Yes, Virginia, there is a war on Christmas.
From The Irish Times.
While much of it is no more than PC foolishness, some of it is far worse. From the column:
"Without any overt persecution of the church, one military government contributed greatly towards secularising 60 per cent Catholic Uruguay in about 10 years. The anti-church government did not try to change this directly. Their strategy was to rename the feasts. For instance, Holy Week became Tourist Week, Good Friday became Beach Day and Christmas Day became Family Day."
Sigh.
It isn't just a war on Christmas; what we've been seeing the past few decades is an all-out onslaught against Christianity as a whole, IMO.
ReplyDeleteWhile Christians worldwide are pushed into appeasing every little nuance of Islam et al, they are simultaneously being stripped of their own religion, all in the name of political/social correctness (but there is a dark agenda behind the PC bullshit).
It runs even deeper than religion; ultimately, it's the shining light of western civilization that is being snuffed.
I admit that I get very aggravated with Christians "turning the other cheek" (no offense intended). If they don't stand up and fight for what they believe in, in fifty years "Christianity" will look nothing like it does now. There will be no sunrise service at Easter, no Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and no day of worship on Sunday.
Christianity has endured for 2,000 years because our ancestors FOUGHT for its survival. Who will fight for its survival now? Who will demand that Christian rites and customs be honored and respected by the general population?
Good question.
I am not so sure about that, Lady Red. I think many people are getting pissed -- mighty pissed. Maybe the Demes and the RIONs seem to be rolling over, but there are millions of people who have just about had enough.
ReplyDeleteThey won't throw the first stone, but they are more than willing to throw back.They are not as malleable as people seem to think.
The left won't know what hit them.
Matt, thanks for the pep talk. I really needed that. I hope that you're right, and that all the quiet people are about to start growling. Or roaring!
ReplyDeleteInteresting article, Dances. I have to disagree with their opinion that we have lost the meaning of the word and need to substitute another word or phrase. Christmas means a lot of different things to people, I don't believe the original meaning is lost.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with this, however:
"The secularising forces in Uruguay knew the power of symbolic words. They knew that all symbols generate and carry emotionally experienced meanings. They gradually changed people’s experience by changing words. Symbols evoke and motivate, and the use of new symbols changes experience."
While I was reading about one of the many riots over the Air Jordans a couple days ago, I noticed one article reporting on it referred to someone wanting the shoes to put them under the "gift tree".
Words have an impact all right. As in changing pro-abortion to pro-choice, global warming to climate change, illegal aliens to undocumented workers.
Just this week the eejits in Seattle are urging drivers to get their "good to go!" pass for the new toll on 520. So much nicer to be "good to go" than to be getting screwed over another toll tax for the pols to waste on some questionable project or two...
I felt some disappointment when a few of my closest believing friends sent me beautiful Santa Christmas cards.
ReplyDeleteHmm.
I was raised by an agnostic, Unitarian father and a believing (if not orthodox) Lutheran mother. I set up a creche every year; it was my job a child, as soon as I demonstrated sufficient proficiency with blocks and tinker-toys to establish that I could be trusted with the delicate antique wooden figures and angels and baby Jesus.
And we had a Christmas tree. And I sat on Santa's lap.
Now recall that I am no longer a practicing Christian, and I have no claim to be a believing Christian. And so my opinion has to be taken in that light... but...
...it strikes me that conflating the "War on Christmas" (which is of relatively recent origin) with the "War on Santa" (which has been going on for a very long time) is a huge mistake.
My Protestent ancestors in Boston banned Christmas outright. They regarded it as a pagan holiday, cunningly co-opted by the Catholic church. I tend to agree with this view. Much of what we regard as "Christmas tradition" (tree, lights, logs, feasts, etc) have Germanic origins and are not Christian. But the Solstice was Christianized.
Solstice, the pagan holiday was about "I'm still alive, and the sun is returning! w00t!".
Christmas as Christianized is about family, and love, and giving.
It strikes me as silly to bemoan the "commercialism" of Christmas when the singular experience of said "commercialism" is omg... what can I give to my beloved? What do they need? which immediately leads to Who are they really? Am I confused as to what to get them because I don't see them clearly enough? I must pay more attention to those I love!
At least that's the way I see it.
Hi folks. Just haven't been in a writing mood lately.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly with Lewy. As in the only constant is change and who manipulates such.
As in how the high holy church appropriated the local pagan holidays to suit their needs so we now experience the liberal version of same. The new high holy so to speak.
When I was six or seven or so, living in a small house, sitting on the couch which gave vantage to the bathroom. My father, shaving, mouthed to me... Luther, do you believe in Santa Claus? Me, in that youngish mind state of determining reality, said, well I think I do. My dad answered, literally, well there ain't no fucking Santa Claus. He had his reasons, I'm sure, and they may possibly have been good ones. Though really, he was just an asshole at heart.
Interesting thoughts lewy!
ReplyDeleteSanta is a relatively new addition to the Christmas tradition (I don't think that Santa, or St. Nick, was an American cultural fixture when my grandparents were children, but correct me if I'm off by a generation).
I really don't like the commercial aspect of what is supposed to be a religious celebration, but of course we all get sucked up into the buying frenzy, especially if there are children involved. A lot of people even enjoy the hustle and bustle and mad shopping. *cringe*
I'm a simple (and slightly agoraphobic)granny. I'd just as soon make cookies for someone, or write a story or a poem, or create something beautiful with my own two hands. I guess that makes me boring and old-fashioned, but oh well. Heh! :)
Good to see you Luther! I'm sorry your father was such a jerk. It's a lousy thing to do to a little boy.
ReplyDeletelady red, by the late 19th century, Santa was a cultural phenomenon in this country, but I'm not sure how widespread.
ReplyDeleteSanta has one friggin' long wiki entry.
Luther - Santa exists. In the most important sense, he exists. Christianity did more than expropriate and displace the Norse myths, it merged with them and sanctified them - made them universal - catholic - for all people.
Not unlike the way the early Buddhists in Tibet subdued the demons of the native Bon religion and transformed them into Dharma protectors.
Aww, Luther, that's awful :-(
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and Mrs. Luther, hope it was a good one.
It's all good Lady Red.
ReplyDeleteFor me, now, Christmas is just for children. Though in my locality there is no notion of Santa as fantasy, oddly, and certainly no mention of Christian, or even, Pagan roots.
It is very disheartening. And sad, really.
I don't know how to approach any of it.
Thanks lewy; I was off a little on my timeline. A quick google tells me that Clement Moore's classic poem was written in the early 19th century; I don't know why I was thinking it was the late 19th. 8-}
ReplyDeleteLewy. You make my point.
ReplyDeleteFlorrie, thanks.
My Father isn't important, nor his words. He was a member of the IWW, dis-declined to volunteer for any service. Other than impregnating my 16 year old mother.
Forgive me for interjecting personal experience.
Christmas is not just for children. The warmth and love of the season can touch anyone.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why the table is so special.
Luther, we all share personal experiences here. It's like...well, it's like sitting around a kitchen table! Your cozy chair is always waiting for you, and you never have to apologize for sharing what's on your mind or in your heart.
ReplyDeleteThanks LR, extremely sincerely. But my chair is always squirmy, no matter the company.
ReplyDelete