Athesist: Christmas Tree recycling unfair

[Tweed]

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42143

"An atheist activist forced Chicago to change its Christmas tree recycling program, complaining it was unfair to non-Christians.

The city wanted to bolster its Blue Bag recycling program by offering a years worth of blue bags and some mulch to anyone who turned in a used Christmas tree.

But Rob Sherman, known for his campaign to keep crosses off city seals, protested to Chicago, insisting the trees-for-bags exchange unfairly benefits Christians, the Chicago Tribune reported.

"The concern was that the city had constructed a well-intentioned program, but the effect was that only Christians had the opportunity to participate," Sherman told the paper. "Christians had the opportunity to receive the blue bags for free. Atheists and others would have had to pay."

What a genius! :eyes:

[Sannum]

1. Oh GOD

:eyes:

[toddzilla]

2. as a hard core athiest...

this guy is a fucking moron that needs another hobby.

[izzie]

8. Could we maybe tell him it is really a German thing? Tree that is

It is more like Santa. Or thinking we should have snow.

[qnr]

3. So? He's an "activist," that's what he should be expected to do.

In my opionion, even though I'm pro-recycling, he was absolutely correct, considering the circumstances.

[Tweed]

4. The thing is the city had no problem at all accommodating him

As soon as he filed a complaint, the city said "Sure, bring in a large bag of recycling and we'll give you the same type of thing." He went to the media first and made a big deal out of it.

[qnr]

6. Granted, but for him, being an activist, it was the principle of the

matter. Don't get me wrong, I don't really agree with it, I just understand what he was doing.

[DS1]

5. Check his bank records for checks signed by

Bill O'Reilly :eyes:

[LandOLincoln]

7. The guy is being a major

butthead, IMHO.

I'm no Christian, nor do I belong to any other organized religion, but I damn well celebrate Yule, and that includes a tree, ornaments I've been collecting for 20-25 years now, presents, family, friends, and lots of good food and wine.

IIRC, the Romans decorated their homes with evergreens during Saturnalia, their winter solstice holiday, to symbolize life's triumph over death.

"But did you know that Christmas tree decorating and using the clippings of evergreen shrubs as decorations for Christmas has been a controversial practice at times in Western history? For instance, when the Roman Church decided in the fourth century that Christmas should be celebrated on December 25, some of the pagan celebrations of the Roman Saturnalia (celebrated at the same time of year) were carried over, such as feasting and exchanging gifts. But others were too controversial to carry over....

"Using the clippings of evergreen shrubs from the landscape to decorate houses, a common practice during the December celebrations of Saturnalia, was strictly forbidden by the Church. The associations between decorating with evergreen shrubs and paganism were just too strong. Already in the early third century Tertullian had complained that too many fellow-Christians were falling into the Saturnalian rut by adorning their houses with lamps and with wreathes of laurel as Christmas decorations."

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/winterlandscaping1/a/christmas_trees.htm

Since I live in New Mexico I put out luminarias, too, and I don't feel the least bit hypocritical because of it. The Christians appropriated so many of the old pagan customs for their major holiday that it gives me a good deal of pleasure to take 'em back.

I think Mr. Sherman needs to lighten up and quit feeding the "Libruls are trying to take the Christ out of Christmas" BS.

/rant

[jellybelly]

9. smart guy....

"No self-respecting atheist or Jew or Hindu puts up a Christmas tree in their home unless they are Christian wannabes," he said.

what a piece of donkey shit...:argh:

[jellybelly]

10. or monkey shit...

[Zuni]

11. What an asshole

there are a lot of important causes one could worry about right now---like donating and collecting for the relief effort for the Tsunami/earthquake victims in Asia