One thought on last night’s replay of Charlie Brown’s Christmas. Nancy and I each thought “uh oh!. The religious comments and Bible quotations would not fly in today’s time.” Linus even mentioned Jesus twice.

This was 50 years ago, but Charles Shulz had to overcome resistance of his editors to keep it in, and to keep out a laugh track and to have children do the speaking.

I would be offended if it were censored off of t.v. but Miley Cyrus permitted to stay on.

On the other hand, I believe a non-believer has a right not to be assaulted with religious propaganda.

 How to resolve these two views? I think it can be done.

 The 1950’s insertion into the pledge allegiance, “under God” is clearly an affront to those who believe the founding fathers were as strong to protect us “from” religion as to practice religion.

Recently published efforts to force schools to teach children the truth of God and patriotism in WV schools creates real problems for me, but teaching them core values of honesty, honor, civility, and civic responsibility does not.

 There is no major religion that does not agree on these core values, even those who believe in no “prime mover”.

My answer? CHILL. Do not be so easy to judge and find fault.

The expression of love and simplicity in Charlie’s Christmas is a classic of creativity in children’s video. Leave it be.

 But, in-your-face demands that Christmas means one thing to one group and no one may abbreviate “Xmas”, or fail to go to church or pray on Christmas eve to their God, are, to me, not the way to go. 

As I read a history of Islam, I see that it and all major religions had phases and teachers who were full of tolerance (e.g. Jesus and Mohamed, and many, many scholars who were not “into” the supernatural), and openness, and rationality, and against anthropomorphism, and for pro-Hellenistic philosophy, and for peaceful resolution of conflict. )

In fact, there were sects of Moslems who said Mohamed was the prime prophet, along with five others, those who did not, and those who felt Jesus was, and they were still good Moslems (back then).

As my Dad’s cousin Lark once said, “I tend to favor Judaism, especially after I learned you can still be a good Jew and enjoy a good ham sandwich.”