My dad's somewhat to my left, and also a real firebrand. I think our differences are more stylistic than substantive, though.
He has an annoying habit nowadays of referring to people that believe in God as "the lesser-educated" or "the superstitious."
While I find the thought rather distressing, I'm pretty sure my father's an atheist. He only goes to church on Christmas and Easter and is constantly dismissive of the religious right. I recall being younger and my father defining heaven as a mental state and my mom telling him to stop. This was in the car.
Anyway, you know the song
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? And the accompanying silly lyrics? I.e.:
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer
had a very shiny nose.
(Like a lightbulb!)And if you ever saw him,
you would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
used to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rudolph
join in any reindeer games.
(Like a monopoly!)Then one foggy Christmas Eve
Santa came to say:
(In his underwear!)"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
won't you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then all the reindeer loved him
as they shouted out with glee,
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,
you'll go down in history!
(Like George Washington!)I recall being in kindergarten and refusing to sing the part about Santa's underwear because I thought it obscene.
