Combined with the "The Grinch is Jewish!" conversation we were having yesterday, the whole thing just makes me laugh.

In Seattle, this year’s signs say “Millions are good without God.” In Las Vegas, signs to be put up this week will say “Reasons Greetings” and “Yes, Virginia ... there is no God.”

The sponsor of the Las Vegas signs, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, created a furor last year with its sign that read, in part, “Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.” Its location was next to a Nativity scene at the Capitol in Olympia.

Most of the signs mentioned in that article hit me as either "Eh, whatever" or "Sure, why not?" But "Reasons Greetings" bugs me, and that one in the second paragraph I do find offensive.

Interesting. A former head of the American Humanist Association wrote in a letter to the editor criticizing those ads. [link]

Isn't the whole point of the Grinch story that the Grinch is irrelevant? He can steal the stuff, but he can't steal Christmas, because Christmas isn't something that can be stolen. This seems like not the analogy he meant.

Yeah, he TOTALLY did not get the Grinch.

I'm amused by the "stores are trying to DECHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS!!!!!" battle-cry. When I was a kid it seemed like half of Lent was spent with my Church telling me "Christmas isn't about stuff..." Honestly, to me the public use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas" is, you know, good news.

Happy Two Decades, Beth and Matt! Wishing you many more.

OMG, y'all. I am feeling cranky and ragetastic. I think it's partly PMS and partly that I'm not feeling good about myself right now, which always makes me pissy towards others. I'm listening to a dharma talk, partially to drown out office noise and partially to try and calm down, but it's not as effective as I'd like it to be.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRR!!!

*ahem* Pardon me. (BTW, not really looking for hairpats, just needed to get it out)

I'm amused by the "stores are trying to DECHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS!!!!!" battle-cry. When I was a kid it seemed like half of Lent was spent with my Church telling me "Christmas isn't about stuff..." Honestly, to me the public use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas" is, you know, good news.

My friend Chris and I got into it pretty bad one year over "Have a good holiday" vs "Have a good Christmas." He really didn't get it AT ALL. It ended up with him yelling at me, "That's BULLSHIT!" and me yelling back, "WELL YOU'RE BULLSHIT!"

And then we put that on the list of Do Not Discuss and went back to inappropriate flirting over the phone.

Honestly, to me the public use of "holiday" rather than "Christmas" is, you know, good news.

I've read several places that stores started using "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" rather than "Merry Christmas" during the twenties or thirties because churches were complaining that it wasn't right to use Christmas as part of an advertisement.

I've read several places that stores started using "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" rather than "Merry Christmas" during the twenties or thirties because churches were complaining that it wasn't right to use Christmas as part of an advertisement.

To me that makes sense. Next time you see one could you let me know where?

The bits of mainstream atheism that are about being pissed off at Christianity go right over my head

Some people get exposed to the message "you are an inferior person because you don't believe" a lot. That can make one resentful.

Of course, every group has their belligerent folks as well.

“It is insensitive and mean.”

Oh, fer Chrissakes. Call the wah-mbulance.

My mom is actually among those who is pro-Merry Christmas, which I find odd since she's married to a JEW and has celebrated Chanukkah for the past 40 years. ::shrugs::