“Emboldened by their Election Day successes, some Christian conservatives around the country are trying to put more Christ into Christmas this season.” Anyone who knows me knows that a news story which starts out in this way is going to ruffle my tailfeathers. And oh my goodness, does this ever! This story makes me angry enough to spit!
Let me start off by saying that I don’t have anything against Christmas. I don’t have a problem with people saying “Merry Christmas” or singing Christmas carols, or putting up nativity scenes (though I do have qualms about putting a manger scene up in a government office). What I do have a problem with is people trying to force their views on others. And I have an even bigger problem when groups get together to try to force private companies and organizations to follow their beliefs.
Exhibit one from the story: “‘There is a revival taking place in our nation that is causing Christian and right-minded people to say, `Wait a minute. We’ve gone too far,” says the Rev. Patrick Wooden Sr., pastor of the Raleigh church. ‘We’re not going to allow the country to continue this downward spiral to the left.'”
Exhibit two from the story: “In California, a group called the Committee to Save Merry Christmas is boycotting Macy’s[…] The organization cites ‘the recent presidential election showing political correctness is offending millions of Americans.'”
I don’t understand this. Why does it make a difference if a company says “Merry Christmas” or “Seasons Greetings?” How does it make the holiday season any less merry if there are people and organizations that choose to be more inclusive at this time of the year, acknowledging that non-Christians may just want to have some Holiday Cheer at the end of the year?
Well, I believe that I will test this to see what happens. I will not say “Merry Christmas” at all this year. It’s “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” for me in 2004.