11.30.2005
Oh, for Christ's sake!
First Wal-Mart, and now the city of Novi*--when will the persecution of Christians end? A local family was told by their subdivision association to remove their lawn nativity scene, because it violates association by-laws against lawn statues:
The multicolored nativity scene on the Samona family's front yard is under attack.
The Samonas' neighborhood association has ordered the Novi family to remove its seven-piece plastic display or face possible fines of $25 to $100 per week.
The family isn't budging and neither are its three wise men. The Samonas have vowed not only to keep the display, but also are threatening to enhance it."If you take this out, it's not Christmas anymore," said Joe Samona, 16, as he reached down and scooped baby Jesus from the creche on his parents' front lawn.
Do you hear that people? When you refuse to acknowledge the piety of gaudy lawn ornaments, the baby Jesus weeps. Nevermind that when this family moved into their neighborhood they knowingly signed an association contract specifically forbidding lawn statues without the express written permission of the association. Just because you've signed away your property rights doesn't mean you don't get to bitch about it later.
I live in one of these subdivisions with nonsensical association by-laws against lawn ornaments and having too many vehicles parked in your driveway. They are fascistic and ridiculous, and when we sell our house you can bet that we will reserve our right to complain about the by-laws which keep our property values artificially high all the way to the bank.
My friend Jay and I were discussing the "Happy Holidays" issue last night, and we both concluded that "Christians" are upset for all the wrong reasons. The problem isn't that Happy Holidays has replaced Merry Christmas, or even that tacky nativity scenes are being taken down. The real problem is that Christmas has become so commercialized it barely resembles a holy day anymore. Last I checked, Jesus did not tell us to go forth and buy Playstations for our children as a way to show our faith, nor did he ever ask us to put pretty baubled trees in our living rooms and leave cookies and milk for a fat man in a red suit. If "Christians" want something to complain about, they should be looking at the vapid, consumerist nightmare that Christmas has become. But everyone loves a good sale, so they are more than willing to overlook the secular aspects of Christmas when it suits them.
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*Fun Fact from the Mitten State: The City of Novi reputedly gets its name because it was the 6th stop on the rail line from Detroit to Chicago. The station sign read No.VI
Labels: Fundies Say The Darndest Things
annamaria at 8:36 AM
5 Comments
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at Wednesday, November 30, 2005 3:14:00 PM
Dane meets Simone said... When you refuse to acknowledge the piety of gaudy lawn ornaments, the baby Jesus weeps.
I knew that!-
at Wednesday, November 30, 2005 5:37:00 PM
annamaria said...
It's a good thing that I hedged and said that's how Novi reputedly gets its name.
But, damn it all to hell! That's such a great story. Fuck the facts for not conforming.
Welcome back, by the way!-
at Thursday, December 01, 2005 10:10:00 AM
Kurt said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
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at Thursday, December 01, 2005 10:11:00 AM
Kurt said...
That's such a great story. Fuck the facts for not conforming.
Hmmm, could it be that Annamaria is learning from and adapting the techniques of the GOP?
Perhaps the bio-clock ticking induced panic she wrote of earlier is more severe than we thought. Shrill, "I read it so it's true" attitude will definitely make her more attractive to some of those conservative wacks looking for a trophy girl. Or she could just put on some Dresden Girls....;~O
I'm glad you were able to decompress in Hawaii, jen. Looks like you got bacck just in time for some beautiful winter weather.-
at Wednesday, December 14, 2005 3:11:00 PM
said... You said,
" If "Christians" want something to complain about, they should be looking at the vapid, consumerist nightmare that Christmas has become. But everyone loves a good sale, so they are more than willing to overlook the secular aspects of Christmas when it suits them."
That is so true. There are many hypocrits in "Christianity." But that is unavoidable. It doesn't make real christianity (the kind you read about from Jesus in the Bible) not true.
There are real christians out there who celebrate the gift of God's son rather than lie to the kids about gifts from a fat dude in a red suit who puts gifts under a traditional pagan evergreen tree.
Too bad Jesus message had been lost in the selfish shuffle.
Peace!
