Seems like every year Christmas decorations in stores go up earlier. Even the Banana Republic across the street from Mother Jones‘ offices has installed its celebratory, yet demure, holiday displays well in advance. Appropriately, the “War on Christmas” is also getting an early start this year. Already a pro-atheist group, the American Humanist Association, has launched a literally godless ad campaign that’s riling up the pro-Christmas soldiers at Fox News and other conservative outlets. The ads (seen left) are shamelessly posted on 200 secular buses throughout D.C. In addition, the American Humanist Association will post billboards in Lamb’s-blood-red Colorado Springs and Denver that say, “Don’t believe in God? You are not alone.”
The congenial press contact for the campaign, Fred Edwords, says he will appear on CNN and Bill O’Reilly’s show tonight. That promises to be interesting since O’Reilly prophesized that a lack of a properly Christian Christmas could lead society to embrace other “…secular progressive programs, like legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage, because the objection to those things is religious-based, usually.” Instead of leading to gay marriage, O’Reilly would prefer Christmas lead to religious celebrations and the purchase of specialty, fleur-de-lis emblazoned doormats sold on his site which boldly proclaim “We Say Merry Christmas.”
Bill O’Reilly isn’t the only one worried about Christmas, though. The book publishing world is pinning its hopes not on a Jewish guy in sandals, but on a blonde British woman in pointy boots: J.K. Rowling. Her new book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, is reportedly the shining hope of what promises to be an otherwise rather gloomy time for Border’s. Christmas will also be not-so-fun for folks at Hearst. And Morgan Stanley. And Viacom. Merry Christmas!
