An observation on the phony "War on Christmas"

[louis-t]

Conservatives want things the "way they used to be", right? Conservatives say that since everybody's saying "Happy Holidays" and signs say "Season's Greetings" it means the end of civilization as we know it, right?
Conservatives say it's the mean old, America hatin', commie-lovin', sidin' with the terrorists, godless liberals who are responsible, right?

I watched a Christmas episode of The Andy Griffith Show over the holiday. The episode first aired in 1961. In the courthouse was a banner which clearly read: "Season's Greetings". I thought I must have read it wrong. Maybe I'd been brainwashed into thinking that before the evil Clenis came along, no one dared say or print anything other than "Merry Chistmas". Characters in the story kept saying "Merry Christmas", but you never saw the phrase in print. Finally, an outside shot of the town of Mayberry's main street revealed an identical "Season's Greetings" banner. I'll admit, I was shocked. The "War on Christmas" seems to exist only in the minds of some very disturbed individuals.

[blm]

1. The news media hyped that WAR to get Bush's poll numbers up w/his base.

That's it. He knows he needs his base for the next round of battles when more of his crimes against the constitution are revealed.

[proud patriot]

2. it worked too

x(

[FreedomAngel82]

13. Yep

An uncle of mine works at WalMart and my brother asked my aunt if he can say "Merry Christmas" and her eyes lit up and said "oh yes he can say it if he wants." It's all pathetic. There are people out there who didn't even get a Christmas and they're worried about this nonsense?

[mrcheerful]

3. What really gets me is that their whole christmas tradition

was started by Macy's to help with sales in the early 1930's. Watch yes, Virgina there is a santa claus, you see tons of free Macy's ads in it. In fact if I remember right Macy's is the only store mentioned in the movie.

[Greyhound]

7. Gimball's is mentioned too. n/t

[mrcheerful]

10. Ok I missed that part, I couldn't stand the movie lol. Picky picky picky

[tuvor]

4. My dad was one of the most devout, sincere Christians I ever knew.

And the phrase he used most often during the holiday season?

"Season's Greetings."

He was nothing like these foaming, fundamentalist loonies of late.

[frankly_fedup2]

5. It was a bunch of BS for DIVERSION purposes away from what

is really going on with all the indictments, Abramoff, Valerie Plame investigation, the War worsening, the failure of the last election in Iraq, etc.

[bob4460]

6. here is the thing that burns me the most

its all about christmas right jesus should be the reason for the season but it's not the whole thing has become a pegan ritual spend and receive and worship the fat man in a red suit man i really hate how that is all that is about any more and i am a atheist but i really used to love the family all getting together even when i was a kid that was always the best part yeah gifts were cool but that is what i miss the most

[Greyhound]

8. As a pagan, I'm offended by your callous disregard for the facts.

It was our holiday for generations before anybody ever thought to nail that guy to a tree. Also. the pagans aren't the developers of the "spend and receive and worship the fat man in a red suit", we had nothing to do with that, so get yer facts straight before you go around casting aspersions.

[FreedomAngel82]

14. Exactly

It's only religious if you're a religious person. I love the time of the year because you get introduced to other people of faith and their traditions like the pagans and Jews where you wouldn't other wise. I love it and I wish more people would be more about that than just "me, me me".

[Sydnie]

9. Bob4460 - meet the shift and punctuation keys please

I makes it hard to read if you don't ever use any of these keys. Shift is on the lower corners of the main keyboard. The punctuation keys are located on the right side of the main keyboard.

Those of us that might spent the time to attempt to read your gibberish will appreciate it very much.

By pegans, I assume you mean pagans? Your facts are not correct. The pagans had nothing to do with Santa or commercialization of the holiday at all. It started out as a pagan holiday that was bastardized by the "christian churches" (to disrupt the pagan celebrations mind you) and further by the corporations. Pagans still celebrate the holidays as they always did. Jesus wasn't even born in December, that's how distorted this whole holdiay really is.

[Dongfang Hong]

12. If you're an atheist, sir,

why should you care that a religious figure is not being properly venerated? And, for that matter, if your favorite part is everyone getting together, why must Jesus be involved? If you like getting together and giving gifts...how is that related to Christ, and how is the modern celebration of Christmas at odds with that?

[FreedomAngel82]

15. Exactly

Welcome to DU by the way. :hi: Jesus was about giving and not laying your treasures on Earth and not buying. I as a Christian have a religious view to the holiday but I know lots of people who don't and that's what is wonderful about this time of the year is getting to know other traditions and faiths. Instead of being just about "me, me, me" we should be embracing that part of our country that I love. How we can all worship as we see fit.

[txindy]

17. Here's the thing that burns me most.

People who can't be bothered with punctuation or spell-checkers.

If getting together with the family was your favorite part of Christmas (Capital C, you know, like Christ), what's stopping you from doing that now? Are fat men in red suits blockading your house? Did they eat your family? Is that why the fat men are so fat? :eyes:

You're an atheist who believes Jesus (big J there, bob) is the reason for the season, but now the "pegans" have hijacked Christmas? :rofl:

[Dongfang Hong]

11. The right wing doesn't actually look for anything

but conflict. They survive by proving their faith and testing their dedication. And how can one test one's devotion to God without a devil to wrestle with? And so they are fed devils to hate. The right wing thrives on the political divide, and any conflict unfortunately only strengthens it. The Civil Rights movement, for all the wonders it managed to accomplish against all odds, as a side-effect created an underground racism and a conservative stranglehold on the Old South. God only knows how many millions of votes the unending abortion and gay-rights wars have bought the Republicans.

[quisp]

16. Henry Ford was the first to bemoan the secularzation of XMas

all the way back in 1920. This war on Christmas is so old it's not even funny anymore.