The war on Christmas

[booksnbeats]

It's that time of year again. The time when non-Christians (and Christians who have no problem with store clerks greeting them with "Happy Holidays") get together and plan their annual assault on Christmas. Now that Black Friday has passed, isn't it time for the fundies to start getting riled up about Santa Claus, cartoon reindeer, and abbreviating Christmas to X-mas? Which fundies are completely opposed to celebrating Christmas in the traditional way? Have you noticed any good posts so far? All I have to offer are a few links from past years:

Commentary on Vision Forum's "Beautiful Girlhood Christmas" catalog of 2006: http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/12/5/2280/27401

Teri Maxwell gets rid of Christmas trees and Christmas stockings: http://www.titus2.com/corners/12-02-m.htm

A holiday-inspired post from Taryn (anti-Christmas tree, anti-round cakes, pro-short-haired Jesus):

When our 6 children lost a tooth they went to their father and he gave them a dollar bill. We never did the tooth fairy, Santa, Easter baskets,etc. We don't use the word-kid(s) because of Matthew 25:32,33. We never celebrated Halloween. First, we stopped celebrating Easter(Herod's Easter-Acts 12:4)- our church calls it Resurrection Sunday. Recently, we stopped having a Christmas tree-we agree with those(lasttrumpetministries,Messianic Jews,etc.) who say Jesus was born during the Jewish holidays(Sept./Oct.). We have turkey dinners on Resurrection Sunday,Thanksgiving, and Christmas(my husband gives the children-under 20 years old(Numbers 1:45,etc.-when Scripure says one becomes an adult)- and grandchildren gift cards) . Of course, we celebrate many birthdays-that started with God's people(some people don't use round cakes or candles because of the sun worship origin). We, also, don't have images of Jesus(Warner Sallman,etc.). I do like Christian Light's new board book with a short-haired Jesus(1 Cor. 11:14). We don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day(Abeka has a section on St. Patrick in their Church History book-11/12 grades- that I agree with). We don't celebrate other holidays that the government schools do- May Day,etc.

(from http://stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/2011/01/its-been-quiet-around-here.html)

Mostly I just wanted to post this image, which I think is awesome--I'm hoping to get a change to use it if the circumstances arise.

[kunoichi66]

As a classicist, I LOVE the image with the chi and the text. Where's the rho, though?

[Boogalou]

Ah, the war on Christmas, my favourite war! A funny story about this though. There is a grumpy columnist in my home town newspaper who writes angry rants every week about people upsetting her delicate sensibilities. Well, a few weeks ago she whined about the war on Christmas and how the word itself is practically disappearing and nativity scenes are politically incorrect :roll: She is also one of those people who yells "Merry Christmas" at any minimum wage employee who dares to say "Happy Holidays". Lovely. Anyway, after I read her wax poetically about how Christmas is disappearing right under our very noses I flipped through the rest of the paper where I read about Christmas craft shows, Christmas teas, Christmas bazares, Christmas parades, Christmas dinners, Christmas sales, and Christmas trees. It is so sad that Christmas is disappearing.

[kunoichi66]

Anyway, after I read her wax poetically about how Christmas is disappearing right under our very noses I flipped through the rest of the paper where I read about Christmas craft shows, Christmas teas, Christmas bazares, Christmas parades, Christmas dinners, Christmas sales, and Christmas trees. It is so sad that Christmas is disappearing.

[pixydust]

I'm Jewish, so when someone wishes me "Merry Christmas" I say "Happy Chanukah" or "Happy Yule" (if Chanukah was early), just because I like screwing with people while reminding them that not everyone celebrates Christmas (we do, I LOVE holidays, and the hubs was raised Christian, so we celabrate Christmas and Chanukah).

[fundiefan]

I'm disgusted by this imaginary war and how many people randomly jump on the bandwagon.

Don't like to say Happy Holidays, don't say it. Don't like to call it a holiday tree, call it a Christmas tree.

Don't like other holidays in December to be acknowledged, don't acknowledge them.

Even my decidedly not fundie / religious family has jumped on the Christmas war bandwagon and I want to smack every one of them.

[pixydust]

I wonder if Teryn is going to get rid of other round things: bowls, tires, etc, or is it just cakes? I have those globe light-bulbs in my bathroom, those really must be from sun worshipping!

[IceQueen]

I had to listen to my grandmother rant over this during our thanksgiving trip to see my family. Every time it came up I want to shout "NOT EVERYONE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS!! GET OVER IT" And imo saying "Happy Holidays!" covers every winter time holiday anyone chooses to celebrate because not everyone celebrates Christmas!

[Deleted03]

I find it hilarious how american or english speaking fundies point out the "Christ" in Christmas. I don't think that if there's a God he deisgnated English as the tongue related to him. In French, you can't spell any godly word in Noël (maybe Noah? lol) but it's the same feast or holidays!

[darareaksmey]

Okay, I can't get past this to the holiday business:

...We don't use the word-kid(s) because of Matthew 25:32,33....

Matthew 25: 32-33 says:

32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

So they don't use the word for young goat because God says he is separating the sheep (believers) from the goats (nonbelievers). Simply by calling your child a kid, you turn him into a nonbeliever?

I just don't have the patience to read the holiday gobbledygook if it employs this migraine-inducing logic.

[fundiefan]

Zsu has an anti santa crazy rant every year too. Funny, though. In one of the videos on youtube of her husband baptizing people in their pool in their back yard, you can see a fake fireplace with stockings hanging from it in the background.

I've often thought that many of the rants are for show. "Look at what perfect Christians we are; we don't get sucked into the consumerism or pagan or secular traditions..".

[IceQueen]

I knew a fundie Catholic family that told their kids the saints brought the gifts on Christmas. Maybe PP and ZsuZsu have a similar wacky tradition?

[Aurora]

I wonder if Teryn is going to get rid of other round things: bowls, tires, etc, or is it just cakes? I have those globe light-bulbs in my bathroom, those really must be from sun worshipping!

:lol: :lol:

What does she have against St. Patrick?

[browncoatslytherin]

there's been two people on my fb who have posted something about keeping the "christ" in "christmas"...and though i don't like to get political or religious on my fb i have posted replies something along the lines of this [i can't copy it directly, because they deleted their posts!]:

well, i say "happy holidays" simply because there is more than ONE holiday at that time of year! most of the time you can't tell what religion or heritage someone is [and therefore what holiday they celebrate] simply by looking at them! it's NOT about excluding christ or silencing christians...to be honest, the ONLY people i have heard say that are the christians who complain about it! so, my message this year is this: LIGHTEN THE FUCK UP.

oh, and happy holidays. :)

[browncoatslytherin]

What does she have against St. Patrick?

porbably because he's a catholic saint

[Angri-la]

I knew a fundie Catholic family that told their kids the saints brought the gifts on Christmas. Maybe PP and ZsuZsu have a similar wacky tradition?

My parents told us this. They said St. Nicholas was ONE of the Saints who blessed us with gifts on Christmas. I was mad because my older sister got to wear the crown of candles and be St. Lucia, because she was the eldest daughter. I was not a charitable sister: I always hoped her perfect blond hair would go up.

Don't even get me started on how much trouble I got into in Jr. High when I asked my theology teacher why we celebrated Christmas in December when lambs were present, and they were born in the spring...

ETA: Does this post sound like Taryn? Maybe if I did it in all lower case letters and little spacing/punctuation. Next time!

[Samantha]

I don't know any specific fundie families or blogs that mention the war on Christmas but my facebook has had some lovely "Christ in Christmas" and "Jesus is the reason for the season" statuses displayed. One in particular pushed me over the edge, I had to make a status explaining the reason behind Christmas.

Now the girl who posted this status is a lovely person, a little flighty but she's very sweet. But I just found it to be the rudest status I've ever read. And so here is what she posted:

"I DO NOT CARE IF THIS DOES OFFEND SOMEONE…THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE…I AM SICK AND TIRED OF EVERY YEAR WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AROUND; THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE…WELL, HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE CHRISTIANS?...WHAT ABOUT OFFENDING US BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING OUR CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS? ...CHRIST IS CHRISTMAS!...IF YOU AREN'T CELEBRATING CHRIST THEN WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING?...CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR!...CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF A FEW HOLIDAYS LEFT THAT CELEBRATE "MY" CHRIST!...LEAVE "MY" CHRISTMAS ALONE!...AND TELL EVERYONE "MERRY CHRISTMAS", NOT HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!...RE-POST IF YOU’RE NOT ashamed!!"

The funny thing is a short while after posting this she decided to post a status about putting up the Christmas tree and lights. I really wanted to point out to her that Christmas trees and lights really don't have anything to do with Christ and so according to her first status she really should only be focusing on Christ. Sadly I just can't bring myself to do it because she is a nice person.

[Aurora]

there's been two people on my fb who have posted something about keeping the "christ" in "christmas"...and though i don't like to get political or religious on my fb i have posted replies something along the lines of this [i can't copy it directly, because they deleted their posts!]:

well, i say "happy holidays" simply because there is more than ONE holiday at that time of year! most of the time you can't tell what religion or heritage someone is [and therefore what holiday they celebrate] simply by looking at them! it's NOT about excluding christ or silencing christians...to be honest, the ONLY people i have heard say that are the christians who complain about it! so, my message this year is this: LIGHTEN THE FUCK UP.

oh, and happy holidays. :)

Like! :D

[Beb]

Wait a minute......I thought this had all been settled. Didn't Bill O'Reilly save Xmas a couple of years ago?

[PBrooke]

My parents told us this. They said St. Nicholas was ONE of the Saints who blessed us with gifts on Christmas. I was mad because my older sister got to wear the crown of candles and be St. Lucia, because she was the eldest daughter. I was not a charitable sister: I always hoped her perfect blond hair would go up.

Don't even get me started on how much trouble I got into in Jr. High when I asked my theology teacher why we celebrated Christmas in December when lambs were present, and they were born in the spring...

ETA: Does this post sound like Taryn? Maybe if I did it in all lower case letters and little spacing/punctuation. Next time!

I just got back from Amsterdam, where St. Nicholas' (Sinterklaas) day is celebrated in early December, and it is still the primary gift-giving holiday. They have Santa, too, because of the influence from America, but Christmas is much more a family day than a present-giving day, though it is catching on a little. It's fascinating how our American Christmas traditions, Santa in particular, were influenced by European traditions - Sinterklaas from Germany/Netherlands, Father Christmas from the UK - and then in more modern times we, in turn, have influenced Europe's myths and traditions right back.

[Boogalou]

I don't know any specific fundie families or blogs that mention the war on Christmas but my facebook has had some lovely "Christ in Christmas" and "Jesus is the reason for the season" statuses displayed. One in particular pushed me over the edge, I had to make a status explaining the reason behind Christmas.

Now the girl who posted this status is a lovely person, a little flighty but she's very sweet. But I just found it to be the rudest status I've ever read. And so here is what she posted:

"I DO NOT CARE IF THIS DOES OFFEND SOMEONE…THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE…I AM SICK AND TIRED OF EVERY YEAR WHEN CHRISTMAS COMES AROUND; THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO TAKE CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE IT MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE…WELL, HOW ABOUT ALL OF THE CHRISTIANS?...WHAT ABOUT OFFENDING US BECAUSE YOU ARE TAKING OUR CHRIST OUT OF CHRISTMAS? ...CHRIST IS CHRISTMAS!...IF YOU AREN'T CELEBRATING CHRIST THEN WHY ARE YOU CELEBRATING?...CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE BIRTH OF OUR SAVIOR!...CHRISTMAS IS ONE OF A FEW HOLIDAYS LEFT THAT CELEBRATE "MY" CHRIST!...LEAVE "MY" CHRISTMAS ALONE!...AND TELL EVERYONE "MERRY CHRISTMAS", NOT HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!...RE-POST IF YOU’RE NOT ashamed!!"

The funny thing is a short while after posting this she decided to post a status about putting up the Christmas tree and lights. I really wanted to point out to her that Christmas trees and lights really don't have anything to do with Christ and so according to her first status she really should only be focusing on Christ. Sadly I just can't bring myself to do it because she is a nice person.

Well, she CONVINCED ME!!! BECAUSE IT IS ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS... WITH LOTS OF... ELLIPSES... THIS IS CLASSIC... HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WINNING ARGUMENT...WOOHOO... KEEP CHRIST...IN... ELLIPSES...AND... CAPITAL LETTERS... LEAVE MY PROPER ENGLISH ALONE!...

[Sola]

Oh dear, I clicked on the link with my daughter sat of me. She took one look at the beautiful girlhood dolls and announced that she was putting all of them on her Christmas list.

I daren't show her the entire VF catalogue, she'd want everything in the girls section. Sometimes I wonder how the hell did I end up with such a girly girl!

[CanadianHippie]

Well, she CONVINCED ME!!! BECAUSE IT IS ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS... WITH LOTS OF... ELLIPSES... THIS IS CLASSIC... HOW TO CONSTRUCT A WINNING ARGUMENT...WOOHOO... KEEP CHRIST...IN... ELLIPSES...AND... CAPITAL LETTERS... LEAVE MY PROPER ENGLISH ALONE!...

MY ELLIPSES::: ARE BETTER::: THEY COVER THE TOP::: AND BOTTOM::: SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FORGETTING ANYTHING!::: PLUS I HAVE A DANCING BANANA IN A TUX::: THAT MAKES IT AWESOME::: :banana-tux:

[browncoatslytherin]

i sense the beginning of a new fj meme

[Angri-la]

I just got back from Amsterdam, where St. Nicholas' (Sinterklaas) day is celebrated in early December, and it is still the primary gift-giving holiday. They have Santa, too, because of the influence from America, but Christmas is much more a family day than a present-giving day, though it is catching on a little. It's fascinating how our American Christmas traditions, Santa in particular, were influenced by European traditions - Sinterklaas from Germany/Netherlands, Father Christmas from the UK - and then in more modern times we, in turn, have influenced Europe's myths and traditions right back.

Tell us your trip to Amsterdam was not just about religion! ;)

It is fascinating how the melange of other cultures and religions have influenced one another throughout time. I had trouble swallowing that the Catholic Saints were not there to help the pantheistic pagans to accept Christianity. I am amused, but not surprised at the recent movement, as, yes, early Christians did adopt pagan holidays and Christianize them to get more members. I used to giggle over the timing of Christmas, the usage of the fertility rites at Easter (eggs, rabbits, etc.).

Here is my question: If one really believes in Jesus, does any of this fluff really matter? If I am walking the walk, does that mean I have to give up cultural things like trees and lights, and respecting that not everyone believes the same thing, and it should not be an issue for a real believer to hear "Happy Holidays"?

In another thread, someone said they didn't get why the Evangelicals, are so anti-consumerism, as that seems to be the real religion of the Republican Party. I am still having issues understanding how being anti helping others (who are born already) is Christianity in action.