Well, John (Mr. Bradlaugh), here I am (looks around anxiously, wondering about\u00a0the strange, godless place in which\u00a0he now finds himself). And, yes, I’m certainly up for\u00a0that Christmas drink – and a mince pie too if such delicacies can be found in New York. \u00a0Like you, I’m a great fan of Christmas – and for any number of reasons, most of them to do with nostalgia, tradition, family and, yes,\u00a0the season’s irresistible\u00a0ideal of Dickensian bonhomie. Goodwill to all men and all that. Putting up that placard struck me as boorish,\u00a0preachy, and more than a little irritating, for many of the reasons you suggest. It’s also\u00a0an\u00a0unintentionally amusing\u00a0reminder of the way that so many\u00a0of our more enthusiastic atheist brethren\u00a0(full disclosure: I’m not an atheist myself; that would take way too much certainty) can often resemble exactly those types of religious zealots they purport to disdain. The folks\u00a0who put up that placard should lighten up a little.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well, John (Mr. Bradlaugh), here I am (looks around anxiously, wondering about\u00a0the strange, godless place in which\u00a0he now finds himself). And, yes, I’m certainly up for\u00a0that Christmas drink – and a mince pie too if such delicacies can be found … Continue reading