My last post (oh, so long ago) focused on the ever widening trend for believers to mark their territory by staking claim to every aspect of society that they can get away with marking. The 2015 edition of the “War on Christmas” is an excellent example.
Once again, believers are ratcheting up the stress levels, picking fights with unsuspecting passers by. There have been the usual nativity scenes booted off of courthouse lawns by those meddling “Bill of Rights” supporters. How dare they! Amusingly, the clueless believers “retaliate” by placing dozens of crèches on private lawns all over town. A bold move to be sure. I wonder why no one’s complaining about that. Could it be that private property is the perfect place for such displays? It’s becoming a holiday trope. This year it played out in Arkansas, Mississippi, Texas, and who knows where else.
It’s not just believers claiming rights to spaces that we all share by law. They’re even insisting that they are the only ones who can have access to the entire holiday season. They don’t seem to realize that the Winter Solstice time is home to dozens of holidays, celebrated by most of the major—and many of the minor—religions. Further, the tradition of scheduling holidays during this season predates the blessed savior himself, so they actually have no title deed to the season at all.
That doesn’t stop them. In my home town last year, a generous couple erected an enormous tree in the high school. It was beautiful and festive and everything you could imagine a holiday display could be. They had to take it down. Can you guess why?
Those pesky atheists complained about religious symbols in the public schools? Nope.
The ACLU defending some Wiccans? Nuh-uh.
It was a bunch of Christian parents…Wha??? Yup. Christians forced the school to take down the tree because somebody made the mistake of calling it a “holiday tree.” What was going on in those Christian parents’ heads?
Probably the same thing that was running through the mind of Internet douchenozzle Josh Feuerstein when he started the whole kerfuffle about how Starbucks’ red Christmas cups weren’t “Christmas” enough. Christians are spreading the good word folks. We have to celebrate the holiday the way they tell us to or they’ll take away our privileges.
This trend is getting ugly. Texas Republican, Sid Miller threatened to slap anyone who wished him a happy holiday. “Either tell me Merry Christmas or just don’t say anything,” he said.
This is what it’s come to. When a cashier says “Happy Holidays” because they are being respectful and inclusive and thoughtful and just doing things the way their corporate bosses dictate, some Christian with their panties in a bunch spits back, “Well MERRY CHRISTMAS to you!” When “Merry Christmas” comes out sounding like “screw you,” you know Jesus must be proud.
My point is this: The war on Christmas is a Christian invention. A fraud. Nobody is trying to shut down Christmas. The atheists aren’t trying to spoil all the fun. For example, our local atheist group has been contributing Christmas trees to the annual charity auction for three years now. Most of the atheists I know celebrate the holiday. They bake Santa Claus cookies and put up decorations. Why. Because they know a good time when they see one, and Christmas is a good time. More important, they know that there is no afterlife. They aren’t going to spend eternity with their friends and family, so in this life each moment counts.
I put up our tree this year. It was a difficult time. Our youngest daughter died last year and everything about the holiday decorations echoes years of memories. I had to fight my way through waves of grief and depression before I could finally drag the tree and its accessories from the basement. But I did it, and I’m glad. Life needs to be celebrated. I may have lost someone very dear, but I’m still surrounded by people I love, and who love me. That fact must never be far from my mind.
In some future, it may be that religious people are known by their love and not by their rage. Until then, my dear reader, I hope you’ve been able to avoid the divisive, sectarian vitriol that has played out this holiday season. I hope you are surrounded by people who love you. I hope you have a joyous, festive, Very Merry Christmas…
…Or whatever else you might decide to celebrate because I don’t really care what you call it or when you do it as long as you’re spreading the love and making this world a better place.
Peace on Earth!