This Season's War Cry: Commercialize Christmas, or Else

By Adam Cohen

Religious conservatives have a cause this holiday season: the commercialization of Christmas. They're for it.

The American Family Association is leading a boycott of Target for not using the words "Merry Christmas" in its advertising. (Target denies it has an anti-Merry-Christmas policy.) The Catholic League boycotted Wal-Mart in part over the way its Web site treated searches for "Christmas." Bill O'Reilly, the Fox anchor who last year started a "Christmas Under Siege" campaign, has a chart on his Web site of stores that use the phrase "Happy Holidays," along with a poll that asks, "Will you shop at stores that do not say 'Merry Christmas'?"

This campaign - which is being hyped on Fox and conservative talk radio - is an odd one. Christmas remains ubiquitous, and with its celebrators in control of the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and every state supreme court and legislature, it hardly lacks for powerful supporters. There is also something perverse, when Christians are being jailed for discussing the Bible in Saudi Arabia and slaughtered in Sudan, about spending so much energy on stores that sell "holiday trees."

What is less obvious, though, is that Christmas's self-proclaimed defenders are rewriting the holiday's history. They claim that the "traditional" American Christmas is under attack by what John Gibson, another Fox anchor, calls "professional atheists" and "Christian haters." But America has a complicated history with Christmas, going back to the Puritans, who despised it. What the boycotters are doing is not defending America's Christmas traditions, but creating a new version of the holiday that fits a political agenda.

FULL STORY

(Just another 'non-issue'. A huge distraction to stir up support from the Repulican backwoods base. Once again the ultra right have resorted to the 'politics of hate'. Stirring up evil intent where there was none. Trying to pin the old 'anti-Christian' label on the left since the 'un-American' label has lost its power now that the majority of American's believe the President lied about Iraq. This just goes to show you how desperate they are to remain relevant. Interesting all the noise that was made over the national tree being called the National Christmas Tree rather than the National Holiday Tree. I wish Speaker Hastert showed as much indignation over the slashing of the Food Stamp budget as he showed over the use of the "H" word. It becomes all the more ridiculous when one considers that the Christmas Tree evolves out of a pagan tradition and not a Christian one. Funny how these 'Christians" are so eager to embrace paganisim along with materialisim. I have a totally different understanding of the teachings of Jesus than they do. My faith is in no way diminished by what words are used or not used. The use of the word 'holiday' does not affect how Christmas is observed in my home. To the best of my knowledge, citizens in the United States are not being prohibited from attending church, reading their Bibles or praying. Seems to me these 'persecuted' Christians are very insecure in their faith - otherwise why the constant clammoring to have their religion on display in stores, schools, court rooms and plastered all over holiday sales ads? We don't have "Hanukkah Sales" or "Ramadam Sales" -- it is all such nonsense. This issue is a waste of energy and a distraction from things God would have us focusing on. I believe how one treats others is much more relevant than the use of the word Christmas. When Christians are prohibited from worshiping and are being thrown to the lions or burned at the stake then I will reconsider the assertion that they are being persecuted. Until then "Happy Holidays" eaprez)

1 Cor 2:5-THAT YOUR FAITH SHOULD NOT STAND IN THE WISDOM OF MEN, BUT IN THE POWER OF GOD.
2 Tim 4:3,4 NIV-FOR THE TIME WILL COME WHEN MEN WILL NOT PUT UP WITH SOUND DOCTRINE. INSTEAD, TO SUIT THEIR OWN DESIRES, THEY WILL GATHER AROUND THEM A GREAT NUMBER OF TEACHERS TO SAY WHAT THEIR ITCHING EARS WANT TO HEAR. THEY WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH AND TURN ASIDE TO MYTHS.