FOX hypes stories to claim "Christmas Under Siege"

[BrklynLiberal]

Even the celebration of the holidays is not beyond being politicized by the political right. O'Reilly is SUCH A SCHMUCK!!!!!!!!!

http://mediamatters.org/items/200412100006
FOX News is aggressively hyping several small controversies involving public holiday displays that don't explicitly mention Christmas in order to depict a widespread and sinister "attack on Christmas" by "secular Progressives." Led by hosts Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, FOX News anchors have returned continually to several minor stories whose theme is the purported marginalization or persecution of Christians. A closer examination of each of these stories reveals that they hardly constitute an anti-Christmas trend.
<snip>
Beginning on December 3, O'Reilly began a recurring segment on The O'Reilly Factor called "Christmas Under Siege." O'Reilly's December 7 "Talking Points Memo" included a litany of anecdotes that appear to show an epidemic of anti-Christmas fervor sweeping the nation:

O'REILLY: All over the country, Christmas is taking flak. In Denver this past weekend, no religious floats were permitted in the holiday parade there. In New York City, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled the "holiday tree," and no Christian Christmas symbols are allowed in the public schools. Federated Department Stores -- that's Macy's -- have done away with the Christmas greeting "Merry Christmas."
<snip>
On the December 7 broadcast of the nationally syndicated Radio Factor with Bill O'Reilly, he declared that "the people at The New York Times, the L.A. Times -- the far left wing of the Democratic Party -- they hate the fact that 82 percent of Americans are Christian." On his December 9 radio show, O'Reilly told a caller: "Remember, more than 90 percent of American homes celebrate Christmas. But, the small minority that is trying to impose its will on the majority is so vicious, so dishonest -- and has to be dealt with."


more about this and refutation of it at the above address...

[FloridaPat]

1. Isn't the small minority of the right wing taking over the country

so they can impose their will on everyone else? I take it the plan is that everything they do - which is wrong, immoral, unethical, illegal - they just make a big issue of it and blame the Democrats.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Excellent analysis!!! Perfect description!!!

They control the media and therefore direct the masses in any direction they choose...or at least make it seem that way.
They ignore all the protests that go against the administration and highlight everything that agrees with it.
Perfect 1984!!!!

[sonicx]

3. Like Jesus gives a shit. He'd be more pissed at the rampant commercialism

of his birthday celebration.

[VOX]

5. Amen. Christmas **IS** a siege!

Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy. Buy.

That's twelve day's worth right there. :(

[thinkingwoman]

15. I think Jesus would prefer

that his birthday was celebrated somewhere near the actual date. Maybe he'd settle for the same season even.

Celebrating his birthday Dec. 25th is a joke.

[Liberal Veteran]

4. I think we ought to take it over the top each time....

...and start acusing the right wing of not celebrating the birth of baby JEEBUS by having major demonstations in front of every business that doesn't specifically mention the NATIVITY.

And to make sure we drive the point home, we ought to have the Solid Gold Dancers behind each Nativity scene waving big American flags and sparklers and make it as stupidly gaudy as possible.

[Sugarbleus]

7. LOL......... good one. n/t

[NuttyFluffers]

38. i love you....

solid gold dancers behind each nativity scene waving giant, gold lame' fans and glittery big american flags with each star a face of a child (or fetus) and sparklers arranged in the shape of an angelic grandma looking angel holding a big ol' apple pie. and beach blanket babylon hats for each station of the cross and a foreground tableau of ambercrombie boy models dressed like jesus being whipped by gladiators dressed in assless leather chaps, vicious stiletto heels, lip gloss, and turbans.

... i need to write a john waters-esque play of this.

[Sugarbleus]

6. Geez, what profound JERKS these people are!

I enjoy holidays.........sometimes (lol) But to "force" us to make them all "christian" is simply over the line. We've been sending greeting cards etc with "happy holidays" on them for decades! Happy Holidays isn't new!

Actually, I've been entertaining the idea that ALL the faiths that have holidays at this time of year BE RECOGNIZED! I was listening to a Jewish American talk show; they played Hannuka music, told stories about their celebrations, gave "recipes" for their particular feasts etc. It was GREAT! Kwanza comes a bit later? I've forgotten. I think there are pagan festivals at this time too, yes?

I say let us celebrate with and enjoy all the diverse people and their holidays....it would be fun. And it might shut up the likes of O'Liely and Profannity.

Let "Merry Christmas" stay on the front of churches and in various greeting cards. Let the rest of the country celebrate (or not) as they chose.

I refuse to allow the far right fascist minds to hijack a secular country to force it into one particular religion.

[bloom]

16. If all of the ways that Christmas coopted the Pagan

solstice holiday were emphasized (and rejected by Christians) such as Evergreen Trees, Wreaths, gift giving, Santa Claus... there wouldn't be that much left (but the nativity and all).

(something I had copied awhile back)

Adorn the home with sacred herbs and colors. Decorate your home in Druidic holiday colors red, green, and white. Place holly, ivy, evergreen boughs, and pine cones around your home, especially in areas where socializing takes place. Hang a sprig of mistletoe above a major threshold and leave it there until next Yule as a charm for good luck
throughout the year. Have family/household members join together to make or purchase an evergreen wreath. Include holiday herbs in it and then place it on your front door to symbolize the continuity of life and the wheel of the year. If you choose to have a living or a harvested evergreen tree as part of your holiday decorations, call it a Solstice tree and decorate it with Pagan symbols.

Convey love to family, friends, and associates. At the heart of Saturnalia was the custom of family and friends feasting together and exchanging presents. Continue this custom by visiting, entertaining, giving gifts, and sending
greetings by mail and/or phone. Consider those who are and/or have been important in your life and share appreciation.

Reclaim Santa Claus as a Pagan Godform. Today's Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god, also known as Father Time), the Holly King
(Celtic god of the dying year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Thor (Norse sky god who rides the
sky in a chariot drawn by goats), Odin/Wotan (Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), and the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known for giving gifts to children at this time of year). Santa's reindeer can be viewed as forms of Herne, the Celtic Horned God. Decorate your home with Santa images that reflect His Pagan heritage.

[Sugarbleus]

20. Yes, I've known for decades that Xmas was merged with

Paganism by the First established church....so as to keep people coming.

I like the pagan ideas much better than the so-called christian idea of xmas. Nevertheless, long standing traditions become the "norm"; I don't want to KILL christmas, I'd rather we just open the box and let EVERYONE celebrate whatever, in however fashion they like. Let us all enjoy each other's rituals. I suggest the Pagans try setting up displays someplace that reflect their tradition. What a hoot. I think it makes more sense and fun.

I LOVE winter lights, parties, and the feasting...thank you ancient Pagans!! :toast:

[Buns_of_Fire]

28. Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah!

(Not original, of course -- stolen from Virgin Mobile. I just like to show off that I can spell it. Better still -- I can even SAY it! :party: )

[UdoKier]

8. What a crock. Here in ultra-liberal San Francisco...

there are Christmas trees and Merry Christmas signs all over the place.

If governments want to play it safe by calling a Christmas tree something else, okayfinewhatever, but I don't think they would be sued if there were also decorations for other holidays.

And a department store can do as it pleases. They can say "Merry Birthday of Christ Our Savior!" to customers, but I'm pretty sure that would put off more people than it would please. Since Macy's is based in New York, which has one of the highest percentages of Jewish, Hindu and muslim residents in the US, it seems a wise business decision, but they can do as they please.

I'm so sick of this phony crap about persecuted Christians. :puke:

[IHeart1993]

9. What world is Faux News living in?

Some sort of Bizarro World where O'Reily and Hannity think they can read the minds of all people in the United States.
BTW, is this Fox's attack on Hanukkah and Kwanzaa to bow down the Religious Right?

[demgrrrll]

10. Just trying to guilt people into spending money because Wallymarto

is losing money. Obey. Consume.

[punpirate]

11. Herein lies part of the difficulty in...

... getting the message across, in general. Hannity and O'Reilly and Hume have a programmatic message that they hammer every day for weeks, without providing any context and which they sensationalize as a discrimination which is "widespread."

In fact, it's not really discrimination, nor is it widespread. Rather, it's generally an attempt to be inclusionary and non-discriminatory (i.e, that our country is not monolithic and has religious minorities).

But, the average person has to first find mediamatters.org, and then take the time to read the entire analysis to get a true picture of a problem which isn't really a problem.

A large percentage of the people viewing or listening to Fox will take it as gospel without ever asking themselves, "is this true?" and then take the time to find out for themselves.

As analogy, this is one of the reasons why the Swift Boat Liars' claims gained so much traction despite the overwhelming evidence that they were false. *sigh*

[bloom]

12. % of Christians has declined from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001

"The proportion of the population that can be classified as Christian has declined from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001." ARIS Study.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_prac2.htm

Maybe some people are getting worried - want to assert their power while still a majority.

I think reasonable people of all faiths and non-faiths would see "seasons greetings" as a sensible greeting. Why in the heck would a store want to sell only to Christians?!! In NYC!!!

Heaven forbid that Christians would be tolerant and expect to practice their religion in the homes and in their churches instead of on every street corner and in every classroom.

-----
RE: O'REILLY: Secular progressives realize that America as it is now will never approve of gay marriage, partial birth abortion, euthanasia, legalized drugs, income redistribution through taxation, and many other progressive visions because of religious opposition.

What a farce to assume that religious people would be averse to any/all of those things, esp. social programs "through taxation".

[Festivito]

24. Yup. nt.

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

13. YES, YOU STUPID FUNDY "world-is-flat" JERKS...we're taking the country bac

How DARE the US, which is a multi-cultral land, choose to reasonably accommodate all religions or the lack thereof...

Fuck off Xtian fundies, your days are numbered. At some point, your mass delusionary beliefs will collapse under the weight of REALITY and mounting evidence contrary to your delusions.

JB

[neebob]

14. Well, I was thinking about calling my mom this evening

but now I'm afraid she'll bring up the attack on Christmas. She watches these windbags every day on "her" Fox News.

If you want to realize just how ridiculous they truly are, try not watching any TV for about a month, and then flip on The Factor. It's too creepy to be funny.

[G_j]

17. "American Christmas defiled by 100,000 dead in Iraq" -eom

[Killarney]

18. This is their new focus at Fox. Athiests are the enemy.

Now that the election is over, they are focusing on how the heathen want to kill Christmas every day.

[rndmprsn]

19. so...this is their new thing huh?

man they must be running out of shit to bitch about...now that RW owns everything...being the "reform" party is starting to wear a bit thin.

so when will they start eating each other?

[Radical Activist]

21. They love the persecution complex

They need it to cover up their flaws. It gives them self-righteous anger and that is what the conservative evangelical political movement is based on. If you listen to any conservative Christian media they are constantly talking about Christians being persecuted.
Never mind that protestants are the most numerous and powerful religious group in American.

[WolverineDG]

32. boggles the mind, doesn't it

as i pointed out to a fundie friend, "2000 years down the road, with a church on every corner, christian television superstations & publishing empires, & control of the government, you're still playing the 'Lions 7, Christians 0' card. give me a freakin' break."

i'm sure that sent her into a tizzy, seeing as how we're both christians...i just choose to live & let live. funny, she doesn't seem to want to debate me on christian beliefs anymore....must have pointed her in the direction of the beatitudes one too many times, eh?

dg

[Swamp Rat]

22. "... and has to be dealt with." - Break out the guillotines and gallows!!!

Let's kill libruls and rag-heads for X-mas! Doesn't take much to extrapolate what O'Reilly means by this. More code-speak to the American Brown-shirts.

[sweetheart]

23. the solstice is under seige by corporatists

The bribes must be large, that is what it appears.

[eleny]

25. Xtians suffer so well

[sandnsea]

26. "American homes celebrate Christmas"

Exactly. They get to do that because religion is separate from government. Which is also the reason every other religious home gets to celebrate freely too. Home and church, that's where religion belongs.

[BiggJawn]

29. 90% of them, though?

So they celebrate Xmas in Jewish and Pagan homes, too?

Is he trying to say that 90% of US homes are really Christian?

Or is he just spewing hyperbole out his ass?

[Piperay]

34. Apparently it is that other

10% that is laying siege to Christmas :wow: against us 90%ers...I'm shocked, utterly shocked. :shrug: :argh: x(

[Piperay]

27. They just love being the victims

with everybody against them even when they have it all their way. x( They're just fucking nuts! :freak:

[burythehatchet]

30. Well I'm off to lay siege upon Christmas

Someone please alert Hannity. I'll be over at Lenox mall if he wants to get some footage of the actual laying of the siege.

[datasuspect]

31. saturnalia has been under siege

since the early christians coopted it to bring more pagans into the fold.

the winter solstice is the reason for the season, not god jr., aka jezus

[Bridget Burke]

33. Google "Christmas Under Attack" ...

Here's "The Traditional Values Coalition" with distressing enws abut the USA: www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=1333

Gosh, according to the "British National Party"--the same thing is happening in the UK: www.bnp.org.uk/freedom/1dec04.html

So, the idea finally trickled down to O'Reilly & Hannity--two disgraces to the Irish.

[sakabatou]

35. Have they never heard of

being politically correct?

[knight_of_the_star]

36. What bullshit

Compared to the shit pagans put up with in this country Christians have it fuckin' EASY. They don't have to worry about losing their jobs or having their homes and their families attacked if the fact that they ARE Christian becomes known to anyone in the public. They don't have to deal with the need to have a guardian of some kind at major holiday celebrations to deal with the possibility of disruption the way we do. They don't have to fight for time off for religious purposes.

What bullshit, Christians haven't been fucking persecuted since the 200s AD for crying out loud and they still act like they are!?!

[orpupilofnature57]

37. Come on,easy one anti-rove=commie, over-spend=saved,easy thinking

[CatholicEdHead]

39. Just plugging fear

This is their FEAR message adjusted to the holidays. The "Fear" is people taking away Christmas. The "Armies of Darkness" here are the pagen, God hating far-Left Communist Liberals.

They would love to see Christmas banned so they can promote their "unChrstian" heathen beliefs, etc... yada yada yada. You know the drill.

Fear makes the world go round.