http://holycoast.blogspot.com/2006/12/man-roasts-his-own-chestnuts-over.html

If this isn’t extremism, I don’t know what is!

This weekend, our church was entertained with a cantata called “One Quiet Night.” It’s a very musical set with nice songs and toe-tapping rhythms. It even has the Andy Williams favorite, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” as the opening song. Nowhere is Christ mentioned until the last two songs and then only vaguely. Purists would be appalled, I guess.

But it had a nice message and everyone got it. And not once did anyone say “Merry Christmas” but the holidays were mentioned a lot. I was even a participant. Me, a Christian. Imagine.

We took Christ out of Christmas a long time ago, if you want to buy that line. My opinion? It’s always been there and always will be. Is our faith so fragile that we need to beat people to death with it? That’s not a way to win people.

It really doesn’t matter where the Holiday originated. That was a thousand years ago. This is America and this is how we have celebrated the 25th of December for over 200 years. That makes it our culture which should be respected as much if not more than those that have come from other countries.

I will send Christmas cards and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and will not expect to offend anyone. If someone says Happy Hanukkah to me, I will return the greeting with a smile. That is the blessing of religious freedom that our founding fathers intended for us to enjoy.

I do not long for the dungeons and lions but neither am I willing to silently stand by while a few “offended” people rain on my Christmas parade. Jesus got a little “huffy” with the moneychangers in the temple so I guess it’s acceptable to let my voice be heard.

Today we still celebrate this festival, in the name of Christ’s birth, but its roots are anything but Christian. It’s a nice festival, and it makes us all feel good; we get to give and receive gifts (just like the Romans) and look forward to a break in winter’s gloom. But the ‘real’ Christmas isn’t about displays on public or private property, or this year’s hot toy or electronic gift. The real Christmas is observed in the hearts and homes and churches of believers, and our Constitution guarantees them that freedom forever.

That’s why I’m suspicious of the religious groups and movements that get huffy about whether a department store clerk wishes them Happy Holidays or whether a courthouse is called into question for displaying a manger scene. These are the same people who knock on my door or approach me on a street corner to ask me if I’m saved and then shake their heads when I tell them yes and the name of the church I belong to. It seems like the Persecuted Ones are longing for the days when they could be like the early Christians in Rome…in the dungeon, ready to be eaten by lions. After all, they might say, you aren’t really a Christian until you have suffered for your faith and have some scars. Well, some of us have scars, but they weren’t inflicted by pagans or the courts. They were inflicted by some of our friends in Christ who are convinced that they have the Only True Interpretation of The Faith. Heaven help us if One True Interpretation becomes the law of the land.

I will wish my Jewish friend a Happy Hanukkah, my humanist neighbor a Happy New Year, those who practice no religion a Happy Holiday and to everyone of good will, I wish a Merry Christmas indeed!

It’s called Christmas - what more can I say?
It’s about the birth of Christ and you can’t take that away -
You can call it something else but that’s not what it will be -
It’s called Christmas with a capital “C”.

Commercialism knows no season or boundary of taste or propriety. As long as marketers can appeal emotionally to our misty-eyed sentimentalism there will be trinkets and baubles to buy. The baby Jesus next to the Abominable Snowman and Santa Claus? Why fight it? Just pick your man (or men) and be done with it.

It’s always seemed to me that the people making the biggest deal about the “holidays” and the “Christmas culture wars” are right-wingers with books and DVDs to sell. I’m sure there are a few ideologues who are sincerely raging against the machine (whether they’re necessary or effective is another conversation), but I would guess most of the thumping is about selling books and other product.

I’m not well enough versed in today’s SG Christmas music but I’d be surprised if some group hasn’t come out with a ‘take no prisoners’ anthem to beat the point home a la ‘We Want America Back’.

Now that’s my Christmas wish…yeah.

This is completely incorrect, and his argument is flipped completely when you read the original news article at the Seattle Times - http://tinyurl.com/ucsl9

The Christmas tree is not a religious symbol, and has been completely secularized. The display of a Christmas tree (or ‘Hannakuh bush’ or ‘Holiday Tree’) is completely legal. Adding a menorah WOULD be the addition of a religious symbol to a secular display.

I object to Harvey Grad, the attorney to Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, threatening a lawsuit to force the display of a religious symbol in a secular display.

This whole issue reminds me of the current debate over affirmative action now at the Supreme Court. Students who are not considered ‘minority’ are prevented from transferring (i.e. discriminated against) in an effort to maintain diversity as defined by the school. Yes, you can treat people differently based on skin color just to make sure people are not treated differently based on skin color!

As for me, I’ll continue to say “Merry Christmas”, send “Christmas Cards”, and celebrate my religion as the constitution permits.

“Have a safe and healthy Hannaramakawanzamas”

I think the whole debate is pretty funny from both sides.