Daily Show Declares ‘War on Christmas’ a Joke
Sometimes only the court jester can successfully call out the king for wearing no clothes. While Fox News, John DePetro, Bishop Tobin and Rep. Doreen Costa are hardly still royalty in post-tea party America, John Stewart can still shed some sanity on their completely fabricated and self-indulgent “war on Christmas.” After all, I’m certain the [...]
Catholics Should Focus on Christ, Not Holiday Decorations
Christmas tree, holiday tree … whatever you want to call it, it has absolutely nothing to do with Christianity and the religious connections to the season. So why is Bishop Tobin so eager to weigh in on this media-fueled dust up? I would think the leader of the Catholic Church would use his ever-shrinking pool [...]
In EG, DePetro, RI Future’s Hometown, It’s a Holiday Tree
The decorated tree in front of East Greenwich Town Hall, like the one on the State House rotunda, is called a holiday tree, reports East Greenwich Patch. “Was this a Christmas Tree lighting?” wrote editor Elizabeth McNamara. “Not according to the notation on the town’s calendar, which referred to a ‘holiday tree lighting.’” Ironically enough, [...]
Chafee Takes On O’Reilly, Defends Religious Freedom
Earlier this week I criticized Gov Linc Chafee for not taking on John DePetro, whom we all knew was champing at the bit to spew his annual holiday hate about all things secular – most specifically the dead fir tree in the State House serving as a yuletide decoration. Tonight Chafee did me one better, [...]
Chafee: RI Should Honor Religious Tolerance
After unceremoniously flipping the switch, Governor Chafee said he is surprised Rhode Islanders aren’t more supportive the state’s long history of religious freedom and tolerance but said he’s surprised more of the local media isn’t focusing on how those values contrast with controversy over the holiday tree. “I’ve been surprised there hasn’t been more respect [...]
Holiday Tree Debate About Freedom, Not Christmas
Let me be clear about something: just like every other reasonable Rhode Islander, it matters very little to me what the state calls its seasonal decorations. That is not at all why RI Future has dedicated so much space to this issue. We’re revisiting this topic so often because WPRO, one of the most influential [...]
Fact Checking DePetro
John DePetro is spreading holiday lies again this year. Yesterday he falsely claimed a “flash mob” he organized last year did not interrupt the Children’s Choir when they began singing “O’ Christmas Tree” to drown out the kids who were singing “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas.” Video, taken at the scene, proves otherwise. Also keep [...]
Are We Getting Worked Up Over the Tree Again?
It seems there’s nothing we enjoy more than a good ol’ fashioned religion in the public square debate here in Rhode Island. And, once again, WPRO has come for The Tree. Due to the un-Christian manner in which so-called “Christians” behaved last time, Governor Lincoln Chafee has declined to host a tree lighting ceremony.* I [...]
Will DePetro, Tobin Incite Holiday Hate This Season
I’m a little disappointed that Gov. Chafee is attempting to sidestep a skirmish with John DePetro and Bishop Tobin. Call it a holiday tree and let these two continue to alienate themselves from mainstream Rhode Island by acting like dogmatic religious bullies out of touch with the concept of equality. Last year, Tobin likened Chafee [...]
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