CARLSBAD – Angry shouting, U2 songs, dreadlocks, frightened Republicans, and the faint aroma of marijuana.  These are all things one could reasonably expect at a good old fashioned American protest.  What one would not expect is for the crowd of college dropouts to be comprised entirely of skateboarders, BMX bikers, snowboarders, climbing wall instructors, and Razor scooter riders.  Yet that is exactly what was to be seen outside North Shore Baptist church in Carlsbad, California, last Wednesday evening.

In a departure from their notoriously laid-back, near-catatonic demeanor, a passionate yet mostly indifferent coalition of action sport enthusiasts and Mountain Dew junkies gathered in the NSB parking lot to protest the attempts of fundamental Christians to uphold the traditional spelling of Christmas.

The word “Christmas”, which North Shore Baptist used frequently when advertising Wednesday night’s 1^st and 2^nd grade Christmas Pageant, has for decades been used to designate the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which scholars conclude occurred sometime around 6:45 in the morning on the 25^th of December.

Professional wakeboarder Brody “Bro D” Hooper doesn’t see it that way.  He and his fellow protestors consider the use of the word “Christmas” to be part of an aggressive Christian effort to “take the extreme out of Xmas.” Read the full story

Popularity: 8% [?]