At Christmas time, there are many ideas floating about on how to make the holiday more "Christian". For the last few years, Fox News has been saying the greeting "Happy Holidays" is offensive to real Christians.
How do we really put the Christ back in Xmas? I have come up with a list that I would like to share. It is partly ideas I got from other people, some ideas are rooted in tradition, some ideas come from the 4th annual Fox News "war on Christmas" campaign.
1. We need to make some strong statements that Santa is of the white race. Apparently a lot of non-white people feel like they can make Santa any colour they wish, and this has to stop if we are to retain the true Christmas spirit.
2. We should not entertain thoughts of a "Christmas Penguin" similar to the Easter Bunny. In case you couldn't guess, this idea came to me from the Fox News campaign, although the original idea came from Aisha Harris, of Slate. Another reason we can't have a Christmas Penguin is that the Penguin is the symbol of Linux. But when I Googled "Christmas Penguin" (with quotes) I got 457,000 hits. And Google Images has no shortage of examples. So apparently, this anti-Christmassy move is underway already. And while we are on the subject, how many times must I remind you people there are no penguins at the North Pole? So it makes no scientific sense at all.
3. A third idea inspired by Fox News, ban all Festivus Poles, especially those located in public places where they may interfere with Christian Baby Jesus Manger scenes.
4. Christmas time might be a very appropriate time to read the bible, especially the Christmas Story in Luke 2:1-20. If you know anything about shepherding, just ignore Luke 2:8, because you will know that shepherds in the holy land to not actually "watch their flocks by night" in December, which might make you think that the birth date has been changed to match a Pagan tradition of worshipping the winter solstice.
5. While reading the bible, you may also want to skip all the chapters advising people to stone each other for minor transgressions such as working on the Sabbath. By the way, "working" is interpreted to include air travel. And for sure the pilots, baggage handlers, and mechanics are working, so they must all certainly be killed in this particularly gruesome way. But hey, how else are we supposed to show our true Christianity if not by obeying the Bible blindly.
6. If you want to upstage the neighbours piety, may I suggest this instead of setting up even more inflatable front lawn displays. I suggest you sacrifice some of your livestock to God. If you are not a farmer, I think it would be acceptable to instead sacrifice the family dog. Please do not sacrifice any of your children before consulting with your pastor, no matter what you may have read in the Bible.
Now seriously, I hope everyone who reads this can tell it is humour. I do not really recommend any of these measures, I am just trying to point out, with examples, what is wrong with some people's narrow view of Christmas, as promoted by Fox News, which I am thankful we don't get in Canada.
I prefer a liberal kind of Christianity that is based on freedom of religion, on tolerance, on helping the less fortunate, on making everyone feel welcome regardless of race or creed. I suppose this might offend some stricter Christians who think they are doing good by saying prayers in school, wishing people "Merry Christmas" and not "Happy Holidays", singing carols and putting money in Santa's pot. But come on, everyone should know that the real spirit of Christmas is feeling love and not hate.
Happy Holidays to all. (and I mean that in a good way).
Picture: from this website http://www.very.co.uk/e/promo/christmas-novelty-knits.end
What a crock of excrement that Fox campaign is ... just another divisive ploy to generate ill feeling. And to bump its ratings.
ReplyDelete'the right to celebrate Christmas is under attack' ...No. What's actually under attack is the right of Christianity to claim exclusive primacy. Where on earth is that right granted? Certainly not in the Constitution.
In fact, that 'In god we trust' as the U.S. motto is all very recent (like, would you believe, 1956?!!) although the religious propaganda machine (through instruments such as FoxNews) has been fairly successful in convincing Americans that the U.S. has been a 'Christian nation' since its inception.
Real Americans, of course, understand the reasoning behind Article VI of The Constitution and the First Amendment. FoxNews is attacking a straw man. Up the Festivus Pole!