Falwell fighting for holy holiday He threatens to sue, boycott groups that subvert Christmas

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | November 20, 2005 | Joe Garofili

[stm]

Evangelical Christian pastor Jerry Falwell has a message for Americans when it comes to celebrating Christmas this year: You're either with us, or you're against us.

[coconutt2000]

I thought Christmas was subverted when it became Santa's holiday...

[Dallas59]

But it's ok to dress up kids in the class room in Burkas and Islamic garb and make them pray to Allah...

[GloriaJane]

"Evangelical Christian pastor Jerry Falwell has a message for Americans when it comes to celebrating Christmas this year: You're either with us, or you're against us."

I guess this means I'm with him "ACLU Christmas"

[chasio649]

Now he can make the rounds with the talking heads....probably didn't feel like writing a book this year.

[cowboyway]

I thought Christmas was subverted when it became Santa's holiday...

Santa ain't the reason the left is attacking Christmas. The left would love it if Santa was the only reason for the celebration of Christmas. Then it would be a purely secular celebration.

[Fruitbat]

I saw on Overstock.com commercial and they used "Christmas."

Someone, we, should post a thread of all the retailers, online or otherwise, that use Christmas and shop there.

Not sure Falwell's going about it the right way. I don't want to force folks to use Christmas, but most just don't want it "done away with" for PC reasons.

[Fruitbat]

Actually, it's Falwell's approach that people have trouble with.

[kaotic133]

"How did the kindly Christian saint, good Bishop Nicholas, become a roly-poly red-suited American symbol for merry holiday festivity and commercial activity?

The first Europeans to arrive in the New World brought St. Nicholas. Vikings dedicated their cathedral to him in Greenland. On his first voyage, Columbus named a Haitian port for St. Nicholas on December 6, 1492. In Florida, Spaniards named an early settlement St. Nicholas Ferry, now known as Jacksonville. However, St. Nicholas had a difficult time during the 16th century Protestant Reformation which took a dim view of saints. Even though both reformers and counter-reformers tried to stamp out St. Nicholas-related customs, they had very little long-term success; only in England were the religious folk traditions of Christmas permanently altered. (It is ironic that fervent Puritan Christians began what turned into a trend to a more secular Christmas observance.) "

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35


There you have it. Fanatical puritans *ahem* protestants, in an attempt to stamp out Catholic traditions, inadvertently create an artificial wall between Christianity and a Christian icon (Saint Nicholas becomes the non-religious Santa Clause). The result is an increased secularization of Christmas.


And those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

[napscoordinator]

I think he is the biggest embarrasment to the Christians...I wish he would just crawl in some hole and not come out. There are many other Christians that we should be looking to for representation not this idiot!!!!

[SkyPilot]

"Happy Solstice Sparkle Holidays!"

I for one cannot stand the whole insipid "Happy Holiday" mantra. Either wish me a Merry Christmas or a Happy Hanukkah; or leave out the paper thin platitude, and just take my money.

[Cindy]

CHRISTMAS
http://www.truthusa.com/CHRISTmas.html

[jazzlite]

I also saw a beautiful OVERSTOCK Christmas commercial the other day. Last week while at the checkout at Wal-Mart, when the cashier handed me my receipt, I leaned over and whispered "Merry Christmas" to her and she responded the same back to me. I am with Falwell on this. The late Francis Shaeffer, who was a very intelligent Christian writer of years ago, predicted the current move against Christianity. I believe if Christians, being 86% of this population do not take to the streets in demonstrations which show their strength, they will loose their freedom and worse, will be persecuted. The world of Christianity in America feels safe because of numbers. That is a false belief as we deal with a vicious minority of leftists in our government and in the media, backed by other world dictatorships. In fact, because of the unprecedented behavior going on right now against our President and the nation, I am going to attend a church today, for the first time in a long time. If I am doing this, perhaps all the insanity will cause a growth in the number of people who will actually demonstrate their faith by attending services. It would be great if Christmas programs in every church in the nation would have overflow crowds. Is it time to hit the streets? I say, "Yes!!!!"

[Sam Cree]

I've always counted Falwell an enemy, but I am with him on this. The current war against Christianity is part of the Left's war against all American founding traditions. The fact that retailers, whose profit margin comes from Christmas shopping, now consider the word "Christmas" to be a dirty word shows well how successful the Left has been in this war. We should all bear in mind that Communism has never tolerated religion, and think about what that means in light of America's constant leftward track, both cultural and governmental.

I'd like to see Falwell's list of retailers to boycott, if he has one.

And on behalf of exactly whom are we supposed to be avoiding all references to Christmas? Is it on behalf of the tiny Jewish population of America? Are they up in arms? Is it the Muslim population? How about the black minority? Which, IMO, is far more likely to be practicing Christian than the white majority. Are they telling us that Christmas is a white man's holiday, which would be among the worst of all possible sins in today's America? Hell no, Christmas is being avoided on behalf of none of these groups, all of whom probably enjoy the good cheer of the Christmas season. This thing is strictly for the benefit of the socialists in America, the one group that in today's world is above criticism.

It's worth noting that the suppression of Christmas in retailing is also an obvious suppression of the free market, if that doesn't clue us in as to where the suppression is coming from, our eyes are really closed.

The analogy between the Left and the Grinch who stole Christmas is well taken. But they are stealing everything we hold dear.

[raccoonradio]

Even Santa isn't safe anymore--he's off the Coca-Cola cans, I hear, in favor of some cute bears. Ironically enough the image many of us have of Santa--dressed in red and white--may have come from the fact that Coca-Cola used him in ads way back when, and is it co-incidental that he was pictured in their traditional colors?

[raccoonradio]

>> Then it would be a purely secular celebration.

Though isn't Santa partly inspired by St. Nicholas?

>>http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=38

"Through the centuries St. Nicholas has continued to be venerated by Catholics and Orthodox and honored by Protestants. By his example of generosity to those in need, especially children, St. Nicholas continues to be a model for the compassionate life.

"Widely celebrated in Europe, St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6th, kept alive the stories of his goodness and generosity.:"

[raccoonradio]

Santa does Coke! :)

"...But it was in the 1930s that the now-familiar American Santa image solidified. Haddon Sundblom began thirty-five years of Coca-Cola Santa advertisements which finally established Santa as an icon of contemporary commercial culture. This Santa was life-sized, jolly, and wearing the now familiar red suit. He appeared in magazines, on billboards, and shop counters encouraging Americans to see Coke as the solution to "a thirst for all seasons."

[Coldwater Creek]

I agree!! We should be looking to Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Al Gore. All great So. Baptist leaders.

[raccoonradio]

>> the suppression of Christmas in retailing

But Christmas is how the Christmas retail season all started. Wiping out references to Christmas is ironic. It would be like saying "The Fourth of July is a good time to watch fireworks and party with your friends. It has nothing to do with the founding of our country." I'm surprised these socialists (and no, I don't want to give them any ideas!) don't all run to the American Criminal Liberties Association and denounce this holiday of "flag waving and jingoism"!

Some 45 years ago, humorist Stan Freberg put out his "Green Chri$tma$" record, satirizing commercialization of the
holiday. Radio stations were afraid to play it for fear of
offending their advertisers (FIVE TUBELESS TIRES!)! The holiday that was inspired by Christ's birth, blended with
St. Nicholas' generosity, has become the be-all and end-all
of retailers who depend on it for making their years profitable. Shame on them if they ignore the word Christmas
itself. Oh, "Holiday"; mustn't upset anyone.

http://freberg.8m.com/text/greenchristmas.html

[varon]

Hell no, Christmas is being avoided on behalf of none of these groups, all of whom probably enjoy the good cheer of the Christmas season. This thing is strictly for the benefit of the socialists in America, the one group that in today's world is above criticism. (My emphasis)

I think you nailed it!!!