War on Christmas?

Is America suffering from a grinchy "war on Christmas?" One recent article, Have a Holly, Jolly Holiday (Post, Dec. 20,) puts Christmas in a context that stretches back to its origins, and looks at whether allegations voiced by some Christians that a new and nasty war is besmirching the observance are true... or not. In response, readers are talking about how Christmas is celebrated, and what role the holiday plays in social life today.

Hommedumonde has had enough of what he perceives as the cultural dictates of religious factions. He says that the demands and aims of Christian groups command too much public and media attention for what are really personal or private agendas. "If they want to have their little corner of Jesusland just absolutely perfect for themselves, fine. But they better stop trying to force it on the rest of us."

December occasions increasingly encompass a variety of traditions, making a general moniker like "Holiday Shopping" a logical catch-all that should offend no one writes bikepatroler. "This year in particilar is a unique one. Christmas & Hanukkah fall on the same day, Kwanza starts on the 26th and is rolling right into the New Year..." But in spite of the holiday convergence, bikepatroler lambastes--or is it laughs at--reports that some of the biggest Christian churches are closing for Christmas day. He regards the whole issue of a war on Christmas as both hypocritcal and a distraction from other more serious news.

Dcr11 also bemoans the role of Christmas today, but her concerns are in government separating religious holidays from secular holidays, calling only the latter, relevant national observances. "As a Christian, I agree with "Mr. Scrooge". Let's give the religious HOLYday back to observant Christians and celebrate New Year's as a national Holiday... I thought that keeping Christ in Christmas was my responsibility and not that of Macy's or WalMart...In fact, for me the observance of Christmas is about reflecting on the Gospel and when you examine the Sermon on the Mount, it makes this assertion that the secular world is taking Christmas away from us seem petty and self-absorbed."

Someone is always going to be offended by something, claims JimFofDC, who offers a cheeky list of major American holidays, highlighting those who should rightly be miffed by their observation.

Context is everything, argues PaHunter1. "The backlash against the political correctness of the season has really been unnecessary. We need to relish in the diversity of the meaning of the term Merry Christmas. This is a holiday that can be celebrated with respect to the Christian faithful that really converted a pagan holiday for their own use, as well as the secular holiday of Santa Claus and parties." He goes on to make a case for freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion.

The whole fracas is a big bah-humbug for the entire country, but most of all for Christians themselves, says ThackerieD. "I almost feel sorry for the fools who have been taken in by Bill O'Reilly and the other profiteers who made up the phony 'war on Christmas.' Not only are they doing a disservice to their savior and his message of good will... but they're also getting themselves all worked up over nothing and thereby missing out on the joy of the season which, thankfully, is available in both religious and secular versions."

After almost six years moderating these comments, I can appreciate calls for unity. So pass the egg nog, check out what's going on and let's party. Merry Christmas!

By Lindsay Howerton |  December 22, 2005; 12:44 PM ET  | Category:  Religion and Social Issues
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