Bring Back Old-Time Religion

[Thom Little]

This holiday season we've been given the linguistic gift of ''put Christ back in Christmas'' -- the rallying cry for those Christians who see ''Happy Holiday'' greetings as a secularist threat to their faith, a genuflecting before the altar of ''political correctness'' (whatever that means), and an attack on the very underpinnings of a our ''Christian nation.''

The phrase implies that a conspiracy is unfolding that seeks to remove all vestiges of the Jesus story from a symbolic birthday celebration originally conceived to coincide with a pagan religious event, as if Santa, elves and Bing Crosby are even remotely connected to the essence of the birth of Christ.

The irony here is that those Christians who most loudly lament the secularization of the public square often hold un-Christlike political-ethical views, whether it's defending the use of torture and the promotion of war or remaining silent in the face of usurious money lenders and the commercialization of Christmas, which ultimately leads to its trivialization.

Why some Christians oppose secularization while unapologetically engaging in the commercialization of Christmas, I don't understand. And, while I'm aware of instances of real Christian persecution, the idea that American Christians are an oppressed group simply rings false, especially in light of the history of early Christian martyrdom; to say nothing of the fact that the founders of this Republic, most notably James Madison, warned us of ''the tyranny of the majority'' and the well-documented threat it poses to constitutional democracy.



http://www.alternet.org/columnists/story/29518/

[Taxloss]

1. What this thread needs is more smiting.

[obxhead]

5. Rofl.... Thanks.

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

6. f*'n hysterical, anytime "smiting" can be worked into a sentence

you get fabulous comedy. kudos

[Faygo Kid]

2. You mean grotesque conspicuous consumption isn't Christ's message?

The next time I hear Bill O'Reilly or these pompous TV evangelists cite the Beatitudes will be the first.

[Dissent Is Patriotic]

7. Love the Davey sig line...I still love Davey

[RaleighNCDUer]

3. If it's good enough for C'thu'lu

if it's good enough for C'thu'lu
if it's good enough for C'thu'lu
It's good enough for me.

[SmokingJacket]

4. The pilgrims HATED Christmas!

I mean, how pagan.

[Solon]

8. Put the Yule back in Yuletide!!!!!!

Burn a log!!!!! :)