Friday, December 09, 2005

The War On Reason

The War on Christmas is already old news. The fact that people actually discuss it doesn’t surprise me anymore, but it only adds to my post-outrage fatigue. How is that people in this 21st century, living in the wealthiest nation on earth, with access to instant information can be so willfully ignorant? How many people know that Constantine and The Church decided to merge the winter pagan celebration and other European customs with the birth of Jesus for political reasons? How many Christians have ever even heard of Yule?

The very idea that mega-corporations are bowing to pressure from “secularists” because their advertisements say “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” should be classed as satire. Does anyone who truly understand the teachings of Jesus Christ actually believe that he would condone the way our culture celebrates his “birthday?” That he would prefer that the corporations who, in order to increase their wealth by appealing to the greed in his potential disciples use the term “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays”? That he would turn a blind-eye to the suffering of so many at the hands of so few and actually promote the corporate agenda whose only purpose in life is to generate wealth through exploitation? That the actions of our president and our government and our corporations and all of us are perfectly acceptable but the words “Happy Holidays” are offensive?

Please.

8 Comments:

Blogger Muzak Box said...

beautiful. I am not only outrage fatigued but religion fatigued. I used to view religion as something that I would treat with respect and dignity. Now, I just can't take it any more. The pure invasiveness into my life. The Pope miniseries, the new show Book of Daniel where Jesus hangs with this priest, the "War on Christmas". Oh my God. I've always considered myself spirtual and have included teaching from Buddism, Christianity, Juddaism (sp?), Hinduism, and others into my belief system. But this constant grating shouting of C H R I S T I A N I T Y at me is killing me. I'm an AMERICAN for goodness sake! I don't want this, this is not American behavior it's the behavior of an oppressive theocracy. I am SO tired. Please, please, just let me be.

Well, that was pretty steam of conciousness. I've just been caught in this ever mounting tension. The overwhelming constant and enduring presence of it is ruining my holiday with my family. I actually want to not have Christmas, not participate in anything that is making these people so rabid, it makes me feel like I am giving in. Man, I've GOT to go on a news blackout don't I?

2:26 PM  
Blogger The Viscount LaCarte said...

I know exactly what you mean.

2:53 PM  
Blogger isabelita said...

Well, it seems to me the rightwingers spewing over the name of this holday are heretical in calling it "Merry". After all, they are claiming it's HOLY. Thus, they should be insisting on making everyone whisper,"Holy Christmas," or "Sacred Christmas,"
or, my favorite, "Baby Jesus come and squeeze us Day." No festivities, just lots of praying, supping only upon tepid broth, while kneeling on broomsticks.

3:06 PM  
Blogger jemison said...

Actually, the Romans called it Saturnalia. Putting Christmas there instead was probably a way of supplanting the pagan (and unsavory to Christians) traditions with new ones befitting the empire's embrace of Christianity. Just like Easter--ever wonder where the Easter bunny came from? April Fools? History is full of Christianity taking over pagan holidays and reshaping them with new meanings.

3:44 PM  
Blogger Neil Shakespeare said...

They should just change it to "Here Comes The Sun" and we can all sing Lennon songs. It all goes back to "THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER! THE DAYS ARE GETTING LONGER! THE SUN IS COMING BACK! THE DRAGON DIDN'T EAT IT!" Of course our ancestors weren't too bright, and they didn't have our modern astronomical tools, so it took 'em three or four days to figure it out.

"And on the third day after the solstice Caveman Bob woke up. 'Hmmm,' said Caveman Bob, after he had felt himself up to make sure he was still alive and the night hadn't eaten him, 'am I hallucinating or is the sun up a little earlier this morning?' After a series of scientific calculations using his thumb and forefinger he woke everybody else up with tidings of great joy and they sat around the firepit singing rousing choruses of 'Baby Jesus Come And Squeeze Us', led by little Isabelitta.

It's all in my report.

11:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Steam of consciousness" indeed. If I'm conscious these days, it's not long before I'm steamed.

The "War on Christmas" is right up there with "Save Teri Schiavo" and "Hide the Children, There's Two Guys Trying to Marry" on the Distraction Hit Parade. And I just can't stand it. My father-in-law is one of those who have been whipped into a lather by O'Reilly and the rest of the zealots. He's been e-mailing Ms. Dem with his idiotic bloviations on the subject, and I swear if he says anything to me when they're visiting us in late December, I'll go quietly crazy.
Ms. Dem has a more subtle response: She has collected a bunch of Christmas cards that her parents sent out in the 40's and 50's and mounted them on a festive red poster board in a frame, to give them as a present. About half of them say "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings". The rest say "Merry Christmas". If the old man starts up, I'll just show him the cards. And try to keep my voice down.

11:58 AM  
Blogger isabelita said...

And Little Isabelita raised her heavenly blue eyes to the heavenly skies, and from her rosy little lips there poured forth golden strains of song:
Baby Jesus, come and squeeze us,
On this special day.
It would please us, Baby Jesus,
We will smile and say-
That we need you, we will feed you,
Please don't run away.
Baby Jesus, please don't tease us,
Come and make our day!

12:52 PM  
Blogger Kevin Wolf said...

Boy, this post is so merry I can hardly stand it. And the comments - god that's merry. I haven't laughed this hard in a while. I love coming across any post that's merry.

Viscount, you have to compose the music to the above lyrics!

2:59 PM  

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