The Most Common Theological Question of American Children.

Around the upcoming compulsory happy holiday times, it's common to hear the motives of a popular Christian demigod questioned by intelligent young people in households throughout America: "Why does Santa love rich children more than me?"

Yes Virginia, there is a free-market Santa Claus!

(But if you need to shop, you can shop here.)

Happy Liberal Xmas

I and all my liberal friends would like to thank our Christian neighbors for giving us a day off today.
I'm spending my lazy secular day away from work in my totally undecorated liberal hideout (unless you consider the obligatory photos of Mao and Che mere "decoration") listening to NPR, typing leftist propaganda on this computer, and taking breaks to play "Friend of the Devil" on my guitar.
Later, after downing some festive pre-Perestroika Soviet vodka, I hope to be able to finish my application form to sit on the local Obama Death Panel early in the New Year.
Happy Holidays (as we who have declared War on Christmas like to say)!

(OH NO -- WNYC just started playing Christmas songs, so now it's time to put some Ornette Coleman on the turntable.)

Put the X back in Xmas

Did it ever occur to anyone that it's called "politically correct" because it is correct?
Now we have the next wedge issue -- the alleged recent public disappearance of the politically incorrect religious greeting of "Merry Christmas". Will this win as many votes in the red states as the vital issues of gay marriage and the mention of God in the Pledge of Allegiance, oh, and non-existent flag burnings, and Willie Horton? Wedge issues are insidious, because if you ignore them as insignificant (which, of course, they are), they do their damage like they did in 2004, under the radar, and if you confront them directly you're a Christ-hating Bible-and- Flag-burning liberal. But you know what, I'm almost 50 years old, I was raised a Lutheran and I have a son going to a Catholic school and I HAVE NEVER HEARD THE WORDS "Merry Christmas" SAID TO STRANGERS IN STORES and I would never say "Merry Christmas" to someone if I were unsure of his or her religion. Maybe it's because I've always lived in the vicinity of a major city (NY, Philadelphia & LA) and I've always known people of other religions (or no religion), but it is simply RUDE to use the words "Merry Christmas" indiscriminately in a multi-cultural society, which, proudly and luckily, the United States of America has been, and will continue to be despite the current theocrats occupying the District of Columbia. Maybe in some rural red states where a shared Christianity is taken for granted, "Merry Christmas" has been the norm (as in that AWFUL movie, "Christmas with the Kranks"), but where I'm from, it's been incorrect for decades.

On the other hand, I'll be happy to wish you all Season's Greetings, and a very Happy New Year,
True Blue Liberal