There's Profit in Alleging a 'War on Christmas'

[RedEarth]

Published: December 21, 2006 11:45 AM ET

NEW YORK Fox News host/Creators Syndicate columnist Bill O'Reilly is prominent among the conservatives known for complaining about the "War on Christmas" allegedly waged by retailers and others who prefer to say "Happy Holidays."

Now, People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch (RWW) is wondering if this conservative campaign is at least partly motivated by profit.

In a Wednesday post, RWW wrote: "Basic math says the Liberty Counsel has pulled in an estimated $300,000-plus, the Alliance Defense Fund an estimated $500,000-plus, and the American Family Association an estimated $600,000-plus from selling their 'War on Christmas' wares."

RWW said, for instance, that the AFA "has sold more than 500,000 buttons and 125,000 bumper stickers bearing the slogan 'Merry Christmas: It's Worth Saying.'" Liberty Counsel "has sold 12,500 legal memos on celebrating Christmas and 8,000 of its own buttons and bumper stickers," RWW added.

"While the Right claims that they are merely seeking to thwart an 'accelerating effort by secularists in America to annihilate expressions of Christmas and Christianity,' its effort to generate a controversy where none exists has been a rousing success -- in more ways than one," the post noted wryly.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/departments/syndicates/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003524352

[Raine]

1. It's ALWAYS

about profit in this country, so this comes as no suprise to me.

[transeo]

2. When will these people wake up?

They are constantly being taken advantage of by the leaders of the Christian conservative movement and never realize it. How can they be so blind? :shrug:

[rodeodance]

3. I like to see how much they make--so glad to see the article.

[TroglodyteScholar]

4. Yep...I have a coworker who bought a sweatshirt from a fellow church member...

...it says "Christmas is a holy day, not just a holiday"

She felt it was very important to explain it to everyone she saw...and pointed out how some anti-Christian people wanted to start calling a Christmas tree a "friendship tree." As lefty lib as I am, I have NEVER met anyone who wants to take Christ out of Christmas -- nor do I know anyone who gets offended at being wished a Merry Christmas. The whole War on Christmas is a dirty fabrication intended to make people hate liberals even more. Fundies love feeling like they're persecuted -- it's a much easier way to feel Christ-like than actually BEHAVING like Christ would.

Anyway, I'd say the cottage industry springing up around it is just a "fortunate" side-effect.

[rucky]

5. Good posters in our church (not for sale, but...:

It's not your birthday.

give to the Sudan Project

[Raine]

6. Remind her that HOLIday

translates into HOLY-day that's where the name comes from, duh. :dunce:

[TroglodyteScholar]

8. I listened to her a bit, agreed that the "friendship tree" idea was nutty...

...and expressed that I'd never met anyone who advocated that.

The last thing I said to her was something like "...but New Year's...that's just a holiday."

She really didn't know what to think about that. I didn't mean it maliciously, I was just being silly...but I think she was offended. Oh well....

[dansolo]

9. Be sure to mention the origins of the Christmas tree

I can't imagine that she would be eager to continue to promote a PAGAN tradition.

[YankeyMCC]

7. And in other news

"Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead."

[Don_1967]

10. Check this out

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2962999

[HuffleClaw]

11. they sure as hell wouldn't be harping about it if it weren't profitable

they wouldn't be stirring (not even a mouse!)