Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Keeping Christ in Xmas

I've been getting some invitations on Facebook to a group Help Keep CHRIST in Christmas that apparently fears some sort of war against their religious views. The group description:

The purpose of this cause is to keep CHRIST in Christmas. Since so many people today are trying to ban Christ from everything, School, Courthouse and even Christmas. In a time when all things religious are being discouraged and swept away, it’s refreshing to know that the Order established the “Keep Christ in Christmas” campaign to remind people that Christmas is above all a day God want us to remember the birth of His Son, our Savior.


I don't understand this fear. I don't think all the members of this group really understand it. I'm sure some do. I know some don't.

Where is this banning? No one is telling Christians what to do what to believe what to say or what to call the holiday. This is an old story. And it's more persistent than the hydra.

One group member sees evidence of this war everywhere. Regarding public schools she writes

Also, the agenda planners which all students are required to purchase contain a list of all the religious and school holidays for the year, and what religion the holidays are for. There is a long list of obscure holidays celebrated by various different minority religions of the world that most students in the school have never heard of, but no Christmas or Easter. They are listed as simply "school holidays". Not that a whole lot students actually take the time to read these lists, but I feel like my religion deserves its holiday's to be recognized just as much as the others. No more, no less.


Why do other holidays get more of a write-up on calendars? Because nobody knows what they are. There's value in giving information when you know people are ignorant. And you don't have to give them information that you know they already have. It's not anti-Christian to occasionally not talk about the religion.

The government allows so much space around Christmas; I can't imagine how much more it could give. Schools shut down. Government shuts down. Vacations are longer. It's a lot more observation than any other holiday gets. Christians who want to observe the holiday as a religious celebration have more room to do so than any other group. You know why you don't have to ask for Christmas off? Because you already have it off.

OK so some people are going to say Nononono this is just about focusing on the Reason for the Season! Urp. It's such a horrid slogan. But fine. Focus on it. If you really just want to promote the wonderful qualities of generosity patience and compassion I have absolutely nothing against that. Nothing. Neither does anyone else. You can relax.

All donations to the group go the the Durham Rescue Mission which looks like a decent organization.

I just can't get behind the fear. I think Goodness is on the rise.

6 comments:

The Ridger, FCD said...

Seems to me the Christians could have the best of everything if they'd move their god's birthday back to the spring when it actually happened and leave those pagan mid-winter ceremonies to the pagans. Christmas could become spiritual and non-commercial and everything.

The Ridger, FCD said...

Of course, all those other obscure holidays would still exist...

fenhopper said...

yeah if i had gotten into all the problems with the arguments i would never have gotten a finished post. one group member even started arguing that christmas is when her god wants her to celebrate. or remember. or something. a biblical argument pulled out of thin (dairy) air.

Casey said...

Wow -- I like that finishing sentence: "I think Goodness is on the rise."

Me too.

But, O, the good ol' days, when we really celebrated Jesus on Christmas: like in 1988, when I got Optimus Prime (talk about irony!) from Santa Claus, or 1989, when I got The Legend of Zelda for my Nintendo.

Casey said...

Welcome aboard, Susan!--must be a tough time to be selling cars!

The Ridger, FCD said...

That's why she's got time to read blogs now.