Like the Super Bowl, it arrives once a year...yes folks, it is time for the War on Christmas brought to you from Fox News and Bill O'Reilly. That is covered on a daily basis on their programs is evident that covering news is not what Fox is about. While it is fact that most people in this country celebrate the Christmas Holiday with Joy and Cheer, some do not, and prefer to either ignore it or enjoy the Spirit Christmas brings.Whether you say "Merry Christmas", "Happy Holidays", or "HappyMerryHanukkahChristmasKwanza" is a non-issue. The latest uproar is the actions of Washington State Governor Christine Gregoire and State officials granting the Freedom From Religion Foundation the right to place a "Solstice" sign alongside two other holiday displays.
While I celebrate like most, I recognize that there are many who do not. I also feel it is detrimental to our diverse communities to stir up divisive topics like this on a daily basis, on a 24 hour news channel. Oddly, how we celebrate our Holiday Season is in general a time to "give" , spend time with "family and friends", and feel a little better during times of disarray. A friend of mine, an atheist, has made time to purchase cell phones for our Troops, another, like myself is disgusted with Christmas music, and she is a former Sunday School Teacher, others are shopping like fools, and some are simply doing nothing...hmmm that sounds like all out war, doesn't it?
Allowing everyone a place at the table is a more apt interpretation of Jesus' teachings than shoving our beliefs in the faces of fellow citizens no matter what their faith may be. The Freedom from Religion Foundation provides an outlook that allows not just atheists, but freethinkers to share thoughts, and a commitment to diversity. As someone who sees the beauty of Churches, I also recognize the ugly divisiveness behind it's doors, I prefer to be a Follower of Christ. I also feel most would agree with my assessment that is "Religion" that has gotten much of the world knee deep in s*** for centuries. What is clear when Fox, other news networks, retailers, bloggers, and water cooler talks give this attention, it only divides us. Yes, I see the contradiction here since I am posting this. Many of us can clearly see that in America, whenever we decide to declare "War on..." anything it is generally destined to fail, ie; "War on Drugs".
What we can do this Holiday Season is celebrate America's colorful and accepting nature that has made us proud. Buy an atheist a dashboard Jesus, buy a Jewish friend a Christmas tree ornament, buy your white friends a Kwanza cards, have a sense of humor and simply be good this season. And for the love of God....shut off Fox News.
This is a few years old, but to the point. HappyMerryChistmasHanukkahKwanza Sam Seder!
If you look at the reason for the season you find religions are late comers to the party.
ReplyDeleteOf course the solstice is the only celebration that has a founding in the real world. The Sun (not son) has it rebirth at the winter solstice and it was honored long before others picked up on it.
There is no proof a Jesus character existed except as the biblical "take" on older mythology of virgin births of gods son and life after death. for 300 years the Christian church never even celebrated Jesus birth, they didn't even know when it was. Celebrating births was considered to be a Pagan thing. If Emperor Constantine had not become a Christian the end of December would still be a pagan party of decorated trees, yule logs and gift giving.
Funny how the supposed death of Christ also seems to happen right at the next big Pagan celebration Easter. The real world event of the spring equinox. This makes for a weird combination Pagan fertility symbols, eggs, rabbits and the Christian Cross symbol. Even the name is based on Eostre a pagan goddess.