purposefully tweaked in such a way to goad over-sensitive liberals into some sort of reaction. Both sides will fight with righteous fury, Christmas will be ruined. Republicans will blame it on Democrats, Democrats will fume.

When we're all finished fighting about it, Social Security will be gone. Merry Christmas suckers!

[bklyncowgirl]

39. You're right this is distraction pure and simple

Let people have their damn displays.

Bitching about it is just waving a red flag at a bull. Focus on what's important.

Enjoy the damn holiday. If you're a liberal Christian try and come up with a display that celebrates that little thing about "Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men" or should that be good will towards humanity, I wouldn't want to upset the PC police. If you're not a Christian consider having a Merry Pagan Yule celebration. If you're Jewish, I hope you had a very Happy Hannukah.

There are real issues. Social security is in danger. Iraq is a mess. There are serious doubts about the election. Don't get into a pissing match over Christmas.

Liberals hate Santa--yeah that'll win friends and influence people.

[RoeBear]

3. Take a deep breath man...

...getting upset ofver Christmas decorations, and thinking they are a direct attack on you personally is, well, kinda weird.

How can you have a "mean spirited aggressive" Christmas decoration?

[The_Casual_Observer]

6. This is different than before, this is organized.

This is an aggressive Jesus campaign like I haven't seen since the campus crusade for christ in the early 70's. It definitely isn't a normal pleasant feel that you would normally get.

[RoeBear]

7. How do you...

...come to that conclusion? I must have missed the memo but my decorations are up anyways.

Is there something like this:


Merry Christmas, convert or burn in hell!

[cali]

4. I love Christmas decorations, even cheesy ones

I like the phrase Merry Christmas. I think it's silly to sing We wish you a swinging holiday instead of We wish you a Merry Christmas. All of this and Christmas has 0 religious connotations for me. I'm just a retro Christmas afficianado. Got to get back to baking fruitcake. Ho, ho, ho.

[blondeatlast]

9. Can I come over?

I actually LIKE fruitcake!

[Tighthead Prop]

45. I second that!

Christmas decorations with cheesey lights, Santas and Christmas foods are fun.:toast:

[Mountainman]

5. There is a church/retreat place down the road from me that has a permanent

nativity scene only the people are missing until around Christmas time, they also have a permanent Easter scene with a cave and a rolled back stone. The people are good people and it isn't so much in your face. It was there before I moved to the area and they rented a room to me when I first moved there.

[Tsiyu]

8. I have to say

I really enjoy the lights and I really don't care about content. It's a free country ( so far) and people can put up whatever they want. the best thing to do is enjoy or don't look.

Picking battles is a GOOD thing.

BTW, a very cruel, greedy, evil right winger in a nearby town has a wooden angel holding the words "peace" next to a huge blow up soldier.

Well, the angel keeps falling over and the soldier deflates and falls down too. No human help-just wind and instability, but I find it hilarious.

"There is no peace and your soldier's been killed!"

[blondeatlast]

10. LOL! Thanks for a great laugh. nt

[Anakin Skywalker]

17. About your story.

LOL! Funny! :)

[BernieBear]

40. It's early morning and everyone is asleep and your post

about the soldier getting bashed by the angel just made me burst out laughing and now I'm almost crying!!!!! Oh toooooo funnyyyyyy
"There is no peace and your soldier's been killed" I AM STILL LAUGHING.

:cry: :toast: :cry:

[elehhhhna]

11. 6 foot white cross w/ lights-- looks like a deadly accident scene or KKK .

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. I swear, it's a "put christ back in christmas, support the troops and bush

deal. Never before have I seen so many "merry christmas" lightup signs set out on purpose facing the main streets.

[bones_7672]

12. So, if you like Christmas you are a right-wing fundie??? Suuuuure. n/t

[The_Casual_Observer]

14. Never did I say that, it's simply the garish advertising look to this

shit, it's different than before, that's all.

[elehhhhna]

15. where you at?

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. Central Orange County, California.

[theboss]

27. Orange County JUST became garish?

You gotta be kidding me?

[blondeatlast]

19. Bad taste knows no belief or lack thereof.

Season's greetings!

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[donheld]

20. Thankfully No

The area i live in has none that i've seen. There are houses decorated nicely, but no bible beater displays.

[donheld]

21. Put up your own "pagan" display

Put some of these simbols up
If nothing else put up a big sign that simply reads "Merry X mas." You can make the X very big. Or maybe a Merry "Greedmas" sign

[Tsiyu]

31. Ooooh! That Green Man is purty! nt

[Love Bug]

46. Ooo--I have that Green Man in sparkly colors on a t-shirt!

There are always lots of garish Christmas displays -- the weirder, the better, AFAIC. One of my favorite lottery fantasies is moving into a real tony neighborhood and putting out the biggest white-trash Christmas decorations (you know -- 6' plastic manger figures, etc.) I can find just to piss off the snooty neighbors (I'm just contrary that way)!

[UdoKier]

22. Since when is a "Merry Christmas" lightup "mean" and "threatening"?

As much as the right is making way too much out of made-up liberal attempts to "destroy Christmas", there seem to be way too many liberals who look at a Nativity or a Christmas Tree and see a cross burning.

Snap out of it!

[Piperay]

23. No, not really ...

there have always been some people who put up Nativity scenes and crosses and sometimes they have those up along with Santa and peace symbols all in the same scene. I think it looks kinda tacky because I prefer one theme or the other but still I get a kick out of it and see no harm in it. :D

[Blue Wally]

24. I grew up in Detroit

There were some really garish and overdone light displays there. My father used to take us out after dinners in December to drive around and "OOH" and "AHHH" pover the more spectacular displays. late rin life I lived in Virginia and really came to appreciate the subtle effect of a single white light (candle) in each window of the house (particularly effective in the "center hall colonial" houses which were very symetrical).

[noamnety]

25. Ha, that's what I have now.

The single white candle in each window of my symmetrical house.

I think it's a christian thing, but I like the simplicity of it.

[theboss]

26. I grew up with a very large Mickey Mouse in a Santa Suit on my front yard

I find it hard to imagine anything more "aggressive" than that.

[walldude]

28. Multi-Denominational family here

Jewish mother, Catholic father, Jewish wife. I consider myself Jewish but I practice no organized religion. That said I love doing up the house with lights for the holiday. I don't put any "Merry Christmas" signs or anything but I don't mind them either. I think this whole "holiday wars" thing is overblown by the media. Another way to keep the nation divided. My problem comes when my tax dollars are spent to support anothers religion. If the government wants a "Christian" nation fine... then they can give me back my damn money.

[Walt Starr]

30. What one puts on their own property as decoration is their own concern

except where it violates local laws and home owner's association rules.

:shrug:

I really could care less what a private party does with their decorations.

[InvisibleBallots]

32. "mean spirited agressive" Christmas displays?

Are you being serious? Do they have "Have a Merry Christmas or Else" decorations in your neighborhood?

[Undercover Owl]

36. might be good for sarcasm though

to have "Have A Merry Christmas Or Else!" up in lights.

a kind of passive-aggressive way to get Christmas-zealots to back off.

[hfojvt]

38. Support our troops

I think the "or else" is implied. It is a command, not a statement, like "we support our troops".
I see no such command in "Merry Christmas". In our society, that phrase has very little connection to Christ. Although fundies are making it a battle point to say that instead of "Happy Holidays". I say let them have their hollow victory, it might make them magnanimous. Or think of it as a low-cost Christmas present.

[Bridget Burke]

33. No, not at all...

I live in a neighborhood that always decorates heavily. There's nothing unusual this year. Religious symbols, non-religious symbols, lots of lights--every color & size.

And this is in big, bad, evil Houston, Texas.

[LoveCore]

35. I don't think it's that big a deal

I don't ever remember this being such a huge issue in years past. I think it's just a few extremes trying to rub their side of things in everyone's face... you know how all the "christian" hate mongers get given half the chance. I don't know if any of that actually made a point, I'm getting kinda sleepy.

[newyawker99]

44. Hi LoveCore!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[MadHound]

41. I actually like most Christmas lights and displays

I'm deathly nearsighted(legally blind w/o my glasses), and one of my great joys is to go around viewing the lights and displays without my glasses on. The lights are all fuzzy and blurred, looking like will-o-the-wisps. It is really quite beautiful.

My only objection to Christmas displays are those on public property, using public resources.

[KayLaw]

42. No, we have worse

There's a man in a neighborhood near mine who keeps a poster of the 10 commandments outside his condo. His SUV has all the usual ribbons and flags, and a bumber sticker that reads, I LOVE MY WIFE.

In his window, hangs a wedding gown. I was walking yesterday, when I noticed his truck was following me very slowly. I sped up and was prepared to run for my life. I can't put my finger on it, but I find the whole thing quite creepy.

We have a lot of Christmas decorations so they don't bother me at all. I think it's just your perception that is troubling you, as I've noticed the same thing about certain symbols. For example, the support the troop ribbons,religious stickers, the American flag...the corporate media have managed to make those things represent Bush, at least in my mind. It's not true, of course, all sorts of people support the troops, fly the flag, are true Christians, but some would have us believe if you don't support Bush, you are against the troops, the country, and God.

[Pepperbelly]

43. WTF are "aggressive" Christmas displays?

:wtf:

You sound like Ebeneezer Scrooge or maybe the Grinch, whose heart is one size too small. Happy holidys. :D