A few people refused to believe a “war on Christmas” existed and blamed bitter Christians for stirring up trouble. Some asserted Christmas wasn't even a religious holiday. (If Christmas isn't a religious holiday then why do many of us go to church to celebrate it?) Against my better judgment, I decided to join the conversation.
I explained the “war on Christmas” controversy was started by Christians who felt the true meaning of their holiday was being twisted in an effort to remove any trace of Jesus. One lady responded by listing her many grievances with Christianity. As I defended my faith, she said I was uninformed and called my religion a lie and a fairy tale.
How quickly the truth surfaced. This debate wasn't about a simple holiday greeting. It was about bashing Christianity and pushing people like me into the closet. Another woman chimed in and her statements only proved this point. She asked:
“Why would you care what anyone else thinks about Christmas? If you believe it's a holy day to celebrate the birth of Jesus then celebrate. Why involve everyone else?”
As she continued to comment, the answer to her initial question was revealed:
“At this point Christmas isn't about Jesus, it's about buying stuff and getting stuff. It's about who can brainwash shoppers into buying their goods.”
Why do I care what anyone else thinks of Christmas? Her shallow view of the holiday is why. Christmas celebrates the birth of a man who shunned materialism and convinced his followers to do the same but mainstream society uses the season to “brainwash shoppers into buying their goods.” That should give any Christian cause for concern.
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| Does this real ad for a surf shop offend you? |
If we commemorated Martin Luther King Day by shopping for bargains while at the same time never mentioning a thing about civil rights, I think more than a few people would be upset. Yet I can go the entire Christmas season without hearing the name Jesus outside of Mass. Many will work themselves into a frenzy shopping for presents sometimes waiting in line for hours (or even days) to get the best deals. It's: “If you have two coats, give one to somebody who has none.” Not: “Buy one coat, get the second one free.”
The woman on Facebook added:
“True Christians should shun the commercialism and celebrate it quietly without buying things and involving non-Christians.”
She's only half right because in her statement we see the other problem with people who deride Christians for wanting to acknowledge the true meaning of Christmas. Those calling for tolerance, inclusion and respect often don't extend the offer to Christianity. Instead a visceral hatred for the faith emerges usually from “recovering” Christians. It's interesting to note that no one on Facebook seemed to have a problem with how Islam and Judaism celebrate their religious holidays. We don't see a movement to secularize Hanukkah and rename the menorahs found on public property Holiday Candelabras. Rainbow flags freely hang from government buildings and anyone who is offended by this is called a hatemonger. Yet Christians are told to worship quietly...to not impose their beliefs on anyone.
One of the cornerstones of Christianity is LIVING your faith...during the holidays and in everyday life. Jesus warns us not to light a lamp and then hide it under a basket but many Christians do just that by being lukewarm and refusing to confront the materialism that permeates the Christmas season. I'm not saying we need to rid the world of Santa, Christmas trees and gift-giving but these things should be put into a proper perspective.
There are those who under the guise of tolerance and inclusion would like to see Christianity disappear. If you think there's no such thing as a war on Christmas, you're sorely mistaken. Isn't it time we stopped being afraid to celebrate our faith?
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