Political Correctness can kiss my godless ass.

You may have read last week that in New York a 6 year old boy was suspended for bringing "a gun" to school. It was two inches of injection molded plastic shaped like a space gun. It was the toy gun of his toy Lego figure!

About the same time a big brouhaha erupted when White House Chief of Staff
Rahm Emanuel used the word “retarded” to describe some members of his own party. Evidently the word is taboo. We now have a perfectly good “R” word that no one is allowed to utter lest they horrify the sensibilities of the PC police. It’s become the “N” word for the “mentally challenged” or “special needs children,” or whatever the proper term is these days.

Both of these insane tempests in a tea pot are the result of Political Correctness run amok. It reminded me of when I was taken to task for typing the word “Xtian,” short for Christian, on an internet message group. This fundie was deeply offended and went into a rant. Was I afraid to type the name of the Lord and Savior? Did I have so little respect for God that I abbreviated His name? How dare I defile the one true religion and insult its faithful adherents?

Never missing an opportunity to educate the undereducated I explained that the term “Xtian” is based on the Greek word “Christos” which starts with the letter Chi which is written with the letter X. The abbreviation "Xtian" goes back to the 16th century, and was common usage. I also confirmed that while I had no respect for his Imaginary Friend, had as much fear of it as I have for a Stephen King villian, and could care less about defiling his religion or belittling his fellow religionists -- the use of Xtian is not in and of itself an insult. In keeping with my characteristic modus operandi I believe I ended the lesson with the phrase “You witless fundie Xtian retard!” I feel badly about that now. In the future I will refine it, bring it up to code, by replacing the term “retard” with “special needs person,” although it loses something in the translation.

Religionists have no compunctions about using less than flatering epithets when referring to atheists. “Godless,” “heathen,” “the irreligious,” “hell bound non-believer,” and “fool” (from the scriptural verse that says those who say there is no god are fools) are among the most popular. Evidently Xtians don’t feel any pressure to be PC (Properly Christ-like) where atheists are concerned; not that I give a fiddler’s damn. For just as African-Americans may casually refer to their friends by using (Oy!… I have to do this eh?? Ok… ) “the N word,” I occasionally refer to my fellow atheists as “godless hell bound heathens.” It’s a term of endearment, and the highest compliment I can pay a freethinker.

As hard as it may be to believe, I can be induced to throw out derogatory terms for the most religiously afflicted Xtians. I endeavor to use them only on those occasions where decorum and good taste have been suspended having outlived their usefulness. They include but are not limited to: Bible Banger, Bible Thumper, Holy Roller, Papist, Popeblower, Bead Mumbler, Mind Slave, Mindless Medieval Peasant, Dead Jew Worshipper, Death Cultist, and Kool-Aide-Sipping-Blood-Imbibing-Flesh-Devouring-Polytheist-Throwback.

For the followers of the notorious 6th century warlord prophet and pedophile, the nomenclature becomes substantially more vivid, conjuring up visions of sand simians, dune jockeys, and head gear that would be equally useful for wiping up camel vomit. When it comes to the religiously deluded let no one say I’m not an equal opportunity non-PCist