Guess who’s partially responsible for the terrible terrible War on Christmas now? According to blowhard O’Reilly, you can blame Catholics. Here’s the charming conversation he had with Reverand Richard O’Brien, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. McBRIEN: Well, first of all, Bill, this is a very different sort of issue. I mean, the pedophilia crisis and scandal … Read More
But Seriously Folks
Rather than making wisecracks (like I do), a blogger from New York gives serious thoughts on The War On Christmas thing. I’ve boiled it down, but you should read the whole thing: Yes I know; you’re sick of this subject. Me too. But here I go… I’m a New York Jew; a life long Democrat and a card carrying member … Read More
Today’s War On Christmas Updates
(1) So, last Friday, Bill O’Reilly had the following talking points, as summarized on his website: Banishing the words ‘Merry Christmas’ is simply disrespectful to people who celebrate that federal holiday. In Wisconsin, an elementary school changed the name of ‘Silent Night’ to ‘Cold In The Night.’ In Plano, Texas, a school told students they couldn’t wear red and green … Read More
The Latest In The War On The War On Christmas
Bill O’Reilly: "In Plano, Texas, a school told students they couldn’t wear red and green because they are Christmas colors. That’s flat-out fascism. If I were a student in Plano, I’d be a walking Christmas tree after that order. Talking Points understands that you know what is going on here." Plano District Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Bill Otto: "The school … Read More
Are You Listening, Bill O’Reilly?
Pope Benedict says that materialism is ruining the spirit of Christmas. Yup.
Ugly Fundies
The University of Kansas professor who was planning to offer a course entitled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies", withdrew the course after getting beaten up by two religious fundamentalists. He also quit his post as chairman of the University of Kansas religious department. Except he didn’t quit. He was forced to resign. This is … Read More
Friday iPod Random Ten – The Christmas List
I haven’t done this in a while, but because I’ve blogged so much about the "War on Christmas" lately, I thought I’d see how anti-Christ I am by checking out the holiday Christmas songs on my iPod. All songs are graded on the zero-to-ten O’Reilly Scale ("0" means I am damned for all time; "10" means you can bring on … Read More
Who Took The Christ Out Of O’Reilly?
I don’t normally have a "Commentary Of The Week", but a post by Kevin Hayden at The American Street is so spot-on, that I will instigate the accolade solely for his post, and then retire it afterward. Kevin writes: Bill O’Reilly, desperate and ready to throw himself on the floor, kicking and screaming if need be to regain attention, no … Read More
Red State News In Brief
Tennessee: Ex-preacher forces his wife into prostitution so they can have Christmas money. Arkansas: Baptist minister’s wife, a schoolteacher, tells the black children in her class that they are descended from the devil. But she’s not racist, she says. But all kidding aside, this is one of the saddest news stories I’ve ever read.
Report From Dover, PA
The non-online New Yorker had a good article about the machinations of the Dover, Pennsylvania school board who wanted to insert a religious-based curriculum into the public schools, including the teaching of intelligent design. Fortunately, the American Taliban on the school board were voted out of office, and the curriculum nonsense was put to an end. But the New Yorker … Read More
O’Reilly Takes On The Daily Show
Yes, yes, I know. The "War on Christmas" is in danger of being overdone here. But just when I think it has reached the pinnacle of silliness, along comes the next wave of sheer lunacy. And you know that Bill O’Reilly is riding that wave. As Brad Blog and Media Matters have pointed out, Corporal O’Reilly has launched his latest … Read More
As Predicted
Last week, I made brief mention that the White House Christmas Card this year avoids the use of the word "Christmas", and merely says "best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness". I predicted that the wingers would go nuts. I was right. WaPo covers the story: This month, as in every December since he took office, President … Read More
University of Kansas Course Cancelled
Back here, I wrote that a religion professor at the University of Kansas (the state where the intelligent design debate is taking place) was planning to offer a course entitled "Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies.” According to this article, the professor decided to cancel the course yesterday. Oh, and somethng else happened yesterday, too: … Read More
Jesus Sightings Getting Even More Ridiculous
Where’s Jesus now? It was only a matter of time… LAREDO, Texas — An image on a truck tailgate has sparked a new wave of religious pilgrims in Texas. Portraits of Jesus Christ and a table full of candles surround what some are calling a miraculous image. Believers say the face of Jesus is visible in the dirt on the … Read More
The War On Christmas – A Bat Boy Perspective
Brian Flemming was once a fundamentalist Christian; now he is an atheist activist. He is also the co-author of Bat Boy – The Musical. Sick and tired of hearing about the phony "war on Christmas", he decided to do something about it: he decided to actually declare war on Christmas. Read more.