I don't usually mention God on the DU to respect others beliefs, this is a very rare exception

like a bowel movement

this says to me that unless i die in combat for (the u.s. i asume) that im incapable of teaching my daughter the true nature of giving?( maybe not die although that's the impression i get since the person who was in those boot arent anymore) i know this is meant to be uplifting or feel-good and im sure the op meant it that way but i cant help feeling that this is at the expense of those who didnt enlist.

Santa Claus, patriotism or sacrifices by the armed forces. Most people who feel a connection or empathy towards other people are quite capable of giving when the circumstances warrant. "The true nature of giving" can't be taught... it's part of our humanity. To give credit to God, the military or Santa Claus is selling ourselves short.

I think Santa's beyond that kind of thing, myself.

Santa worships the military?

Do we have to drag the military into everything?

... the only one who finds this graphic to be insulting. Both from the perspective that it glorifies war and that magical beings are required to teach us what the true nature of anything is.

Santa genuflecting (worshipping?) to the military teaches the true meaning of giving?

The idea that some poor kid dying just to make some rich asshole richer teaches us anything worthwhile is ludicrous. That we should be thanking a supposedly loving deity for teaching us this is offensive.

You probably should have stuck to your original way of doing things.

Thank you for saying this with more grace and tact than what I was about to post.

In my case, both having had family in the military - including an uncle who died in Vietnam, 17 years before I was born - and believing that nearly every American military engagement post-WWII has been a mistake, I feel an ambivalence toward the subject that can't be captured in soundbites or snark.

"Thank you to those who teach us the true nature of giving."

with tiny baby Jesus inside. I forget the caption on that one but I missed that part in the Bible where Santa was there.

It will be a long time before I do it again.

posted an image in which Santa is bowing to a military alter and words which imply that God supports war and in particular OUR wars while also stating that the only act of giving is to die in a war under command from folks you are coloring with the rights of the divine.
Really self serving to say that was simply 'mentioning God'.

The OP was a simple reminder of those that have died in service to the US at this time of year. Nothing else to me. Santa is a myth. Sorry Virginia. War dead aren't a myth.

I didn't support the invasion for the weapons of mass deception. I do support the troops that go where they are told to serve. I don't believe our country does enough for those in the service. Things have gotten better for them since Obama was elected. Ask Tammy Duckworth.

Besides war dead there are those that die of training accidents. Or simple car accidents. Happened to a friend of mine from high school over 30 years ago in Cuba.

It wasn't intended to imply God supports our wars. There were plenty of endless wars mentioned in the bible. And it was certainly implied god took sides in many of those.

To imply the only true gifts are those in war was certainly not my point. I didn't realize this would be so misunderstood. If I had a Delorean that goes 88 MPH, I'd not make the post.

OS

As for those who either don't get it, or simply need to pretend to be offended in order to maintain their "hipper-than-thou" righteous lefty cred, well ... fuck 'em.

I understand your message perfectly. Thank you.

Watch what people are cynical about, and one can often discover what they lack.

George S. Patton

a little much.

Why not a picture of something with symbols of those who give without participating in endless wars? A lot of what makes us free involves prosocial behaviors within our nation--the willingness to reach beyond disagreements to work together for a common good. Being a soldier in the post-Vietnam War era is a choice for a career. It is the same sort of choice that cops, firemen, and EMTs make. The same choice that a teacher, a healthcare worker, a counselor or therapist, or an prosecutor/attorney makes or even the person who walks down a dark street to get to work at a local store. These people all help preserve the social fabric of our nation. This warrior class notion is hyperbole, in my honest opinion. We are all parts of the whole--those who fight on the front lines of education, healthcare, civil rights, or just to keep the utilities running.

Just also want to note that my response is not about you mentioning God but I really cringed at that picture for other reasons, some of which I have articulated above.

they need elvis on horseback in the background plus a crying eagle with the american flag superimposed on its head.

i would love to smack the living shit out of the moran who came up with that.

with firemen and cops crying on their knees too.

on a Collector's Plate--we'd be rich!!

Seems right, somehow.

You posted a graphic depicting two myths and a shrine to gratuitously worshiped exploited kids. Worship we usually only engage in BTW because it deflects attention from the sick, perverted ways in which we abuse them. And you think the negative feedback you received is because you were "misunderstood"? Because you "mentioned God"?

Fuck me raw...

Of course the sacrifices of our troops everywhere are appreciated, sometimes beyond words.

But an image that merges Santa Claus with war and death, AND the flag? Sorry, but it's a vulgarity on multiple levels. In fact, it cheapens the contributions of those who gave everything.

firmly believe in the separation of church and state. My now right-wing fundamentalist wacko dad used to believe in it too. The photo blends church and state.