Sorry, but... more War On Christmas
As Christians who attend traditional, mainline, liturgical churches know, Christmas Season is finally here. It started on Sunday, December 25, and in the fabled Twelve Day countdown, today I’m expecting my true love to give me Three French (oops... I mean, Freedom) Hens.
So, while I’m anxious for the War on Christmas to recede into an uneasy truce for eleven months or so, liturgical honesty forces me to admit that it’s still Christmas, and skirmishes are still being fought.
What makes me flog this sorry horse is two articles that are worthy of attention.
The first is an Op-Ed in the Eugene Register-Guard by Norm Fox, a conservative church elder in my home town who disagrees with my opinion piece from the week before. I don’t agree with what he has to say, mainly because his opinions are based on John Gibson-style rumors that don’t bear out when factchecked – but I’m glad to provide a link to his article so folks can decide for themselves. (I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll research and write a point-by-point rebuttal – I’m more interested in teaching my daughters to play the new used piano that Santa brought.)
The second is a nice article in The New Yorker by Hendrik Hertzberg, giving a great history of the War’s antecedents. I wrote that before the War On Christmas there was Christmas Under Siege, but was surprised to learn that in 1959 the John Birch Society was warning about an Assault On Christmas. The more things change, the more they stay the same, but today the Birchers, whom 90% of Americans used to shun, have a lot more pull than they used to.
And if you don’t want to read any more about the War, good for you. Just say no. It's far more important that everyone simply do what they can to have, and help others have, a Merry Christmas, a fruitful Kwanzaa, a Happy Hannukah, and a healthy, prosperous New Year.
So, while I’m anxious for the War on Christmas to recede into an uneasy truce for eleven months or so, liturgical honesty forces me to admit that it’s still Christmas, and skirmishes are still being fought.
What makes me flog this sorry horse is two articles that are worthy of attention.
The first is an Op-Ed in the Eugene Register-Guard by Norm Fox, a conservative church elder in my home town who disagrees with my opinion piece from the week before. I don’t agree with what he has to say, mainly because his opinions are based on John Gibson-style rumors that don’t bear out when factchecked – but I’m glad to provide a link to his article so folks can decide for themselves. (I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll research and write a point-by-point rebuttal – I’m more interested in teaching my daughters to play the new used piano that Santa brought.)
The second is a nice article in The New Yorker by Hendrik Hertzberg, giving a great history of the War’s antecedents. I wrote that before the War On Christmas there was Christmas Under Siege, but was surprised to learn that in 1959 the John Birch Society was warning about an Assault On Christmas. The more things change, the more they stay the same, but today the Birchers, whom 90% of Americans used to shun, have a lot more pull than they used to.
And if you don’t want to read any more about the War, good for you. Just say no. It's far more important that everyone simply do what they can to have, and help others have, a Merry Christmas, a fruitful Kwanzaa, a Happy Hannukah, and a healthy, prosperous New Year.
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Anonymous | 12/27/2005 12:58:00 PM
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