Politics War on Christmas?

[xdancer]

Lines drawn in battle over Christmas
By Matthew Davis
BBC News, Washington

An increasingly vocal number of Christians are attacking what they say is a "war on Christmas" by those determined to enforce a rigorously neutral holiday season reflecting America's constitutional separation of church and state.

Earlier this month, the official greetings card sent out by the president and first lady stirred up controversy for omitting any reference to Christmas.

It has been 13 years since the last presidential card explicitly mentioned Christmas - in deference to other holidays at this time of year, like Hanukkah - but this didn't deter the critics.

"The Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and... they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," fumed William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

Some 80% of Americans describe themselves as Christian, and about 96% celebrate Christmas.

Millions of them use the phrase "happy holidays" as a convenient way of showing respect for other faiths.

Yet the row over the White House card has been just the tip of the iceberg in a year when the battle against secularism is being fought harder than ever by religious conservatives.

'Secularists gone wild'

One leading home improvement chain, removed references to "holiday trees" from all its stores after being criticised by the American Family Association.

We just wanted to encourage Christians to have the courage to say 'merry Christmas' instead of 'happy holidays', we had no idea that it would tap into a national frustration
Jennifer Giroux
Campaigner

The AFA and other groups are urging members to petition dozens of other major retailers that they accuse of stripping Christ from Christmas with phrases like "happy winter".

The campaign against "secularists gone wild" is also being driven by people like John Gibson, a popular anchor on the Fox News Channel.

His book - The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday is Worse Than You Thought - collates examples of how political correctness is, he says, neutering "America's favourite holiday season".

Meanwhile, at least 1,500 lawyers have volunteered to sue any town that tries to keep nativity scenes out of its holiday displays.

About 8,000 public school teachers stand ready to report any principal who removes Silent Night from the choir programme.

Such moves reflect the 1985 US Supreme Court "reindeer ruling".

It said that town-square nativity scenes and the like were constitutional if balanced with secular symbols like Santa Claus, thus avoiding the appearance of state-endorsed religion.

'Well-organised extremists'

The American Civil Liberties Union is an active defender of the religious freedoms guaranteed in the constitution, and is often the target of conservative ire over the issue.

This week, Fran Quigley, head of the ACLU in Indiana, hit back with an editorial entitled: "How the ACLU didn't steal Christmas."

He said the group was being demonised by well-organised "extremists" whose real agenda was to crush religious diversity, "and make a few bucks in the process".

"Nowhere in the Sermon on the Mount did Jesus Christ ask that we celebrate his birth with narrow-mindedness and intolerance, especially for those who are already marginalised and persecuted," he wrote.

He said the ACLU's mission for justice saw it work hard to protect the rights of free religious expression for all people, including Christians.

It is not a stance that cuts much ice with people like Jennifer Giroux, co-founder of Operation: Just Say "Merry Christmas".

Her group has tapped into a current craze for rubberised wristbands, producing a green and red version emblazoned with the slogan "Just say 'merry Christmas'".

What began as a local campaign has swiftly mushroomed.

She has already sold 15,000 bracelets at $2 each. A further 43,000 are on their way to customers.

"We just wanted to encourage Christians to have the courage to say 'merry Christmas' instead of 'happy holidays'," she says.

"We had no idea that it would tap into a national frustration.

"People are tired of being told not to celebrate Christmas, they are tired of the ACLU. This is just parents saying they want to preserve Christ in Christmas."

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Americas | Lines drawn in battle over Christmas

Published: 2005/12/10 15:28:37 GMT

© BBC MMV

i personally think this is ridiculous. of all the problems in the world today, the Religious Right chooses to concern itself with symantecs. what do you guys think?

 

[Sydney Bristow 2300844]

Personally I'm sick of the whole politacal correctness thing! It offends me that no one says Merry Christmas anymore, instead they say, Happy Holidays! Whats next? Happy November? It's ridiculous! If it offends anyone else, I'm sorry, but did you ever think that maybe it offends me that you think what i say is offenseive to you? and "Holiday Trees"? Uh..last time i checked, they were CHRISTMAS TREES!!!

 

[the_alliance]

Christmas to me, as a Christian, is a consumer holiday. it is not about the birth of Christ. that's why i still say Merry Christmas. my family still celebrates the birth of Christ during the Christmas season, but we don't impose it on others like the Religious Right.

 

[Lemon-Krumpitz]

This is really starting to make me mad. There are more important issues out there than weither people should say 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays'

Why the hell does it matter? It's words people! I dont care if someone says 'Happy Holidays' to me or 'Merry Christmas'. It means the same thing in my opinion. And I dont care if my school choir sings a couple of Christian songs. I maybe Agnostic but I still think that those songs are beautiful and moving. But personally I dont think public schools should have just songs like Silent Night in them. It should be balanced.

I guess I just dont see what the big deal is over this. We should all be celebrating the holidays and Christmas. Why cant people just accept that there's always going to be someone that doesnt agree with you or someone (something) that offends you? Most of the time you cant do anything about because this America and people have a right to say 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Christmas' or whatever else they want to say.

 

[AliasHombre]

The religous right is not imposing anything on anyone. The secularist left is imposing their views on people through the ACLU. Notice how the only holiday under attack is a christian one?

 

[sugababyboo]

I just think that there are more pressing issues in this world than this. -_- Like..global warming, War in Iraq, poverty..just to name a few.

 

[Jamison]

As Neil Gabler said last week on MSNBC (I believe): "We're at war, there's Darfur, there's an AIDS crisis and you're worried about whether people should say Merry Christmas? What world do you live in?"

That pretty much sums up my feelings on this so called "war". There are more important issues at hand. If you want to say Merry Christmas, fine. If you want to say Happy Holidays that's fine too.

That being said, I would still like to address some of the points being made.

Personally I'm sick of the whole politacal correctness thing! It offends me that no one says Merry Christmas anymore, instead they say, Happy Holidays! Whats next? Happy November? It's ridiculous! If it offends anyone else, I'm sorry, but did you ever think that maybe it offends me that you think what i say is offenseive to you? and "Holiday Trees"? Uh..last time i checked, they were CHRISTMAS TREES!!!

Would you be offended if people went around and just said Happy Hannukah to you? I have a friend who is Jewish, who does feel a little left out with all of the Christmas decorations around campus, since she doesn't celebrate Christmas. Saying Happy Holidays isn't profane, but poliet to include everyone. Plus, even if you celebrate Christmas, saying Happy Holidays also includes the New Year and even Thanksgiving. I'm sorry but I don't want to start saying Merry Christmas in the middle of November.

If you don't want to say Happy Holidays, that's fine...but don't be surprised that others do.

Christmas to me, as a Christian, is a consumer holiday. it is not about the birth of Christ. that's why i still say Merry Christmas. my family still celebrates the birth of Christ during the Christmas season, but we don't impose it on others like the Religious Right.

Christmas is very much a consumer driven holiday, as well as all the holidays during the November and December months. Let's not forget that Christmas is not really the birth of Christ.

Business have started using Happy Holidays to make money. That's really the bottom line. They realized that by only saying Merry Christmas they were excluding about 20% of the population...and didn't want to do that anymore.

The problem arises when it's governmental institutions doing it.

This is really starting to make me mad. There are more important issues out there than weither people should say 'Merry Christmas' or 'Happy Holidays'

Why the hell does it matter? It's words people! I dont care if someone says 'Happy Holidays' to me or 'Merry Christmas'. It means the same thing in my opinion. And I dont care if my school choir sings a couple of Christian songs. I maybe Agnostic but I still think that those songs are beautiful and moving. But personally I dont think public schools should have just songs like Silent Night in them. It should be balanced.

I guess I just dont see what the big deal is over this. We should all be celebrating the holidays and Christmas. Why cant people just accept that there's always going to be someone that doesnt agree with you or someone (something) that offends you? Most of the time you cant do anything about because this America and people have a right to say 'Happy Holidays' or 'Merry Christmas' or whatever else they want to say.

Exactly!

The religous right is not imposing anything on anyone. The secularist left is imposing their views on people through the ACLU. Notice how the only holiday under attack is a christian one?

This is because Christmas is the prevelent holiday. I don't see any Kwanza decorations or Hannukah decorations around my University. Christmas is a relgious holiday, and the problem comes about when governmental institutions endorse it over another holiday....which they can't do.

 

[Sydney Bristow 2300844]

That being said, I would still like to address some of the points being made.
Would you be offended if people went around and just said Happy Hannukah to you? I have a friend who is Jewish, who does feel a little left out with all of the Christmas decorations around campus, since she doesn't celebrate Christmas. Saying Happy Holidays isn't profane, but poliet to include everyone. Plus, even if you celebrate Christmas, saying Happy Holidays also includes the New Year and even Thanksgiving. I'm sorry but I don't want to start saying Merry Christmas in the middle of November.

If you don't want to say Happy Holidays, that's fine...but don't be surprised that others do.
Christmas is very much a consumer driven holiday, as well as all the holidays during the November and December months. Let's not forget that Christmas is not really the birth of Christ.

over 94% of Americans are Christian. As it was decided many years ago, majority rules. And while people may feel "left out", if they don't like what someone has to say, then that's too bad for them. Last time I checked, this was a free country even though with stupid things like this, we're slowly loosing our right to free speech! I dont think its fair that just because 6% of Americans aren't Christian, that everyone has to say Happy Holidays as to not offend anyone. I have several friends who are Jewish and celebrate Hannukah, and they don't care when someone says Merry Christmas to them. While that may be true for only some people, if you don't like what someone has to say to you, don't listen to them, but don't ruin it for others.

 

[Jamison]

over 94% of Americans are Christian. As it was decided many years ago, majority rules. And while people may feel "left out", if they don't like what someone has to say, then that's too bad for them. Last time I checked, this was a free country even though with stupid things like this, we're slowly loosing our right to free speech! I dont think its fair that just because 6% of Americans aren't Christian, that everyone has to say Happy Holidays as to not offend anyone. I have several friends who are Jewish and celebrate Hannukah, and they don't care when someone says Merry Christmas to them. While that may be true for only some people, if you don't like what someone has to say to you, don't listen to them, but don't ruin it for others.

Actually that's not true. According to a recent ARIS study only 76% (another study by PEW said 82%, but I've seen nothing higher than that mark...and certainly nothing in the 90s) of Americans classify themselves as Christian. While yes, "majority rules" in a sense, isn't it also our job to make sure the voices of the minority of heard?

I do agree that if you don't like what someone says, then too bad for them. That applies for how you feel when people say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".

Nobody is loosing their right to free speech. You are absolutely allowed to go around and say "Merry Christmas" as much as your heart desires. But another individual or a business has every right to go around and say "Happy Holidays" as much as they want.

The problem that is arising is that many people on the religious right are mad that businesses (such as Wal-Mart and Target) are choosing to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". They are doing this to be able to include everyone (which it technically does since Christmas, New Years, Hannukah and Kwanza are all considered to be holidays). Don't these businesses have a right to free speech? Of course. If you have a problem with them not saying "Merry Christmas" then that's fine, you don't have to shop there. But it's not at all fair to try to force them to say it, and in doing so excluding over a 5th of the population.

It's a completely different issue when governmental organizations say "Merry Christmas". There is supposed to be a separation of church and state, and by saying "Merry Christmas" they are endorsing one religion over another. And that's another argument that has come out about this.

 

[StAgEpRiNcEsS]

does it really matter that much?

 

[Alias_Day]

I think it's more christmas spirit in saying "Merry Christmas", but it's not anything to get upset over! In the world, people starve, there's war and there's no cure for cancer. And there are people who actually worry about TWO WORDS???

 

[Lemon-Krumpitz]

over 94% of Americans are Christian. As it was decided many years ago, majority rules. And while people may feel "left out", if they don't like what someone has to say, then that's too bad for them. Last time I checked, this was a free country even though with stupid things like this, we're slowly loosing our right to free speech! I dont think its fair that just because 6% of Americans aren't Christian, that everyone has to say Happy Holidays as to not offend anyone.

How are we losing our right to free speech? You have a right to say Merry Christmas and anyone else that wants to. But people also have a right to say Happy Holidays. How is that not free speech?

I have several friends who are Jewish and celebrate Hannukah, and they don't care when someone says Merry Christmas to them. While that may be true for only some people, if you don't like what someone has to say to you, don't listen to them, but don't ruin it for others.

And by saying Happy Holidays I am completely ruining the holiday of Christmas for a group of people out there? That's ridiculous.

 

[ms.katejones]

GAH! This is the most pointless debate ever. (I don't mean on here, I mean in general.) "Happy Holidays" has been around for YEARS and all of a sudden the fundies just decide to declare there is a "war" on Christmas. I think people should say what they want, but it is a good idea for companies, public schools, etc. to wish Happy Holidays, so as to include as many people as possible. I fail to see how that hurts anyone.

 

[AliasHombre]

This is because Christmas is the prevelent holiday. I don't see any Kwanza decorations or Hannukah decorations around my University. Christmas is a relgious holiday, and the problem comes about when governmental institutions endorse it over another holiday....which they can't do.

Wait...I thought there were more important things in the world than this...

However, while the government cannot endorse a specific religion, they cannot deny one either. They cannot deny the practice of, recognition of, or teaching of one.

And this controversy is mainly manifesting itself becasue of stores who refuse to use the word "christmas", it doesn't have a lot to do with the government.

 

[Jamison]

Wait...I thought there were more important things in the world than this...

However, while the government cannot endorse a specific religion, they cannot deny one either. They cannot deny the practice of, recognition of, or teaching of one.

And this controversy is mainly manifesting itself becasue of stores who refuse to use the word "christmas", it doesn't have a lot to do with the government.

Of course there are much more important things, but that doesn't mean I can't share my viewpoint on the matter.

I never said that the government can deny a religion, just that they can't endorse one.

And yes, the main controversy is because of storese not using the word "Christmas" and with the Bush family sending out "Holiday" cards. But I have heard people who are upset with public schools for not having "Christmas" parties but "Holiday" parties.

 

[sugababyboo]

You are right AH, there are more important issues at hand and see, once in awhile Jamison and I can agree w/ you. But this really didn't start to become an issue until Bill O'Reilly mentioned it on his show and even used a year old Daily Show clip to help prove his point while calling them secularists. Which I found a bit odd since Jon and a lot of the writers on there are Jewish.


Why is "secularist" a bad word? As the statistics that have been posted prove, a number of them do celebrate Christmas.

The religous right is not imposing anything on anyone. The secularist left is imposing their views on people through the ACLU. Notice how the only holiday under attack is a christian one?

Ok, from what I gather you are not religious..unless you've had a change of heart which is fine and would explain why you're defending them in that post. The religious right are also the same people that favor intelligent design over evolution, and anti-porn, which I believe are things that you are opposed to, especially the evolution one.


Can anyone else name a holiday that is not Christian but still religious that is as prevelent as Christmas? I can't. What non-Christian yet still religious holidays do most business, banks, post office and other government organizations close down for?

 

[AliasHombre]

I'm not religious at all, but I defend these peoples' right to believe and oppose any efforts from the private sector to avoid the word christmas. Were it not for chritsmas, how many of these big retail chains would be making record breaking profits?

Why is it ok to recognize other religions holidays by name, but not christmas?

I never said secularist was a bad word either. It's just someone who is not religious. or as my mom calls me, a "heathen".

 

[()aliasyeah()]

this is not a war. there's a real war going on, and the republicans focus on this??? It's only because they want to take our minds off the actual war where people are dieing every day.

so, to bill o'reilly, i say Happy Holidays! and to really make hiim mad, Merry Xmas...they hate that "X" in there...

 

[sarks_princess]

in Australia (Queensland) a principal said sorry to a family cos they complained about her using the word Christmas too much i the School Newsletter. they dont celebrate xmas but they have a tree and presents. go figure.

a simple search should find the complete article.

 

[ams4alias]

^^ I know how stupid was that!