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Christianity, the world's only persecuted majority.<br>
<br>
Being a non-christian, I could complain about retailers who assume I am
christian all the time. Take a step back and look at the death-grip
christianity has on our culture. However, now I have to worry about
them thinking that I am trying to curtail their rights by making it
clear that there are those of us out there that believe differently.<br>
<br>
This world is ironic as hell. Especially when you realize, as has been
pointed out, that the big retailers are pushing sales, not Christ, not
non-christian religions. Just plain old greed. It flips
back-and-forth between those complaining about their beliefs not being
taken seriously and those that think christianity is being
minimalized. Well, you win. <br>
<br>
By the way, Jesus probably wasn't really born on Dec 25th, anyway.
It's just a co-opted pagan solstice celebration. Enjoy.<br>
<br>
Good luck to the CEOs when they try to fit their camels through that
needle.<br>
<br>
Paul<br>
<br>
Art Deco wrote:
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<td align="left"><a href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/"><img
src="cid:part1.04010204.07080808@yahoo.com" border="0" height="20"
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<td align="right"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif" size="2">Tuesday,
December 12, 2006</font></td>
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<h2>Separation of church and state holidays</h2>
<p class="byline"><span class="name"><a
href="http://www.spokesmanreview.com/news/bylines.asp?bylinename=J.R.%20Labbe">J.R.
Labbe</a></span><br>
Fort Worth Star-Telegram<br>
December 12, 2006</p>
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<p><span>T</span>he e-mail came from a well-meaning and locally
respected physician. His concern? The use of the word "holiday" in
place of Christmas.</p>
<p>"I have talked to many people about this, and have UNIFORMLY found
them to be irritated about the anti- Christian, defamatory use of
holiday instead of Christmas," he wrote. "I talked to my ham radio
friends at coffee, my wine drinking buddies at our weekly Wednesday
noon lunch, to a Best-Buy Store manager (they shun 'Christmas,' but he
said 'many people are upset about it.'), my neighbors, a retired CEO
who owned an international corporation headquartered in FW (Fort
Worth), etc. I really dislike 'holiday' & I am sick of it in the
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram), on TV, & the radio. Why does the
Star-Telegram not have something about this?"</p>
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The good doctor included a number of attachments to his e-mail,
including an editorial cartoon bemoaning a politically correct Santa
wishing a "Merry religious holiday of your preference" and commentaries
by self-described conservatives Don Feder and Dennis Prager on the
purging of Christmas from our culture.</p>
<p>In an attempt to be educational, I suggested that retailers
started using the phrase "Happy Holidays" in their advertising as a way
to save money. Since the "holiday" season runs from the day after
Halloween to Jan. 1, they were looking for a phrase that captured
Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year's, Kwanzaa and Diwali –
every conceivable celebration during this time of year – so they didn't
have to go to the expense of remaking their ads.</p>
<p>"There's nothing anti-Christian about it. It is purely a business
decision," my e-mail said. "As a Christian, it does not bother me one
bit whether someone wishes me Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. Don't
you think our Lord and Savior would want us to concentrate more on
following His great commandment to love one another – than on something
as trivial as this?"</p>
<p>The use of "trivial" hit a nerve.</p>
<p>"Honestly, I think we should have a little respect for the
Christmas season, and not act like Jell-O-spined wimps who can be
molded like putty," he wrote.</p>
<p>I attempted to counter the doc's inclusion of the newspaper in the
war on Christmas by pointing out the times that the Star-Telegram has
reprinted the Christmas story from the Book of Luke, the number of
columns I and other Christian writers have written about our faith, the
letters to the editor that consistently and openly represent Christian
viewpoints on a variety of issues.</p>
<p>"My God is so much bigger than this trivial – yes, trivial –
non-debate," my e-mail said. "If you want to be outraged about what's
happening to Christians in the 21st century, I'd direct your attention
to our brothers and sisters in Christ living in nations that don't have
the freedom to worship as one chooses. Christians in other parts of the
world are being beaten, jailed, tortured and killed for their faith.
You're upset because someone says 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry
Christmas'? Sorry, I'm saving my outrage for issues that merit it."</p>
<p>Re-reading these words I realize I sounded much more harsh than
intended. The good doctor is obviously experiencing real angst from
what he perceives as an encroachment or minimalization of his faith.</p>
<p>Navigating this intersection of sectarian with the secular is
crowded with dented fenders and smashed bumpers. In a nation that
values individual freedom and the ability to worship the god of one's
own belief, the co-opting of a religious observance into the commercial
world makes for trouble.</p>
<p>Last year, Charles C. Haynes, senior scholar and director of
education programs at the First Amendment Center, wrote a
thought-provoking column titled, "To save Christmas, separate Christ
from commerce."</p>
<p>"If the aim is to keep 'Christ' in the shopping-mall Christmas or
to ensure that pagan trees and mistletoe don't lose their Christian
labels, then it might make sense to attack presidents and business
owners who commit the 'happy holiday' sin," Haynes wrote. "But if the
goal is to restore the religious meaning of the Christian holy day,
then they are aiming at the wrong Target.</p>
<p>"Once the birth of Jesus was made a 'national holiday,' taking
'Christ out of Christmas' was destined to happen."</p>
<p>Therein lies the answer for all who bemoan the corruption of
Christianity: The United States should no longer "celebrate" Christmas
– or Easter for that matter – as national holidays. Let the retailers
have the days; just don't call them Christmas or Easter.</p>
<p>To expand on an idea posited first by the Puritan minister Roger
Williams, who warned about the worldly pollution of faith back in 1635,
and developed by Haynes in his column, let the merchants have their
pagan trees and "Jingle Bells," Santa Claus and the elves, chocolate
Easter bunnies and pastel-colored eggs.</p>
<p>Leave the creche and the cross out of it.</p>
<p><font color="#0000ff">If you want to put Christ back into
Christmas, then instead of battling the mall crowd to spend outrageous
amounts of money on presents that will be forgotten by Easter, use that
time and money to feed the hungry, clothe the poor and visit the infirm.</font></p>
<p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Jesus' new commandment was not for
"them" to love us, but for us to love them.</font></strong></p>
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