One of the the most depressing aspects of the Advent season is the perennial reappearance of the "War Against Christmas" argument in some conservative political and religious circles. This story-line, most visibly associated with Fox News' Bill O'Reilly, is based on the idea that Christians are being mortally offended, and perhaps even threatened in their religious liberties, by department-store decisions to peddle their wares under the slogan of "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas." The "War Against Christmas" theory also feeds on the usual tedious and marginal fights over publicly-authorized Nativity scenes and equal access to other seasonal religious or even anti-religious messages.
I think it's time for Christians to reclaim Christmas by declaring war on the whole "War on Christmas" whine, and on the planted axiom that Jesus Christ needs to be proclaimed on department store facades and municipal squares. More generally, Christians should be offended by the idea that commercial or government neutrality towards religious expression represents some sort of persecution--a grievous insult to the sacrifices of true Christian martyrs, past, present and future.
I admit this is a subject on which I have a hard time being any more calm and rational than O'Reilly himself.
Are contemporary American Christians really so weak and defensive that they identify the terrible outrage of being exposed to pan-religious or secular expressions of the holiday season with the experience of the many millions of Christians who have suffered active discrimination, state-sanctioned repression of their private religious practices, and injury, torture and death, for confessing Christ?
Have we forgotten the terrible price Christians have paid, in terms of the secular blandishments of power, and the inducement to slaughter each other as well as "infidels," by confusion of the Kingdom of God with kingdoms--political and commercial--of this world?
And as an American Protestant, I have to ask: have we forgotten that our own heritage used to acknowledge a sharp separation between church and state, and between secular and religious worlds, as essential to our own liberty and growth?
Ironically enough, on the particular issue of Christmas, the Scots-Irish and Calvinist forebears of many U.S. evangelical Protestants waged the most systematic "War on Christmas" on record, as nicely summarized recently by Bruce Wilson.
While I obviously don't endorse any official ban on Christmas, the inclination of some magisterial Reformers to fear Christmas as a "Holy Day" that has little to do with Jesus Christ is instructive. The best way to remind people of the "reason for the season" is to disassociate the Feast of the Incarnation from Santa Claus, the Yule Log, and other pre- and post-Christian observances that have been merged with it over the centuries. And the place for that is in homes, churches, individual souls, public and private acts of Christian charity, and observances of the real sacrifices of real Christian martrys. Demanding this association in the commercial and political realms devalues the Christian content of "Christmas" decisively.
That's why I think Christians, regardless of our various views on other issues, should unite to denounce and fight the "War on Christmas" campaign. At best, it's a testament to our weakness and cowardice. At worst, it's an identification of the Gospel with all the dark places where the Gospel casts light.
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I have never understood why O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Coulter, et al. are so worried about Christianity -- it's not like any of them are practicing Christians, is it?????
I say let them say whatever they want, as long as they don't claim it's for the sake of Christianity....
This country was founded as, and was declared by the Supreme Court in 1892 to be A CHRISTIAN NATION. Modern liberal misrepresentations of the founding father's intent for this great land, are being used as a form of contemporary cultural revisionism(PC multiculturalism). Simply because there are people of other religions living among us, does not change the historical nor contemporary Christian nature of America. Jews constitute 1.2% and Muslims constitute o.6% of our population. All the other religions combined including Jews and Muslims and others constitute 4% of our population. 86% of Americans self-identify as Christian. The liberal attempt to de-Christianize the public square is designed to keep our children from being exposed to enlightenments like this following quote:
"IT CANNOT BE EMPHASIZED TOO STRONGLY OR TOO OFTEN THAT THIS GREAT NATION WAS FOUNDED NOT BY RELIGIONISTS BUT BY CHRISTIANS, NOT ON RELIGION BUT ON THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. WE SHALL NOT FIGHT ALONE. GOD PRESIDES OVER THE DESTINIES OF NATIONS."
--PATRICK HENRY
Merry Christmas to everyone!
Except that Patrick Henry didn't say that. Oops, maybe you can't hear me over your own shouting. Allow me to speak up: PATRICK HENRY DIDN'T SAY THAT. That quote comes from a 1956 newspaper editorial *about* Henry, and therefore represents the opinions only of the author of the editorial, not those of Henry.
Anyway, the actual law of the land, as ratified by President John Adams in Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli, states that "the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion [and] has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen [Muslims]."
Merry Christmas to everyone (including non-Christians who wish to celebrate our holiday - please, feel free to join our party!)
One Little Problem,
Thank you. The treaty of Tripoli states exactly what you said. I am at a loss as to why some Christians feel so threatened. This whole "war on Christmas" isn't something that all Christians worry about, complain about, it's a select few, specifically the Evangel/Conservative/ RR who are doing all the yelling. I just wish others Christians would tell them to shut up, in a kind manner. As much as i love this time of year,
Yule, for me, it becomes very draining when listening to all the belly aching by a few groups. This is sad as i then look forward to the Holiday season being over for the year, so i don't have to listen to all the whining.
Blessing to all and a Happy New Year.
Jesus is the Way, Truth, and the Life. If you are a believer, how do think Jesus feels having His Holy name associated with a bunch of paganism? I doubt that He approves. If we are supposed to be preaching Truth to the world, why do we carry on with the lies?
Thanks
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