Jesus Versus the Atheists

Just in time for the Christmas season, Washington State Gov. Christine Gregoire has insulted Christians all over the world. Inside the state Capitol building in Olympia there is a traditional holiday display featuring a tree and the Nativity scene; perfectly appropriate since the federal and state Christmas holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.

But this year Gregoire decided to add another item to the display. Standing alongside the baby Jesus is a giant placard designed by atheists that reads: "There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

You read that correctly. The governor of Washington State has permitted an attack on religion to be displayed in her office building as part of a Christmas presentation.

Even the producers of "The Twilight Zone" would have rejected this script as being too far-fetched. Gregoire's behavior is offensive, insulting to all people of faith and totally incomprehensible.

Unless you know what's going on in Washington State.

Seattle now rivals San Francisco for secular-progressive nuttiness. The city fathers are allowing public nakedness in city parks and nude bike riding, and in Fremont, a Seattle suburb, they actually put up a statue honoring Vladimir Lenin, the father of communism.

Some on the Seattle school board actually supported denigrating Thanksgiving by teaching children about the atrocities against Native Americans by the Pilgrims.

In addition, Washington State voters have passed assisted-suicide legislation, and the state gives out free birth control pills, including the "morning after pill."

On the quality-of-life front, the streets of Seattle are full of homeless people, but they don't have to be out in the rain.

The city will pay to house alcoholics and drug addicts if they want it. They can actually get free furnished apartments. Taxpayers, of course, pick up the tab.

Outside of the Seattle area, Washington State is fairly conservative. But the big-city population base rules, and far-left zealots are running wild. However, they may have overstepped on this Christmas deal.

I believe that most Americans, even those living in the far-left enclaves, respect uplifting traditions like Christmas, where peace and love is the theme of the great day. Calling religion "enslaving" doesn't exactly fit into the peace and love scenario, does it? Can't we all just get along for a few weeks in December?

The answer to that question is no. Not in Washington State, where the governor believes a few nuts have a legal right to run down the Christmas tradition in the lobby of the Capitol building. At this point there is little left to say except this: Where are the wise men when you need them?

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Who's Looking Out For You?" To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the Web site www.billoreilly.com.

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