This article is an introduction to an 8 part series on holiday traditions.
For more on the following articles see the bottom of this post.
by Glenn Littrell
Yes I say Happy Holidays.
The decision whether to use the specific greeting “Merry Christmas” or the more inclusive “Happy Holidays”, is a question of manners, not faith.
The imposing of any Political Correctness upon a persons choice of greeting is a distraction and attack upon what might be called the message of Christmas and what it celebrates.
The so called ‘War on Christmas’ is a political hoax:
Perpetrated by right wing conservatives to divide and alienate us from common cause and common good.It is the result of an unholy alliance between leaders of the religious right and corporate purchased political leadership that is intent on convincing their followers to buy into their message of victimization and persecution. By convincing members of the predominant religion in America that they are persecuted by a conspiracy from a non-existent majority of evil Americans they have pit Americans against Americans, Christians against Christians, families against families. A personal dispute over a minor practice, a simple greeting, is used to drive a wedge between us, and that wedge serves a larger purpose as it creates a festering cancer that creates and expands a to simple acceptance of a most divisive and unchristian message: “Anyone who disagrees with us is against us…”.
This falsely created wedge and message opens the door to growing fears, past and present, that are not easily dispelled because of the level of distrust they create. The further wickedness of this falsely created wedge and message is that it is not driven between Christian and non-Christian… it serves to divide Christian from Christian.
The decision whether to use the specific greeting “Merry Christmas” or the more inclusive “Happy Holidays”, is a question of manners, not faith. If we pretend to know what would offend or not offend Christ I find the idea that any greeting that wished a fellow man well would be considered acceptable. I even find it strange that we believe that Christ would care one way or another that we celebrate his birthday, especially on an arbitrarily chosen date.
I have to believe that he would be more upset by such a commercial and politicized event would be carried on in his name. The sight of so-called religious leaders turning his church into a political vessel and the pagan-like commercialization of his birth surely is akin to the keys of the temple being handed over to the moneychangers.
There are over 80 holidays in December alone, some are ill defined, others are commercially motivated, many are of questionable origin,
many are frivolous:
National -Cookie, Dice, Ninja, Bathtub, & Cat Herders- Day,civic in nature:
Rosa Parks Day, World Aids Day,International Anti Corruption Day, Human Rights Day, Nobel Prize Day, Abolition of Slavery Day,but some are of a patriotic nature:
Civil Air Patrol Day, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, International Civil Aviation Day, Bill of Rights Day, Forefathers Day, Pledge of Allegiance Day,some are religious:
Winter Solstice Day, National Christmas Tree Lighting Day, St. Nicholas day, Hanukkah, St. Stephan's' Day, Boxing Day, Yule (Yuletide festivals were pagan winter festivals that were adopted into the Christian practices related to Christmas), Asarah B'Tevet (the Tenth of Tevet) is a fast day (observed from sunrise to sunset) that marks the beginning of the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon (in 587 BC) and the beginning of the battle that ultimately would destroy the Temple and send the Jews into the 70-year Babylonian Exile. (12-25), Santa Lucia Day, Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Three Kings Day/Epiphany, Ramadan (Muslim), Eid al-Fitr (Muslim), Eid'ul-Adha (Muslim), Kwanzaa, Omisoka (Japanese New Years), The Elephant Festival, Bodhi Day (Enlightenment Day(Buddhist)), Hindu(7 in November)So, during November and December of every year, if I say happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas to you, then am I waging ‘war on Christmas’? Have I insulted your religious believes?
So let’s extend your logic:
- You didn’t say ‘Happy Human Rights Day’, does that make you against human rights? My rights?
- You didn’t acknowledge Bill of Rights Day, Forefathers Day, Pledge of Allegiance Day. Are you anti-patriotism?
- You didn’t acknowledge National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, are you disrespecting our veterans?
So how is the choice of a personal greeting either practically or religiously unjustified?
Everything You Might Want To Know About The Holidays
The Holidays: An 8 part Series
Intro This post
Happy Holidays, for me Part 1:
The First 20 Days Part 2:
The Winter Solstice Part 3:
Pre-Christmas Day Celebrations Part 4:
The Days After Christmas Part 5:
The New Year Part 6:
When Was Jesus Born Part 7:
by Glenn Littrell
10 Things Christians Shouldn’t Do At Christmas
December 9, 2014 by Mark Sandlin
The real point here is that Christmas is what we make of it.
10) Celebrate Consumeristmas
9) Forget Those Without Food
8) Forget Those Without Shelter
7) Forget About Immigrants
6) Miss The Message About Resisting Abusive Power
5) Forget Those Without Presents
4) Insist Your Religious Celebration Rule Them All
3) Get Mad About People Saying “Happy Holidays”
2) Think That It Is Actually Jesus’ Birthday.
1) Confuse The Religious Observance With the Secular Holiday.
FROM: read the complete breakdown of the ‘10 things’ http://www.patheos.com/blogs/thegodarticle/2014/12/10-things-christians-shouldnt-do-at-christmas/
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