Surely You Can Pray For Me And I Can Dance Naked In The Woods For You

Media Matters continues to do a very good job of exposing the many ways in which the mainstream media gives the xian right a free pass, while beating up on those of us who oppose the xian right. For example, MM notes that:

In his December 3 New York Times column (subscription required), Nicholas D. Kristof condemned the "fundamentalist" writings of atheists [now THERE, my friends, is a non sequitur!] such as Oxford University professor Richard Dawkins and author Sam Harris, claiming that "the tone of this Charge of the Atheist Brigade is often just as intolerant -- and mean" as that of Christian conservatives. Kristof concluded his column by claiming that "the Christian Right has largely retreated from the culture wars," adding that he hopes "that the Atheist Left doesn't revive them." It's strange, but I just can't seem to recall any instances of Kristof calling the xian right mean-spirited when they were in the ascendant, oh, just a few short years ago.

And, as MM notes, Kristof is full of shit. The whack-jobs may be bloody, but they're not bowed at all. For example: The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights is conducting a "2006 Christmas Watch," noting: "Every December sees its fair share of 'Grinches,' those retailers, schools, websites, towns and municipalities who refuse to acknowledge Christmas as part of the 'holiday season.' These Christmas kill-joys are all around. This Christmas, the Catholic League, Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. and the other Franciscan Friars of the Renewal have joined up to put the spotlight on these folks."

Yeah, you can hardly turn on the tv in America, go to the Mall, or, well, or exist without having xmas shoved down your fucking throat, but the Catholic Fucking League for Religious and Civil Rights has to be on guard against people who won't acknowledge xmas "as part of the holiday season." Bite me, CLRCR!

This weekend, Son and D-i-L brought Grandson to my firm for the holiday children's party. There was a ginormous xmas tree in the lobby, surrounded by huge faux gifts, wrapped in paper and bows that were color-coordinated with the ornaments on the xmas tree, which were color-coordinated with the swags of fake greenery festooned all over the lobby. Oh, and there were two very pretty menorahs centrally-placed in the lobby, as well. In the party room, children sat on Santa's lap, a lady dressed as some kind of a fairy did balloon tricks (I guess that was the nod to my religion -- not), and nice ladies handed out gifts wrapped with a peppermint candy ornament tied into the bow. I think what was being celebrated, menorahs aside, was a cultural winter holiday.

Religious holidays, on the other hand, are what we celebrate in our homes and at our places of worship. (OK, I don't have a set "place of worship." Today, I saw a lovely t-shirt that said, "Surely you can pray for me and I can dance naked in the woods for you." I loved that! But if I had "A" place of worship, I guess that it would be the woods.) So the CLRCR can go fuck itself. If they want to celebrate fucking xmas so much, they can go fucking celebrate it in their fucking churches and leave the rest of us the fuck alone. Otherwise, I'm going to start demanding that everyone wish me a Happy Solstice, sing Solstice songs, put up Solstice ornaments, and dance naked in the woods.

Of course, the catholics are in ZERO danger of not being able to celebrate their religious holiday. What they object to is the notion that they won't be able to shove their religious holiday down everyone else's throats. Stupid fuckers.