So where is this place where these upset Christians live where no one is permitted to celebrate Christmas ? It is odd though how angry these Christians are who appear on television decrying how they are not allowed to celebrate Christmas as if the government had passed a decree outlawing any mention of Chistmas . Is someone preventing them from decorating their homes or going to Christmas parties. Are they being threatened with jail if they dare buy Christmas gifts or sing carols in their homes or in their churches. Are they not allowed to tell their young children that some of the gifts under the tree are from Santa Clause .
Does it ruin their Christmas when a Minorah is displayed or their children in school are taught about Hannuka or other celebrations observed by people of different faiths or religions. Is it really such a big deal that some retail stores have their employees say Happy Hollidays instead of Merry Christmas. And why do some Christians go a little over the edge when some historian points out that some of these Christmas traditions were borrowed from pre- Christian cultures such as the Christmas tree or mistletoe or Yule Tide logs or Holly or fruit-cake even .
If they want to talk about the commercialization of Christmas and that it has in some ways moved away from the spiritual message of Christmas as a Christian observance of the birth of their savior then this would be understandable from a Christian point of view. But I am not a Christian so as they say I may be missing the importance or significance of what they are arguing about.
The suspicion is that it is much ado about nothing that it is a " Faux War ".Or is it that these conservative Christians want the Christmas season to be celebrated without any positive or neutral statements being made in reference to any other faith besides Christianity. It may also be that they want Christmas to be observed in a more dignified and puritanical manner. So no more office parties where large amounts of food and alcohol are to be had and people do naughty things. Should everyone be obliged to attend Christmas services in their local church. Should those of other faiths such as Jews and Muslims keep off the streets at Christmas which at one time was the rule of thumb if not the law in certain countries in Europe. How far back would these conservatives like to go . For instance the Santa Clause story has nothing really to do with the Pure Christian tradition and of course nor does Rudoplh or Frosty the Snowman or The Grinch. Should they be merely frowned upon or banned outright.
Should Good Christians refuse to read or allow their children to watch Christmas stories written by non-Christians or by Christians such as Oscar Wilde ( who was Gay )of who's life style one may not approve such as his wonderful story " The Selfish Giant" ? Is even Scrooge to be taken away since he appears to travel through time and see the spirits of the dead basically ghosts. Are Ghosts part of the Christmas tradition ? Should good Christians only sing explicitly religious Christmas songs ? Should good Christians not be permitted to sing secular styled Christmas songs or Christmas songs written by non-Christians who only wrote them to make money. Are we to question an over-emphasis on the three wisemen who were probably astrologers and alchemist or seers who may have come from Persia ( Iran ) . These three wisemen was for some reason one of my favorite parts of the Christmas Story.
These conservative Christians claim they just want store clerks to be allowed to say " Merry Christmas " and that the Town Hall have a Christmas Tree and a Nativity Scene display . But then they insists school children should be allowed to sing Christmas carols in school during the regular school day plus have Christmas concerts in the school plus Christmas trees and gift giving and a Santa Clause. One of the compromises many have made is that these activities take place outside of regular school hours and /or that they take place in a church or community hall.
But is this really their concern or is it as those who believe in the Seperation of Church and State that the Conservative Christians have a much bigger agenda which they wish to impose on the Public Schools and the Public Square. Is this really just a matter of the thin edge of the wedge in that they want to find ways to bring religion back into the Public Schools and the Public Square - from Christmas concerts to daily prayer and singing Christian Hymns and Bible readings & teaching Intelligent Design or Creation Science . Next thing you know anything which isn't considered to be Bible based is thrown out of the classroom or is trashed.
Myself I have little problem with people saying Merry Christmas or schools having Christmas concerts for children in grade school or having a Christmas tree and having Santa show up to give out gifts as long as schools and teachers and parents are sensitive to the needs of those children who are not Christians or who belong to a Christian sect which celebrates Christmas differently.
As I have said I am not a Christian but -If I were a Christian I could understand the concern over the commercialization of Christmas by which it is just a way for corporations to make a lot of money and sell us and our children things we don't necessarily need. To far too many people Christmas is judged by how much mony they spend. The more you spend ; the more extravacant the gifts you give the better. It is just another way to make those who have little to feel worse abiout themselves and their situation . This is especially true as we enter meaner and harder financial times. There are those who have been used to spending like crazy on Christmas who may have to rethink their priorities.But agin the media will talk about how to save money during Christmas on one program and the next talk about the expensive gifts given and received by the the Rich and Famous. The message is clear we are to give the most expensive gifts that we possibly can.
Christmas is supposed to be about spreading the message of the Nazarene known as Jesus or at least part of his message about peace, love , brotherhood and sisterhood and treated each other as you would have them treat you. This last part is basic to a number of religions .
But this message is difficult to square with the beliefs of conservative Christians or conservative Evangelicals who seem to preach the destruction of all other religions and the destruction of Homosexuals and Lesbians and of Blasphemers and adulterers and misbehaving children and on and on. As they say Jesus said " I bring not Peace but a Sword " and then goes on how he will bring strife to families as children will disoby their parents to follow his word etc. And then the Conservative Bible Thumping True Believer who adheres to a literal innerrant interpretation of the Bible will tell you that they are praying for the End-Times and the destruction of all Humankind except for the Elect who are the Chosen of God. Its like they prayed for the creation of Israel so that the time would come when God would destroy all the Jews except for those who fall into line and take Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Makes you wonder doesn't it.
Bill O Reilly War On Christmas
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