This isn't something you see every day, even on Christmas: an article at a liberal website castigating the left for being so anti-theistic.

Yet, there it was at the Huffington Post on Christmas Eve, "Why are Liberals so Afraid of Baby Jesus?"

Those familiar with author John Ridley are aware that he very often calls things the way he sees them, even when his views go counter to left-wing dogma.

His Christmas Eve post was certainly no exception (emphasis added throughout):

The far left has no problem with [Jimmy] Carter's faith, and never feared that he would be more of a theologian than politician.

And yet...

Huckabee runs a Christmas-themed ad. The liberals see a floating cross, and believe that alone make the man unfit to be president. Instead, I think that makes some on the far left too paranoid to trust with a vote.

Amazing. But there's more:

What's particularly galling is the left's selective prosecution of religiosity. There is, as first mentioned, Jimmy Carter and his faith which causes no liberal ripples. And few liberals batted an eye when Barack Obama launched his Embrace the Change tour with black ministers -- despite the fact one was (and still is) a homophobe. When Harold Ford Jr. ran a political ad filmed in a church there wasn't a word of derision spoken from the left as they knew such an ad would pull votes for Mr. Ford in Tennessee. And during their presidential runs no one on the left accused the reverends Jackson or Sharpton of being too tied to the cloth.

Shocking honesty to find at one of the most liberal websites on the blogosphere, wouldn't you agree? Not so shockingly, HuffPo readers weren't pleased:

mydogshakespeare (See profile | I'm a fan of mydogshakespeare)

Mr. Ridley,

Your article is just more right-wing passive aggressive drivel. The only War on Christmas "wedge issue" is the one brought forth from the persecution-complex-ridden red staters who WANT such an issue.

While it is somewhat true that those on the left want to preserve much of the Constitutional "separation of church and state" (even willing to seek redress in court), it's not the liberals leading the charge against massive celebration. If it were true, you would see huge reduction in gift exchanges from the full-frontal assault you seem to be describing.

Besides the lack of War on the commercial side, the religious right was not as blatant about its need for religious litmus tests until about 20 years ago, but has steadily, stealthly been accumulating the power to do so since Roe v Wade. Too bad for American Politics that the religious folk glommed on to the Republican bandwagon instead of forming their own party.

Insofar as liberals "fear the right", it is only because the religious right and their exploitative political leadership tends to ignore the parts of the US Constitution they view as mere parts of "a goddamned piece of paper."

Otherwise, you are just seeing WMD, and you "know where they are". Probably your eyesight, or mindsight, is affected by reading too many blogs.

Merry Christmas, though, from the left. We hope for Peace on Earth and Goodwill towards All (men, women, and children).

WoodyCPM (See profile | I'm a fan of WoodyCPM)

Wow, rarely does one read such a thoughtless, distorted rant as Ridley's here on Huffington Post. Either that, or he's playing the provacateur to bait the letter writers.

Reply if (HuffCookies.get('huffpost_user')) document.write('| Favorite| Flag as abusive'); | posted 11:31 am on 12/25/2007

JohnJames (See profile | I'm a fan of JohnJames)

Ridley has clearly bought into the right-wing propaganda that Christians are being persecuted (persecuted, Ridley, not prosecuted). I guess that explains why the whole country is shut down today on a Christian holiday. Liberals don't have a problem with Christians' or anyone else's religion as long as it doesn't pose a threat to other people's freedoms and Huckabee has made it clear that, among other things, his religious beliefs demand that gay Americans be treated as second class citizens. On the other hand, Romney as a devout Mormon had no trouble being elected governor by the LIBERAL citizens of Massachusetts because, at the time, he was not threatening anyone's liberties based on his personal beliefs. Now, however, he is struggling because CONSERVATIVES don't like his religion and, of course, he could never have gotten anywhere as a politician in say Alabama or Texas because of his religion. As far as Huckabee's Christmas advertisement with the cross goes, what angered me was his dishonesty - it was just a bookshelf. It was a bookshelf intentionally made to look like a gleaming white cross so that he could use the inevitable kerfluffle to depict liberals as both paranoid and anti-Christian a la Bill O'Reilly. When did honesty cease to be a Christian virtue?

Reply if (HuffCookies.get('huffpost_user')) document.write('| Favorite| Flag as abusive'); | posted 11:29 am on 12/25/2007

savertime (See profile | I'm a fan of savertime)

Once again you have posted a condescending, inaccurate message. You are off-base as always and I am sorry you fail to identify the true issue.

Reply if (HuffCookies.get('huffpost_user')) document.write('| Favorite| Flag as abusive'); | posted 11:36 am on 12/25/2007

vastleft (See profile | I'm a fan of vastleft)

Good God, man, what an offensive post!

Since you're the self-appointed expert on both Jimmy Carter and progressives' concerns about the separation of church and state, might I recommend reading Carter's book "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis"? In it, the evangelical ex-president articulates the same concerns as us too-paranoid-to-be-allowed-to-vote atheists.

Obama's abuse of the faith card -- http://correntewire.com/barack_still_putting_the_u_s_into_jesus -- raises serious questions about his character and judgment.

To the detriment of the party and Jefferson's "wall," Obama constantly conflates religion with "values" and "morals," and like you, he plumps up rightwing strawmen about the left, including the secular left, which despite your bigotry has every right to a voice in America, and which in my experience encompasses a lot of fine, admirable, and eminently reasonable people who (like Jimmy Carter) just happen not to think America should keep lurching toward theocracy.

Reply if (HuffCookies.get('huffpost_user')) document.write('| Favorite| Flag as abusive'); | posted 10:48 am on 12/25/2007

Ah. That's better.

—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.