Wednesday, December 14, 2005

The Holly and the Oy Veh

I can't tell you how many times I've started a post on the current Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays "controversy" -- as contrived a thing as ever there was --then stopped in frustration because it was just making me too furious to write a coherent sentence.

I am angry at Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, the American Family Association and the other Usual Suspects -- some of the cheapest media whores ever to parade their sorry booty in the public square -- who prove time and again that they will do and say absolutely anything to push their political agendas, including betray the Christ they claim to defend, in shameful ways that make Judas Iscariot look positively saintly in comparison. I am angry at the media; why is it that, for instance, whenever the television news or a talking-head public affairs program wants to explore some aspect of "Whither Christianity?" they interview a Usual Suspect? Who died and made these people spokespeople for all of Christianity? It's because a lot of journalists today are lazy, and uninformed about religious matters in general, and employed by profit-driven conglomerates that push sensationalism and simple-mindedness because that's cheaper to produce and more popular with the great unwashed. And about them...the Usual Suspects' mindless zombies, able to be whipped into a froth by hysterical, the-sky-is-falling/the-heathen-are-coming direct mail and Kristian broadcasting. It's enough to make a person want to walk away and become a proponent of Seinfeld's Festivus...not to mention making rude suggestions about new, painful uses for the Festivus pole.

And I'm not alone. Usually when I find myself agreeing with a Cal Thomas column, I have to glance outside and make sure that the stars aren't falling from the heavens and that four spectral horsemen aren't galloping over the horizon. But today in his column, even he takes issue with his coreligionists' goofy and cognitively dissonant fixation on the "Merry Christmas" issue in light of the real Christmas story -- albeit in his own sneery, let's-leave-the-pagans-to-their-vile-ways manner.

But today I found one of the best responses to the Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays public discussion. And it was in a letter to the editor in one of the northern-Lower-Peninsulan Michigan newspapers that I glance at from time to time. You can read it here . Thank you, Pastor, for providing a sane and theologically sound voice to this conversation.

Postscript: Today our Legislature -- you know, the guys and gals entrusted with promoting the public good, facing just about the worst economic crisis to hit Michigan since The Great Fire as well as a host of other crucial issues that speak to future quality of life here -- passed a "symbolic" bill declaring that, from henceforth, any decorated tree placed outside the Capitol Building will be officially designated a Christmas tree, not a holiday tree. Well, I know I'll sleep more soundly now. Sigh.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My buddy Kev wrote another good one-=-not a letter to editor, but a letter to o'reilly. His thingy is here (you have to scroll past the Christmas pictures)
http://www.xanga.com/karamat

Anonymous said...

That is the most sensible thing I've read about the Christmas/Holidays. The Pastor's letter, I mean ;) Your rant is excellent too, LC!

Yes, the UK media have latched onto this too, Nativity plays banned, Christmas trees not "Christmas", all the rubbish you've got is here too.

Meanwhile, most of the Brits seem to go around enjoying the Christmas spirit, wishing each other Happy Christmas, putting up the trees and generally enjoying themselves!

And us Christians remember the Incarnation and thank God.

Tom in Ontario said...

I liked the pastor's letter and your 'rant.' I have to admit that, while I'm not working myself into a lather over it, I don't find it necessary to remove all references to Christmas from any public display. If they're putting up an evergreen tree in front of city hall or the Capitol Building and decorating it with lights and what-have-you what are they celebrating? As far as I know Jews don't put up Hannukah trees and African-Americans don't put up a Kwanza tree. It's a Christmas tree and it's up at Christmas time so what's wrong with calling it a Christmas tree.

I heard a quote from a rabbi who said they use a Hannukah menorah, not a holiday candleholder. He was perfectly alright with displays of Christmas trees rather than holiday trees.

As I say, I'm not getting worked up about it. I'm not one of those flogging a deceased equine over how we greet each other. I don't really care if people put an X in place of Christ's name (although I know it's a chi but they probably don't). I also won't jump on the bandwagon of the hyper (uber) politically correct and cut the word Christmas completely out of this season.

Shalom

JWD said...

I share your frustration about who automatically gets quoted in news articles when it comes to Christian perspectives. And I agree that it comes down to the laziness of journalists. I have decided that it necessitates a letter to the editor of our local paper. When the right article comes along, I plan to do it. Something has to be said about this! It's an absurdly homogenous representation of a diverse faith.