[Antoninus]

Post-Christian Europe will also be post-European. If you’re cool with that, fine. If you’re not, you might want to rethink the lazy slurs about America’s ‘neo-fascist’ religiosity. Merry Christmas. Happy Eid.

Man, if you're a lefty, reading a Mark Steyn column has to feel like a real poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

[Rummyfan]

This modest thought provoked Paul Z. Myers, professor of biology at the University of Minnesota, into paroxysms of scorn: Steyn, he scoffed, ‘must not possess a gut populated by intestinal bacteria. We are at their mercy; without them, we suffer horribly for a while and die.... He must not have any wooden furniture in his home, or plastic ...made from the carbon left by ancient forests.... It’s a good thing he doesn’t eat, or he’d have to excrete — without any bacteria or fungi or nematodes or flatworms, the shit would just pile up (this would explain his written output, though).’

Oh dear. All I was doing was making a simple point about the scale of man’s domination, and all Professor Myers’s demolition does is confirm it. My intestinal bacteria may indeed be doing a swell job, but living in my gut isn’t exactly a beach house at Malibu. Yes, I’ve got wooden furniture. I live in the Great North Woods and the house and practically everything in it is made from those woods. But I sit on the chair, the chair doesn’t sit on me. And as for my excreta and the hard-working nematode, who gets the better end of that deal?

ROTFLMAO!!!! Responders to Steyn beware!

[Ducere]

.........Eutopia.....I love it....

[DCPatriot]

"Religion .... the opiate of the masses" - A. Hitler

[Neophyte]

And as for my excreta and the hard-working nematode, who gets the better end of that deal?

I confess, I had to go to my dictionary for the nematode, but the task was nothing compared to the task of cleaning up my screen from the breakfast I spilled on it when LMAO...

[untenured]

This modest thought provoked Paul Z. Myers, professor of biology at the University of Minnesota, into paroxysms of scorn: Steyn, he scoffed, ‘must not possess a gut populated by intestinal bacteria. We are at their mercy; without them, we suffer horribly for a while and die....

That only humans, and not bacteria, can even show "mercy," an act of conscious moral reasoning, is Mark Steyn's point, which seems to have completely escaped the esteemed biologist.

[Lurker]

Oh the meek shall inherit the Earth alright; in 6 foot by 8 foot plots.

L

[UnklGene]

Happy EID! Eid ul-Fitr (Arabic: ÚíÏ ÇáÝØÑ), often abbreviated as simply Eid, is an Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Fitr means "to break" and therefore symbolizes the breaking of the fasting period and of all evil habits. On the day of the celebration, a typical Muslim family gets up very early and attends special prayers held only for the occasion in big mosques, in large open areas, stadiums or arenas. The festivities and merriment start after the prayers with visits to the homes of friends and relatives and thanking the Creator for all blessings. Eid is a time to come together as a community and to renew friendship and family ties. This is a time for peace for all Muslims in the world to devote to prayers and mutual well-being. It's a joyous occasion with important religious significance. Happiness is observed at attaining spiritual uplift after a month of fasting. Muslims dress in holiday attire. After attending the special congregational prayer in the morning, worshippers greet and embrace each other in a spirit of peace, love, and brotherhood. Visiting friends and relatives is common. For Muslims, Eid ul-Fitr is a joyful celebration of the achievement of enhanced piety. It is a day of forgiveness, moral victory and peace, of congregation, fellowship, brotherhood and unity. Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but thanking God for the help and strength that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them practice self-control. Common greetings during this three-day festival are the Arabic greeting "Eid mubarak", "Eid saeed" or its Urdu variation "Eid mubarak ho!" which, loosely translated, means "Happy Eid!"

[Forgiven_Sinner]

A wonderful article. I read it aloud to my wife and daughter. He is truly a prose poet.

Peter Watson and Polly must not have read this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/560855/posts

Basically, most of the atrocities in the 20th century were caused by atheists. (Communists) or non-Christians (Nazis, who were into paganism and occultism).

[Alexander Rubin]

Woooo! Steyn!

[alrea]

amazing writer ping

[Ruth A.]

Thank you.

[wardaddy]

A rationalist ought still to be able to conclude that, as a societal model, Christianity is more rational than Eutopian secularism

it warms my heart to see some Jews on the right side of this and even on occasion taking a stand on behalf of Christmas.

happy channukah to them!

(Stanley Marcus RIP)

[knighthawk]

Ping

[xzins]

Steyn is the man.

Great article.