| Anti-gay church's Santa protest latest part of Washington holiday 'circus' |
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| By Bob Allen | ||
| Thursday, December 11, 2008 | ||
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TOPEKA, Kan. (ABP) -- They've picketed high schools, military funerals and even the Southern Baptist Convention with their controversial message that God hates homosexuals. Now members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., have chosen a new target -- Santa Claus. The headline-making congregation -- most of whom are related to Pastor Fred Phelps -- has weighed in on an ongoing controversy over religious displays at the Washington state Capitol by requesting permission to put up a sign that reads, "Santa Claus Will Take You to Hell."
The atheist sign reads: "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." The back of the sign reads: "State/Church: Keep Them Separate." "Our sign is a reminder of the real reason for the season, the Winter Solstice," said Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Wisconsin-based foundation. Gaylor said Christians "really stole Christmas" from observances of the Solstice, which originally marked the shortest day of the year and celebrated the return of the sun and the new year. About 500 people gathered Dec. 7 on the Washington Capitol steps to protest the Solstice sign. The sign was stolen but later found in a ditch. Phelps wrote a letter to Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire (D) requesting permission to place another sign at what he said is a public forum that has been made available to multiple religious viewpoints. The 3-by-5 foot placard carries a message, which can also be sung to the tune "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," that says Santa is a lie and to blame for the economy and the war. "He is your favorite idol, you worship at his feet," one verse proclaims. "But when you stand before your God, he won't help you take the heat." Phelps said the sign reflects "sincerely held religious beliefs" and a viewpoint "well-grounded in Scripture." Phelps isn't the only person trying to get into the Washington State Capitol act. According to the Spokane Spokesman-Review, another Kansas group, the KC Free Thinkers, wants permission to put up a display celebrating a tongue-in-cheek deity named the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Meanwhile, an Olympia man wants to erect a pole celebrating Festivus, a holiday whose invention was part of the plot in a famous episode of the 1990s TV comedy "Seinfeld." Yet another display request is from a Christian woman who wants to send a conciliatory message to the atheist community in an effort to ease tensions. "It's a circus and we're center ring," state Sen. Pam Roach told the Seattle Times. Roach wants the atheist sign moved farther from the Nativity scene and for the governor to establish stricter guidelines for future holiday displays. -30- Bob Allen is senior writer for Associated Baptist Press.                 Comments (2)
 Santa Claus
written by Santa Claus, December 11, 2008 Pathetic written by Dr. J, December 15, 2008
This church is composed of one family of sick individuals.
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Evidently, the folks from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas don't care that my legal name is Santa Claus or that I'm a Christian Monk, as St. Nicholas was many centuries ago.
I'm also a full-time volunteer advocate for the 2 million children in the U.S. annually who are abused, neglected, exploited, abandoned, homeless, and institutionalized through no fault of their own.
I believe that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Christ and that the greatest gift one can give is love. I also believe in separation of church and state.
When I read what WBC wrote, "Santa's to blame for the economy's fate, Santa Claus will take you to hell," it made me think these folks are acting in a very un-Christian way.
Perhaps, the most direct way to straighten them out would be for me to take them to task in a secular manner by suing them for violation of my right of publicity as well as for libel and slander.
As a Christian Monk, though, I'm inclined to let God resolve this relatively minor matter. I would hope that readers will focus on the very real plight of vulnerable children in dire circumstances, rather than on members of a church who appear to be behaving in a very un-Godly manner.
Merry Christmas to all!
Blessings, Santa