My answer to my friend's email about the ACLU and crosses at (Arlington)

[lostnfound]

I received a chain email from a friend about the ACLU trying to take crosses off of government property, and showing a picture of Arlington.
On edit: My mistake: He never actually said "Arlington". I assumed incorrectly. As other DUers pointed out, there are no crosses at Arlington.

This is my response.

Dear friend,
About the email you sent me, is it trying to say that the ACLU is fighting to have crosses removed from Arlington, right? Because the ACLU is not doing that.

The ACLU has -- in the last 3 years --
Supported a Christian high school student whose Christian quote was censored from the yearbook (Michigan)
Supported Jerry Falwell in opposing a restriction on churches.(Virginia)
Supported students in their right to wear anti-abortion T-shirts to school.
http://www.nsba.org/site/doc_cosa.asp?TRACKID=&VID=50&CID=469&DID=11213">Supported students in their right to pass out candy canes with a Christian message attached. (Massachusetts)
Supported free speech rights of evangelists to preach on the sidewalks of the strip in Las Vegas.
Supported free speech rights of evangelists to preach on sidewalks in Washington.
Supported free speech rights of evangelists to preach on sidewalks in Indiana.
Defended the right of a Baptist minister to preach his message on public streets.
Defended the right of students to distribute Christian literature (Iowa).
Of course, with 42 out of the last 42 Presidents having been Christian, some Christians worry that their lucky winning streak might come to an end.

Sometimes I get frustrated with the ACLU because I think they are hopelessly naiive..defending Jerry Falwell, or Nike, for example. And sometimes they make mountains out of mole hills.. So I am not a "card-carrying member". But I do really appreciate their focus these days on the Patriot Act, civil liberties, and torture.

What the ACLU seems most concerned with these days is the US becoming the new Gestapo, with the Government being utterly free to intrude into American's homes, libraries, computers, and bank accounts; round them up in the middle of the night, hold them in secret detentions without lawyers or trials or any public checks and balances; tearing down the good moral upbringing of some young American men by leading them into the darkest places in their soul and teaching them techniques of how to torture; and in general destroy the very great things that have distinguished America from the un-free masses in much of the rest of the world.

It's odd to me that so many people who complain about "big government" are ready to excuse the trampling by the government on the rights of individuals in exactly the same ways that the 'Founding Fathers' feared. (I'm not talking about you, because I know you have the wisdom of broad experiences in your life. But many others. It seems to be a defense against painful thoughts that all is not right with their team.)

Who IS hurting Christianity in America the most right now?
To answer this question will involve thinking about some painful things. As Christians, we have a responsibility to bear the cross that faces us. Part of bearing that cross is to accept the pain that comes with going against the current, that comes with being unpopular because of your beliefs. Another part of that cross is learning to love your enemies.

Even to say the words "love your enemies" today is likely to get you accused of being a traitor. Think about that.

From what I was taught, to be a Christian prevents you from treating ANYONE like this:


or this


Or -- in some ways the saddest of all -- this:


To do these things is to be anti-Christ-ian.
To deny the humanity of any human is to be un-Christ-ian.
To encourage others to do so, or to tolerate it, is unAmerican.
Dear God, don't let our country become like this.
Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers.

Every one of these people was once some mother's little boy.

Please pass this on as you see fit.

[dsc]

1. There are no crosses at Arlington to remove

Arlinton uses round tombstones. There is a picture of this in Franken's book since Cheney had lied about that in his acceptence speech in 2000.

[lostnfound]

6. How embarassing.

I have a memory like a sieve. I even READ Franken's book. Dang.

[Miss Chybil]

2. Holy Christ. This is good. nt

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Uhm, direct him to this photo

And this web site:
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

[Vickers]

4. I thought only dumbasses like Tricky Dick Cheney thought crosses

were at Arlington?

:shrug:

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

5. I think you're friend is referring to this:

Yeah, that's in Normandy. Nice try though.

Oh, and notice the Star of David too. That alone would make it okay if it were here too.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

7. Great response!

:thumbsup:

[zbdent]

8. Don't forget Snopes

they have the debunking of the "crosses at Arlington" also . . .

[lostnfound]

9. I actually looked at Snopes before I sent it

but missed the line about the photo usually being of a cemetery in Europe.