This whole "War on Christmas" thing...

[MessiahRp]

I know Christ's name is in there but does anyone else consider Christmas a commercial holiday? Hell Christ wasn't even born on that day to begin with, the holiday was ripped off from the Pagans.

It always is weird to see the crazed wing nuts start their annual Christmas rants, or forcibly putting up banners on their houses that read, "Jesus is the reason for the season"... Because no.. no he's not.

I think a large portion of Americans truly look at Christmas as a celebration of family in which the biggest figure is not Jesus Christ but Santa Claus.

I love all the non-Christ things about the season. The lights, the trees, the cartoon christmas specials, the music (which admittedly some of it is based around the story of Jesus but much of it is not), the dinner, the presents, the shopping and of course the whole Santa Claus thing.

I think that I am not in the minority here.

So why are we having this discussion anyways? If Christ was actually born on Christmas maybe they could pick a fight on this but he wasn't as most everyone has pointed out. So we're fighting over celebrating someone's birthday on a day that is not his birthday.

Sounds ridiculous to me.

Rp

[RagingInMiami]

1. It's the old "divide and conquer" strategy

[havocmom]

6. Well, which side is the WH on? They sent HOLIDAY cards out,

1,400,000 HOLIDAY cards :evilgrin:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601900_pf.html

And FOX/O'Lielly only started selling Christmas ornaments the day after Keith Olberman showed their web page offering Holiday Ornaments for sale!

It's not just divide and conquer, it is the magician's trick of diverting attention from what they are really doing with some titillating distraction. Since nobody wants to see Karen or Condi in a scanty, sequined costume, they have to use other ploys.

Forget that a much honored veteran who has advised DEM and GOP leaders calls for withdrawal from Iraq. Forget that the pResident says we have to do a better job of preventing illegal immigration while refusing to consider SERIOUS enforcement or laws which would punish the rich corporations that hire those undocumented workers. Forget the fact that your mortgage application and tax returns might be processed by workers in a foreign country because profit is more important to private contractors than security of your personal information or your neighbor's job. Forget that schools are starving and the only future most kids will have is in a military used to protect the economic interests of corporations. Forget that the middle class is shrinking and dying on the vine while the ultra-rich get richer. Forget that there is not much real medical care, even if you do have insurance. Forget that there are indictments and investigations for more indictments involving the supposed representatives of the people all over the nation.

Forget all that... Liberals are trying to ban Christmas!

Um, Somebody tell them that George W, & Pickles are NOT liberals then hand them a Holiday card from the White House.

[DainBramaged]

2. Can you spell distraction?

If they were so serious about a war on Giftmas, they'd stop with the word games and go after the marketing people who have turned a religious holiday into a shopping holiday.

Pure hypocrisy, nothing more. Their fearless leader is under attack, what better way to distract the lemmings.

PS;

The White House sent Holiday Cards out. The stupid Fundies are besides themselves.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/06/AR2005120601900.html

:applause: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Ilsa]

3. People like O'Liely have to invent an issue to get pissy about

even during the holidays. They must have an secret rule that they can't be happy and loving, even at Christmas, Hannukkah, or Kwanzaa.

[JohnstownDEM]

4. Sirius

I heard a funny little skit on SiriusLeft today.

Jewish employee: I have to say, I feel a little left out during Christmas
Woman: Well, that's because you don't share our views and our religion and your minority is trying to suppress our majority. This season is about us, not you, and you should just deal with it
God calls to talk to the woman: I was sitting on the beach in tijuana having a Tequeeza, that's the wonderful concoction of beer and tequila when my omnipotent hearing overheard your conversation in the office. I have to say, I'm disappointed. It sounds like you've been listening to my arch enemy. The prince of darkness. The fallen angel.
Woman: Oh, you mean Satan!
God: No, I mean Bill O'Reilly.

[bryant69]

7. That's dead on I think

Saying happy holidays is offensive to a certain kind of Christian because it's offensive to acknowledge other religions.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. As a Christian I can tell you

I have no problem with anyone celebrating any part of the holiday. What you put in is what you get out.

One part of Christmas that is certainly left out of the commercial holiday is the Advent, the time to fast, atone and prepare. Some years I pull it off, some years I don't. I will say that the benefits of keeping Advent are many for me, but in a world that is all about celbrating Christmas from Halloween on, it is a challenge. I try hard not to go to parties, etc., until after the 25th but it gets harder every year.

A similar problem is all the Easter stuff before Easter, which for Christians is a very sacred time and not about bunnies.

But having any faith or belief in the world is all about being IN the world and not being OF the world and it is always a challenge.

But you know, it's too bad we can't split off the two Christmases somehow, with the Santa Claus stuff one holiday and the actual commemoration of the birth of Christ (obviously we had to choose a day for this because there is no hisotrical information on it). I think some European countries do this.

But to me, what the larger culture does is kind of a non-issue until the day they start demanding I do something. And the fundies are just full of beans about this whole thing. It is an artificial wedge issue.

[William769]

8. Jesus is the reason for the season

Sounds about right to me. Jesus didn't have to be born on Christmas for it to be about Jesus.

Christmas is about giving & goodwill to all. Thats what Jesus means to me so IMHO they go hand in hand.

[ucmike]

9. not one mention of santa in the "war on christmas"

you'd think these rabid, christian traditionalists would also be attacking him and the whole commercial aspect, but not a peep. instead its the aclu and the vague group of "secularists" out there. i, for one, have no aclu decorations that i set out every year at this time.

whenever i hear someone complaining about a store not saying "merry christmas" i point out that the last time i went to that store those pricks didn't wish me happy birthday. when they respond that "walmart doesn't know when your birthday is" i point out that walmart doesn't know what my religion is either.

[DainBramaged]

11. And all the Pagan symbols these Fundies have adopted

Like Randi said, the tree and the wreath and the nog, all Pagan. Such bad and confused Fundies. Must remind them when they spew hate again.

[Viking12]

10. Shouldn't they be more concerned about the cost

Shouldn't they be more concerned about the cost of printing and mailing 1.4 million cards? You know, govt waste and all that :eyes:

[Swede]

12. It's the commercialization of Christmas that's won.

No one can beat 50 years of tv commercials. It's now a secular holiday to most people. Take out of the holidays whatever you can,where it's materialistic,family or religion. Don't worry about how others view this season.

[nemo137]

13. Honestly, I've viewed it as an artibrary date since I was 10

I still go to midnight service, I love the Christmas hymns, but it's an arbitrary date picked to coincide with some pagan holidays to make conversion easier.

Mark this as one Christian who has rolled his eyes and moved on.

[TreasonousBastard]

14. This will go on forever, and...

I remember the arguments back in the 50's, which were old even then.

Churches were bemoaning the commercialization of a minor religious holiday and, lest we forget, Jews raised Hannukah to new heights so their kids wouldn't feel left out. Every Jewish house in my neighborhood had a "Hannukah bush." No Kwanzaa back then.

"Put Christ back in Christmas" was the rallying cry for even liberal churches. Didn't work, though, and I grew up with "Happy Holidays" cards because it was just too damn difficult to keep track of who was Jewish, Hindu, Catholic, Unitarian, atheist...

I think we should all blame Dickens for making such a big deal over Christmas.