Christmas overprotected by Christians
Religious right wing set on preserving commercialized holiday while overlooking and ignoring religious diversity
Chris Hodge
Issue date: 12/12/05 Section: Opinions
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The religious right is once again leading a crusade for America to become a theocracy.
This time, right wing conservatives are worried about the celebration of Christmas.
For a number of decades now, schools have begun to adopt "winter breaks" rather than "Christmas breaks" and workplaces have celebrated "holiday parties," not just "Christmas parties," in the name of acceptance and the recognition of diversity.
Conservatives seem to see such a move as a threat to the existence and survival of their Christian heritage. Rallying cries are being made to protect America's Christmas tradition from attack.
Interestingly enough, the Christmas tradition was not always present. According to the New York Times, from 1659 to 1681, Massachusetts made the celebration of Christmas "by forbearing of labor, feasting or in any other way" a crime. On the eve of the Civil War, only 18 states recognized Christmas.
Only commercial America has breathed life into the holiday by taking advantage of the potential selling power of a jolly bearded man who hands out gifts to children.
Today, the American Family Association is boycotting Target stores because the company does not use "Merry Christmas" in advertising. The Catholic League has pushed for other boycotts of retail Web Sites.
Bill O'Reilly, a conservative TV anchor on Fox, began a "Christmas Under Siege" campaign last year in order to voice his extreme concern. O'Reilly's Web Site gives a list and urges supporters not to shop at stores that use the (politically correct) phrase "Happy Holidays." Conservative Fox anchor John Gibson was quick to denounce the views of those who are not in favor of solely Christmas-targeted advertising as "professional atheists" and "Christian haters."
Article last update: 12/11/05 at 2:13 PM CST