Manitoba Tory leader wishes Happy Holidays, even to “infidel atheists” who “celebrate nothing”

Here’s a video featuring Brian Pallister, leader of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives (surprise, surprise), giving what has got to be the most dickish holiday greeting of 2013. He wishes Christians a Merry Christmas, Jews a Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays to the “infidel atheists”, whom he hopes will still get together with their families, even if they’re “celebrating nothing”.

It’s crap like this that always bring this Gandhi quote to mind:

“I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

Now if you think that I’m off base in my judgement of Mr. Pallister, allow me to refer to you Pope Francis:

“In ideologies there is not Jesus: in his tenderness, his love, his meekness. And ideologies are rigid, always. Of every sign: rigid. And when a Christian becomes a disciple of the ideology, he has lost the faith: he is no longer a disciple of Jesus, he is a disciple of this attitude of thought… For this reason Jesus said to them: ‘You have taken away the key of knowledge.’ The knowledge of Jesus is transformed into an ideological and also moralistic knowledge, because these close the door with many requirements. The faith becomes ideology and ideology frightens, ideology chases away the people, distances, distances the people and distances of the Church of the people. But it is a serious illness, this of ideological Christians. It is an illness, but it is not new, eh?”

Well said, Your Holiness.