Yesterday I received the following e-mail forwarded from a friend (cut and pasted here directly with no editing) with the above photo attached:
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 vocallyBOYCOTT 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!!!
Now, I consider myself a loyal American and uphold the Constitution as the FFs (Founding Fathers) originally intended. I am a practicing Christian and believe in absolute truth. So on the surface, I would say, “Right on.” But something about this message bothered me. I could not take up the banner being presented and run with it. Why not?
I saw a few fatal flaws in the message that served to undermine its credibility:
First: The message states right off that this is a Christmas stamp. And then it continues into issues of American patriotism in the wake of worldwide terrorism related to jihad. This stamp is not a Christmas stamp. It deals with Muslim observances (blessed festivals), not Christian or Jewish. It is part of the USPS’s Holiday Celebration Series, but was not released as a “Christmas” stamp. So the email message is incorrect in its thesis, and thus becomes insupportable.
Second: Muslims do believe in Jesus Christ, but only as a prophet (not as the Christ/Messiah). They consider him a lesser prophet than Mohammad. Muslims do not acknowledge Christ’s resurrection from the dead nor his deity. Again, the opening assertion demonstrates some lack of knowledge on this point.
Third: I have not heard reported anywhere that it is specifically Muslims who oppose the display of the Ten Commandmants on public/government properties. This opposition appears to come mostly from “patriotic” Americans.
Fourth: The email infers that Christmas is an “American” holiday. However, it is not. Christmas is celebrated worldwide, and has been celebrated for centuries longer than the United States has existed. We Americans join the celebration but cannot claim it as ours. Note that many Americans do not celebrate Christmas, and even oppose it, but are still patriotic.
I agree that it’s a bit suspect to dedicate a postage stamp to a set of beliefs that considers it just and heroic to take lives on the basis that they’re not Islamists and therefore not valuable. Many Americans have lost their lives and loved ones at the hands of Islamists and we can assert that this stamp is therefore inappropriate and unpatriotic. Let’s use that as the basis for protest, because, for a country, group or person to commemorate principles that demand its destruction is unwise, to put it politely.
I hope you see my point in this: If one is going to make an argument one needs solid, reasonable, factual basis for that argument. Otherwise, it falls apart and is mere assertion. The issue I have with this email is that, although the idea might be right, the way in which that idea is supported is so flawed that it makes the entire idea invalid. This is true whether one is speaking of religious, political, scientific and philosophical concepts. Let’s be intelligent and winsome in making our arguments. We may not succeed in persuading, but at least we won’t shoot ourselves in the foot.
7 responses so far ↓
jonolan // October 30, 2007 at 6:58 pm
Some further points to disgruntle the cerebrally challenged (stupid dumbfucks is so Non-PC):
1) The USPS originally released the Eid stamp in 2001. This year’s stamp is a re-release. Can we say old news?
2) The release date this year was 9/28/2007 in order to coincide with the beginning of Ramadan. By faith, purpose, or timing this stamp has nothing to do with Christmas.
LOL!
Alvalyn Lundgren // October 30, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I was aware of the 9/2007 release date in time for Ramadan, but not that it was a re-released design. So, everything old is new again. Thanks for the additional facts.
jonolan // October 30, 2007 at 8:31 pm
No problem at all! I love debunking things like that email you received. It would have been different if the USPS wasn’t also offering a beautiful Christmas stamp as well. It’s even suitable for the actual practicing Christians. It’s Bernardino Luini’s “The Madonna of the Carnation” and it’s wonderful.
hughstan // October 30, 2007 at 9:08 pm
What a refreshing blog, based on:
“If one is going to make an argument one needs solid, reasonable, factual basis for that argument.”
and not rumours or speculation.
But I think you may have lost a friend.
salahudin // October 30, 2007 at 9:25 pm
hi alvalyn. I’m an apostate of islam - an atheist.
As a person who understands islam inside and out, let me state that i think you’re a bit mistaken about islam.
Islam is not about killing non-muslims, as islamophobic blogs maintain etc. Islam is pretty much like christianity… most closest to catholicism. but just like christianity, it has tremendous different “sects” within it… and all of them have very different belief systems etc.
i don’t appreciate any religious sentiment being expressed by the government. but as for religious icons on stamps - what’s the big deal? it isn’t offensive to rational and good natured people. it’s not like that’s an endorsement of murderers like the terrorists (not muslims, but islamists) who committed all those heinous acts.
Alvalyn Lundgren // October 31, 2007 at 4:52 am
hello salahudin:
Thank you for your comments. I appreciate your response.
The “big deal” was the lack of thinking and the false assumptions that were evident in the e-mail message. The stamp was simply the impetus for the thinking and assumptions.
You may be correct that I am not interpreting Islam accurately. I have not read the Qu’ran cover to cover but only snippets of it. I have, however, read the Bible cover to cover many times over. I don’t agree that Islam is all that much like Christianity except perhaps in some structural forms. Docrinally there are huge differences. But I’ll leave that discussion for another time, since my post here was concerned with correcting the thinking in a particular email message.
After reading your comment, I have edited my original post, replacing “Muslims” with “Islamists” where appropriate.
salahudin // November 1, 2007 at 3:01 am
Aw hey, glad to be of service and good to know there are some great people like you out there!
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