In a covert War On Christmas operation, Atheists in Arkansas have scaled Christmas’s almighty security fence and sneaked into Enemy Territory:
The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers began setting up its winter solstice box on the grounds of the state Capitol on Wednesday after a federal judge ruled that the secretary of state’s office must allow the group to put up its display.
The Freethinkers’ wooden box display is eight feet tall and four feet wide. One side depicts the history of winter solstice celebrations, a second side provides background about the society and its ideals, the third side is filled with covers of books about atheism and science, and the final side covers some facts about the universe and the scientific method.
Awesome. At this rate, it won’t be long before we capture Christmas and take it prisoner. Then we can torture it.
No, they’d probably like that. And not in a good way.
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unrepentant old hippie 
I recently wrote a couple pieces of my own about the War on Christmas. While my blog doesn’t have a gnarly subtitle by Hunter Thompson, it does have a lot in common with the Unrepentant Old Hippie ethos. You can check them out here:
This lawsuit was in response to the freethinkers group being denied permission to put up its display even though a Christian nativity scene was displayed nearby.
The real kicker in all this? The nativity scene had never been approved (cite), either.
Sorry for busting your irony meter.
Rob F – The Freethinkers got an injunction in response to their lawsuit.
An atheist judge, no doubt 😉
Barry – Thanks for the links, nice blog.
Anyone who appreciates The General’s review of Sarah Palin’s book is a friend of this blog!
JJ – We don’t have to torture christmas, we can just waterboard it.
War on Christmas? The Right is winning and destroying everything Christ taught.
New on http://iamthewill.wordpress.com/:
The REAL War On Christmas: Part 1
The Freethinkers’ wooden box display is eight feet tall and four feet wide. One side depicts the history of winter solstice celebrations, a second side provides background about the society and its ideals, the third side is filled with covers of books about atheism and science, and the final side covers some facts about the universe and the scientific method.
Yes!! Another aesthetic triumph for the secularist troops. Can’t you just feel the atavistic pull of rational materialism and the Enlightenment in that contraption? It just screams a higher humanity and connection with the Infinite, and I’m sure it will have all the popular appeal of those old Soviet atheism museums. I don’t think I’ve been so moved since my kid’s Christmas concert replaced Hark the Herald Angels Sing with Let it Snow.
Compared to what you guys have on offer, Christmas shopping in mega-stores is a profound spiritual awakening.
Isn’t shopping what the high holy day of capitalism is all about? Or is there another holiday at this time of the year? Also, how exactly do you feel a connection with an abstract concept such as infinity?
Also, how exactly do you feel a connection with an abstract concept such as infinity?
It dates back to my 11th grade algebra class. Within a half-hour of being introduced to the concept, I was on my knees in tears.
WT Stambaugh – You make a good argument, if JC was a political-type person I doubt he’d be conservative, or at least not the kind of “conservatives” using the brand today. Wasn’t it JC who said “Render unto Caesar” etc? The first “separation of church & state” policy.
Peter – They replaced “Harold’s Angels Sing” in your kid’s Christmas concert? That blows — that’s one of my favourite War On Christmas carols, next to “Silent Night”. Bummer.
Also, just an aside: I hope you know these War On Christmas missives are posted with tongue firmly in cheek. I am not a hater of Christmas: I just spent the day finishing up my shopping and getting it in the mail, and now I must go and turn on my War On Christmas lights…
Yes, JJ, I know that. I just get a kick out of these atheist/secularist efforts to compete aesthetically. They seem completely oblivious to how terminally boring they are.
Here in Ottawa, there is the National Cenotaph with a large kitchy sculpted soldier being looked over by an even larger angel. It’s right out of an old United Church Sunday School comic, but nonetheless it’s a sacred place few walk on without purpose and the venue for a very moving, tearful annual ceremony attended by thousands and broadcast across the country. A few hundred yards to the south is a 70’s monument to human rights consisting of three huge granite rectangular slabs with “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity” inscribed at the tops. It is the scene for bagged lunches by office workers in summer, naps by the homeless and the occasional protest out of nowhere attended by a few dozen at best. Otherwise, few even realise it is there.
The War on Christmas is a war of attrition and the anti campaign is doomed to sputter out for lack of interest. Merry War on Christmas. 🙂
Peter – In all seriousness, I mock the paranoid notion that Christmas is somehow under attack because it seems to me that with advertising starting not long after “back to school” time, Christmas is as big as ever. But secular attempts to muscle in on the season (like the one in the article I blogged about) do strike me as a little grim, humourless and dumb. (Which goes to prove, once again, that dumbness doesn’t ask to see your political or religious affiliation.)
Frankly I find all the “happy holidays” stuff tiresome and stupid. Maybe it’s my age, but it never caught on with me and in spite of being an atheist I feel no guilt or shame about wishing people Merry Christmas. Because I do want them to have a Merry Christmas. Why not?
And in that spirit, Merry Christmas!