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Faith Community Slams Fox News' "War on Christmas" Fear Mongering

Posted by Steven Reynolds, The All Spin Zone at 6:02 AM on December 5, 2007.


Steven Reynolds: Someone call Keith Olbermann! Bill O'Reilly has taken one across the bow, and he's not likely to take this one sitting down.
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This post, written by Steven Reynolds, originally appeared on All Spin Zone

Clergy from the Faith in Public Life group are calling a halt to the "War on Christmas." Now these folks were never the nuts who were fighting this bogus "war," but they're clergy and they're speaking out against the Dobsons and O'Reilly's and Gibsons who whine every holiday season. I applaud, loudly.

John Gibson and Bill O'Reilly, puppets for the religious right in this country, maybe should watch out. There's a new clergy in town, and this set of clergymen and women are Faith in Public Life, a group that's talking back to the way FoxNews, with the help of the Focus on the Family Phonies, among others, has tried to boost their ratings by inventing a "War on Christmas, and thereby trying to pit Americans versus Americans on religious issues. OK, I'm stating the whole thing a whole lot more baldly than does Faith in Public Life, or even Bill Berkowitz, who writes very eloquently on the subject:

A press release issued on Monday, December 3, by Faith in Public Life, a not-for-profit nonpartisan 501(c) (3) communications and organizing resource center "dedicated to reclaiming the values debate in America ... [and] strengthen[ing] and increase[ing] the visibility of faith leaders dedicated to justice and the common good," points out religious leaders "are challenging Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and others who have lashed out against a so-called secular `War on Christmas' to join them in a new campaign that restores a focus on the common good during this holy season."

The group's "Open Letter to Christmas Culture Warriors" is to be published as an advertisement in the December 4 issue of New York Post and Washington Times and in the December 14 issue of the National Catholic Reporter,

Faith in Public Life's press release notes that Fox News commentator John Gibson's 2005 book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought, "denounced what he and other pundits describe as a secular agenda intent on destroying Christmas and driving religion from the public square." William Donohue, executive director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "has warned of `cultural fascists' taking over Christmas" and Fox's top talking head, Bill O'Reilly, "has made the `War on Christmas' a prominent seasonal feature of his popular Fox broadcast."

. . .

A press release issued on Monday, December 3, by Faith in Public Life, a not-for-profit nonpartisan 501(c) (3) communications and organizing resource center "dedicated to reclaiming the values debate in America ... [and] strengthen[ing] and increase[ing] the visibility of faith leaders dedicated to justice and the common good," points out religious leaders "are challenging Bill O'Reilly of Fox News and others who have lashed out against a so-called secular `War on Christmas' to join them in a new campaign that restores a focus on the common good during this holy season."

The group's "Open Letter to Christmas Culture Warriors" is to be published as an advertisement in the December 4 issue of New York Post and Washington Times and in the December 14 issue of the National Catholic Reporter,

Faith in Public Life's press release notes that Fox News commentator John Gibson's 2005 book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought, "denounced what he and other pundits describe as a secular agenda intent on destroying Christmas and driving religion from the public square." William Donohue, executive director of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "has warned of `cultural fascists' taking over Christmas" and Fox's top talking head, Bill O'Reilly, "has made the `War on Christmas' a prominent seasonal feature of his popular Fox broadcast."

Someone call Keith Olbermann! Bill O'Reilly has taken one across the bow, and he's not likely to take this one sitting down. As I count it, he's got several religous figures for targets now. If Bill goes true to form, he's liable to demonize all the Board members of Faith in Public Life, whether they be evangelical or jewish or mainstream Christain. I'm thinking we've got a hate crime ready to happen, and I'm hoping Keith is on the job to warn all of America about what Bill O'Reilly's actions are bound to be.

I need a category for something like "True and honest religious leaders."

Digg!

Tagged as: religion, o'reilly, gibson, fox news, christmas, religious left

Steven Reynolds is a regular blogger for the All Spin Zone


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"True and honest religious leaders."
Posted by: Sojourner on Dec 5, 2007 10:48 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
We were there in the anti-nukes movement, the civil rights movement, the anti-Vietnam War movement (no, I didn't immolate myself; is that true and honest enough?) and some of us were even there opposing the Gipper's con game of funding his private army and violating the law. Etc., etc., etc.

It seems that recent opposition to Christo-fascism from within hasn't been dramatic enough to get journalism's attention. It's neither bleeding nor leading at the moment. But it's there. It's the difference between power (that turns on and off) and strength (that endures). We endure.

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In shadow or light
Posted by: Ian MacLeod on Dec 5, 2007 3:06 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There have been - and sadly, will be again - times when many or most of us are forced to speak from the shadows, but yes, we endure.

"True and honest religious leaders."

How about just plain "Public Honesty"? It's rare enough these days ANYwhere.

Ian

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"True and honest religious leaders."
Posted by: Lauren on Dec 5, 2007 3:31 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I'd also like to put my name on that list. I think you will find there are quite a few of us, although maybe we are not generally as loud as some of the other kind.

I love the song, In the presence of the lord, and went looking for it again this morning. It is interesting, because different songs come up. I didn't know there was a christian hymm with basically the same name. The music was so dreadfully boring, I didn't even get to the point of listening to any of the words.

In the Presence of the Lord

Here is the best sound quality copy I found, Eric Clapton and Steve Winward, 5/17/07, no video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HRkbqhOV2Y&feature=related

Here it is as a slide show called 'Jesus Would Have Been A Biker". Many of the pictures are nice but it is loaded with disturbing 'christian' visuals. Pagans, please comment if you feel inclined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ns7Ah4yLGc

And here is the Mule again (I posted it the other day in Huckabee's phone call to start the ball rolling). You know I love the Mule.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1cQiOoKO7g&feature=related

This IS such a great song in any version because it applies not only to any religion, but also to any religious experience, and even to some non-religious experiences.

I don't think the christians should be so quick to claim this one as their very own.

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thedirtydemocrat
Posted by: JimActivist on Dec 5, 2007 7:19 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Senator Inhofe (R) Oklahoma also should share in the blame for the Christ in Christmas manure spreading too. He seems a couple of bricks short of a load most of the time in his statements in the Senate and in the committees he sits in on.
Maybe he should stay away from the stump juice.

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true and honest religous leaders...........
Posted by: pacto on Dec 6, 2007 12:42 PM   
Current rating: 2    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
hasen`t anyone noticed? this is an oxymoron. In the history of the world,there hasn`t been one human who qualifies for the position.All have their agendas,Money.. sex.. control...etc.

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