'Tis the season, once again: Evangelicals must save Christmas from an imaginary enemy | Salon.com
By: Nathaniel Manderson (Salon)
...the war on xmas, another religious tradition.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Here comes my favorite season of the evangelical political calendar. It's time for the righteous war to save Christmas from the evil progressives with their "Happy Holidays" and their zero-tolerance policy for nativity scenes. Those heartless liberals will attempt once again to destroy the true meaning of Christmas, burn down all the Christmas trees (not just the one outside the Fox News building), spell it as "Xmas" and generally rip all mention of God from this holiest of holidays.
No of course I don't believe any of that, despite my personal background as an evangelical pastor. In truth, this yet another political and cultural issue that has been created entirely out of whole cloth by the great distaction agents of the evangelical Republican machine. I believe this issue perfectly illustrates the blueprint behind the evangelical approach to politics. They start with a fake issue that requires no grounding in scripture, zero biblical evidence and zero change for anyone within their own group. It is easily identifiable and pushes emotional buttons, which makes it an easy money-raising grift for politicians and pastors, and reliably provides a seasonal ratings boost for Fox News. It's another issue where evangelicals get to pretend they are fighting for God's cause while in fact ignoring every issue that affects God's people. Lastly, they get to declare victory every year because, no matter what Donald Trump and any number of leading evangelicals may claim, there never was a war on Christmas conducted by liberals, atheists, Muslims, Jews, godless Communists and other infidels.
The idea that somehow Christ's birthday — which definitely wasn't on Dec. 25, by the way — requires any form of annual celebration has no connection to Christ, his teachings or the Bible. I cannot even figure out what aspect of the "traditional" Christmas celebration has anything to do with Jesus. The madhouse shopping (both online and in person), the tree, the lights, the tinsel, the consumerist orgy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday and whatever other special days the marketing people can come up with this holiday season is a celebration of everything that money can purchase, and has literally nothing to do with the ministry of Jesus. Last I heard, according to Christian theology you cannot serve both God and money, and far too many are trying to do just that during the Christmas season — and for that matter all year round. Christ was removed from the Christmas season a long time ago, no matter what you call the holiday.
No issue better exemplifies the misdeeds of the evangelical political machine than the fight to "save" Christmas from imaginary enemies who are supposedly trying to crush the joy out of the holiday with too much wokeness (or whatever). The enemy is said to be everywhere, yet somehow the fight is easily winnable. You will hear a handful of folks who announce, "I proudly say Merry Christmas," as if some committee of socialists or feminists were trying to prevent them from saying it. It is difficult for me to imagine Jesus Christ walking around an American town saying, "Hey, where's my nativity scene?" It's easier for me to imagine Jesus wondering why this country so many people claim is a "Christian nation" can ignore the plight of the poor, the sick and those newly arrived among us.
Fighting the war on Christmas also allows the evangelical movement to ignore larger issues that plague millions of Americans during this time of year. The Christmas season is known pose specific difficulties for homeless veterans, for people without health insurance, for those who are barely struggling to get by, and for the sick, lonely and desperate. If I'm not mistaken, those are the people Christ called his followers to serve — but fighting to save Christmas from the liberals allows the evangelicals to ignore that urgent call.
The annual declaration of victory is my favorite hypocritical element of this ritual war. At one point some years ago, former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly declared he had personally won this fight, saving Christmas for all real Americans. There could hardly be a better example of everything that is wrong with this movement: O'Reilly got his followers worked up about saving Christmas, while in his own life he was sexually harassing numerous women he worked with. That's very much like the evangelical movement: Find an issue to draw attention away from what you're doing in secret, very likely being acts of cruelty, oppression and ignorance. Victory is easily declared because there was no fight, except in the overheated evangelical imagination. Christmas always comes around every year and fake victory follows, along with great ratings for Fox News, fundraising for sanctimonious Republicans and big money flowing into evangelical churches.
So, yes, for the next few weeks the battle will be joined again, and evangelical believers will once again be told the fight is difficult — but in the end (spoiler alert!) Christmas will be saved yet again. In truth, nothing much will occur to make this holiday season different: We will see no new laws enacted to help those in need, heal the sick, welcome the foreigner and serve the poor. But at least we get to say "Merry Christmas" — which of course we always did — and somehow that will make up for all our lost opportunities to make real change in Christ's name.
I don't begrudge anyone the "Christmas spirit." But as I said earlier, nothing about our current Christmas culture has anything to do with Jesus, no matter what we may call the season. The life of Christ had nothing to do with decorated fir trees, expensive electronic gadgets or ugly sweaters. Maybe we could say it had something to do with giving and receiving gifts — but not in the literal or material sense. If we were truly to celebrate the ministry of Jesus in America, that would mean a celebration of sacrifice, mercy, forgiveness and humility. We're a pretty long way from that right now.
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be careful what you wish for bible thumpers...
please help keep alternative right wing media and extremist evangelical propaganda off the NT front page by commenting and voting up seeds like this one - thank you
The "war on xmas" is just religious fear mongering and victim playing, and nothing more.
it seems their religious confusion even extends to the point of not knowing when to climb up on a cross.
They need some way to keep that donation plate circulating.
Since when have they needed a reason?
a history of trying to solve their problems with the root of all evil...
Not reason, method. The law of diminishing returns shows that they cannot simply keep passing the donation plate, they must first generate enough fear so that the sheep keep giving their hard earned money to the wealthiest of institutions.
Good point
religious marketing, a new devilish creation to fear every week...
Hell, the simple term "organized religion" sends shivers of fear down my back every time I hear it.
It's a ridiculous term anyway. There's nothing organized about it.
The organized part is the accounting department. Counting all the cash they fleeced from their flock.
lots of organized groups maybe, but they will never be unified. how can they? they all believe they each are the only true religion.
False. Stock portfoilios, bank accounts ( domestic and offshore ) and those cubbyholes behind the toilets clearly indicate that religion is very organized.
yup, the teabag jesus cult has turned religion into a tax exempt cash business.
Do you feel that that applies to all religions... or perhaps at least to The Catholic Church...or "none of the above"?
Fox news mourns the loss of an innocent Christmas tree.
Fox news mourns the loss of an innocent Christmas tree.
OMG! Not only are "The Libs" warring on a good Christian Holiday like Christmas...and warring on "White Christian Men"..now they are even warring on innocent Christmas Trees!!!
Oh, the horror!
(Will it never end???)
Unless there is a resurgence of Puritanism, Christmas is here to stay; even adamant secularists enjoy it.
That's only because us militant secularists/atheists have not brought out big guns yet. But don't worry, we'll destroy Xmas yet and go after Easter too for good measure. Then we can round up all the Christians and force them to do abortions and bake "gay wedding cakes" and such. [Insert evil laugh here] >sarc<
All holidays should be called Hallmark Day.
It practically is already.
The Puritans outlawed Christmas.
Yes the puritans did outlaw xmas but that was only because the Walmart was going to be built somewhere else.
And I have found that in this year's War on Christmas that many Christians do not have any idea about their own religion. They have no clue about Jesus, his ministry, his religion, his death, or how he was the one & only Christ (according to Christian doctrine). Some believe that Jesus was a Christian & followed the ways of Christ (which he was) HUH???? Yepper doodly - some believe that Jesus was a follower of Christ's teachings before they were teachings. If he were not the 1st Christ (because to follow the teachings of Christ there had to be a Christ to teach) then that would make him the SECOND COMING. Some claim he was the 1st Christian - which is bullshit since Christians are the followers of Christ which was Jesus (according to Christianity) and did not grab hold until way past his death. Sigh - some will say anything rather than admit their Jesus was born a Jew and died a Jew.
AND some Christians fail to remember that the Holiest of Holy Days for Christians is Easter NOT Christmas. Because THAT was when Jesus died for their sins. But they don't get a lot of presents on Easter so Christmas is more important.
Happy Yule to you all.
If anything, Jesus would have been a gnostic, a religious philosophy the early christian church strenuously disapproved of. One could argue that it is the 'church' that abandoned him.
And who were the Money Changers? Who still exist with even more power today.
Ah, yes, I guess you mean the Rothschilds, the Lehmanns, Goldman and Sachs, the Warburgs, etc. Do they "run the world" according to you?
Of course not and you know it. Why the 'Jew baiting'?
Then be careful what you write.
.
That is one of the antisemitic tropes used these days about Jewish bankers.
So the lesson is the internet version of "watch your tongue", i.e. Control your fingers..
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'antisemitic tropes'? These days? The Falwell, Graham, Perkins and the rest of the MAGA flock? They ain't Jewish, dude.
I did not speak 'past'. I spoke present. Now. You know, like the money behind the toilet thing.
Ok, that's a good one, Lol
meh, that doesn't look at all like NT's resident victim. think pat, from ancient SNL...
Another Christian bashing seed*, Dev? Here come the Pearl Clutchers. Hope you have a lot of couches laid out.
*This is more like an Anti-War on Xmas seed
Can we talk about the right wings war on Halloween because of....masks?
Yes, let's! I'm tired of the Christians appropriated MY holiday with their "Trunk or Treat" thingies! AND the kid must wear a costume that's Biblically based or a comic book hero. No witches, vampires, pirates, or tarts!
My poor nieces aren't allowed to be witches, ghosts, or monsters for Halloween. Their daddy is hyper-religious. Except for when it came to shacking up before he was married, of course. Cafeteria Christians.
sunday morning xtians...
WTF?
Witch costume:
Vampirella costume:
Pirate costume:
Tart costume:
The Vampire shouldn't have even bothered
That's a perfect example of why Halloween is better than Xmas.
Yes, Mistress! May I have another?
Me too?
Ask the Mistress!
meh, I prefer someone old enough to recognize when I'm having a heart attack, is CPR certified, and knows how to operate a defibrillator. those girls are all potential funerals.
Gordy has been a bad boy
MmmmHmmm I like!
Apple tarts. cherry tarts or pop tarts?
As long as it's sweet, it's all good
LOL!
Euro tarts, like lady vampire up there. LOL
on second thought, I'd choose the pirate. I have a hunch on how she lost her sight in one eye.
Santa does look like Custer.
With an Arrow shirt.
Isn't the idea of Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Why does it involve elaborate gifts, overpriced toys children want, new cars, fancy ski trips, and all the other shit? I will stick to my tradition...raising a glass of wine and saying Happy Birthday Boss.
Three wise men ring a bell?
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Odd that those guys only made it into one biblical account, and Matthew never bothered to count them.
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I only wish the christians would cease their never ending whining about how the christians are waging a war against the war on xmas. I guess mirrors are not in christianity world---must be the same thing as the vampire thing I guess.
Here's my favorite Christmas carol:
Oh Come All Ye Faithful
Why would anyone celebrate someone's birthday 6 months before or after their birthday?
they were going to celebrate his birthday on date of conception, but were conflicted about the gestation period of a supernatural immaculate conception.
Well, some do think a person's birthday is, or should be, the moment of conception. So I can see their confusion. Too bad they can't.
For the same reason people would send 'a pastor money' so he can get a Rolls Royce?
Personally, I'm celebrating Saturnalia.
Honey and wine is mead if I am not mistaken.
I have a local meadary not 5 miles from where I live. GOOD STUFF!
Nice. You can get it readily and "fresh." No liquor store middleman to deal with.
We have to go about 70 miles but well worth the trip.
That's one of the nice things about this part of the universe. A number of wineries, access to decent cheese and a farmers market with fresh local vegetables and meats.
Let's enjoy another Christmas carol:
Here's another ... from my neighbors Bowser and Blue:
I hate the fucking censorshit.
Agreed!
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS . . . JEWS!
(Mariah Carey satire)
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS . . . JEWS!
(Mariah Carey satire)
They may have killed our Saviour
That's not the best behaviour
That's Ok He rose Again
Three days later...
Now I'm an active JDater...
One of my favorites.
13. Hearing people whine about the non-existent "WAR ON CHRISTMAS!!!"
Thread @5.1 locked.
Here are some outstanding lyrics and a very powerful vocal performance that produced a true classic!
I have this as my ringtone. Its amazing.
The 12 Gays of Christmas
Here's a classic warm and fuzzy Christmas carol.