Posted on 12/12/2005 9:28:10 AM PST by indcons
Yes, Virginia, there is a Christmas war -- or so the culture warriors would have us believe.
It's all about "happy holidays" vs. "Merry Christmas" -- the politically correct vs. the religiously correct. One side goes too far by renaming the Christmas trees, while the other side goes overboard by attacking people who thought they were just being nice.
This year the Christmas crusaders appear to be winning: holiday is out, Christmas is in.
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert got the message. By order of the speaker, the decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- will be rechristened "Capitol Christmas Tree."
Meanwhile in Georgia, state officials nearly started a skirmish by issuing "holiday greetings." But 30 minutes later they redeemed themselves by re-issuing "Christmas greetings."
Did the president and first lady miss the memo? The 2005 White House Christmas card arrives this week with "best wishes for a holiday season of hope and happiness," but nary a mention of Christmas. Religious conservatives are outraged.
William Donahue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights was quoted in The Washington Post as saying: "This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture."
While politicians are getting bashed for avoiding the "C" word, business owners are facing boycotts. After Jerry Falwell and others started a "Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign," down came the "holiday tree" banners at Lowe's and up went the "Christmas tree" signs. And you'll now see and hear a lot more "Merry Christmas" at Target, Sears, Best Buy and other retailers under fire for omitting Christmas. (Note the irony of committed Christians defending the commercial Christmas.)
Even though batteries of Christian lawyers are threatening to "save Christmas" by suing the "happy holidays" offenders, most of these fights aren't First Amendment issues. It would only be an establishment-clause problem if government or school officials used the holiday to promote religion. But since Christmas is also a national holiday and courts tend to view Christmas trees and Santa as secular symbols, the government can put up decorated trees and call them whatever they like.
Private businesses, of course, aren't the government (and thus not subject to First Amendment restrictions). So they're free to promote or ignore religion if they wish. But merchants worry about alienating customers during the biggest shopping season of the year -- and few things divide people more than religion. Unfortunately, trying not to offend one group has offended another.
John Gibson of Fox News, among others, sees the cultural shift from "Christmas" to "holiday" as a "liberal plot." But it strikes me as mostly well-meaning attempts by educators, politicians and average citizens to acknowledge our diversity -- and by business owners to sell as much as possible to people of all faiths and none. Let's give these folks some credit for not wanting fellow Americans to feel like outsiders in their own communities.
If all sides take a deep breath and relax, we can work this out. But first we need to stop turning "happy holidays" or "Merry Christmas" into fighting words.
Declaring a ceasefire in the Christmas wars might be the best way to celebrate the season of "peace on earth, goodwill toward men."
Charles C. Haynes is senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center. E-mail him at chaynes@freedomforum.org.
Although other issues get lost in the silly, over-the-top arguments over innocuous holiday salutations and what to call the tree, Gibson, Falwell and other Christmas warriors do raise more substantive concerns. When government and school officials decide that being "inclusive" means including everything but the religious Christmas, they take concern for diversity to absurd lengths. Ignoring religion isn't being neutral; it comes across as hostility.
According to e-mails I've gotten from parents this month, some public schools think they can avoid conflict by avoiding anything that smacks of religion. One complained about a school policy ordering all staff to refer to the Christmas tree as the "sharing tree" (though what that accomplishes isn't clear since a Christmas tree is a Christmas tree by any other name).
Another was upset when her child brought home artwork featuring Santa, Kwanza and Menorahs -- but no crèches allowed. Most schools I know do better than this, but it only takes a few bad stories to paint all schools as part of a "war on Christmas."
Some communities fall into the same trap by trying to celebrate the season by excluding Jesus. Denver was the poster child for this mistake last year when city officials banned a religious float from participating in the annual Parade of Lights. All kinds of "holiday" floats were approved, but not the one from a local church.
After a major brouhaha, the city has seen the light. This year the Nativity scene will be featured on a float created by local Christian groups.
What schools and communities need to remember is that the First Amendment separates church from state, but not religion from school assemblies or holiday parades. Of course, city and school officials have no business promoting religion in December or at any other time of year. But allowing all private religious groups to express their faith at public events or in public spaces along with other groups doesn't violate the Constitution. And educationally sound teaching about religion, including what Christians actually believe about Christmas or including religious music in the school concert along with other music, is not only constitutional -- it's a good idea.
A "sharing tree" is a really silly name for it.
You wanna talk about silly...Do they still have "Sparkle Season" in Pittsburgh??
I don't think it's inane. It represents a number of holidays. For me, it incorporates Hannukah, Kwanzaa and New Years. Usually, I am in too much of a hurry to say all that, or to ask someone, which they prefer.
A lot of employers really are caught between a rock and a hard place on this. They probably want to use the word Christmas, but are so scared of lawsuits that it's easier to just give up altogether. I heard that Congress might actually be considering passing something that would protect employers from that type of thing.
"I don't think it's inane. It represents a number of holidays. For me, it incorporates Hannukah, Kwanzaa and New Years."
New Years is a traditioal legitimate holiday.
Chanukah is by far the oldest of the festivals, however only a minority of Jews actually celebrate it- no it is not a Christmas lite giftathon- The sad thing is that more Jews sorta celebrate Chanukah than the solemn holiday of Shavuous.
By putting in that made up crap Kwanzaa in the same sentance as the Holidays Christmas and Chanukah you are giving moral equivalence of made up BS to something holy and that insults all religious Jews and Christians.
Let me take this opportunity to wish all FReepers joy and blessings on the rapidly approaching occasion of the Feast of the Nativity According to the Flesh of Our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ. (Whichever calendar you celebrate it on, or even if you don't.)
Please let me know if you hear anything more on this.
My employer is reluctant to take a stand on matters like this. This is one reason why it has been so hard to get support for real Christmas.
...on a side note anyone else notice today's Garfield?
Jim Davis has no problem with CHRISTMAS.
Doogle
((Herod failed to eliminate Christ, and so will they. This war was already won 2000 years ago when someone who was more than a man walked out of His tomb.))
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Merry Christmas!
OK. I'll still say what I wish to say.
How dare you! You know that by uttering that evil phrase you have, in the words of Mr. William Donahue of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, "capitulated to the worst elements in our culture." I, for one, intend to obey the new free speech restrictions demanded by the persecuted majority, and never again utter the words happy holidays.
Oops.
The Christmas Spirit Lives!!!!
Here's a town in Canada that has the right idea
http://www.cbc.ca/ns/story/ns-oxford-christmas20051130.html
I'm not sure we could get something quite like that going here, but I've heard a little talk about a "Christmas Preservation Act" that would shield employers and municipalities from ACLU lawsuits about Christmas displays, Christmas parties, and so on.
I wish my Jewish friends "Merry Christmas," the wish me Happy Hanukkah.
Too many people have no sense of the "holiday spirit," have no sense of humor and are too friggin' serious.
The Christmas Season is to revere Christ. Hence the term Christmas.
Merry Holiday, Happy Holiday and Ramadam to all our Beheading Muslims here.
Humbug! ;)
I don't like all the commercialism associated with Christmas. I never did. But the point is, we give gifts at this time of year because of the great gift that God gave to us in sending His Son to live, and ultimately die, as one of us. Personally, I think it is in extremely poor taste for merchants to insult the beliefs of the majority of their customers while holding their hands out to take our money.
" Personally, I think it is in extremely poor taste for merchants to insult the beliefs of the majority of their customers while holding their hands out to take our money."
I really don't blame the merchants, as much as I blame people who use their actions as a cover for bashing Christians.
That sums it up nicely.
Yes, it does sum it up very nicely.
This evening was Parent/Teacher conferences at my daughter's school, and she attends public school.....GASP.......outside one classroom there were Angels on the wall, another had Merry Christmas on the door, there were crosses and Nativities and Mennorahs included in posted artwork.........and wonders of wonders NO ONE was upset...even by the huge Christmas Tree inside the main doors of the the building.
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