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Santa may already be riding his sleigh around the globe doling out gifts, but that did not stop U.S. lawmakers and conservative groups Tuesday from warning of efforts to sabotage Christmas.
Some members of Congress and religious organizations perennially complain of a movement, embracing the concept of separation of church and state, that is attacking the message of the Christmas season.
This month, in an example of what some have called the "war on Christmas," schoolchildren in Texas were prevented from delivering "Merry Christmas" cards to military veterans because they violated a Veterans Administration policy against specific religious phrasing.
President Barack Obama's official White House card meanwhile makes no mention of Christmas, instead noting the "joy of the holidays."
To counter what they see as attacks on Christmas, House of Representatives Republican Doug Lamborn and 36 other lawmakers introduced a resolution saying "the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected for use by those who celebrate" the holiday.
"There is a vocal minority that is offended at the rest of us who want to celebrate Christmas," Lamborn told Fox News on Christmas Eve, urging people to "not put up with these bans."
Nick Rahall, one of two Democrats to sign on to the non-binding resolution, put it succinctly.
"To substituting time-honored greetings like 'Merry Christmas' with empty phrases such as 'Happy Holidays' -- I say bah humbug," Rahall said.
The Faith & Freedom Coalition cited a "festivus pole" of beer cans, erected next to a manger with baby Jesus on government property in Florida, as an example of how nativity scenes are being mocked nationwide.
"All of this controversy in America is an attempt to minimize Christmas to just another American federal holiday with no more or no less significance than any other federal holiday," said the group's national prayer coordinator, Regina Brown.
One Republican running for Congress in 2014 said the recent kerfuffle over the rant about gays and non-Christian cultures by Phil Robertson, star of cable TV show "Duck Dynasty," was yet another sign of a national shift toward outright "persecution" of America's Christians.
"I don't believe it's gotten to the point yet," Ian Bayne told Talking Points Memo last week.
"But I do believe that Phil believes and I believe that we will wake up in an America where if you walk around with the bible you could be arrested," he said.
US broadcaster Fox News has reported extensively on the apparent "war on Christmas," producing an interactive map showing where Christmas has been given a bad rap.
But leading televangelist and preacher Joel Osteen went on Fox News Sunday and poured cold water on the theory.
"I think there are certain groups that would like to" take the religious meaning out of Christmas, but "I'm probably not as concerned about it as some others," Osteen said.
"Not everybody believes like me," he added. "We're not all Christians in this nation."
© (c) 2013 AFP
12 Comments
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wanderlust
Haven't seen other religions re-naming their special occasions, festivals, religious holidays and sacred days to avoid offending Christians and members of other groups. Likewise their language has not been modified to avoid giving offence.
Political correctness seems to be a one-way street, with total non-reciprocity.
cleo
So do I. For those of us for whom it isn't a holiday, 'Happy Holidays' is rubbing salt in the wound.
bass4funk
Well, this being Christmas, let me just say, Merry Christmas and everyone be safe and enjoy yourselves.
borscht
I say "Merry Christmas" to all my Buddhist/Shinto friends/students and they love it. Because it means cake, not Christianity. I say "Happy Buddha's Birthday" to them and get mostly blank stares because it means, uh, nothing, really.
I also say "Happy Hannukkah" and "Merry Eid Al-Fitr" to them but mostly just get the same blank stares. Once these religious holidays start getting associated with cake or love hotels, I'll get more smiles, I'm sure. Looking forward to it. Happy Malkh, everyone.
Kabukilover
Tis the season not only for retailers to raise their profits but for the Christ mongers to ram Jesus down peoples throats. Hey, there is separation of church and state in the US. That means shoving Jesus on us on public property is a no-no. It is that simple. Anyone who objects should not object to putting up signs on church property stating Jesus never existed.
One thing that must be noted about Christmas is that Christ was generally not in Christmas. In Medieval times Christmas was a time of debauchery--drinking, gambling and fornicating. This was one reason that the Puritans under Cromwell abolished the celebration of Christmas. Riotous mobs protested this. They were not pious Christians by those who were looking forward to their yearend debauches.
Charles Dickens, who did much to bring back Christmas and made "Merry Christmas" popular saw it as an essentially secular holiday where people were nice to each other. There is nothing churchy in his "A Christmas Carol."
I am for greeting people with "Merry Christmas" as long as it means to forgot Jesus what's-his-name and let's have a good time.
wanderlust
@borscht - if you were to say Ramadan Kareem or Eid Mubarak, they would understand your meaning and appreciate your sentiment...
WA4TKG
Next Stop; Hell in a HandBasket.
lucabrasi
What a lot of utterly ridiculous fuss about nothing. Reading this makes me glad to be English, and even gladder to be living in Japan.
Elbuda Mexicano
Heck, I am Buddhist and I say Merry Christmas to all of my Christmas loving Christian, Catholic family and friends. And I also say FELIZ NAVIDAD, Spanish for Merry/Happy Christmas. So shalom everyone!
nath
I am of the same faith as elbuda but was raised as a Lutheran, my family has Muslim, Jewish, Shinto, various christian, etc members so we use greetings and well-wishes according to their faith.
But all of us fight for world peace and harmony, NMRK.
lucabrasi
@It"sME
Right. I'm a Christian, but have no desire to impose my views on other folk.
Merry Christmas, whether you're a Muslim, a Tory or a Republican....
HonestDictator
Ridiculous for those that associate "Merry Christmas" to "You are commanded to go to a Christian church and convert!" It isn't even a Christian originated holiday! For those who are Christian its fine if they take it as a religious holiday, for those that aren't its fine to take it as a basic holiday to promote peace, compassion, and generosity towards all mankind. Taking offense to "Merry Christmas" is just being anal about words.