We're not supposed to speak ill of the dead, right? Our newly deceased former president, Gerald Ford, will now be turned into some kind of hero. That's the role of the media--to say happy things to put us in the mood to buy the products they advertise. Therefore, the media…
The following is a drawing from a Christmas card I co-authored 16 years ago with a buddy, Mike Harty (Mike is the artist; I threw ideas and food at him). In case you can't make out the words on the image below, here is a larger image to download. The set-up, from the…
I recommend that we give this atheist (Ebonmuse, at Daylight Atheism) a chance to give sermons church pulpits across the country. Just be sure not to tell the congregations that he's an atheist. Instead, let them soak up his words. He'll have them weeping with inspiration. He'll rev them up…
In the December 14, 2006 issue of Rolling Stone, Paul Krugman takes Bush to task regarding the "biggest untold economic story of our time." The article is titled, "The Great Wealth Transfer." In sum, more and more of the wealth of this country is falling into fewer and fewer hands. …
We’re right in the middle of massively expensive Christmas displays. No, not just the light displays. I’m referring to the numerous expenditures of time, energy and money that, because they are expensive, serve as reliable messages to others that we are interested in bonding with them . . . or not. Christmas is as good a time as any to let the truth hang out.
These displays take many forms. To whom do we send Christmas cards (and from whom do we receive them?)? To whose parties will we be invited? Who are those select people with whom we will end up exchaning gifts? It doesn’t matter if we don’t really enjoy cards, parties and gifts. It doesn’t really matter whether we believe in virgin birth. It doesn’t matter whether there were three kings or whether there was an especially bright star. As with oh-so-many things, Christmas is really about relationships. At bottom, Christmas is about rubbing elbows and bonding, no matter what the conventional wisdom.
The conventional wisdom says that Christmas is about a particular set of alleged historical truths. We need to keep in mind, though, that there are many cultures that give no credibility to the Jesus story who engage in similar gatherings and similar gift exchanges based on their own lore, much of if as unlikely as the story of a virgin giving birth to a God. They have their own gift exchanges and parties and songs and decorations framed by lore that makes no …
