What the heck?
@helpful_ideas (1620)
United States
November 30, 2006 3:09pm CST
Okay, I understand that each religion thinks that it is the best one and thinks its celebrations are the ones that matter, but in a country FOUNDED on freedom of religion, which places great value in the separation of church and state, why the heck are people so bloody HAPPY that the White House has wasted tons of tax payer money decorating specifically for a religious holiday?
I understand if an individual wants to celebrate his religion but should I be required to pay for it?
If there were a Satanist/Buddhist/Taoist/anything-other-than-the-mass-public's-religious-person in office who wanted to spend that much tax-payer money celebrating a non-mainstream religious holiday I guarantee you there would be lawsuits for misconduct.
Instead people are patting each other on the back "Our good ol' boy has brought Christianity back to the white house" where it doesn't belong!
I just needed to rant for a minute and clear my mind about this. Am I totally off-base here?
3 people like this
4 responses
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
30 Nov 06
You are not off base. I agree 100%. State and religion should be seperate. If George W. wants to decorate the white house he should spend his own damn money and save tax payers money for schools or health care.
1 person likes this
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
1 Dec 06
Thank you. I was beginning to wonder what with the patting on the back going on up there.
1 person likes this
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
19 Dec 06
Thinking about this more, the main thing that bothers me is no one seems to see that government spending on a religious holiday is an issue. I wonder if it is because the majority of citizens agree with or are neutral about the particular religion it is being spent on?
1 person likes this
@kbkbooks (7022)
• Canada
22 Dec 06
If the country is truly based on freedom of religion, doesn't even the president have the freedom to celebrate and decorate the way he pleases? Freedom of religion is good enough for the rest of the country, why isn't it good enough for George and Laura?
1 person likes this
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
22 Dec 06
They are welcome to use their OWN money to decorate however they please, but public funds should not be used for religious purposes. Major problem there.
1 person likes this
@MrNiceGuy (4141)
• United States
20 Dec 06
That's the ONLY MISPENDING of taxpayer money your upset about? There are far worse misappropritions to be angry about.
But here's my view on it. The President gets money to decorate his house. This is the White House, which is paid for by the executive branch via tax dollars. Now he can decorate any way he wants because for the time being its his house. Why can't he decorate his house in a manner appropriate for HIS religion? Are we going to make him not practice celebrations just to make it look more fair? That's unfair itself. If the President were Buddhist, I'm sure that money would go into Buddhist decorations instead.
And YOU, personally, probably aren't even paying anything near a noticeable share of the Presidents decorations any ways. Probably like .000007 cents worth of it.
1 person likes this
@helpful_ideas (1620)
• United States
20 Dec 06
Good point. I really don't think we should be paying for the housing nor decorating of a public official's house when he already gets a salary and other "gifts" from lobbyists and the like.
He can celebrate anything he likes on his own money and he should not give up his beliefs or practices just to be a public servant.
And I DO get upset about other misspending as well. This one is just so blatantly obvious (to me at least) and people seem to be missing it entirely.
1 person likes this
