Happy Holidays You Bigots

Update: I’ve had it explained that this is just one of those fluff things that The House does.

Let’s define bigot.

bigot -noun a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed, belief, or opinion. [Source, Dictionary.com]

big·ot n. One who is strongly partial to one’s own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ.
bigot. (n.d.). The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Retrieved December 14, 2007, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bigot

Word History: Bigots may have more in common with God than one might think. Legend has it that Rollo, the first duke of Normandy, refused to kiss the foot of the French king Charles III, uttering the phrase bi got, his borrowing of the assumed Old English equivalent of our expression by God. Although this story is almost surely apocryphal, it is true that bigot was used by the French as a term of abuse for the Normans, but not in a religious sense. Later, however, the word, or very possibly a homonym, was used abusively in French for the Beguines, members of a Roman Catholic lay sisterhood. From the 15th century on Old French bigot meant "an excessively devoted or hypocritical person." Bigot is first recorded in English in 1598 with the sense "a superstitious hypocrite."

Can we fire the whole U.S. House of Representatives? Wait a minute, just call a session and tell them they are voting about passing a resolution declaring we should wipe from front to back and never back to front (they’ll all show for that one) then seal the doors shut and call it the House of Lunatics.

Your tax dollars are being wasted by these people and states:

• Mr. KING of Iowa
• Mr. AKIN, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. BAKER, Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina
• Mr. BISHOP of Utah
• Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. BRADY of Texas
• Mr. BROUN of Georgia
• Mr. BROWN of South Carolina
• Mr. BURTON of Indiana
• Mr. CARTER, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. DAVID DAVIS of Tennessee
• Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. FEENEY, Mr. FORTENBERRY, Ms. FOXX, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona
• Mr. GINGREY, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. HAYES, Mr. HERGER, Mr. ISSA, Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas
• Mr. JONES of North Carolina
• Mr. JORDAN of Ohio
• Mr. KINGSTON, Mr. KLINE of Minnesota
• Mr. KUHL of New York
• Mr. LAHOOD, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. LAMPSON, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California
• Mr. MCCAUL of Texas
• Mr. MCINTYRE, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, Mr. MILLER of Florida
• Mrs. MUSGRAVE, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. NEUGEBAUER, Mr. POE, Mr. SALI, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SMITH of Texas
• Mr. STEARNS, Mr. TERRY, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. WELDON of Florida
• Mr. WILSON of South Carolina
• Mr. DAVIS of Kentucky
• Mrs. DRAKE

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 372 (yeas) to 9 (nays) on December 11, 2007 to pass a resolution beginning with the words "Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world" They resolved:

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.
[Source, The Library of Congress – THOMAS]

The full text of the resolution includes the statement "Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its Judeo-Christian roots" which is in conflict with the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli (officialy "Treaty of peace and friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli, of Barbary" approvde by The Senate on June 7 and officially ratified by the Senate with John Adams signature on 10 June) which states in Article 11:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
[emphasis added] [Source, NoBeliefs.com for freethinkers]

If you are not bothered by this, you need to really think about how we the citizens are sitting back and allowing our current leadership to just recreate the United States. This is very Orwellian New Speak! Take a moment to consider the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution (you know..that thing on which we base our laws):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Is the U.S. House of Representative seriously wasting tax payer time and money (you pay their salaries!) on something that cannot possibly stand under the 1st Amendment?! Call your representatives and tell them you are appalled! Remind them that you want them working on issues that matter like health care and education.

Remember, it is easy to contact your representative!

As a little post script, I find it ironic that the U.S. House of Representatives would make such a bold statement of Christmas and Christianity when Christmas has its roots in Paganism.

The idea of celebrating the Nativity on December 25 was first suggested early in the fourth century CE, a clever move on the part of Church fathers who wished to eclipse the December 25 festivities of a rival pagan religion, Mithraism, which threatened the existence of Christianity.

On December 25 (the date of the winter solstice) pagan Romans, still in the majority, celebrated Natalis Solis Invincti, “Birthday of the Invincible Sun God,” Mithras. The Mithras cult originated in Persia and rooted itself in the Roman world in the first century BCE, but by the early 300s CE the rising religion of Christianity was posing a formidable challenge to the sun worshipers, especially after the Edict of Milan issued by the Roman emperor Constantine I in 313 CE allowed Christians to practice their faith in the Roman Empire.

In those tenuous early days of Christianity, however, Church fathers debated strategies for supplanting the Mithras cult with their own religion. Since it was well known that Roman patricians and plebians alike enjoyed festivals of a protracted nature, Christians recognized that they needed an alternative to the December celebration of Natalis Solis Invincti. They needed a celebration in which all participants — Mithraists, Christians, and those in between — could take part with pride. Accordingly, the Church officially recognized Christ’s birth, and to offer head-on competition to the sun worshipers’ popular feast, the Church located the Nativity on December 25. The mode of observance would be characteristically prayerful: a Mass. In fact, Christs’ Mass.

[Source, Snopes]

And now, the full text H. Res. 847:

December 11, 2007.

Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;

Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;

Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;

Whereas Christians and Christianity have contributed greatly to the development of western civilization;

Whereas the United States, being founded as a constitutional republic in the traditions of western civilization, finds much in its history that points observers back to its Judeo-Christian roots;

Whereas on December 25 of each calendar year, American Christians observe Christmas, the holiday celebrating the birth of their savior, Jesus Christ;

Whereas for Christians, Christmas is celebrated as a recognition of God’s redemption, mercy, and Grace; and

Whereas many Christians and non-Christians throughout the United States and the rest of the world, celebrate Christmas as a time to serve others: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives–

(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

Now, after poking around a bit, I see resolutions all over the place acknowledging the significance of this minor thing and the contributions of that silly action. Is this meaningless? Is this really what our House of Representatives is supposed to do?

See also: Avalon Law Library of Yale