Bill O’Reilly tells David Silverman: “Christianity is not a religion"

[cbayer]

http://www.examiner.com/article/bill-o-reilly-tells-david-silverman-christianity-is-not-a-religion


NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 25: Bill O'Reilly attends the TIME's screening of Lincoln and Q & A on October 25, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)

NOVEMBER 28, 2012
BY: BRYIAN REVONER

In another great battle for the political ages, Fox News host Bill O’Reilly and the president of American Atheists David Silverman locked horns once again on Wednesday November 28, 2012 on the “Factor,” as the holiday sparks flew over the legitimacy of the Christmas holiday.

As many of you may know, Fox News trots out its favorite, annual Trojan horse known as the War on Christmas around this time, and this year is no different. Fox’s Bill O’Reilly is once again reeling in anger over the non-traditional, anti-Christmas antics of Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee and his politically correct idea to label the official state tree a “holiday tree” instead of a "Christmas tree," and this is what set the stage for O’Reilly and Silverman to have yet another corybantic clash.

O’Reilly came right out of the gate firing at Silverman asking him why he is so hell-bent on attacking the time honored tradition of Christmas. O’Reilly told Silverman that if he wanted to celebrate the Winter Solstice it was his American right to do so, like it is someone else’s right to celebrate Christmas.

Silverman countered with his argument by declaring that it was not anyone’s right to celebrate Christmas, because the government forces people to acknowledge and participate in Christmas on some level—either directly or indirectly, because it is a federal holiday. Silverman then irately complained to a stunned O’Reilly that he is unable to go to most stores, get his mail, or work on Christmas day, and that infringes on his rights, because he doesn’t have the power to force his employers to open for business on Christmas.

more at link

[Speck Tater]

1. I saw that. They are BOTH buffoons! nt

[okasha]

12. And just think of all those millions of resident aliens

forced not to go to work on the 4th. of July. Scandalous! And all those MBA mangement types forced to observe Labor Day. Awful!

[cbayer]

13. And the Jews and Asians who celebrate a different New Years Day!

The horror!!

[louis-t]

2. Christianity...is...not....eh...

Jeez, these idiots make my head hurt.

[unblock]

3. the crap that comes out of his mouth isn't speech so the first amendment doesn't apply to him either

two can play that silly game!

[immoderate]

4. Equivocation is a favorite right wing diversion.

O'Reilly wants to change the argument to hair spitting on the meaning of words.

--imm

[dmallind]

5. Bullshit. So Christ isn't divine then Bill? You want to spell that out for your teabagger viewers?

[AlbertCat]

6. Ahhhh the war on Christmas!

More insubstantial prattle.



Besides, doesn't Bill-o know Jesus makes the tides go in and out?

[47of74]

7. Yep, the rear guard action has already begun

[Dorian Gray]

8. I don't want to read this article bc I can't stand him

but technically, isn't he correct?

I mean, Catholicism, Baptism, 7th Day Adventism, Lutheranism, Episcopalianism, etc. are all recognized religions. Christianity is just the group that they fall into. I suppose non-demoninational Christianity would be a religious movement.

But I don't know if that's where he's making his argument from. Whether he is or isn't, he is one of the most unlikable people I've ever seen on television, and I've taken to changing the channel whenever he's on.

[cbayer]

9. But that wasn't really his point.

He got caught up in a 1st amendment argument because Silverman was complaining that the government was forcing him to recognize a religious holiday. That's when he said it's not a religion. Had he made the argument you are making, he might not have sounded so ludicrous, but he didn't.

And I agree. He is loathsome.

[Dorian Gray]

11. Thanks for correcting me

I should know better than to comment on something I have no intention of reading.

[Phillip McCleod]

10. christianity is not a philosophy

to bill o' and the like islam is a political movement, not a religion. now christianity is a philosophy too? i don't think so. philosophy is the love of wisdom. i see little that is wise about for instance the book of revelations which predicts the death of everyone except a 144k chosen jews-turned-christians.

perhaps in the loosest sense of the word there is such a thing as 'corporate philosophy' but that meaning of the word is not the same as a 'real' philosophy in which the thinker thinks things through. reason doesn't enter into any part of christian faith. it is blind or it isn't.