The Gregoirinch That Stole Christmas

Within the past week, we here at the Rouge Revival Blog have posted two articles pertaining to: 1. An attempt by Atheist to undermine Christmas, as well as yesterday’s piece on; 2. The sad state of our nation's state governors.

It appears that one huge story, coming out of the State of Washington, unfortunately covers both topics and provides us with today’s update.

Governor Christine Gregoire (D), has insulted Christians all over the world by allowing Atheists to invade the state’s traditional holiday display, which features a Christmas tree and the Nativity scene (perfectly appropriate since the Christmas Federal and State holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem).

“But what to my wandering eyes did appear?” Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads, "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Those words are not sugar plums dancing in your ears, no-no, you’ve read the sign correctly. The governor of Washington State has permitted an attack on religion to be displayed in her State Capital Office Building as part of a ‘Christmas’ presentation.

Would somebody please get Andy Williams back in the studio. He needs to record a new secular middle eight to his holiday classic: “The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.”

“There'll be gay pride for hosting

Terr-o-rists for toasting

And Atheists out in the snow

There'll be Supreme Court stories
That’ll kill all the glories of
Christmases long, long ago”

Democrat Christine Gregoire’s election to the ofice in 2004 over Republican Dino Rossi was the closest gubernatorial race in American history. Rossi led after two machine counts by 261 votes and 47 votes, respectively, before losing a final manual count by 129 votes. One can only imagine how many homeless, illegal aliens and dead people provided Gregoire the authority to mock and marginalize the United States Christmas tradition.

Fox News TV personality Bill O'Reilly called the display "political correctness gone mad" and urged viewers to call Gov. Christine Gregoire's office to complain. If you are interested in doing so, I have included her contact information, at the end of this article.

Gregoire spokesman Pearse Edwards says the office has been getting about 200 calls an hour, as well as e-mails. The Capitol has had a holiday tree, provided by the Association of Washington Business, for 19 years. In 2006, it was joined by a menorah sponsored by a Seattle Jewish group. That prompted a lawmaker from Spokane to stage a protest at the Capitol, demanding the holiday tree be called a "Christmas tree." It also led a local real estate agent to sue the state to allow the nativity display depicting the birth of Jesus.

Governor Gregoire and Attorney General Rob McKenna put out a joint statement Wednesday noting that the federal lawsuit led the state to create a policy allowing groups to sponsor a display "regardless of that individual's or group's views." And added: "The U.S. Supreme Court has been consistent and clear that, under the Constitution's First Amendment, once government admits one religious display onto public property, it may not discriminate against the content of other displays.”

Hmmm, “one religious display" … lets take a look at Webster’s definition of the word ‘religion’ … shall we?!

Re⋅li⋅gion - Pronunciation [ri-lij-uh n] –noun
1. set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific spiritually fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Jewish religion.
3. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

Atheism is the antithesis of religion. A religion requires a strong faith in a belief system, and atheism repudiates both faith and belief. In religion, faith is a virtue. To an atheist, skepticism is the virtue.

“ … it’s the most con-fu-sing timmmmme, of the year!”

Write Governor Gregoire a Letter:

Governor Chris Gregoire, Office of the Governor, PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Give Governor Gregoire's Office a Call:

Governor's Office 360 902-4111 (for the deaf or hard of hearing, please dial 711)

Fax Governor Gregoire a Letter:

Governor's Fax Number 360 753-4110

Proclamation of Thanksgiving - 1863

Washington, D.C. October 3, 1863

This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders like this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.

Sarah Josepha Hale, a prominent magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival." She wrote, "You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution." The document below sets apart the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."

According to an April 1, 1864, letter from John Nicolay, one of President Lincoln's secretaries, this document was written by Secretary of State William Seward, and the original was in his handwriting. On October 3, 1863, fellow Cabinet member Gideon Welles recorded in his diary that he complimented Seward on his work. A year later the manuscript was sold to benefit Union troops.

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation: The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battlefield; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.

I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State