Pat Robertson Issues Dire Warning About Atheists Stealing Christmas

[unhappycamper]

http://www.alternet.org/pat-robertson-issues-dire-warning-about-atheists-stealing-christmas



Time for the bogus War on Christmas!


Pat Robertson Issues Dire Warning About Atheists Stealing Christmas
November 19, 2012 |

It's that time of year again, when atheists and Satan join forces to wage a war on Christmas. Somehow Christmas always survives, usually by the skin of its teeth, but that doesn't mean that the crusaders of modern American Christendom should lay down their weapons. In fact, they should already start worrying about the war on Christmas, even though it's not even Thanksgiving yet, according to Pat Robertson.

In a 700 Club segment flagged by Right Wing Watch, Robertson says, "The Grinch is trying to steal our holiday." The Grinch in question is atheists, and they will not be satisfied until they stamp out happiness itself.

"The nation comes together, we sing Christmas carols, we give gifts to each other. We have lighted trees, and it's just a beautiful thing," says Robertson. "Atheists don't like our happiness, they don't want you to be happy, they want you to be miserable! They're miserable, so they want you to be miserable! So they want to steal your holiday away from you."

Another way atheists are always making everyone miserable is by trying to control their sex lives. Oh wait, that's someone else.

[aandegoons]

1. Well we can't help it.

Christmas is throwing herself at us.

[2pooped2pop]

5. lol

Good one.

[farmerjay]

2. I WISH

I Wish that were so.It would mean we were beginning to move away from superstition.

[classof56]

8. Welcome to DU

n/t

[hrmjustin]

23. Welcome to DU!

[DetlefK]

3. "Sorry, mom, can't come this Christmas. I'm on Grinch-duty."

Damn, if I had known, I had to work during the Christmas-holidays as an atheist, I never would have become one.

And now please excuse me, I have to look up in the official atheist-christmas-stealing-guidelines whether I'm gonna need a costume.

[donquijoterocket]

26. costume

I expect jeans and a T-shirt are all you'd need in the way of costume, especially if the T-shirt bore some "anti-christian"message.Birkenstocks would top it off so to speak.

[2pooped2pop]

4. I'm all for taking Jesus out of Christmas.

Christians stole this holiday from the Pagans didn't they?

Hell why would most of us bother to celebrate if you took the Santa and the "Holidays" out of it?

I say FU Pat, Christmas is not yours so it can not be stolen from you.

[Voice for Peace]

19. "Festival of Lights" is something we've celebrated. All the winter traditions are about

light in time of darkness, and hope.

I clean away dust, so all surfaces in the house are reflective,
and light lights and candles through the dark weeks.

It's not about being an atheist which I'm not, or religious,
which I'm not -- it's about the beauty of light, how it takes
darkness away.

[2pooped2pop]

27. very nice. I like that way of looking at it. n/t

[RKP5637]

55. K&R !!! n/t

[Civilization2]

78. Yes, it is the Christians who stole the Winter Solstice from every tradition that came before,. .

We people have always celebrated the change from shortening days to lengthening ones,. as we are rather reliant on LIGHT!

[Divine Discontent]

46. no, the title "Christmas" is obviously Christian tradition, so you'd need to call it something else

good luck with that! ha... There are verses in the bible talking about not making a tree with silver and gold on it, but Christmas doesn't have to be about gifts, trees, decorations, etc, just the celebration of Christ, it's just that businesses saw a way to make profit off of something nearly all people celebrated in this country, so they started pumping out the decorations and toys and fancy foods and gifts marketed around the religious celebration chosen to represent Christ's birth here on Earth, whenever that truly was. I agree, festival of lights is a good term for those who don't practice Christianity, and I hope they enjoy the lights that believers and non-believers put up.

[2pooped2pop]

50. but Jesus was not born on Dec. 25th. It's a Pagan day.

Isn't it the winter solstace or something like that? I think I will call it festivus for the rest of us. (Seinfeld)

[Divine Discontent]

70. right, just the day the church chose, as they felt a specific day was necessary, but

even as a Christian myself, I don't see why that's useful if it's not true. LOL and oh my goodness, FESTIVUS love that episode. Seinfeld is my fave show ever. Family Guy coulda been, but it's pretty much sucked after the first 4 or 5 seasons, and for serious shows with some comedy mixed in, I loved MASH and All in the Family.

[LiberalElite]

87. As for the dogma of the RC Church

which I was raised in but left long ago, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in which Mary finds out she's preggers with the Son of God. (I think an angel tells her.) She gives birth a mere 13 days after. I guess once you get people to believe in the virgin birth, the length of the gestation period doesn't matter.

[rock]

6. If it weren't for guys like Pat Robertson, Christmas wouldn't be worth taking!

[Enrique]

7. this is my favorite thing about Christmas

the WAR!

[hunter]

9. I celebrate Christ's birthday on Halloween.

Born of a Virgin, Risen From the Dead, Water into wine, all that...

The date seems more appropriate than the holiday European Christians stole from their pagan neighbors, where the Northern Peoples had one grand party before they had to start stacking their starved and frozen dead outside like cordwood until the ground thawed.

[svpadgham]

10. Even if we steal Christmas

The Christians should be fine singing without their rare roast beast, Who pudding, and Who hash.

[catbyte]

11. Booga booga booga, you old fart

[Rain Mcloud]

12. OMG!

Breaking News Flash: Alaric and the Visigoths are sacking Rome in an attempt to vandalize Christmas.

[NYC Liberal]

13. And your Christmas was stolen from the pagans, so you're one to talk.

[AldoLeopold]

15. Don't worry about us

We manage to steal it back every 12/21. Then we get a bonus holiday on 12/25 which I personally term "no work gifts fat guy red suit day."

Merry no work gifts fat guy red suit day and to all a good night!

[Divine Discontent]

47. sounds like the religious leaders of the time thought, hey, lets put our celebration of Christ's

birth, right on top of their date to overpower it. Regardless, it's hard to get away from something when so many people practice it (that's how I feel as a gay person, and all the straight people were getting married around me for decades and hearing "man and wife" as if it was exclusive for them, and then hearing anti-gay crap nearly every single day), so I feel for those who are of another faith, or don't believe anything.

I won't wish you Merry Christmas this year, ok? LOL...

[geardaddy]

14. Fuck Robertson. n/t

[Wolf Frankula]

16. Help us win the War on Christmas

Back the Attack! We can win the war on Christmas.

Wolf

[JohnnyRingo]

22. That's freakin hilarious.

Maybe we can have a War On Xmas bond drive to raise money for our atheist decorations.

It seems early this year, but I don't mind doing my part by donning the (Santa) uniform of our country and telling young children there's no God.

[hootinholler]

74. Hey that's a great idea!

We can donate the money to Children's Hospitals, or cancer research, or ???

[ChazInAz]

79. Oh, Mithras!

I must have that poster.

[Gamecock Lefty]

17. Check out Those Christians Fighting Each Other at Wal-Mart This Season!

Maybe Robertson can celebrate the birth of Jesus with his brethern from Westboro Baptist?

[AtheistCrusader]

18. Excuse me, I was paged to this thread.

I heard the word 'Christmas', so I'm here to kick over the furniture and rub dogshit on the walls.

[JohnnyRingo]

20. And...There's the first shot in this year's "War On Xmas". It's officially on!

I remember in the old days, the war didn't start until after Thanksgiving each year. Now it seems it just gets earlier and earlier.

Still, I'm not going to put up my atheist decorations until next week. Call me a traditionalist if you will, but I prefer to wait until there's snow on the ground before I shatter the faith of small children and Jesus freaks.

On edit:
BTW... that is a very well written side commentary by you. It's become a lost art as many just take 30 seconds to link a video and move on to the next post in their tally. K&R.

[Metro135]

21. Huh?

I thought Pat was in a strait-jacket at the Pauly Shore Home for the Hopelessly Bewildered.

Did he manage to escape?

[WhoIsNumberNone]

24. Shut up Pat. Madison Avenue stole Christmas from you a long time ago

And you stole the holiday from the Pagans anyway.

[urbuddha]

25. Happy Christian Pagan Holiday !

Christmas has already moved past Thanksgiving and into Halloween. To each his own, just don't push it on the rest of us.
Happy Christian Pagan Holiday !

[Bossy Monkey]

28. Oh, just sing Dah who dor-aze and the atheists' hearts will grow three sizes, just like every year:)

[zebrastripe]

29. Look inwards to find the thief

The Christians are waging war on their own Christmas. By allowing the grotesque and offensive Commercialization of what should be a Holy Day, the Christians are themselves diminishing their faith to the idolatry of material goods. The commercialization has become so accepted that numerous stores are disrupting and destroying a beautiful family holiday, Thanksgiving, by opening their stores on Thanksgiving.
Christians should celebrate their religion in their Churches, homes and their hearts.

[Lars77]

30. It's not atheism that's against christmas. Capitalsm has already ruined it.

This is what christmas is all about:

[lindysalsagal]

54. OK how much tequila will it take to get that image out of my head!?!?!?!

[RKP5637]

59. Yep, it's all about $$$$$ and who can get the most lemmings into

their store to buy buy buy. Capitalism sucks!!!

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

31. Oh, for shit's sake, it's not even Thanksgiving yet...

Can you save the annual "War on Christmas" until November 23? Is that so fucking hard, you freaking lunatic?

[CarmanK]

32. CHRISTMAS cannot be stolen from the faithful, it is in their hearts and minds.

It is ridiculous that men like this guy who has made a fortune using religion as a hoe of hate to judge where and when and who celebrates CHRISTMAS appropriately. CHRISTMAS is the spirit that is within. It is a great story with a loving end. In the US Christmas has been MARKETED in order to sell goods, but in reality THINGS/STUFF have nothing to do with the spirit and the celebration of the holiday. It is just the trimmings. The US is a nation of diversity, and nothing should remind us more about how imp that is to our society than what is happening in the middle east between the Jews & Palestinians. Those civilizations have existed for centuries and still cannot get along. The fractures in their societies are heartbreaking and so unnecessary.
So, lets be grateful that we are a nation where religious freedom matters and each is FREE to worship according to their consciences and RELIGIOUS zealotry was rejected by the voter when GOP tried to suppress women, starve children and deny the hungry food to eat.

[FlaGranny]

33. If I steal it,

what can I do with it? Hold it hostage for ransome maybe? Hide it in the attic?

[moonlady0623]

34. omg

Shut. The. Fuck. Up. As a CULTURE we celebrate a winter holiday that is commonly called "Christmas." Get over yourself.

And instead of banning Christian displays, ADD icons of OTHER winter holidays. Folks have been celebrating the Return of the SUN forever.

We are a nation of diverse religions, we ought to act like it.

(Recovered pretty much from Catholicism, last called myself Eclectic Wiccan, seem to have a thing for Ganesha and Buddha lately)

[AlbertCat]

35. Stupid me! I'm so embarrassed!

I signed up for the War on Easter!

[Seniorcousin]

36. What are we waiting for?

Stealing Christmas can wait. When are the United Nations troops from Kenya coming to take everyone's guns away and what's taking so long to ban heterosexual marriage? And why haven't we nationalized the twinkie factories!? I sneezed today at work and a wing-nut said "God bless you." I told him he can't say that anymore! You can say Allah bless you or Obama bless you, but the G word is illegal.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

37. Reminds me- I'll have to make sure and actually get a Festivus pole this year...

I've been procrastinating too long.

[Heather MC]

38. Turn about is fair play Christians stole Christmas from the Pagans

[Faygo Kid]

39. "Oh, and send money, too."

That's Pat.

[AsahinaKimi]

40. I wish he would put a

Sock...um, a Stocking in it!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

41. How many know that he was in the Marine Corps during Korea-a liquor officer who delivered the booze

[Hissyspit]

42. I thought this fucker had died.

I can't keep my "lunatic old bigoted white guys with media presence keeping them wealthy who have died" straight.

[NEOBuckeye]

43. Heaven turned him away...

And Hell doesn't want him either.

[MNBrewer]

44. Bwahahaha! FUck YOU, Pat Robertson!

Bah! Humbug!

[amywalk]

45. Well, the Puritans in America outlawed any celebration of Christmas in the 1600s. I believe there wa

s a split between the North and the South before the Civil War. i believe the North was anti and the South was pro, partying like crazy.

[Divine Discontent]

48. maybe we need to just ignore the most insane of crazies...

let them babble to themselves in an echo chamber. Patty is one of the worst humans I've seen, with the hate he's spewed for decades.

[Pakid]

49. Since the bible gives no date for the birth of Christ

and Christmas was a Roman pagan holiday I have to wonder just what is it that atheist are trying to steal Pat. Could it be they are trying to steal all the money you take in by lying to people every day of your life? Pat you do know that Americas early settlers like the Puritans did not celebrate Christmas at all so maybe atheist are just trying to get back to Americas roots!

[Iggy]

51. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[RKP5637]

52. Look!!! It's a talking dinosaur!!! n/t

[Kennah]

53. After stealing Christmas, could one sell it on Ebay? n/t

[doc03]

56. Oh I am glad you reminded us, when do we start the War On Christmas

this year?

[RKP5637]

61. Looks like Pat fired the first shot! n/t

[lindysalsagal]

57. Actually, Pat, this atheist hadn't given you the slightest thought

Say something intelligent, and I'll actually think about you for a few seconds.....

Until then,
Remember, everyone: It's a 2-tree/day minimum this year. Last year, we didn't get nearly enough trees torn down to make any significant difference.

Start with your mother-in-law's tree, and then move on to the little kids in your neighborhood.

[RKP5637]

58. This dumb F'er always makes everything hostile ... they're taking this, they're taking

that, always a war with this guy, spends most of his time tearing others apart and offers little in return IMO.

[Skittles]

60. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[nakocal]

62. Pat Robertson and Jesus have never met

Pat Robertson is not a Christian. He is in the "Jesus" business to separate the ignorant from their money. Being a Christian is about actions, not words. And Robertson's actions are full of hate.

[rrneck]

63. Atheists don't have a problem with your happiness.

We don't like YOU. Fucker.

[Ed Suspicious]

64. As an athiest I don't give half a shit what Pat Robertson or any other

Christian does with their time and energy during the holiday season.

[VPStoltz]

65. They already have you ninny!

They're called: credit card companies, Wall Street, Madison Avenue, XBox, Microsoft, Apple, Waltmart, blah, blah, blah...

[PatrynXX]

66. given the rubio thread

probably right but fascinating how silent he was about Sandy. Like when God decides Obama should win he sends Sandy to show how Obama can handle things.

Yeah the Rubio thread is bound to get my in trouble. why I have no idea. Whoever ran that one is religiously intolerant. DU's right I guess. This site is not a Democracy and there's alot of mean people with tempers and knee jerks. Which is why I usually end up on Huffpo more often now and yall remind me again and again from time to time. Rubio was being an idiot in that he reads the bible he should know. Science has nothing to do with it..


Right now though think Israel is trying to steal Christmas for many others...

[marybourg]

67. Frankly, I congratulate myself every year for not having

to run around buying junk for those who already have too much junk and pretending to be grateful for the junk others give me. I think christmas is a huge con game that I have been lucky enough to avoid for 70 years by an accident of birth, and not only wouldn't I steal it, you couldn't give it to me even if it were covered in chocolate. I do like the old hymns, though. But I don't have to steal them; they're given to me over and over and over and. . .

[DFW]

68. So-called "Christians" and their war on Christmas

This seems to have become more of a traditional holiday season event than manger scenes at southern shopping malls.

[smirkymonkey]

69. Festivus for the rest of rest of of us!

Let's all celebrate the new holiday!

[Honeycombe8]

71. Too late! The corporations stole it decades ago! The corporations that Robertson supports!nt

[Hepburn]

72. Hey, Pat...

...when are you going to apologize for the Christians stealing our Pagan holiday. Just asking....

[Don C. Nuttin]

73. a senior moment/a familiar meme

Do you like pornography?

[cynatnite]

75. Well, it doesn't really feel like Christmas until we start the war on it. n/t

[eringer]

76. What about his Jan 2012 revelation that God told him who would win the 2012 Presidential Election?

Remember this?
No need to follow any more campaign news. The winner of the presidential campaign in 2012 has been decided.

Television evangelist Pat Robertson says he spent a week praying and God told him who the next president would be. But Robertson would only say this on his Christian Broadcasting Network:

"I'm not supposed to talk about that so I'll leave you in the dark—probably just as well—I think I know who it's gonna be.”

Robertson revealed other revelations for 2012, saying the "future of the world is at stake," in a spiritual battle that "can only be won by overwhelming prayer." He also says God told him America would be torn apart by economic collapse.

That last prediction from the Almighty sounds a bit last year though, doesn't it?

[rockbluff botanist]

77. I love how christians co-op Pagan holidays for their own amusement

gift giving, lights, Christmas trees, singing and everything else fun about Christmas is Pagan. He truly is stupid!

[azbillyboy]

80. And I Thought....

....That ghouls were only a Hollywood creation!

Does anyone think Pat has ever gotten laid in his life

AND

If yes, what gender was his (unlucky) partner?

[robbob]

81. The truely ironic part

...a lot of "born again" fundamental Christians also feel that there is no need to celebrate Christmas; as "true believers" they also recognize that what we call Christmas was originally a pagan holiday and they, by instruction of the bible itself (anyone know the chapter and verse?) they refuse to hold one day of the year above any other and in fact do not recognize ANY religious festivals, most of which were originally put into place by the Roman Catholic church, which according to the born agains would be akin to celebrating a holiday created by Satan himself!

So why don't you go on about how the fundamentalist are ruining Christmas, Pat?

[davidpdx]

82. Hey Pat, I'm not only going to steal Christmas

I'm going to burn it on your front lawn. How do you like them apples?

[XtopherXtopher]

83. Wait... he called me miserable?

He obviously hasn't met many atheists. We are far from miserable and have no interest in increasing the misery of others. Religious people, on the other hand...

[defacto7]

84. Now, what the hell

would I want with their Christmas?

They can have it.

[armed_and_liberal]

85. All I did was put a dick on the snowman!

Now I'm to blame for Pat Robertson's miserable Christmas?

[LiberalElite]

86. Why would atheists steal something they don't need? This guy never makes any sense. nt

[MyNameGoesHere]

88. I have my Stinger missile battery prepared

to take out flying reindeer. I have my flame thrower lit for any errant x-mas trees, I have my sonic weapons at the ready to whack a few of those who come A-Wassailing, and the silos are on high alert to take out nativity scenes. War on Christmas? Game on.

[penndragon69]

89. Religiouse freedom in America ? MY ASS !

With the constant WAR on ATHEISM and SECULARISM, there is a
war on non-belivers fought every day.

Burn in HELL robertson.

[LukeFL]

90. And according to pat atheists are all

Liberal democrats who do not believe in GOD and are trying to wage a war against God.

He's an ass