- 88% of Americans do not take issue with wishing others "Merry Christmas" to spread holiday cheer. 11% feel that a more politically correct greeting should be used (I say Merry Christmas! to them).
- 84% of Americans are Christian.
- 96% of Americans celebrate Christmas.
- Religion is very important to the majority of Americans.
Do these numbers surprise anyone? They don't surprise me, nor do they bother me in any way. Why should they? America is a Christian country, in spirit, if not in law. It's not a big deal—politics and law are secular matters which fall within the purview of government, while religion is a matter of personal choice. And even Americans who aren't Christians like to celebrate Christmas. In America, people are free to worship (or not) as they see fit. It just so happens that the vast majority of them choose Christ as their lord. But still, the überleftists will petulantly invoke the obscure, Muslim-mollifying Treaty of Tripoli from 1796, article 11 of which states:
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen [Muslims—ed.],-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan [Mohammedan, Muslim—ed.] nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
The fact remains that the United States is Christian in character. So much so that in 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the federal holiday of Christmas. A holiday that 96% of us to this day like observe. In its strict sense, this is a day to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a general, secular sense, it's a grand time of year when we can all gather to contemplate the noble hope of peace on Earth, and wish goodwill to all men. You don't have to be a Christian to participate or to appreciate these very American values. And yes, this time of year goes by a title which has the name Christ in it.
So what? It's called Christmas because it commemorates Christ's birthday. There's no law that says you have to worship Christ, or even believe that he existed. Or even actively acknowledge the holiday at all. Hey, you've got the day off—go home and sulk in front of the TV or something. The reflexive aversion exhibited by the far left from hearing or reading the name of Christ—even if it's just in the name of the day when his birth is celebrated—is absurd. They want to erase it from our nation's history, from our heritage. They want the name of Christ(mas) purged from the classroom, from store displays, and from town hall.
What reasonable person would see evangelism in kids singing Silent Night for parents gathered in the school auditorium? When the Salvation Army bell-ringer wishes you a Merry Christmas on your way in to buy eggnog, are they implying that you'll burn in eternal hellfire if you don't acknowledge Christ as lord? If I see a crèche on public property in the center of my town, do I really need to make that phone call to the ACLU because my authoritarian police state government is endorsing a religion? Why must we step so gingerly around this joyful and marvelous time, celebrated by the overwhelming majority of us as a federal holiday?
The ACLU and the far left have shown themselves to be as mean-spirited as ever when it comes to Christmas. Christianity has become the America of religions for the bigoted left. It's the most successful religion of all time (best-selling book too!), it is amenable to plurality, and it even has a built-in separation of church and state clause which makes it fit in quite well with secular democracy:
And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God 's. —Luke, 20:25
In short, the Christian faith has shown itself to be durable, powerful, and compatible with liberal, democratic values. So the left hates it. And like everything else they hate, they seek to destroy it and punish those who don't hate it. The brutal and backward totalitarianism of Islam gets a pass, though, since it is fervently opposed to both American freedom and Christianity, both of which have befriended the Jews and Israel. (Incidentally, the left and Islam have become thick as thieves of late, in case anyone hasn't noticed. Anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment have united these two lovely ideologies together in an obscene partnership of anger, irrationality, and hate.)
For these people, it's about effecting a rigid, intolerant uniformity cast in their totalitarian mold. And of course, that's not what America is about. Just the fact that we suffer the senseless and pernicious activities of the anti-American left and their comrades shows that there is indeed real tolerance in America. And our adamant and vigilant commitment to protecting the rights of all diverse, individual groups among our citizens is a testament to the value we place on inclusiveness and pluralism. E Pluribus Unum. The far left seeks to paint over the red, white, and blue with a drab, soulless grey. They'd rather have everyone miserable all the time, than have a very small group irritated for a brief time. And these useful idiots are true believers who think they're acting on noble impulses. They can't take my Christmas, though. Or yours.
I'm in the 96% of American who is glad when this happy time of the year comes around. In my house, we have a Christmas tree (it's fake, though, because we're environmentally conscious!). Underneath it, we put Christmas presents. When we give them to each other, we say, "Merry Christmas," and we don't worry too much about how culturally insensitive we are for arrogantly joining the other 282 million Americans who are doing the same thing. Know what I mean? I bet you do.
To my Jewish friends, I wish a Happy Hannukah, and often a Merry Christmas as well. Lo and behold, they wish the same back to me. Most people get it, but too many seem to be cowed these days by the tyrannical minority that decries the slightest expression of religion in public.
It's Christmas, with the word "Christ" in it. If you don't like that, don't celebrate it. But kindly spare me, and everyone else, your bah humbug, because you really just come across as a bitter, spiteful child.
I'm not a Christian. In fact, I have no religious beliefs whatsoever. And you know what? I still am afforded the same rights as any other American. I'm still given due respect and the benefit of the doubt by my fellow Americans, most of whom are Christians. I've never been threatened over my choice to not follow the Christian faith. I've always celebrated Christmas, quite a few times inside of churches. The people there are full of kindness, optimism, joy, and openness, unlike the Islamofascists and leftists who hold them in contempt. I'll throw my lot in any day with the Christians who honor and preserve freedom and pluralism. They don't want to establish a totalitarian state which nullifies basic, individual freedoms. The great majority of Christians are not at odds with secular liberty and progress, and the last time I checked, they weren't gathering together to slaughter unarmed civilians to please a bloodthirsty God. Even the most hard-core of their fundamentalists do not advocate the divinely decreed killing of unbelievers—that sort of barbaric depravity simply isn't prescribed in their holy book.
I'll continue to celebrate Christmas in gratitude to the fine human spirit it brings to the fore each year. I'll also enjoy the supreme freedom of our great country while I'm at it. And I will continue to say Merry Christmas. Not the insipid, generic Season's Greetings or the neutral, catchall Happy Holidays. I know what the reason for the season is, and I respect it because most of the Christians I've met respect me, despite the divergence of our spiritual views. I'm quite proud to call such people my countrymen, friends, family, and neighbors.
To our enemies on the America-loathing left and in the ranks of the hateful, murderous mujahideen: Merry Christmas, you jerks. What a pity that you can't join the rest of humanity in the spirit of amity, hope, freedom, and peace.
Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to all.
originally posted at Clarity & Resolve
copyright 2004 Patrick D. O'Brien cannot be copied, published, or otherwise used (except for brief quotes) without express permission of author
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said:
American Christmas
Patrick D. O'Brien
It's that time of year again. No, I don't mean the time when we get together with loved ones to celebrate the perennial Christmas sentiments of peace on Earth and goodwill to men. Well, yeah, it is that time, but I also mean that it's the time of year when those of us who don't have a problem with this wonderful holiday must again contend with the spiteful minority on their secular anti-Christmas jihad. It's that time when we find ourselves in the bizarre situation of having to justify, sometimes in court at the behest of the ACLU, why we feel it is proper to celebrate Christmas during Christmas time.
The Gallup Organization has just released a review of various data relating to Americans and religion, with a special focus on Christmas. Some noteworthy findings include:
Do these numbers surprise anyone? They don't surprise me, nor do they bother me in any way. Why should they? America is a Christian country, in spirit, if not in law. It's not a big deal—politics and law are secular matters which fall within the purview of government, while religion is a matter of personal choice. And even Americans who aren't Christians like to celebrate Christmas. In America, people are free to worship (or not) as they see fit. It just so happens that the vast majority of them choose Christ as their lord. But still, the überleftists will petulantly invoke the obscure, Muslim-mollifying Treaty of Tripoli from 1796, article 11 of which states:
The fact remains that the United States is Christian in character. So much so that in 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the federal holiday of Christmas. A holiday that 96% of us to this day like observe. In its strict sense, this is a day to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. In a general, secular sense, it's a grand time of year when we can all gather to contemplate the noble hope of peace on Earth, and wish goodwill to all men. You don't have to be a Christian to participate or to appreciate these very American values. And yes, this time of year goes by a title which has the name Christ in it.
So what? It's called Christmas because it commemorates Christ's birthday. There's no law that says you have to worship Christ, or even believe that he existed. Or even actively acknowledge the holiday at all. Hey, you've got the day off—go home and sulk in front of the TV or something. The reflexive aversion exhibited by the far left from hearing or reading the name of Christ—even if it's just in the name of the day when his birth is celebrated—is absurd. They want to erase it from our nation's history, from our heritage. They want the name of Christ(mas) purged from the classroom, from store displays, and from town hall.
What reasonable person would see evangelism in kids singing Silent Night for parents gathered in the school auditorium? When the Salvation Army bell-ringer wishes you a Merry Christmas on your way in to buy eggnog, are they implying that you'll burn in eternal hellfire if you don't acknowledge Christ as lord? If I see a crèche on public property in the center of my town, do I really need to make that phone call to the ACLU because my authoritarian police state government is endorsing a religion? Why must we step so gingerly around this joyful and marvelous time, celebrated by the overwhelming majority of us as a federal holiday?
The ACLU and the far left have shown themselves to be as mean-spirited as ever when it comes to Christmas. Christianity has become the America of religions for the bigoted left. It's the most successful religion of all time (best-selling book too!), it is amenable to plurality, and it even has a built-in separation of church and state clause which makes it fit in quite well with secular democracy:
In short, the Christian faith has shown itself to be durable, powerful, and compatible with liberal, democratic values. So the left hates it. And like everything else they hate, they seek to destroy it and punish those who don't hate it. The brutal and backward totalitarianism of Islam gets a pass, though, since it is fervently opposed to both American freedom and Christianity, both of which have befriended the Jews and Israel. (Incidentally, the left and Islam have become thick as thieves of late, in case anyone hasn't noticed. Anti-American and anti-Israel sentiment have united these two lovely ideologies together in an obscene partnership of anger, irrationality, and hate.)
For these people, it's about effecting a rigid, intolerant uniformity cast in their totalitarian mold. And of course, that's not what America is about. Just the fact that we suffer the senseless and pernicious activities of the anti-American left and their comrades shows that there is indeed real tolerance in America. And our adamant and vigilant commitment to protecting the rights of all diverse, individual groups among our citizens is a testament to the value we place on inclusiveness and pluralism. E Pluribus Unum. The far left seeks to paint over the red, white, and blue with a drab, soulless grey. They'd rather have everyone miserable all the time, than have a very small group irritated for a brief time. And these useful idiots are true believers who think they're acting on noble impulses. They can't take my Christmas, though. Or yours.
I'm in the 96% of American who is glad when this happy time of the year comes around. In my house, we have a Christmas tree (it's fake, though, because we're environmentally conscious!). Underneath it, we put Christmas presents. When we give them to each other, we say, "Merry Christmas," and we don't worry too much about how culturally insensitive we are for arrogantly joining the other 282 million Americans who are doing the same thing. Know what I mean? I bet you do.
To my Jewish friends, I wish a Happy Hannukah, and often a Merry Christmas as well. Lo and behold, they wish the same back to me. Most people get it, but too many seem to be cowed these days by the tyrannical minority that decries the slightest expression of religion in public.
It's Christmas, with the word "Christ" in it. If you don't like that, don't celebrate it. But kindly spare me, and everyone else, your bah humbug, because you really just come across as a bitter, spiteful child.
I'm not a Christian. In fact, I have no religious beliefs whatsoever. And you know what? I still am afforded the same rights as any other American. I'm still given due respect and the benefit of the doubt by my fellow Americans, most of whom are Christians. I've never been threatened over my choice to not follow the Christian faith. I've always celebrated Christmas, quite a few times inside of churches. The people there are full of kindness, optimism, joy, and openness, unlike the Islamofascists and leftists who hold them in contempt. I'll throw my lot in any day with the Christians who honor and preserve freedom and pluralism. They don't want to establish a totalitarian state which nullifies basic, individual freedoms. The great majority of Christians are not at odds with secular liberty and progress, and the last time I checked, they weren't gathering together to slaughter unarmed civilians to please a bloodthirsty God. Even the most hard-core of their fundamentalists do not advocate the divinely decreed killing of unbelievers—that sort of barbaric depravity simply isn't prescribed in their holy book.
I'll continue to celebrate Christmas in gratitude to the fine human spirit it brings to the fore each year. I'll also enjoy the supreme freedom of our great country while I'm at it. And I will continue to say Merry Christmas. Not the insipid, generic Season's Greetings or the neutral, catchall Happy Holidays. I know what the reason for the season is, and I respect it because most of the Christians I've met respect me, despite the divergence of our spiritual views. I'm quite proud to call such people my countrymen, friends, family, and neighbors.
To our enemies on the America-loathing left and in the ranks of the hateful, murderous mujahideen: Merry Christmas, you jerks. What a pity that you can't join the rest of humanity in the spirit of amity, hope, freedom, and peace.
Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to all.
originally posted at Clarity & Resolve
copyright 2004 Patrick D. O'Brien cannot be copied, published, or otherwise used (except for brief quotes) without express permission of author
Posted by Patrick at December 24, 2004 06:33 AM