I recently received this email:
CHRISTMAS STAMP
How ironic is this??!! They don’t even believe in Christ and
they’re getting their own Christmas stamp, but don’t dream of posting the
ten commandments on federal property?
USPS New Stamp
This one is impossible to believe. Scroll down for the text.
If there is only one thing you forward today…..let it be this!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the military Barracks in Saudi
Arabia!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the American Embassies in Africa!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the USS COLE!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attack on 9/11/2001!
REMEMBER all the AMERICAN lives that were lost in those vicious
MUSLIM attacks!
Now the United States Postal Service REMEMBERS and HONORS the EID
MUSLIM holiday season with a commemorative first class Holiday postage stamp. Bull!
REMEMBER to adamantly and vocally BOYCOTT this stamp
When purchasing your stamps at the post office. To use this stamp
would be a slap in the face to all those AMERICANS who died at the hands of
those whom this stamp honors.
REMEMBER to pass this along to every patriotic AMERICAN you
know!!!
This is disturbing, and DEAD WRONG, for several reasons.
First, this stamp celebrates a Muslim holiday. Nothing to do with Christianity. Just because the holiday occurs during the same season as Christmas doesn’t mean its a “Christmas Stamp”, and it in no way takes away from Christianity.
The stamp does, in fact exist. However, it is not new. It was first issued on September 1, 2001. Bad timing, yes, but it was issued before the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. If this stamp is such a problem, why is it just now, six years later, coming to the fore? The answer is, its not a problem, just some insecure idiots who know nothing about the world or other religions trying to stir up public sentiment against those who are different.
Incidentally, I haven’t had any whiny emails about the USPS (United States Postal Service) issuing stamps for Hannukah or Kwanzaa (which they have). Hmmm.
The fact remains that, however different you wish it to be, this nation IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION. Did you get that? Let me say it again: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS NOT A CHRISTIAN NATION. Were many of the founders Christians? Yes, but many were of other faiths (Thomas Jefferson, for example, was most certainly NOT a Christian). Are a majority of people of faith in this nation Christian today? Yes, but we need to remember that the freedom we have to worship as Christians is also extended to all other people to worship as they choose.
Its also important to realize that there are many thousands of Muslims that hate Christians, and hate Americans, and want to kill us all. But there are many more that are good people, who only wish to practice their faith and raise their children. Please understand, I am in no way condoning the horrendous actions of the Muslim terrorists. But it is small-minded, and ignorant, to paint all Muslims with the same brush.
I think that part of the problem is that many Christians today view America in a manner similar to how early Christians viewed the Roman Empire. I highly recommend that everyone read “City of God” by Augustine of Hippo. Click here to read a relevant part.
Therefore, I think it is entirely appropriate for the USPS to issue this stamp. Like it or not, Muslims are here and are here to stay. If we, as Christians, want to have religious stamps (or stamps commemorating a Christian religious holiday), we need to extend that same freedom to other faiths.
