A Christmas troll

Unfortunately this sort of rubbish is becoming an annual event.

Here you go people. A nativity scene without any Jews, Arabs, Africans, refugees, poor people pic.twitter.com/1eoxIIAxu5

— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) December 24, 2016

Two important things Dowd seems to be unaware of:

Mary and Joseph were not refugees. They were required by the Roman government to travel to Bethlehem so they could participate in a census and be taxed.

There is nothing in the Bible that tells us whether Mary and Joseph were rich or poor. The fact that they stayed in a stable was because there was no room at the inn (Luke 2:7), and does not necessarily indicate they were poor.

Also, it is hard to know what Dowd meant when he made his wisecrack about "Jews, Arabs, Africans". Mary and Joseph were Jews, but the terms "Arabs" and "Africans" are more recent labels unknown in the time of Jesus. Dowd might have been referring to the wise men and/or the shepherds, but it is hard to be sure.

After a number of people pointed out the errors in Dowd's ignorant Tweet he had this to say:

I am amazed. It is Christmas Eve, and the lack of civility, compassion, caring by people who claim Christianity is astounding. God Bless

— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) December 24, 2016

Well, now. I know Christians make a easy target for secular media outfits like ABC, but this was pretty cowardly. One fellow Tweeter had a good response to Dowd's Christmas Eve blast:

@matthewjdowd Any chance you're going to be this woke during Ramadan?

— FiveDownTerritory (@FDTerritory) December 24, 2016

That's what I'd like to know.