The Christmas Spirit

Townhall.com ^ | December 22, 2012 | Bill O'Reilly

[Kaslin]

Anyone offended by public displays of Christmas needs to see a psychiatrist. Are we clear on this? You are a loon if the sight of baby Jesus arouses anger or sadness in you. Get help.

This brings us to the governor of Rhode Island, Lincoln Chafee. He recently told me on national television that the reason he will not use the word "Christmas" in describing the state Christmas tree is that the word might offend non-Christians. The governor calls the state-purchased symbol a "holiday tree."

My reply to the governor was that by excluding the word "Christmas," he might be offending the 73 percent of Americans who describe themselves as Christian, not to mention the 2.2 billion Christians worldwide. Chafee chafed when he heard that but had no answer.

And then the governor did a very interesting thing: He announced the lighting of the "holiday tree" in Providence a full 30 minutes before the cord was plugged in. Very few Rhode Islanders even knew about the tree lighting because it was done so surreptitiously. Chafee did that because he feared protesters would do what they did last year: sing Christmas carols at the lighting. And we can't have that, now, can we?

Jon Stewart and his merry band of elves will tell you that the so-called "War on Christmas" is a figment of the imagination, perhaps a result of indigestion after eating too much holiday pudding. Stewart's posture is similar to what Ebenezer Scrooge put forth when the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come told him he was bound for hell. I am channeling Charles Dickens to see whether the ghost can visit Stewart on Christmas Eve. I'll let you know what happens.

There is something to the argument that there are more important things to worry about than whether people like Christmas. But the assaults against the national holiday are annoying, unnecessary and often disrespectful. I mean, here's how bad it is in this country: A pastor in Arkansas canceled a play called "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown" because so many nutty atheists objected to public school kids seeing it on church grounds. So Charlie, Snoopy and Linus were thrown under the bus by a Christian cleric. Good grief!

For all of you separation-of-church-and-state fans, here's the deal: Jesus of Nazareth was a man. In fact, he was the most influential person ever born. A third of the world's population has signed on to the Christian edicts: love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. That sounds like a good thing.

So, when President Grant honored Jesus by signing into law the national holiday of Christmas in 1870, the nation certified that a positive message of generosity and peace was worthy of a day off. Pretty much everybody was on board.

But not today. In our current state, the Thomas More Law Center has to litigate against attacks on Christmas every year. Anti-religion zealots put up billboards in Times Square denouncing Christmas as a "myth." Rabid secularists bridle at any mention of Jesus or his nice mom and dad.

To them I say: Peace on Earth and tough. You don't like the federal holiday? Try to rescind it. Start with our pal Lincoln Chafee. See how far you get with that.

And by the way, Merry Christmas to all. Even you loons.

[kitkat]

Merry CHRISTmas, Kaslin, and all Freepers.

[Badabing Badablonde]

I work with an avowed atheist, and my opinion is they are all hypocrites. This guy has never refused or returned a Chrustmas bonus. Never protested having to take Christmas Day off. Never skipped an office Christmas party where there was food. He just chooses to parade his atheist opinion when he doesn’t stand to benefit directly from it.

[Kaslin]

I would say that 99 percent of atheists are liberals, and all liberals are hypocrites, so he fits perfectly in the category

[Kaslin]

Merry Christmas to you and yours, kitkat

[AppyPappy]

Atheists celebrate Christmas. Only anti-Theists oppose Christmas.

[King_Corey]

Over the last few years I have been actively doing more to combat the anti-Christmas people. (And anti-Jew as well) I put up a bigger Nativity, say Merry Christmas to everyone, hand out Christmas cards at work that SAY “Merry Christmas” inside. I have never accepted the thought that I should not say it because it may offend someone else. This article shows why we all need to be culture warriors. Happy Hannauka and Merry Christmas!

[bray]

Christmas is the biggest day of the year for atheists.

Merry Christmas

[HiTech RedNeck]

I think sometimes these are only half-atheists. They don’t disbelieve enough in God for God not to scare them any more.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Chanukah/Hanukkah is itself a very theistic holiday, and got mentioned in the New Testament as the “Festival of Lights.” The term Chanukah means “dedication.” It is about a significant inter-testamental event. The Jewish temple, long torn out of Jewish control, was seized again by Jewish zealots, and according to popular legend was blessed by God by causing the temple lighting, powered by olive oil, to continue operating until enough new oil could be gotten and consecrated by priests to replenish those lamps. Without an operating temple, Jesus could have had no meaningful nexus with it. The dreidl game that modern tradition ties to Hanukkah is tied to a Hebrew slogan that translates as “[A] great miracle occurred here” which could apply equally to the alleged oil miracle, or to the seemingly improbable seizure of the temple back from impious pagan control. One doesn’t have to be Jewish to appreciate what all this meant: God was once more hard at work setting the stage for the Savior of the world.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Another metaphor that the New Testament propounds is that the human body of the Christian is the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” Not much imagination is needed to see how the theme of Hanukkah and its rededication of a temple that was a physical building, carries over nicely into Christian faith and practice.