The War on Religion

As we celebrate another Yuletide season, it’s hard not to notice that Christmas in America simply doesn’t feel the same anymore. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and those who don’t celebrate it overwhelmingly accept and respect our nation’s Christmas traditions, a certain shared public sentiment slowly has disappeared. The Christmas spirit, marked by a wonderful feeling of goodwill among men, is in danger of being lost in the ongoing war against religion.

Dear Mr. Paul, I can understand your frustrations with the time of the year, Christmas here in Canada doesn’t feel the same anymore either. It’s a sad turn of events that leaves us all lamenting the passing of Christmas as we once knew it… but it is not, as you mistakenly believe, because of any nefarious plot by the “elitist, secular Left” bent on the destruction of Christianity.

The message on your page seems to indicate that without christianity there is no “goodwill among men”, surely you can’t believe that Mr. Paul? That would be anti every other religion in the world except christianity - surely you can’t believe that the rest of us are all cruel, heartless, mean-spirited, people… filled with ill will towards all?

Lay the blame where it rightfully belongs Mr. Paul, in the commercialization of Christmas. Where once this time of the year meant get together’s with family and friends, community dances and games, and sharing the Christmas meal, it has now become a grab bag of sales and commercials for bigger, better, and more expensive gifts each and every year.

You may not believe this Mr. Paul but cars, full sized SUV’s even, are now advertised as Christmas presents - I wonder how many Christmas cars our parents or grandparents gave or received in their day? Just what do you get someone for Christmas the year after you’ve bought them a $30,000 SUV? No wonder people get so depressed. Listen to the news Mr. Paul, the success of the season is not measured by the number of community activities or the number of family gatherings being held….. no Mr. Paul, it is measured by whether or not Wal*Mart, or some other giant retailer, reached its target sales figures.

Take a drive around your district Mr. Paul…. look at the lavish displays of Christmas lights and electrical consumption that separate the “well-to-do’s” from the “just-getting-by’s” of our days; remember when Christmas was more about what was happening on the inside the house than on the outside? You might not have read my previous commentary on the subject it Mr. Paul but a whole bunch of those [christian] “Christmas traditions” that used to be such an important part of the season actually were borrowed from many and various other beliefs, cultures, and traditions.

No biggie, I seriously doubt there would be any hard feelings for working them into your festivities - it is these things that are lacking Mr. Paul, not a nativity scene in the town square or little boys dressed up as shepherd’s. We’ve become so caught up in buying the latest whatever for whoever and making sure that we’re keeping up with whoever lives next door in the Christmas light department that we’ve forgotten what Christmas is supposed to be. A gathering of family and friends, for feasting and fun, for love and laughter, and for the exchanging of tokens of love and appreciation during the darkest and coldest time of the year.

It’s a mid-winters break Mr. Paul, christians may choose to celebrate the birth of Jesus during this time of the year Mr. Paul, but that isn’t when he was born, and that’s not what it’s all about by any means.

So lay the blame where it belongs Mr. Paul, at the doors of the commercial institutions that have so successfully usurped Christmas - and let us both, christian and non-christian, begin the process of taking it back and making it what it once was.

(The content of this post came from an older pMachine incarnation of stageleft with a different hosting company - comments, if any, didn’t make it into the rebuild)