Difference between revisions of "War on Christmas"

Latest revision as of 09:47, December 12, 2019

"They don't use the term Christmas because it is not politically correct... Well, guess what, we're saying Merry Christmas again." - Donald Trump.^[1]

The War on Christmas refers specifically to the controversy surrounding the celebration or acknowledgment of the Christmas holiday in government, media, advertising and other secular environments. Modern-day controversy occurs around the world, and stems from the holiday's significant annual role in celebrating cultural values in Western society. See The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought. Fox News has been particularly vocal in the War on Christmas, trying to prevent secular censorship of Christmas celebration.^[2] Bill O'Reilly had devoted numerous segments on his show in its later years to the War on Christmas.

Militant atheists and Christmas

See also: Atheism and Christmas and Atheism and holidays

Atheists of the militant atheism/antitheism school of atheist thought play a significant role as far as the War on Christmas, often feigning concern for the sensitivities of Jews and other religious groups who do not celebrate Christmas, knowing people sympathize with Jews, but rarely ever with atheists. This is typical of the selfishness of atheism. See also: Atheism and Christmas

As Part of the Culture Wars

Culture War is a term used to describe the swaying of what is acceptable in society between culturally conservative and liberal. To that end, the War on Christmas is a major skirmish in that war. Each year, more and more secular progressives work to eradicate the right of major retailers to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" in favor of the more benign, and ultimately godless "Happy Holidays." The term "Christmas Tree" is also being replaced by "Holiday Tree" in some places.^[3] When the retailer gives in, they are less likely to begin using the older terms again, and, in order to save money and time, will simply acquiesce to the will of the liberal protesters, saying "Happy Holidays" from that time on.

Conservatives argue that this is a form of censorship by the liberal minority in society, tasked with the purpose of removing even the smallest mention of the Christmas Holiday. An obvious danger for conservatives is the notion that such an issue will become a slippery slope. Once the issue is removed from public discourse, the next removal becomes that much easier.

True Christians and the War on Christmas

True Christians know that Christmas is all about celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. They recognize that the War on Christmas focuses largely on the commercial or otherwise non-religious aspects of modern Christmas celebration, and has little to do with the true Miracle and message of Christmas.^[4] It should not matter how people greet each other at malls or other retail establishments, or what name they give to a festively decorated evergreen.

Some Christian churches, sects, and communities reject the observance of Christmas for theological reasons. Christian sects that don't celebrate Christmas include Jehovah's Witnesses;^[5] Armstrongites;^[6] some adherents of Messianic Judaism;^[7] most Sabbatarian denominations, such as the True Jesus Church and the Church of God (7th-Day);^[8] the Iglesia ni Cristo;^[9] the Christian Congregation in Brazil; the Christian Congregation in the United States; certain reformed and fundamentalist churches of various persuasions, including some Independent Baptists,^[10] Holiness Christians, Oneness Pentecostals,^[11] Amish-Mennonites, and Churches of Christ congregations.^[12][13]

Atheist, lawsuits and restrictions to religious freedom

See also: Atheist lawsuits

Atheists in the Western World are litigious. Often they use ligitation to restrict the degree of religious freedom in a society.

Sikivu Hutchinson speaking ath the Center for Inquiry.

The Freedom From Atheism Foundation has a webpage on their website entitled "Ongoing Lawsuits".^[14] The American Atheists has a webpage on their website entitled "Legal sucesses".^[15] The Center for Inquiry engaged in lawsuits related to faith based initiatives concerning prison ministry.^{[16][17][18][19]}

In June 2014, given the focus of atheist organizations on lawsuits, Sikivu Hutchinson wrote in the Washington Post that atheist organizations generally focus on church/state separation and creationism issues and not the concerns the less affluent African-American population faces.^[20] Hutchinson also mentioned that church organizations do offer significant help to poor African-Americans.^[20] See also: Atheism and charity and Western atheism and race

Atheist lawsuits against other atheists

See: Atheist lawsuits against other atheists

Denial

As is common, individuals with a tendency toward liberal ideologies will not see the War on Christmas as real, and when confronted or called out on the issue, will often publicly deny that there is such a controversy.^{[21][22][23][24]} Such denial by liberals is, in fact, a deceitful part of their strategy in the War on Christmas, allowing them to publicly claim that "there is no War on Christmas" while they simultaneously engage in their efforts to suppress and even eliminate the public celebration of Christmas.

In other nations

Christmas celebrations are banned in Somalia, Brunei, Tajikistan, North Korea, and Saudi Arabia.^[25]

See also

• Atheism and public relations

Further reading

• Why Is There a War on Christmas?, by John F. McManus of The New American

References