NALEO Wants you to Know Joseph and Mary Got Themselves Counted. And so Should You

Behold this promotional ad for the 2010 Census, because if Evangelical leaders have their way, it might soon disappear from the face of the Earth.

The above poster is part of a broad campaign by the National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), urging Hispanics to make themselves counted in the upcoming Census. Because, really, what better way to get Latinos on your side than telling them Jesus was in fact born during a Census ordered by Caesar Augustus?

Alas, Christian leaders don’t find the thing amusing at all.

“The Bible establishes clearly that we are not supposed to use the name or God or Jesus in vain for any other purposes than worshiping,” Rev. Miguel Rivera, head of the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders, told the Washington Post.

I don’t know you, but there’s something very puzzling to me about the whole thing: I mean, I do want to get myself counted but… where am I supposed to find a donkey?