War on Christmas? What War on Christmas?

[poltr1]

Fox News' Bill O'Reilly has an ongoing campaign about the "War on Christmas", how it's politically incorrect to wish people a "Merry Christmas".

To which I say: War? What war?

I wish people "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" because I know that not everyone around me is Christian and/or celebrates the Christmas holiday. I try to accommodate, show respect, and honor people as they are by acknowledging their faith or belief system. It would be presumptuous of me to assume otherwise.


I grew up in western New York, where we had a reasonably-sized Jewish community, and we celebrated Christmas and Hanukkah side by side. I spun dreidels, ate latkes with applesauce, and helped light menorahs. And no one complained. This is something that I don't have in Dayton.

I left the Catholic Church years ago. Not because of Jesus and his teachings. I got tired of the hierarchy -- the Pope, the Cardinals, and the Bishops -- telling me what to do and how to think. And their attitude that 99% loyalty to the rules was 100% disloyalty. I see the same authoritarianism from the leaders of evangelical sects, and I want no part of that. God didn't intend for us humans to be sheep.

I consider myself a pagan now. I aspire to follow the path of Stregheria, which is based on Italian folk magick traditions. Since I'm Italian on my father's side, it's only logical for me to follow this path. Wicca is based on the folk magick traditions of the British isles. While it's more well-known, it doesn't exactly speak to me. The winter holiday I celebrate is the Winter Solstice, often called Yule. I celebrate the return of the daylight, as the days get longer.

And looking back on the history of the Christmas holiday, I have strong suspicions that the early Christians appropriated the rites used to celebrate Mithra, a Roman sun god. Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25 because some pope -- or the emperor Constantine -- decreed it to be that day. (December 25 also happened to be the birth date of Mithra.)

So, I am not against Christmas. I'm just against the belief that Christians have a monopoly on religion, and on God.

Comments

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there's a peculiar narrative among conservative evangelical Baptists that they're part of some sort of persecuted minority or something. I suppose it's part of what, to them, excuses keeping themselves whipped into a constant state of fear.

[billroper]

Actually, I ran across an interesting article today that suggested that the reason that Christmas is on December 25th is because there was supposedly an old Judaic tradition that prophets would die on the day that they were conceived. Some early clergyman worked out that Jesus died on March 25th, so if he were conceived on that day, then he would have been born on December 25th.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

I believe that whatever someone wishes me, if it's a genuine blessing and not proselytization, I'll return cheerfully (though more likely with "happy holidays" than their own greeting). After all, in theory this IS the holiday season where we focus on Peace on Earth and Goodwill Toward Men, except if we're celebrating Festivus or Saturnalia.

[dagonell.livejournal.com]

Actually, Saturnalia wasn't all that bad either. A six-day winter soltice festival celebrated with feasting and gift giving? Check out the Old Testament, book of the prophet Jeremiah, chapter 10 from verse 1 to about 30 or so. Tell me that the Saturnalia evergreen tree isn't the 'inspiration' for the modern-day Christmas tree.

[zorya-thinks.livejournal.com]

The whole "war on Christmas" meme propagated by O'Reilly, American Family Association, et al is a racket, pure and simple. It is designed to move $$ from fearful people who look to these people and organizations for answers to the turmoil they see (or think they see) into the pockets of the said huskers. They aren't worth hating, but I do disdain them.