Congressman Proposes Legislation to Protect Christians from the ‘War on Christmas’

You’ll be happy to know that the least productive Congress in history is working on a resolution to remind everyone that Christians are still in the majority.

And they must be protected from the War on Christmas, says Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), the sponsor of the most unnecessary piece of legislation since the last thing the GOP proposed.

House Resolution 448 says that “the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected for use by those who celebrate Christmas.”

As if people were actually trying to take that away…

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes the importance of the symbols and traditions of Christmas;

(2) strongly disapproves of attempts to ban references to Christmas; and

(3) expresses support for the use of these symbols and traditions by those who celebrate Christmas.

This is what the Republicans in Congress (and two hopeless Democrats) think is important right now.

“The Founding Fathers never intended for references to God and religion to be prohibited in civic dialogue. Despite this, our freedom to fully recognize Christmas is being attacked by a vocal and litigious minority,” Lamborn told ABC News in an email. “That is why I have introduced House Resolution 448, a bipartisan effort … calling on Congress to protect the traditional symbols of Christmas for use by the vast majority of Americans who do acknowledge the holiday.”

I honestly have no idea what he’s talking about. No one’s prohibiting Christians from celebrating Christmas. Or harming their symbols. Or stopping them from saying “Merry Christmas.” The “litigious” organizations fighting for church-state separation are simply asking for equal treatment when it comes to, say, a Nativity scene in the State Capitol. All displays must be allowed or no displays can be allowed — it’s as simple as that.

Lamborn’s just trying to score cheap political points by playing to the Fox News Channel crowd.

For what it’s worth, he tried to pass an almost-identical resolution two years ago. It had 77 Republican and 3 Democrat co-sponsors. And then it died a well-deserved death in committee.

Let’s hope this new resolution has the same fate.

Red-star

Translation “We don’t want to have to share the space with other religious symbols”. Yes having to share is apparently an attack.
$925105

Congress is out of session so this can’t be introduced until January, making the entire bill even more useless.
Sue Blue

Taxpayers of Colorado, you are paying for this idiot to waste everyone’s time. Time that elected representatives should be using to figure out how to invigorate their local economies in order to fully feed, clothe, house and employ their constituents and repair crumbling infrastructures. Time in which they could be addressing real issues that really affect real people. But no – you’ve elected to pay morons to further drain economies and brains.
Jeremiah Traeger

But moooooooom! All the people of OTHER religions were having fun and celebrating the season too. WITHOUT GAWD. Bwaaaaaaa!!!
Holytape

Rep. Doug Lamborn(R-CO) went on to say, “This bill will probably be ignored by the vast majority of Americans who do acknowledge that congress is becoming completely fucking useless. I mean, I am going to waste time protecting Christmas, after Christmas has happened. Not only that, but for fuck’s sake Christmas. Really. The most popular holiday ever. I’m going to waste valuable time protecting Christmas. I’m not going to give two dicks about Thanksgiving, a holiday in danger of being eaten by Christmas. Also, I’m not going to even attempt at doing real legislating. Messed up environment? Nope. Messed up justice system? Nope. Immigration reform, tax reform, banking reform? Nope, nope, nope. Hell, I don’t even think I’ll vote on the annual highway bill. In fact, I think the only thing I’ll do, is have the taxpayer pay for a tire swing in my office. I am just going to swing and throw feces at staff. All year. And you know what. Even though congress has a 6% approval rating, and I have proven myself as useful as sandpaper in a shit house, I’ll still be re-elected in 2014. Why, because voters are all fucking idiots.”
The Starship Maxima

What? You dare suggest Christians are no more or less important than any other American citizen?

BURN THE HERETIC!
Castilliano

Or Translation:
“Bwa, Ha, Haaa! That’ll protect us when we hit the banhammer on all the other holidays!”
*wrings hands*
Kira

Does the bill protect thr rights of people to celebrate other holidays (and speak of them) without being assaulted by Christians (like the SA bell ringer who got it for saying ‘happy holidays”)?
The Starship Maxima

The should be some kind of law that allows you to remove completely useless and absurd politicians. But then, we’d have none left.
Raising_Rlyeh

Clearly the congressman is a time traveler and wants to pass legislation to stop those pesky puritans from banning christmas celebrations.
Prototype Atheist

This incessant pseudopersecution is going to make cries fall on deaf ears if they ever really are persecuted.
Jeff See

You forgot the vital vote that allowed the NDAA to ensure that the current Gestapo has the playground rules they want.
Jeff See

He’s had all year, and he waits until NOW to introduce ‘Christmas’ legislation? LMFAO. I thought us hillbillies were slow. I sure hope he’s left it to his spouse to do the shopping for Xmas, or his fam is going to be PISSED!
Bob Jase

Wait, they haven’t announced the rider to be attached that dismantles Obamacare.
Stev84

No wonder Congress is less popular than dog poop.
Niki Whitman

There is no damned war. Its our right to not believe in god, or their religion. Just becasue you can no longer burn us at the stake, or hang us for our lack of beliefs, doesnt make it a war against YOU.. Ignorance at its finest ladies and gents.
peicurmudgeon

To be fair, there are people who, as individuals, do attack all public displays and speech about Christmas. They certainly don’t speak for larger groups who, as you say, are only attempting to restrict the integration oc church and state. People like Lamborn can’t, or choose not to, differentiate.
jamilleChristman

There is a serious war waging, it is the “War on rationality” and the “War on common sense”, but these wars have waged on for awhile now.
Adam Bray

This is basically the government establishing a religion. The GOP says constantly they are going by the constitution, but this is direct contradiction to the main guiding principles.
MNb

“I honestly have no idea what he’s talking about.”
Of course you know what he is talking about: the good old christian persecution complex. You admit it here:

“Lamborn’s just trying …..”
Pitabred

Hes’ the rep for Colorado Springs, where the Air Force Academy and multiple Air Force and Army bases are, as well as the HQ for Focus on the Family? Why I never…
Pitabred

I wish I could vote against him. But he’s from the district where Focus on the Family is headquartered. They’re a bunch of right-wing, gun worshiping, Teapublicans down there. Sanity isn’t easily found.
Grace

People who downvoted, I’m pretty sure he was being sarcastic.
Jeff

I understand what you are saying, but as a former member of the military, please do not assume that military folks are default bat-shit crazy right wingers.
C Peterson

Unfortunately, this piece of human slime is my congressman. Nothing to be done about it… he gets elected and re-elected by the whackjob majority in Colorado Springs. Lamborn has been named the most extreme member of an already extreme Congress… so extreme that even his own party tends to avoid him, making him perhaps the least effective congressman of all.
The Starship Maxima

Correctamundo.
Ryan Hite

Oh my… really??
CarysBirch

I hear dog poop has close to 100% approval rating… among dogs.
C Peterson

No, but enough are that the screwy demographics of Colorado Springs definitely results in the political scene being pretty extreme.
newavocation

Resolution doesn’t need to pass in order for those campaign contributions to start rolling in.
Marie Alexander

Hmmm… I think most of the skeptics are smart enough to figure out the difference between “HELP US!! Our religion is being outlawed!!” and “HELP US!! We’re being disagreed with!!”
Rogue Medic

We are Biblical literalists.

We literally do not understand what is written.

The First Amendment is part of the communist conspiracy to wage War on Christmas.

The Federalist Papers are a part of the conspiracy.

Oh, God. Give me Faith, but not literacy!

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Rogue Medic

War on the Constitution.

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Rogue Medic

I don’t think the comment was directed at skeptics.

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Rogue Medic

But he is Born Again every Winter Solstice!

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Rogue Medic

like the SA bell ringer who got it for saying ‘happy holidays”

I read that as like the Second Amendment bell ringer who got it for saying ‘happy holidays”

Oopsy.

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Rogue Medic

How was he to know that it was that time of year again?

The Winter Solstice is hard to predict.

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Marie Alexander

Yeah. You’re right. It was more directed at Non-Extreme-Christian-Fundamentalist, but I say skeptic because because we would side with them if their religion really WERE being outlawed.

Question: Why do you put that period 2 lines down from wherever you end your comment? Just wondering.
Rogue Medic

Actually, I think that a lot of the Non-Extreme-Christian-Fundamentalists will fall for it.

We all have biases and when you tell someone their group has been attacked, they generally do not look at the information rationally – even atheists.

The dot started as a way to separate the end of one comment from the beginning of another on sites that crowd comments close together. It became a habit.

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noen

Grandstanding. It would never get passed and wouldn’t last five seconds even in the Roberts court.
jamilleChristman

When I imagine a war on christmas, it is waged with a battalion of elves with spear candy canes and popguns, gingerbread men, drummerboys and wisemen using cannons of cheeseballs and fruitcake against an army of asian sweatshop kids and a delusional reverie of sugarplums. I feel like this war on christmas is just a really bad acidtrip while watching the nutcracker.
Rogue Medic

“Babes in Toyland.”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024852/

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Nick Wride

Just when you think they couldn’t possibly get any crazier,,,,,,,,,,,
SeekerLancer

Well they always rag on about the ten commandments, and one of those commandments is that there can be no worship of other gods, so you’re persecuting them by celebrating anything that isn’t their god. Logic!
jamilleChristman

Oddly enough, both of those are still less mythical than the real “War on Christmas”
Pitabred

No, they aren’t by default. But the preponderance of current and ex-military I’ve met are that way. I personally know many exceptions, go drinking with some of them every couple weeks, but they’re exceptions, not the rule, unfortunately. Not nearly enough to change the overall demographics.