The War On Christmas Just Wont End

Christmas is about to swing into high gear. The latest charge comes out of Rhode Island where a state representative is calling Gov. Lincoln Chafee “Governor Grinch” after Chafee defied lawmakers and decided the state would have a ”holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree.”

Start the pearl-clutching.

The move has so offended Rep. Doreen Costa that she’s taking matters into her own hands and lighting her own Christmas tree at the state house, and a conservative group of pastors out of Pennsylvania has grabbed onto the story to push the never-ending narrative of Christian oppression during the holiday season.

“This time of year,” says Colin Hanna, president of the Pennsylvania Pastors’ Network and Let Freedom Ring, “some get so wrapped up and wound so tightly about the political correctness of Christmas. We change everything to ‘holiday,’ and are afraid of mentioning anything with ‘Christmas’ in it for fear of offending someone. What about Christians who hold Christmas so dear? Isn’t it offensive to the majority of the U.S. who celebrates this blessed time of Jesus’ birth to take it to such a generic level?”

One reason why state displays with holiday-themed narratives are enacted on a “generic” level is the First Amendment’s prohibition against government-sponsored, backed or endorsed religious activities. A failure of the government not to embrace and promote a specifically Christian world view is not political correctness run amok, it it constitutional fidelity.

Photo from Harry Wood via flickr.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Pego R.

12:26AM PST on Dec 17, 2011

Hi Pam

"What's next? Christianaphobia?"

I hate to say it but your waaaaaay late thinking of this. Pat Robertson and the "Moral Majority" and all that ilk have been spreading the panic for several decades now, that there is a war on Christianity and Christians are being oppressed in the US. Didn't you know you were born attacking Christianity? (facetious statement of course) That isn't sourced in mainstream churches, it's kinda loonie. All this "War on Christmas" stuff is straight out of that playbook. In spite of the crass, gross commercialization of Christmas being as anti-Christmas as anything I cam possibly conceive of

The irony from my POV, is that people from my modest peace church and other synagogues, churches and mosques under that "Peace congregation" moniker have been stalked, shot and fire-bombed by people from those congregations. Yet when I look around at the local houses of worship, the only ones that always hire a cop to park there 24-7? Not the Muslims, tho they had to have a guard for years in the aftermath. Not the gay (MCC) church, tho they have their own hate crimes issues including an ironic moment right after 9-11 where their bearded, "black irish" minister was beaten, not as a gay man but accidentally as a Muslim. Not my fellowship, tho I can count more than a dozen attacks and deaths across the country by extremists.... Nope, just the fundamentalist church has said 24-7 police guard. I guess they have themselves convinced of something

send a green star

Scott H.

12:37PM PST on Dec 13, 2011

It's not a Holiday Tree because Christmas is being removed, it's called a Holiday Tree because there is more than one holiday during this time of year! Many (especially those involving the traditions we usually associate with Christmas) are older than Christianity itself.

Honestly, read your bible and remember what it was like for Christians in the time of the Romans. THAT was persecution; now we're just asking you to accept that other beliefs exist.

colleen p.

8:59AM PST on Dec 13, 2011

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ChristmasInJapan weeeeeeeeeeee!!

pam w.

9:55PM PST on Dec 10, 2011

Mark...ONE MORE TIME....nobody is saying Christians (or Jews or Muslims or anyone else) is forbidden to celebrate! They can whoop it up all they like, of COURSE! Just don't do it on publicly-funded property or in public schools. Then, NOBODY has to "opt out."

Doesn't that make any sense to you? Since the Constitution has been interpreted as saying the government must not ENDORSE any particular religion---putting nativity scenes in public parks is inappropriate.

You want one? Put it on your lawn or on the church's lawn.

Warble all the carols you like...just don't expect my child to have to "opt out" when you try to teach it to children in public schools. If you want your child to have doses of religion in school---send him/her to religious schools.

"Participation" is personal and easy to do. Just don't mandate it, ok? There's nothing unreasonable about this.

12:24PM PST on Dec 10, 2011

just rename the godless, comercialized, family fun time dec 25th!
if there -is- a Mithra, what would he say?

Mark S.

8:55AM PST on Dec 10, 2011

I just feel those that do not want to participate should have the right to opt-out. The rest can still enjoy the festivities. But I guess I am too old fashioned. :)

6:50AM PST on Dec 9, 2011

People LOVE magical myths, Mark! That's why religions are so popular! They make people feel safe and secure and treasured.

Try to imagine the feelings of a non-Christian child being forced to sing carols, take part in a "pageant" and parrot pap about shepherds, angels, etc. Really. Just imagine it. It's alienating, exclusive and unfair.

Schools represent authority and truth to children--having this stuff in schools gives it an endorsement which children will believe. Suppose that endorsement was of Islam? Public schools are funded by tax-payers of ALL persuasions...not just Christians. Why should our children be exposed to Christian doctrine in classes?

Cities represent authority and truth, too. That's why religion doesn't belong on publicly-funded land, city lawns, etc.

This all makes very good sense to non-Christians or even to Christians with the intelligence to realize the reasoning behind it. Everyone else is just a frustrated toddler, stamping their foot because they don't get "their way."

2:43AM PST on Dec 9, 2011

Well, it's just me, then Pam. Actually I think I wouldn't have enjoyed Christmas as much IF I was never told about Santa Claus, and myth or no myth, the birth of Jesus. It just made the whole experience "more magical and wonderful". Gees, if all I was taught was that on Dec. 25th, my parents put presents under the tree while I was asleep, making me wait until morning to get the presents would have seemed unfair. Once a Jehovah's witness kid started telling the rest of the kids it was really the parents, and not Santa, ruined it for me. I guess I was in the 2nd grade when this happened. But up to that time, the holiday was magical. I was kinda mad and sad that my parents lied to me at that time, but I got over it and am thankful for it.

Hunter W.

9:46PM PST on Dec 8, 2011

Great post Robert.
Christmas doesn't hardly connect with Christianity anymore. In fact, I am atheist, and still continue to celebrate christmas. Instead of celebrating a god's birthday, I use it as a way to enjoy my family.

6:14PM PST on Dec 8, 2011

Diane O....(again) "My point was the number of atheists in our country are a small majority of our population somewhere between 3.5% to 4%"

Someone's already corrected you on that estimate so I won't bother BUT...kindly remember that the Constitution was created to protect the minority from a tyrannical majority.

Think on that.

.