Man, did I have a strange dream last night. I seemed to be on the sofa, watching TV as the evening news began and the announcer said something like this…
“…Many in the nation were surprised today by a Supreme Court ruling that the celebration of ‘Christmas’ is a ritual of the largely discredited Christian religion and thus disqualified from public display. In his response to the ruling, the President stated ‘As this nation emerged – slowly and painfully – from the deeply rooted practice of slavery, so we will survive the turmoil that arises from this painful but necessary decision. Christian intransigence has forced this nation into a clear and unmistakable response. Those who continue to embrace a dangerous and hurtful tradition that excludes and offends many of our citizens must be confronted. Those who would raise their children in an atmosphere of mystical thinking and intolerance must be restrained. For too long, Christians in America have claimed the right to think and say whatever they want by hiding behind a very un-American tradition. It is time for a change.’”
“The ruling specifically forbids any observation of the ‘Christmas’ ritual in public and lists both visual and audio indicators which will constitute violation, including manger scenes and several familiar songs. The American winter holiday, Festivus, is not affected by this ruling. No word yet on implications of the Christmas prohibition upon observations within private homes.”
“In a companion case, the Supreme Court denied an appeal by Phil Robertson, the extremist jailed three years ago for quoting an unpopular Christian scripture during a media session. The Court found that the FCC regulation violated by Robertson – which has since become the law of the land – did carry the authority to arrest and incarcerate offenders, even though that clause was appended by federal administrators, rather than by Congress. Responding to this ruling, the President hearkened back to a major theme of his third election campaign: ‘We remain a nation in transition. For a brief moment in our history, it has been necessary to increase the protective powers of the federal government in order to guarantee the freedoms of our people.’”
“In other news, the Court upheld the conviction of a Michigan man who, according to NSA records, attempted to transmit an email note stating that ‘Government of the people, by the people and for the people is – right now – perishing from the earth.’”…
Suddenly, the dream was shattered by the sound of my alarm. Imagine my relief to wake up in the real world.