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Observations on the world today.

Monday, December 26, 2005

Monday Morning Idiots: Fighting the War On Christmas Hanukkah 

First, there was never a war on Christmas. I just want to make that perfectly clear. People in this country are and have ever been perfectly free to celebrate any holiday they choose. The stores - even Wal-Mart which despite it's long list of conservative bonafides became the poster store for those-who-would-assault-the-nativity - will sell you tinsel, ham and artificial pine scent. No, Christmas was neveer under attack. The point was always that those who want to impose Christmas on the world feel slighted by those of us who prefer to keep it secular.

Which makes this post all the more ironic:
Pardon me, as a Catholic I'm fairly new to this, but I noted that Hannukah begins in the evening of December 25th this year:

....


It is my view that all believers are under assault these days. We are attacked, mostly unthinkingly, by people who have been raised to believe that religion, in and of itself, is an evil thing. Thus the Father of Lies tears down the basis of our civilization and leaves us naked in the dark, prey to all manner of evil.

For a short while this afternoon, I shall lay aside my Catholicism and pray that all believers, everywhere, hold firm to their faith and honor God in all things.
So for a short while this afternoon - oh, say two minutes (that oughta do it) - he's going to set aside his belief that anyone who doesn't recognize the line of popes as being the only route to eternal salvation, so he can pray that the heathen cling to their heathen beliefs and rally together against the other heathen with no beliefs who really want nothing more than to recognize that everyone is entitled to their own belief system.

I seriously love this line: "It is my view that all believers are under assault these days. We are attacked, mostly unthinkingly, by people who have been raised to believe that religion, in and of itself, is an evil thing." I don't think anybody truly believes that religion is an evil thing. Fanatacism is, but not religion. After all, religious fanatacism was responsible for the crusades, terrorism, the first world war, and scores of other conflicts. Religious fanatacism is the cause of most societal ills as well; the AIDS crisis, the Indian caste system, middle-eastern mysogeny, etc. It is fanatical religious factioning that causes most internal regional and cultural conflict too. We are seeing that now in Iraq, but it also is what makes the red states red and the blue states blue to a large extent. So, nobody is asking you NOT to have your beliefs. We're only asking you to recognize that others don't have to share them with you.

But the fact that the writer is directing this post mostly at Jews makes this next quote all the more idiotic; "Thus the Father of Lies tears down the basis of our civilization and leaves us naked in the dark, prey to all manner of evil."

The Father of Lies - I assume - is Satan. In Judaism, there is no Satan. This is a favorite mistake of the right. They reach out to suck in embrace another culture without knowing anything about the culture they are trying to win over. Condi did it, then Karen Hughes did it, and now the conservo-bloggers are doing it. It would be funnier if it weren't for the fact that we are supposedly waging a war to win over the hearts and minds of people by disrespecting their hearts and minds and complaining that "ours" is the one under attack.

My Turn Says Me 

They are passing this thing around the left-wing blogosphere. It's like one of those chain mail emails where if you respond you'll have good fortune, but if you don't your youngest child will marry a Republican. So, I recognize that this is inane and meaningless, but I refuse to be left out. So with no further ado, here are my responses for whatever they are worth.

Four jobs you've had in your life: Newspaper ad sales, Traveling Photographer, Store Asst. Mgr. Humor Magazine Assistant to the Editor.

Four movies you could watch over and over: Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Fight Club (which is convenient since my son got me the dvd for Christmas,) Pulp Fiction, Raising Arizona.

Four places you've lived: Toronto, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, Pittsburgh, PA, the end.

Four TV shows you love to watch: "Jeopardy," "Monk," "The Simpsons," "Saturday Night Live."

Four places you've been on vacation: Washington, DC, Toronto, Canada, Gettysburg, PA, Philadelphia.

Four websites you visit daily: Eschaton (Atrios), Toronto In Focus, Daily Kos, Google. (It's my homepage, so it is where I get my news.)

Four of your favorite foods: Chicken, salmon, grape leaves, wedding soup.

Four places you'd rather be: Seattle; Toronto, ONT; that's it. I can't think of four places I like better than my home town.

Okay, that's the list. I'm supposed to pass it on now, but since I wasn't invited in, I don't feel comfortable passing it out.

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