There is a “War on Christmas” it seems. But is it what you really think? Well, for the 4th year in a row, some conservative Christan groups have decided that they need to mobilize against any store or organization that says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” This politically incorrect group has decided that there is nothing wrong with stores saying Merry Christmas.
In general, I would agree. But these people have, in my opinion, gone too far. Not only do they want people to say Merry Christmas, but ONLY Merry Christmas. They have asked members and the public to boycott any store that says “Happy Holidays” or tries to make this time of year more than just Christmas. It seems, that if THEIR holiday is good enough for them, then it must be good enough for everyone, and everyone must celebrate it with them, like it or not.
What bothers me most is that these people are clueless to the beliefs and feelings of people who are not Christan, or who do not celebrate Christmas. And for me, the irony of this is not lost, especially at Christmas time. At a time of, supposedly, love and giving, especially for those of Christan faiths, this is not giving at all, but selfish, self-centered, inconsiderate behavior that says nothing of the Christmas spirit. Nothing says Christmas like boycotting a store that tries to keep everyone happy!
But wait, it gets better. Not only is this a war against “Happy Holidays”, but it is a very profitable one as well. The American Family Association, a conservative activist group, has brought in more than $550,000 in sales of items stamped with the slogan, “Merry Christmas. It’s Worth Saying.” And there is still more. A “nonprofit” law firm working with the association has brought in more than $300,000 with its own “Help Save Christmas Action Packs,” kits that include two each of buttons and bumper stickers, and a “memo” called “The Memo that Saved Christmas,” a guide to defending overt religious expression in a public place or school. Nonprofit? Yea, right!
But now it gets even more sad, because it seems so many mindless people are falling into line. Zogby International, a national poll, found that over 45% of Americans were offended when a store clerk greets them with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” I am sorry, but get a life people! Of these surveyed, more than 1/3 said they have walked out of a store or resolved to avoid it in the future because clerks didn’t show enough “Christmas spirit.” I am sure they walked out right after they bought their PS-3 or Wii however.
Excuse me, but isn’t this the season of “Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards man” time of year? Perhaps only goodwill if your Christian, or agree to keep them happy. I often think, what would Christ do if he was here to see this? What would he think of intolerant people being rude, mean, and vindictive of people who did not believe as they do? Yea, I am sure he would ask people to boycott the stores, and hurt people financially.
Somehow, I think these people, while trying to defend a reasonable idea, have lost their way. I am saddened by the fact that so many Christan Americans now feel that since they are Christian, we all need to be Christian. That we all must follow their rules, and do what they think is right and proper for everyone. The hell with people of other faiths or beliefs, because obviously, for these Americans, YOU DO NOT MATTER! All those pesky items that founded this country, such as of freedom of religion and separation of church and state…bah!
Sad really, because what originally made America so great, that ability to believe what you want and practice any religion without persecution is being eroded from within actually. Zealots on both sides ARE waging war. The so called “liberal plot” to wipe out Christmas, and the conservative Christan groups that want to force it down your throat, want it or not. For me, this goes to the same argument we have seen so many times before. The liberal side asks for equality. If you are going to show one holiday, show them all or show none, or at least show nondenominational things like trees, lights, and winter time decorations.
I guess being a liberal, this seems quite reasonable to me. This so called “liberal plot” does not say that one should not celebrate Christmas, in fact, it defends your right to celebrate it. It simply asks that you have respect for beliefs other than your own, and that respect includes not pushing a Christan religion onto people who do not want it.
The conservative group, on the other hand, ignores everything but their own holiday, and feels that if you do not like it, too bad, its Christmas! I want to be fair here and try and understand this, but I just can’t. It goes against being Christan and American. I can’t help but wonder what one of these groups would think if one year it was decided that only Hanukkah decorations where allowed, and everyone had to say “Happy Hanukkah” instead of Happy Holidays. Somehow, these people have lost the ability to see things from any other perspective. Strangely, or maybe not, this is just the same polarization that we have seen in many other areas as well, including politics, abortion issues, prayer in school, etc. etc.
In an discussion on this the other evening, a Christan friend of mine pointed out that something like 90% of Americans are “Christan” and he argued that because of this number, the 10% who are not really do not have a say. He went on to argue that this 90% sets a majority Christan believe and value system for the US, and everyone else should just “live with it.” I had to laugh, because as he tried to “preach” this self-righteous Christan majority thinking, there in the paper was an article that said that 90 plus percent of all Americans have premarital sex! Does that not imply that 81 plus percent (90% of 90%) of all Christians have premarital sex? Wow, I guess you can just pick and choose when to be Christan or not!
Well, to end this, I guess the war is getting out of hand. See the pictures below. Seems that the “liberal plot” has struck back, gunning down Santa Claus on Christmas morning. Frosty, standing nearby, was caught on the cross fire and was also shot. News of this tragic event will be on the 6 PM news this evening. 
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays (Choose one or more) to all.
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