Miscellanea Agnostica

By now you’ve probably heard about the atheist billboard along the highway leading to the Lincoln Tunnel heading into New York, which has become the latest battle in the 2010 edition of the Religious Right’s annual “war on Christmas.” The R.R. — particularly Bill Donohue of the Catholic League (cached) — is incensed at this sign which says that the Jesus-nativity legend is precisely what it is … a myth (cached article).

The following Newsy video is an excellent encapsulation of this whole topic:

Supposedly, this sign is incendiary and “in your face,” and it represents “atheists pushing their belief on people.”

It may well be true that this billboard is an effort by some atheists to “push” themselves on people … however, for centuries, religious people have “pushed” their beliefs on others — and without apology. Consider how commonplace religious signage is, even now. Over a year ago I blogged about how religious advertising isn’t new — even though lots of Christofascists claim it’s never existed. Well, here is a great example of some good old-fashioned “in your face” religionism for your consideration:

Is that “in your face” enough!? I’m not sure anyone was incensed about this sign … in spite of its obvious hostile, if not downright threatening, nature. Maybe it’s time for the religionists who are angered by the “you know Christmas is a myth” sign, to grow the hell up, for the first time in their sniveling little lives, and realize that — maybe! — this is exactly what they’ve been doing to the rest of the world for almost two millennia … and then stop whining about it. Boo fucking hoo hoo.

Top photo credit: The Atlantic Wire blog. Middle photo credit: Chairman Meow.

Tags: american atheists, atheism, atheist billboard, atheist billboards, atheists, billboard, billboards, christian, Christianity, christians, christmas, christmas myth, ef briggs, in your face, lincoln tunnel, nativity, new jersey, new york, new york city, religionism, religionist, religionists, religious ads, religious advertising, rev ef briggs, war on christmas, war on christmas 2010, you know it's a myth

The great Religious Right “war on Christmas” lurches on this year. This time it’s Senator Jim Inhofe from the Christofascist state of Oklahoma who’s screeching about Christmas. The Tulsa World reports on a conniption he’s throwing over an annual parade in that city (WebCite cached article):

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe announced Tuesday that he will not participate in Tulsa’s Parade of Lights until organizers put “”Christ” back in the event’s title.

“Last year, the forces of political correctness removed the word ‘Christmas’ and replaced it with ‘Holiday’ instead,” the Oklahoma Republican said.

Here’s the thing, Jim. It’s Tulsa’s parade. The Tulsa government can call it whatever they want to call it. If they want to call it the Thingamabob Parade, or the Fitzgiggle Parade, or something even more senseless than that … well … they can! And there’s nothing you can do about it. There is no law preventing it. And while you might attempt to pass one, Senator, I doubt it would succeed.

Second, Senator, as it turns out, Christmas is a holiday. (If you need help understanding how this is the case, Senator, please have a look at these dictionary definitions of “holiday” and of “Christmas.”) Referring to Christmas-time as a holiday, therefore, is never semantically incorrect. Don’t like it, Senator? Too bad. While you may get to vote on a lot of things in the U.S. Senate, you do not get a vote concerning English semantics.

The mature thing for you to do, Senator, is to grow up and accept that you are no longer the mayor of Tulsa, and that this decision is out of your hands. I know it’s difficult to act mature — especially when you’re such a militant religionist — but please, give it a try. Just once. OK?

Update: Here is a very nice Newsy video report on the Tulsa holiday-parade issue:

Photo credit: Nmajdan | Wikimedia Commons.

Tags: christian, christian right, Christianity, christians, christmas, christmas parade, christofascism, christofascist, christofascists, holiday, holiday parade, jim inhofe, oklahoma, religionism, religionist, religionists, religious right, tulsa, tulsa OK, war on christmas, war on christmas 2010

It turns out that mere hours after being the target of an American Family Association boycott over its failure to include “Christmas” frequently enough in its fall and winter advertising, a national sporting-goods chain has surrendered to the forces of the Christmas Army and have acquiesced to their demands. Consumerist reports on their total capitulation to religionism (WebCite cached article):

My how things change overnight. Yesterday, we told you about the far-from-loony folks at the American Family Association who had called for their members to boycott Dick’s Sporting Goods because the retail chain used the word “holiday” instead of “Christmas” for its November and December sales circulars. Now the AFA has announced that it’s called off the boycott because Dick’s will be using that word after all.

The AFA, you see, has decided that the months of November and December together have only one holiday — Christmas — and that there is no Thanksgiving, Chanukah, or anything else. Thus, they consider it unacceptable for this chain to fail to call this holiday “Christmas.”

Of course, Christmas is, itself, a holiday. Semantically, it is never inappropriate to call it a “holiday.” The AFA has therefore assumed control of the English language and has forbidden anyone to refer to Christmas as a “holiday” … even though it is one.

As usual, corporate America is falling in line with the Religious Right and is marching behind their banner of theocracy. It’s been going on for a while now, with many large national (and multi-national) firms donating money in 6- and 7-figure amounts to Religious Right candidates and organizations that promote Christofascism (locally-cached article). Prepare for more and more businesses to become more and more militantly Christianized.

Photo credit: adriano zanni.

Tags: afa, american family association, bocott, boycotts, christian, christian right, christianism, christianist, christianists, christmas, christofascism, christofascist, christofascists, corporate politics, merry christmas, militant christian, militant christianity, militant christians, religionism, religionist, religionists, religious right, right, war on christmas, war on christmas 2010

The forces of the Lord of Hosts are on the march again — as they are every year at this time — and they’re hurling the weaponry of commerce at people and companies that dare fail to use the word “Christmas” as often as they think they should. I already blogged about one such effort; the latest is courtesy of the raging hordes of the American Family Association, another division of the Army of Christ (aka the Religious Right). The AFA has gone to war against a national sporting-goods chain (which, as before, I will not name so as not to contribute to the AFA’s effort) because its holiday marketing isn’t “Christmas-y” enough (WebCite cached article).

Now, I’m not sure how many “Christmases” in a store’s advertising is enough for the AFA. They haven’t disclosed any standards that stores must meet in order to avoid their wrath. Their decisions seem pretty arbitrary. What this means is that it’s impossible for any given store to know, in advance, what’s required of them to make the Religious Right happy.

Keep raging on about Christmas, Christianists. Rage on. It’s hilarious. Honest! You have no idea how hysterically funny you people are.

Hat tip: Consumerist.

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Tags: boycott, christian, christian right, christianism, christianist, christianists, Christianity, christians, christmas, militant, naughty & nice, naughty and nice, religionist, religionists, religious right, religonism, war on christmas, war on christmas 2010

Here it is, not even the middle of November yet, and already I’m typing my first entry in the annual edition of the “war on Christmas.” The militant Christian organization which calls itself the Liberty Counsel has released a list of stores they’re ordering Christians not to buy from, because they don’t mention “Christmas” often enough in their holiday advertising (WebCite cached article).

Ordinarily, this is the point in my post where I’d be quoting from their page … however, these Christofascists are too sickening and vile to quote. Besides, naming any of the businesses here will only grant additional voice to what they’re saying, and thus aid them in their struggle for publicity. I refuse to go along with it. If you want to know what they’re saying, you’ll just have to go there and find out.

I’d just like to point out two things:

1. The Religious Right whines, annually, that there’s an effort underway to forbid people to say “Merry Christmas.” Supposedly it’s being made illegal … or something. Of course there is no such effort to outlaw “Merry Christmas,” as I explain in my page on Christmas myths, but militant Christians never let little things like “facts” prevent them from saying so. Here, though, we find the Religious Right forcing people to say “Merry Christmas” when — perhaps — they might not wish to. Fucking hypocrites. (Evidently these folk are not aware that Jesus himself explicitly and unambiguously forbid his followers ever to be hypocritical.)

2. The group’s name, “Liberty Counsel,” is itself a lie, because these people do not want “liberty” in the US — at least not “religious liberty.” What they want is a US which is uniformly evangelical Christian, like themselves. They may tolerate other forms of Christianity, but want non-Christian religions outlawed, as well as irreligion. (Their use of this misnomer places them in my “lying liars for Jesus” club.)

At any rate, I’m glad to open this annual series of posts on Christmas. There’s nothing like a supposed “war on Christmas” to bring out the height of stupidity and irrationality from the Religious Right and the hosts of Christian warriors who obey their every command.

Hat tip: The Friendly Atheist.

Photo credit: silas216.

Tags: christian, christian hypocrisy, Christianity, christians, christmas, christmas wars, christofascism, christofascist, christofascists, hypocrisy, liars for jesus, liberty counsel, lying liars for jesus, merry christmas, naughty and nice, religiofascism, religiofascist, religiofascists, religionism, religionist, religionists, war on christmas, war on christmas 2010

Or should I call this the Twelfth Post of Christmas 2009?

Well, it’s official. The “war on Christmas” is over, at least for 2009. We have no less an authority on this than Jan Brewer, Republican governor of Arizona. As reported by the Phoenix New Times:

Governor Brewer Puts the “Christmas” Back in “Christmas Tree,” and Makes it Official: Christmas Celebrates the Birth of Jesus

Governor Jan Brewer made it official today: Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus, Hanukkah is an eight-day festival of lights, and state employees can celebrate either holiday as they see fit.

Brewer signed Executive Order 2009-11 today, which puts the “Christmas” back in “Christmas tree” for state employees after it was renamed a “holiday tree” by former [Democratic] Governor Janet “the Grinch” Napolitano — sending right-wing bloggers into an anti-gay tirade last year.

As written, Ms Brewer’s executive order makes it sound as if the very existence of the United States utterly depends upon Christmas:

WHEREAS, the spirit of good will which has been found each December has been at the heart of our ability to live as one people despite differing faiths and backgrounds;

Honestly, Governor, I’d had no idea Christmas was so important. You’ve certainly set me straight! It’s the solemn duty of every red-blooded American — of whatever religion, or of none — to worship Christmas! Thanks for that clarification.

OK, enough of the sarcasm. Immediately after this “Christmas-is-our-patriotic-duty” implication, Ms Brewer goes on to completely misrepresent the facts:

WHEREAS, the Constitution does not permit the government to tolerate or engage in hostility toward religion, and the United States Supreme Court has affirmed that the public celebration of religious holidays, and the acknowledgment of religious origins, does not offend the Constitution;

That isn’t at all what the Supreme Court has said … as, for example, when SCOTUS ruled against Ten Commandments monuments in e.g. McCreary Cty v. ACLU of KY. Brewer is overstating her case here. Then she says:

WHEREAS, state and local officials in Arizona (and elsewhere) in the past have attempted to strip both Christmas and Hanukkah of their meaning, including establishment of policies forbidding state employees from placing religious items of celebration at their desks, re-naming of Christmas trees as “holiday” trees, and renaming of Menorahs as “candlesticks;”

Excuse me, but there is no way that either Christmas or Hanukkah can ever be “stripped of their meaning.” Renaming things in no way diminishes their metaphysical nature or their function within Christianity or Judaism. Names are, after all, just names. What something is named, in no way alters its spiritual nature, whatever that might be.

Both of these misrepresentations are enough to place Gov Brewer in my “lying liars for Jesus” club.

At any rate, I’m glad to see that Brewer declared victory for the Religious Right in the ongoing “war on Christmas” trope. Maybe it will put an end to this fake, staged dispute.

Tags: arizona, chanukah, christian right, hanukkah, jan brewer, liars for jesus, lying liars for jesus, merry christmas, religionism, religious right, republican, supreme court, war on christmas, war on christmas 2009

Despite it being based on fraudulent claims, this year’s edition of the fake “war on Christmas” continues apace. There is no controversy, except in the delusional minds of the Religious Right. Yet they keep on lying about it, and those lies are evident even now in this story from CNN:

Who’s winning the war on Christmas?

Republican Rep. Henry Brown of South Carolina introduced a resolution this month asking that the House express support for the use of Christmas symbols and traditions and frown on any attempt to ban references to the holiday.

“Each year, I could see a diminishing value of the spiritual part of Christmas,” Brown said. “It would seem like another group would go from the Christmas spirit to the holiday spirit.”

“What I’m afraid of — if we don’t bring some kind of closure to this continuous change, then in 20 years it will almost be completely different from what we see today … and so we would lose the whole emphasis of what the very early beginnings of Christmas was all about.”

Rep. Brown is lying here. There had been no reduction in the observance of Christmas, anywhere in the country. That this is essentially a fraudulent claim, has been noted:

Barry Lynn, an ordained minister and executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, isn’t keen on the prospect of congressional action.

“Resolutions like this come up because there is this bizarre view by some members of Congress that there is a war on Christmas and that they have to be the generals in some responding army,” he said.

“My advice to the lawmakers would be promote any religion you have through your private acts, and don’t try to ‘help’ the baby Jesus by passing a resolution on his behalf. It is arrogant and ridiculous at the same time,” Lynn said.

Another lie the R.R. likes to tell about Christmas, can be seen later in the article:

Peter Sprigg, a senior fellow for policy studies with the Family Research Council, which promotes Christian values, said the “pro-Christmas side” has made progress in recent years.

In some circles, he said, “Political correctness is preventing people from even sayings [sic] ‘Merry Christmas.’ “

The problem is, there is no concerted effort being made anywhere in the US to prevent anyone from saying “Merry Christmas.” It is not happening. I dare Mr Sprigg — or anyone else — to document any such campaign has occurred over, say, the last 5 years.

Fact is, he cannot do it … because it didn’t happen, and is not happening now.

Elsewhere, people who adhere to the “war on Christmas” trope are even trotting out the canard that other people not saying “Merry Christmas” to them frequently enough, somehow ruins the holiday for them (as seen, for example, in this story in the Kane Cty (IL) Chronicle):

At this time of year, pastor Brice Quinn does not want to be wished “Happy Holidays.” …

Not acknowledging the specific holiday takes away from its significance, he said.

Well, boo-fucking-hoo. Does Mr Quinn truly believe himself to possess the power to force everyone else he meets to say the words “Merry Christmas” to him, because for them not to do so, ruins his holiday? How insane is this kind of thinking?

Enough already with the steady stream of lies, and the presumption that many Christians like Mr Quinn have, that they possess the authority to force others to say certain things to them … or else!

Tags: americans united, americans united for separation of church and state, barry lynn, brice quinn, christian, christian right, Christianity, christmas, family research council, henry brown, liars for jesus, lying liars for jesus, merry christmas, peter sprigg, religious right, war on christmas, war on christmas 2009

The “war on Christmas” folks have decided it’s not enough just to whine, on their own. They feel it necessary to insert words into the mouth of Jesus himself, as reported by WCPO-TV in Cincinnati:

“I miss hearing you say ‘Merry Christmas.’” That’s what Jesus is telling drivers on southbound I-75.

The billboard greets people between the Norwood Lateral and Mitchell Ave, in Saint Bernard. …

This particular billboard was bought by several women who live in Niles, Ohio.

They say that God has been taken out of the season

The problem, of course, is that people have not, in fact, stopped saying “Merry Christmas.” I’ve been hearing it for the last couple of weeks.

Tags: christ, christmas, cincinnati OH, jesus, jesus christ, merry christmas, niles OH, st bernard OH, war on christmas, war on christmas 2009