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.
Then again, the religious right could really give a damn about Jesus, so I am not sure how much weight this will have.
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?
Presently...yes. Not just yes: Hell yes. But, change may just be possible...
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.
Don't lie to them. Admitting non-favorable parts of your religion's history makes you an atheist!
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.
And that would make a recipe for a very merry Christmas indeed.
4 comments:
Is the country bumpkin serious?
I am assuming that is a reference to Toby Keith? They were wondering the same thing over at Pharyngula.
I am guessing, no, he is not serious. But, despite this being a parody song, it was most likely written by Colbert and his staff, and thus he probably also doesn't disagree with the sentiment parodied in the song either. But, I assume anything is possible...
Let me tell you, I am very annoyed that Christians feel the need to shove their own personal religious beleifes onto everyone. Isn't personal faith enough? Or can they not rest until the entire world bows down before the "Merry Christmas" banner at your local wal-mart.
"Or can they not rest until the entire world bows down before the "Merry Christmas" banner at your local wal-mart."
I can actually imagine that happening.
But, a loud segment of the Christian population will simply not settle for personal faith alone. They are shameless in their pursuit, as well. And they are do the legwork for Christianity while letting those who sit around with their personal faiths dismiss them out of hand as a select few nutjobs.
Post a Comment