Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays

[Iacobus]

Recently, like every year, a number of groups start making a fuss over stores being PC and saying Happy Holidays, etc. They accuse these stores of trying to remove the Christ from Christmas. We all know all about these things.

For the past few weeks, starting with some reflections at the Catholic Student meeting to today seeing some cartoons, I have been wondering, A) Is Christmas really under attack by secular forces trying to impose PC on everyone and B) If so, is this the big problem?

I think, this is just me, that by focusing our efforts on saving the Christ in Christmas we are failing to see that the Reason for our Season left the popular idea of the season long ago. Christmas is no longer Christ focused, that should be clear. We have over-commericalized Christmas, some 40% of all retail sales occur during Q4. Christmas is focused on money, greed and want.

We, as a culture, are no longer focused on Christ during this season. This diversion of our attentions is not due to some vast left wing movement that has tried to remove Christ from Christmas. If such a movement even exists, they are too late, Christ has already been removed by the almight dollar. So many Christian action groups are seeing the trees, the fine brush strokes, but are not, or are refusing to, see the larger picture. Captialistic greed and want for matrail goods has already killed the season and redirected its focus.

So my question is, should, in an effort to reclaim or defend Christmas, should we be exerting so much time and effort into the words used, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, or should we be focused on bringing the Reason back into the season?

[homeschoolmom]

So, are you maybe suggesting a boycott of the stores in an effort to reduce materialism at Christmas rather than because of how you are greeted?

[Iacobus]

[quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Dec 14 2005, 08:43 PM']So, are you maybe suggesting a boycott of the stores in an effort to reduce materialism at Christmas rather than because of how you are greeted?
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If you are going to boycott stories because of how they treat Christmas the complete subversion of the meaning, to me, seems more important then how they greet me.

[Socrates]

I voted "other" because this poll creates a false dichotomy, and I think Christians should do both.

If I were to pick one, I'd probably go with the P.C. language issue. While at first glance whether one says "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" may seem trivial, it is indeed part of a larger, radical secularist effort to completely remove any vestige of Christianity from the public sphere. You cannot say this is not real. It is well-documented. Because a few ACLU-type atheists get "offended," any reference to anything Christian is gradually being removed from the public. Christians are right to oppose this trend.

Of course, Christians should also work to "put Christ back in Christmas" and resist secularization/commercialization. But that is something which should begin in the heart and with individuals, not by opposing "capitalism" or some other vague economic system. If people truly put an emphasis on Christ in their own hearts and their own lives, our culture as a whole would be more Christ-centered.

And I think many people whose Christmas is dominated by Santa and Rudolph and buying the biggest and best toys are people for whom Christ and religion already does not play a central part in their day-to-day lives.

Of course, merchandisers will try to cash in on Christmas gift-giving, but this does not prevent any one from being focused on Christ. Are you saying we should boycott any store that has a Christmas sale? Protest Christmas sales? Any shops with Christmas decorations or themes?
Are Holiday Sales then more acceptable? Early Winter Sales?
This is ridiculous.
And it looks like more of your typical pattern of denouncing or poo-pooing any protest or movement of the "Christian Right" against the secularist left, in favor of attacks on "Capitalism" and such.

[philothea]

I voted for decommercialzing.

Personally, what Walmart says (if they say anything) is totally meaningless to me. However, my "Catholic" relatives demand presents and decorations and big dinners.... and my going to mass will just be a rude hole in their schedule.

[Socrates]

[quote name='philothea' date='Dec 14 2005, 09:35 PM']I voted for decommercialzing. 

Personally, what Walmart says (if they say anything) is totally meaningless to me.  However, my "Catholic" relatives demand presents and decorations and big dinners.... and my going to mass will just be a rude hole in their schedule. 
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Again this is more a matter of personal habits and disposition. If you don't want to buy Christmas gifts, then don't do it. Walmart is not keeping you from Christmas Mass.
Really, I don't see big protests at Dept. Stores for "commercializing" Christmas doing anything.

Personally, I see no problem with Christmas gift-giving and similar traditions, as long as it is kept in its place and not allowed to become the primary focus of Christmas. Give simple gifts rather than making Christmas a contest for who can buy the most-expensive stuff for gifts.

We need to keep the focus on Christ.
This applies for the rest of the year, too. If material gain and getting "stuff" is more important than religion the rest of the year, Christmas will likely be no different.

[lifescanticle]

So my question is, should, in an effort to reclaim or defend Christmas, should we be exerting so much time and effort into the words used, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, or should we be focused on bringing the Reason back into the season?
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If Christians focus on "bringing the reason back into the season" then we will have reclaimed Christmas and the need to defend will be lessened.

[Socrates]

[quote name='lifescanticle' date='Dec 15 2005, 10:03 AM']So my question is, should, in an effort to reclaim or defend Christmas, should we be exerting so much time and effort into the words used, Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, or should we be focused on bringing the Reason back into the season?
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If Christians focus on "bringing the reason back into the season" then we will have reclaimed Christmas and the need to defend will be lessened.
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As I've indicated earlier, what I don't like about these kinds of polls is that they imply a kind of false dichotomy - "People should do A instead of B," when there is really no conflict between the two.

In answer to a question in Iacobus' original post, there is indeed an activist radical-secularist movement that is hell-bent on removing any signs of Christian Faith from public life. The many factual articles coming from the news, as well as basic experience attest to this.
These are the people who sue for people wishing them "Merry Christmas," that wish to remove crosses along highways commemorating fallen policemen, that object to prayers in public, etc., etc. ,etc. The removal of any public recognition of Christmas is just one part of their agenda.
I don't think that every dept. store that says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Christmas" is necessarily part of some vast Left-wing atheist conspiracy, but they are giving into the demands of such folk to be p.c. and avoid trouble.

I think Christians are right to protest this. For most it involves no more than not shopping somewhere or signing a petition. It hardly requires huge amounts of time or effort for most. And no one is forced to participate if they don't want to.
Making a protest of this kind for most would in no way prevent one from praying, going to Mass, worshipping, avoiding extravagent spending, or doing any of the things that "put Christ in Christmas"!

These kind of false dichotomies are almost always presented by some liberal who dislikes religious conservative "agendas," and would rather focus on combatting "capitalism" or some similar Lefty cause.
"Why put so much effort into protesting abortion and trying to change laws, rather than helping the poor?" . . . and so forth.

They try to act like protesting evils such as abortion, secularization, etc. precludes people doing other good things because they dislike "Religious Right" protests. Ironically, such people tend to have little problem with people protesting war, capitalism, environmental issues, or other "Lefty" causes.

[Ash Wednesday]

These threats we speak of, be it a liberal secular agenda, or rampant consumerism -- both have the same root cause: religious indifferentism.

[Myles Domini]

I agree with Socrates and Ash Wednesday. Both commercialism and political correctness--at least when anything remotely Christian is to be mentioned--are two pincers of the same scorpion: Secularism. Hence, I voted other.

Personally I think its completely legitimate to boycott a store that wont wish you a Merry Christmas. From my vantage point the elimation of Our Lord's name from the public square in these little things is simply the continuation of the enlightenment agenda to privatise faith. Opposing the disciples of Spinoza is the duty of Christians everywhere and if they wont shop somewhere until that somewhere is willing to recognise that the 'seasons greetings' arise from the birth of the God-Man then... :thumbsdown:

I might add though that I think the best day to give presents is the feasday of the Epiphany:

[quote]When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.--Matthew 2:10-11[/quote]

INXC
Myles

Edited December 16, 2005 by Myles

[Cre8d4Youth]

The problem isn't that they say "Happy Holidays." The issue arrises out of some companies passing down corperate policies dictating that their employees aren't [i]allowed[/i] to say "Merry Christmas." They go out of there way to maximize their own dollars by not offending anyone, and in doing so, offend the very group that consists of the bulk of their spending.

And as far as decommercialization goes...that is strictly something that falls squarly in each individuals lap with the power to change. I personally feel that celebrating Christmas with presents does not take from my joy of the Birth of my Savior. Where I feel it happens is when people feel the desperate need to have this or that, and if they don't get it "Christmas is ruined." That is when I feel the reason is lost on one.