Author Topic: ABC's Barbara Walters Slams White House Christmas Card for including Scripture (Read 12904 times)

Desertdog · « **on:** December 15, 2007, 04:26:36 PM »

I think she should be fooded with Christmas cards with scripture verses in them.

ABC's Barbara Walters Slams White House Christmas Card for including Scripture
By Colleen Raezler of the Culture and Media Institute
http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/dec/07121403.html

LOS ANGELES, CA, December 14, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Barbara Walters likes to receive Christmas greetings from high-profile celebrities and leaders, but apparently not if they refer to the Bible.

On Thursday's episode of ABC's The View, Walters expressed dismay that President and Mrs. Bush would send out greetings containing Scripture.

During the segment, Walters showed the other gals some of the "highfalutin Christmas cards," and explained the White House card:

"First of all, let me show you the cover of the White House, which is nice and bland&So that's pleasant enough. This is what interested me, that it is a religious Christmas card. Usually in the past when I have received a Christmas card, it's been 'happy holiday's' and so on- And this says:

"'You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You gave life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.'

"That's from Nehemiah in the Old Testament. I don't remember- and I'm sure people will remind me-getting a religious card. Now does this also go to agnostics and atheists and Muslims and -"

Moderator Whoopie Goldberg and co-host Sherri Shepherd tried to steer clear of controversy by joking that the Scriptures were about Walters, but Walters persisted in her critique, asking, "Don't you think it's a little interesting that the president of all the people is sending out a religious Christmas card?"

Walters showed her co-hosts a Christmas card from Elton John and his partner David Furnish that had angels on the cover. She didn't have similar concerns over the religious imagery as she did about the Scripture printed in the White House card.

Co-host Joy Behar pointed out to Walters that Elton John's card was "religious," and Walters responded, "But it doesn't say anything religious. It says 'Season's Greetings.'"

Later in the show Walters did say, "By the way, I don't want to put down the President of the United States and his wife. I think it's very nice that they sent me a Christmas card."

Christmas greetings can be sent to Barbara Walters at the following address. CMI asks that Christmas greetings be worded in the spirit of the season.

Barbara Walters
c/o The View
320 West 66th Street
New York, NY 10023

mfree · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2007, 04:33:01 PM »

*sigh*

A Christmas card is not a governmental function, it's a personal gesture from the President. The President is religious, ergo so is the sentiment. Merry f'in CHRISTmas, Babwa.

That's a hell of a thing coming from an eclectic pantheist, let me tell you...

Manedwolf · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2007, 04:35:47 PM »

I think she's off the list now!

Sergeant Bob · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2007, 04:39:05 PM »

Why doesn't that funny talking b!tch just shut her speech impedimented (new word) pei hole and take it in the spirit in which it was given. If she sneezes and someone says G-d bless you, does she get upset?

All these idiots crying about religious messages during the Christmas season need to get a clue as to why people celebrate this time of year.

wooderson · « **Reply #4 on:** December 15, 2007, 05:05:17 PM »

Nothing she said even vaguely approaches a 'slam.'

Christians should really cede the Cross to Jesus...

MechAg94 · « **Reply #5 on:** December 15, 2007, 05:54:31 PM »

True, not a slam, but still pretty foolish, IMO.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #6 on:** December 15, 2007, 05:57:20 PM »

Quote

"That's from Nehemiah in the Old Testament. I don't remember- and I'm sure people will remind me-getting a religious card. Now does this also go to agnostics and atheists and Muslims and -"

Moderator Whoopie Goldberg and co-host Sherri Shepherd tried to steer clear of controversy by joking that the Scriptures were about Walters, but Walters persisted in her critique, asking, "Don't you think it's a little interesting that the president of all the people is sending out a religious Christmas card?"

Methinks Baba Wawa needs to go back to Religion 101. Apparently she has forgotten (or, more likely, never knew) a couple of things:

(1) "Christmas" means "Christ mass". It's a RELIGIOUS holiday, lady ... a CHRISTIAN religious holiday. Why would a Christian (which Bush was, last time I checked) NOT send a religious card for a religious holiday?

(2) A quotation from the Old Testament is not, I think, antithetical to Islam. Islam came along AFTER Jesus. Islam traces its roots to Abraham -- the SAME Abraham to whom Jews and Christians also trace their religious roots. Islam accepts that the Old Testament prophets were prophets, and Islam has pretty much the same group of angels and archangels as Christianity. Perhaps one of our Muslim members will weigh in on this, but I don't see a quotation from the Old Testament as being unacceptable to a Muslim.

wooderson · « **Reply #7 on:** December 15, 2007, 05:58:04 PM »

I thought Christmas was Latin for "stolen from the pagans"?

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #8 on:** December 15, 2007, 06:03:23 PM »

Quote from: wooderson on December 15, 2007, 04:58:04 PM

I thought Christmas was Latin for "stolen from the pagans"?

That was only the tree ...

Early Christianity in northern Europe adopted the tree as a way to make the pagans, who celebrated the winter solstice, feel welcome in Christianity. They missed by a couple of days, but it's not an accident that Christmas is celebrated at the time of the solstice. There's no historical documentation to suggest that Jesus was actually born on December 25th, and there?s a lot to suggest that he wasn't.

bunni · « **Reply #9 on:** December 15, 2007, 07:44:57 PM »

It's The View! Two weeks ago they were saying the earth was flat, and last week they denied the existence of time BC. I wouldn't get too worked up about it.

Thor · « **Reply #10 on:** December 16, 2007, 06:01:24 AM »

I guess that the First Amendment, in it's entirety, fails Barbara Walters......

longeyes · « **Reply #11 on:** December 16, 2007, 06:22:42 AM »

There's a time to keep one's thoughts to oneself. This was such a time. No need to "share" with millions. We now have an entire culture of self-aggrandizing mouth-offs who just won't shut up.

atomd · « **Reply #12 on:** December 16, 2007, 06:59:46 AM »

Bush has the right to put whatever the heck he wants in his Christmas cards, and Bahbah has the right to complain as much as she wants about it. It's not "PC" to send religious things to everyone in creation, but being pc is a bunch of garbage anyways. On the other hand, it's always these born-agains that want to get as much Jesus into every single thing they can these days. Their intentions are most likely good but a lot of people find it annoying...like the type that goes on MySpace and sends a bulletin about Jesus every single day to every person on their list. People need to relax. Sure, some can say it's a religious holiday only (and it technically is of course), but most of the celebration and events have nothing to do with religion. Do you think most people spend more time shopping and decorating or more time at mass? A good portion of the celebrating and icons of Christmas have nothing to do with any religion at all and are definitely not Christian. Do you really think that most people in the world think of it first and foremost as a celebration of the birth of Christ? Probably not..... I don't think children running to the tree on Christmas morning are overwhelmed with joy because of the birth of Christ. You can love it or hate it but I don't think Christmas is truly isn't about Christ anymore, it's more of a celebration of family and friends.

Oh, and these people who say "winter carnival" and try to take anything remotely religious out of it are even worse than the bible thumping end of it. Everyone needs to relax and have fun.

Paddy · « **Reply #13 on:** December 16, 2007, 07:08:07 AM »

It just shows more bad judgment on the part of this failed administration. Or maybe it's just another 'in your face, 'I'm-holier-than-you-and-the-evildoers-because-I-cite-scripture' move.

Either way, it's more Bush stupidity.

Matthew Carberry · « **Reply #14 on:** December 16, 2007, 01:10:52 PM »

10 Things Christians and Atheists Can (And Must) Agree On

http://www.cracked.com/article_15759_10-things-christians-atheists-can-must-agree-on.html

roo_ster · « **Reply #15 on:** December 16, 2007, 04:03:59 PM »

Quote from: RileyMc on December 16, 2007, 06:08:07 AM

It just shows more bad judgment on the part of this failed administration. Or maybe it's just another 'in your face, 'I'm-holier-than-you-and-the-evildoers-because-I-cite-scripture' move.

Either way, it's more Bush stupidity.

Dude, do you have your "I hate GWB" boilerplate insertion mapped to F2 or something?

nico · « **Reply #16 on:** December 16, 2007, 04:19:58 PM »

umm, yeah I bet Muslims get really pissed when somebody sends them a religious Christmas card. rolleyes

I never pegged Barbara Walters as a Rhodes Scholar, but is she really so dumb that she doesn't understand why a CHRISTMAS (!) card would be religious?

edit: for real hilarity, check out the comments over at huffpo:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/12/13/the-white-houses-super-c_n_76648.html

and here's the video:
http://en.sevenload.com/videos/vIpvQuO/bw-card

roo_ster · « **Reply #17 on:** December 16, 2007, 04:25:17 PM »

Quote from: wooderson on December 15, 2007, 04:58:04 PM

I thought Christmas was Latin for "stolen from the pagans"?

The Roman pagans "stole" it from the Christians...or at least initiated another pagan holiday. The Christians were getting numerous and their celebration was getting pretty popular among the pagans, who were letting their traditional beliefs be diluted. The Roman emperor at the time, in a bid to prop up the ailing state religion, initiated yet another pagan festival to compete.

What gets interesting, is that there are enough pagan festivals 'round the calendar, that the date of Christ's Mass could have been anywhere on the calendar and be close enough to a pagan holiday to be accused of trying to horn in on it.

Quote from: Hawkmoon on December 15, 2007, 05:03:23 PM

Quote from: wooderson on December 15, 2007, 04:58:04 PM

I thought Christmas was Latin for "stolen from the pagans"?

That was only the tree ...

Early Christianity in northern Europe adopted the tree as a way to make the pagans, who celebrated the winter solstice, feel welcome in Christianity. They missed by a couple of days, but it's not an accident that Christmas is celebrated at the time of the solstice. There's no historical documentation to suggest that Jesus was actually born on December 25th, and there?s a lot to suggest that he wasn't.

The date of Christ's birth was chosen according to Jewish traditional belief at the time. That belief being that the date of a Jewish prophet's death and conception occurs on the same date of the year. Good Friday + 9 mo = Christmas, more or less.

280plus · « **Reply #18 on:** December 16, 2007, 05:14:27 PM »

Let me see if I got this straight, Bush is a pagan who put a religious statement on the Christmas cards he stole from the Romans and then sent them to Muslims, Jews and atheists just to piss off RileyMc,,, and it WORKED? Man, he's good! shocked