Who would Jesus exploit?

Like certain priests, the Invisible Hand of the Market has been caught touching believers in a highly inappropriate manner. Just in time for the Christmas shopping season, we learn that the X in Xmas can stand for exploited, as in ruthlessly exploited workers, as well as Christ.

According to the AP, the National Labor Committee announced yesterday “that crucifixes sold in religious gift shops in the U.S. are produced under “horrific” conditions in a Chinese factory with more than 15-hour work days and inadequate food.”

“It’s a throwback to the worst of the garment sweatshops 10, 20 years ago,” said Charles Kernaghan, director of the National Labor Committee.

To their credit, “Spokespeople for St. Patrick’s and another New York landmark, the Episcopal Trinity Church at Wall Street, said the churches had removed dozens of crucifixes from their shops while they investigate the claims.”

And while some of God’s big box retailers appear to be behaving responsibly– or as what passes for responsibly, in an economic system where the professionally faithful think nothing of buying their godly goods from a repressive godless state, famous for lax safety and brutal treatment of workers– the less Jesus-y side of Christmas lags far behind as we head into Black Friday. Despite endless reports of poisonous toys– lead or date rape drug flavored, take your pick– and at least one report of heavily-leaded Christmas trees imported from China, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is still being run by a temporary employee, who thinks one full-time worker is enough to examine all toys imported from China.

Tags: China, Consumer Product Safety Commission, crucifixes, Episcopal Trinity Church, heavily-leaded Christmas trees, National Labor Committee, poisonous toys, St. Patrick's Cathedral, sweatshops, X in Xmas