letter to an elder, a friend

Hey B,

I just wanted to follow up a little on the topic you raised with your devotion last night. It was a good one! And I thank you for bringing it up. I have two basic reactions that I wanted to share with you.

The first is, along the lines of what S. was saying, I don't believe the Hype. I simply don't believe there is a real move 'against' Christmas. Maybe there is a problem, and I certainly think the allegations should be discussed. But I really get pissed when I hear people (like Limbaugh) say there's a "War on Christmas." There is real war in this world that we ought to be concerned about; however, to equate the debate over a season's greetings with the real violence happening in Iraq, Sudan, Haiti, and elsewhere goes beyond absurd and to me reveals the true character of these radio personalities.

Along the lines of the "don't believe the hype," here's an article you should read. Written by a woman who works for a local chapter of the ACLU in Indiana, I find it short and basically to the point. She does take a pot-shot at the very end that I found, well, funny but unnecessary.
How the ACLU Didn't Steal Christmas

Anyway, that's my first reaction. My second is this: I am THANKFUL that businesses, especially large corporations, are not going over the top in pandering to Christians this Christmas holiday season. The season has nothing to do with helping the bottom line at Wal-Mart or Target or other retail stores. The over-commercialization of Christmas, in fact, often negatively contributes to things Christians ought to be concerned about, especially poverty. People rack up more debt buying more junk (often made by people working in sweat-shop [near slave] conditions) they don't need and I am glad that big business actually draws the line somewhere in terms of manipulating or preying on our Christmas "tradition" of shopping till we drop. I perceive the over-commercialization of Christmas as a larger problem than the under-commercialization, and asking for more of it is like an alcoholic asking for more booze.

Basically, I think that these talking heads and so-called Christian organizations who are making a stink are simply trying to increase their audience - and their contributions. The debate here ought to be about inclusion, sensitivity, and respect, not about the decision some corporate big-wig made about the wording of a banner or advertisement. There's always the question, too, of what Jesus would be concerned about at this time of year and whether he would even notice. In the middle of his conversation that contains the well known "whoever welcomes a child in my name welcomes me" and the lesser known "whoever puts a stumbling block before a little one, it would be better for them to have a millstone tied around their neck and be thrown into the sea" is this often forgotten statement: "Whoever is not against us is for us." It is completely counter to the current thinking and public sentiment of at least our political leadership; Limbaugh, O'Reilly, and others seem to share the opposite line of view as well. But Jesus' statement here applied to the alleged situation would seem to say this: Unless they are hanging signs which say "Christians Not Served Here," there is no problem.
The scripture is Mark 9:33-42.

Anyway, I'd be glad to continue the conversation and hear your response. I just wanted to share some thoughts. I'm sorry to have grown so long-winded. I certainly think conversation on the subject is healthy. It's always good for Christians to work our for themselves what the important issues are, and I am glad that you brought your awareness of this subject to the elders meeting.

Later,
J

PS - I just found an interesting item: apparently O'Reilly & Fox [Fake] News are on the side of the pro-"Holiday"/anti-"Christmas" party after all - they're marketing lots of stuff on their web-site using the word "Holiday" instead of "Christmas."
Hmmm, who are the politically correct, hyper-sensitive, liberal weenies now? ;)