What I find funny is that the fundies are essentially demanding that Christmas should be made even more commercialized.

I am not a religious person, but I'm certainly not offended by Christmas cards. I'll take good wishes in whatever form someone wants to offer them. There are few enough good wishes in the world. If they started to make Christmas cards that said, "Merry Christmas! If you're not a Christian, you're going to spend eternity in the fires of hell," I'd feel differently.

I actually almost did "New Years" cards this year. But, when the picture of Toto was in a Santa hat, I figured that would be kind of silly.

I'm particularly amused by the "call it a Christmas tree!" business. I must have blocked the part where the baby Jesus sucked on a pine cone and turned it to gold as a parable on nursing.

When I was growing up, we used Happy Holidays even though we were in a very conservative, Christian area. We didn't know any Jewish people, or atheists, for that matter.

Never mind that my parents didn't go to church, they consider themselves Christians. We used "Happy Holidays" liberally. I honestly thought it was just lumping Christmas and New Year's together. Instead of saying, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!", "Happy Holidays!" seemed to cover both.

I never thought of it any other way--until I decided to eschew Christianity.

Everybody suggest one book they love that was published before 1923.

Ethan Frome and The Age of Innocence are favorites. But I also ADORED The Scarlett Pimpernel.

Timelies, all. It's snowing like hell here. Again. I don't know if I'm going to make it through this winter.

If they started to make Christmas cards that said, "Merry Christmas! If you're not a Christian, you're going to spend eternity in the fires of hell," I'd feel differently.

Tea. On. Monitor.

And in other religious-right complaints, they feel W. has fallen from his evangelical status because the White House cards say "Happy Holidays".

I think he should issue a press release stating he ain't too worried about putting "Christ" in "Christmas" due to his Bible-scholarly awareness that Jesus was actually born at another time of year, and that it was the old Catholic church that arbitrarily imposed that particular holiday. He's just going along with the whole scheme cuz Christmas is fun.

Then again, it might cause the stupid-but-faithful to question his essential Christianity. The level of awareness and critical thinking required to come to these conclusions equates itself with unBelief in the minds of some.

ION I am now procrastinating about getting showered and ready to go to the main office for the purpose of signing up for insurance and other benefits.

What I find funny is that the fundies are essentially demanding that Christmas should be made even more commercialized.

I'm missing how this is so.

Basically, the fundies are boycotting businesses (like Target) who say "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas." They feel that Christmas is being given the shaft and refuse to shop at such a godless store. Instead, they will only patronize businesses that wish their customers a "Merry Christmas."

How is that demanding that Christmas become *more* commercialized? Do you mean that just in the sense that the celebration of the birth of Christ is being formally linked to shopping?

I don't know what to celebrate this year, in my head. Christian Christmas for my parents' sake? Secular Christmas to fit with the country? Channukah for Gershwin Girl? Ignore the holidays entirely except to buy Christmas presents for my family?

It's an extra-confusing time of year for a religiously conflicted agnostic.

I don't know what to celebrate this year, in my head.

Oh crap! That reminds me - I forgot to mail out my "Happy Pearl Harbor Day" cards....

It's an extra-confusing time of year for a religiously conflicted agnostic.

Amen.