There Is No "War on Christmas," Just a Right-Wing Lie

[mdbl]

MARK KARLIN, EDITOR OF BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

The longstanding right-wing propaganda crusade against a nonexistent "war on Christmas" has gained new steam during the campaign and election of Donald Trump. According to a December 20 Christian Science Monitor article, FOX News began promoting the false meme about secular liberals attacking Christmas (and, more broadly, Christians) about a decade ago. The embedding of the "truthy" notion that there are hostile forces attacking Christmas got an extra boost when Bill O'Reilly took it on as a cause, hammering the accusation home in his TV show and writing. According to the The Christian Science Monitor report, Donald Trump's adoption of the call to end the "war on Christmas" accusation has boosted it substantially:

But while discourse surrounding the "war on Christmas" has taken place primarily on Fox News and conservative talk radio shows in the past, this year the pro-"Merry Christmas" faction gained a voice on the national political stage thanks to a powerful ally: President-elect Donald Trump. Mr. Trump's adoption of the cause speaks to the concerns of conservative supporters who see a broader persecution of Christians in America and political correctness run amok. But once he takes office, Trump's explicit support of the holiday has the potential to expand beyond rhetoric into concrete political action. "The 'war on Christmas' discourse sounds similar notes each season, so it's less the discourse that has changed than the context and the stakes," says Kevin Coe, an associate professor of communication at the University of Utah, in an email to The Christian Science Monitor. "More so than in the past, the 'war on Christmas' is connected to perceptions of a broader 'war on Christianity.'"

In essence, evoking a phony "war" against a religious holiday allows Christians who feel besieged by a multicultural world to feel that they are victims -- that their religion and personal beliefs are being belittled and censored. It is very consistent with Trump's appeal to the sense of white Christian victimhood that he manipulated to his advantage throughout the election, and continues to manipulate in the transitional period before he assumes the office of president.

Of course, anyone is free to celebrate Christmas or wish people "Merry Christmas" unless a corporation has a policy of employees harmlessly saying "Happy Holidays" to customers. The latter is the opposite of religious oppression; it expresses religious inclusion, without disparaging Christmas or Christians. The "war on Christmas" meme is the opposite of what it claims: It is a sideways attempt to impose one religion on all Americans by denying legitimacy to the recognition of other religious holidays.

http://www.truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/there-is-no-war-on-christmas-just-a-right-wing-sabotaging-of-the-truth

[malaise]

1. You mean just

ANOTHER RW lie

[vlyons]

2. I make it a point to say "Happy Holidays"

The Christian church has lost its way. People are turning away from going to church, because of its anti-science stance, condemnation of LGBT people, and harsh and uncaring RW judgements about women, sex, and the poor. Hardly the real teachings of Jesus, which were to feed the poor, heal the sick, practice peace, and love thy neighbor.

As a Buddhist, I make a distinction between the church and the teachings of Jesus. The Christian church has a long long history of violence, bigotry, and intolerance. I recognize that there are many many good and gentle Christians who sincerely and earnestly practice the teachings of Jesus. But there are also a category of hypocrites and criminals, and another category of cowards, who won't stand up and dismiss their bigoted prosperity preachers from the pulpits.

Those Christians, who truly practice the teachings of Jesus don't get insulted and freak out, or try to "correct" me, when I say "Happy Holidays."

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. By location

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. By location 2

[longship]

5. Interesting. The South! nt

[smirkymonkey]

6. The South is surprising, as is the West.

I would have thought it would have been the other way around in each.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. By history

[maddiemom]

8. On Christmas day I was in line at one of the one chain of convenience stores that remained open.

Beside me was a lovely Muslim woman (we live in a university town with a wide variety of ethnic groups and religions). She told me (in excellent English) that she had been here less than a year and went out to do some shopping, not realizing that everything would be closed, She was grateful to find something open and said it had been "dumb of her" because everything in her country was closed on their religious holidays as well. When we parted, she wished me a "Good Christmas." I was reminded of another time in a local retail store when I saw an Amish woman and a woman in a hijab exchanging their new babies to hold and coo over. There are so many good people out here, and Donald Trump and his followers shouldn't be allowed to take us a giant step back.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

10. History 2

Song and LP by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra:



1955:

[Bernardo de La Paz]

11. History 3

1894 book:



1922 post card:

[mdbl]

12. Reposted this picture War on Christmas POW Camp

WAR ON CHRISTMAS POW CAMP

from http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1018&pid=820383 because I laughed at it until i cried!