War on Christmas Lost
The ratio or “Happy Holidays” to “Merry Christmas” has been about 20 to 1 to me so far this season. Looks like the war on Christmas has been lost by the social conservatives.
Do I care? Nope. Merry Christmas!
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[...] the war on Christmas? My friend, Nathan Rice, posted some thoughts about how he’d not heard many “Merry Christmas” greetings this year. In response, I posted these thoughts on what some have labeled the cultural battle against [...]
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Wait, do you mean 20 “Merry Christmas’es” to 1 “Happy Holidays” or the other way around? The way you said it sounds like the former, and wouldn’t that mean the social conservatives won
Good point … I’m changing it now.
The war against Christmas has been in full force in Jesus was enrobed in flesh about 2,000 years ago. Satan was its first storm trooper, thinking that killing Jesus would actually put an end to it. In fact, he unwittingly put the whole thing into motion, giving the holiday its greatest, and most holy meaning.
Christmas is neither enhanced or defeated by the merry wishes of anyone. It is not made valid by ringing bells, lighted trees, family gatherings, forced days off or any of the other trappings of a “festival.”
It finds it power and purpose in the blood shed by Christ on the cross.
Until and unless one can turn back the clock, put Jesus back in the grave, off of the cross, out of the stable, Christmas will be celebrated everytime the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed and everytime a person rests his or her ultimate destiny in the person and work of Jesus — the God-Man and Savior of the world.
I say:
Christmas: The number of my sins — past, present and future — taken away by the atonement of Jesus Christ
Anti-Christmas Crusaders: 0
Matthew,
Home run!
No matter what people say to me to wish me yuletide happiness, I celebrate Christmas and that’s all that matters to me. You can celebrate whatever you want, and so can I. Heck, I even told Meredith that I wouldn’t mind celebrating Hanukkah too. Might as well, right? More happiness and more focusing on God!!!
Who doesn’t love a longer holiday season anyway???
Personally, I think the PC encouragement of the phrase ‘happy holidays’ is a little bit stupid; you have the right to celebrate your holiday, and you have the right to hope I have a good one too. Then again, I also think that assuming any given person is Christian and thus assuming they are also celebrating this holiday is also a bit stupid.
Essentially: a shopping mall can put up all the Christmas decorations it wants, a post office shouldn’t be putting up any.
Well, it’s not that simple, since 75% of such decorations really don’t pertain to the story behind Christmas at all, and only relate to its modern secular meaning. In that case it’s fine.
George,
Agreed … but that brings up a good point … Christmas is a federally recognized holiday, and as such, the religious meaning behind Christmas is actually fair game as it pertains to federal/government property. Until/unless the ACLU or some other org can actually get Christmas repealed from the recognized list of national holidays, I think a post office actually does have the right to display nativity scenes, etc.
That isn’t to say, however, that I agree with Christmas being a federally recognized holiday. In fact, in principle … it should not.
Has Christmas evolved into a secular holiday? Sure, but it is not entirely secular yet, and it still has religious connotations … and as such any government that recognizes the holiday is well within its rights to display decorations to that effect.
If you want to get technical about it, Christmas actually began as a pagan celebration of the winter solstice. It was Christians who originally hijacked the holiday as the time to recognize Christ’s birth, even though Christ was most likely born in late Summer. Is it possible for a Christmas to “evolve” into a secular holiday when that’s how it started out in the first place?
I’m not trying to make any point here – just something interesting to think about!
I work for a company that promotes the saying of happy holidays, which I find hypocritical because holidays fall on religious events and holidays really stands for HOLY DAYS. Ha Ha. So regardless if I have to say either in my heart I know what I’m saying.