Fox News has been trying to get as much mileage as possible from the alleged "War on Christmas." You know, the concerted effort to expunge any Christian imagery from this season. No matter that Fox features a number of mean-spirited commentators who make Ebeneezer Scrooge look good. Jesus is the reason for the season, don't you know, so let's grumble -- alot.
I do believe that Jesus is the reason for the season, but I have noticed that many of the email "forwards" I receive lamenting his absence get around to blaming "those people," and "those people" are invariably representatives from other religions. My experience is that Muslims and Hindus and Jews have no problem with Christians celebrating Christmas, but lets not confuse the sentiments with the facts.
Fox interviewed Father Jonathan Morris, a Roman Catholic priest, whom I'm sure they figured would jump on the bandwagon or Santa's sleigh or whatever mode of conveyance would transport us toward an angry denunciation of The War. Instead he offered this:
"The reason I’m not angry is that, yes I think it’s silly, it’s out of place for people to dedicate so much energy to try to get rid of Christmas scenes like this. The good news is when Christianity has been persecuted, when it has been outlawed, when people have died for this faith, it hasn’t gone away. And everybody has an opportunity to make sure that their faith does not go away in this Christmas season and to live that faith as a family, as a community.”
Nice going Father Morris. For several hundred years there was no official acknowledgment of Christmas and the reason it is celebrated in late December is that early Christians sneaked it in around Saturnalia, the winter solstice festival, so no one would notice.
This past Sunday I said to our flock that if they want Christ in Christmas they should include Christ in their own preparations and celebrations.
http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/11/30/christians-no-need-reclaim-christmas
What do you think about Father Morris' observations? What about the War on Christmas? Are you willing to be part of a minority, maybe even one that is persecuted?
Should Canada have allowed the sale of Nexen?
http://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.ca/2012/12/absolutely-maybe.html
Like most teachers that follow your blog, I can attest to the "sanitizing" of Christmas from most schools' holiday celebrations. That said, it's slowly making a comeback in some corners.
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