Wisconsin conservative James Wigderson brings us this holiday cheer:
A commercial that is entirely truthful.
“It may damage your liver and your well-being” 😂 #DutchBarn pic.twitter.com/42VmZyizvB
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) December 14, 2023
- Libertarian Michael A. LaFerrara is an atheist who has no problem celebrating Christmas as a secular holiday.
Key principle:
The secular meaning of the Christmas holiday is wider than the tenets of any particular religion: it is good will toward men—a frame of mind which is not the exclusive property… of the Christian religion.
Seems fair.
Let’s include values, not restricted to, but central to, Christianity:
Love for all humanity, care for the migrant, help for the homeless, those less fortunate.
Values some of us in the faith seem too willing to forget.
Our friend Infidel753 has a parallel contribution: - In Happiness Between Tails da-AL shares a photo essay in praise of diverse Christmas figurines.
- PZ Myers suggests that maybe Japan does not yet understand Christmas.
- I missed this during the post-assault surgeries and recovery that still continues.
North Carolina pastor John Pavlovitz notices that when conservative public figures boast about their Christian values, they never seem to mention Jesus.
I have a thought:
- Mark Waulberg (No, not Mark Wahlberg, the other Mark) offers wisdom on money and life:
- Vincent at A Wayfarer’s Notes finds inspiration in a bath towel, and translates for us the Book of Hebrews in praise of God and human potential.
- Nan’s Notebook has a gentle correction for us religious types with our negative stereotypes about atheists.
Key theme:
From my perspective, I tend to think this happens because those who believe in god(s) are simply unable to understand/accept that there are individuals who view life … As It Is.
- Disaffected and it Feels So Good plunges right into the legalities and reactions to Colorado bumping mr Trump off the ballot.
- Cato’s own Julian Sanchez knocks down a couple of reactions to the Colorado court decision keeping mr Trump off the ballot.
One, from folks like me, is moral:Yup
I don't like restrictions on voter choices.
Not even that the Constitution restricts by age and birthplace.As a non-lawyer, I don't see a logical flaw in the Colorado decision, either in fact or in law.
Trump did what he did.
The 14th Amendment Section C says what it says.— Burr Deming – @BurrLand01@mastodon.world (@BurrLand01) December 22, 2023
Julian clobbers that view:It’s like telling a business owner whose mobbed-up competitor keeps firebombing his stores “just beat him in the market.” No! The market is constituted by legal mechanisms designed to punish and exclude people who don’t play by the rules.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative) December 21, 2023
Second, also from folks like me, is practical:
It’s a fool’s errand. The Supreme Court is stacked for Trump.If you want to say it’s unrealistic to hope the Supreme Court as currently constituted will do the right thing, by all means, that’s probably true. But don’t sneer at those who quaintly think our institutional checks against abuse ought to function properly.
— Julian Sanchez (@normative) December 21, 2023
It’s tough sledding to oppose Mr. Sanchez.
Continue reading “Merry Xmas, Pesky Jesus, Colorado Ballot, Michigan Tapes, Poison, Hitler”