Merry [War on] Christmas
December 25, 2005
Merry Christmas from The SuperSpade.
It is terrible when people are involved in conflict(s) during the holidays. This is true in both personal (i.e. arguing couples) and political (i.e. warring nations) relationships. And the more conflict, the more difficult the season. Some would lead you to believe that the U.S. is involved in not one, but two wars this holiday: the “War on Terror,” and the “War on Christmas.” Let’s explain these wars are as real as Santa Claus.
I think the stance of this blog with respect to the “War on Terror” is quite clear, so time this holiday will not be spent beating that dead animal. However, the “War on Christmas” is much more interesting.
In the “War on Terror,” we are “fighting” our “terrorist enemies.” Who is the enemy in the “War on Christmas?” If we break it down the same way we do the “War on Terror,” then that means that the “enemy” is people who celebrate Christmas??? I think I have it backwards. FoxNews and Bill O’Reilly’s “War on Christmas” is against those who don’t celebrate Christmas (think “War on Terror,” in reverse). They are disgusted that Wal-Mart greeters say “Happy Holidays.” That means that Wal-Mart is part of the army against Christmas.
Who cares what someone at Wal-Mart, or any store, or anyplace else says to you during this season? I’m Black, but I’m not going to turn my nose up and be offended if someone does not say Happy Kwanzaa to me. I’m not Jewish, but I’m not going to turn my nose up and be offended if someone says Happy Hanukkah to me. I am Christian, but I’m not going to turn my nose up and be offended if someone says Happy Holidays to me.
The problem with O’Reilly and The Fundies is that they equate being religious with being stupid and ignorant. It’s stupid to get offended because someone wishes you well during the latter part of the year. It’s ignorant to pretend like everyone celebrates Christmas. What is even more stupid, ignorant, and hypocritical is that I suspect these individuals are not against what Christmas has essentially become: a month-long shopping spree culminating in a feast. Fundies who study the Word closely and want to follow it exactly (which is what Fundamentalism is by definition) would have more to argue on if they said that Christmas has been corrupted from it’s original intent: to celebrate the Birth of Christ. I guess they can’t say that, since the same corporate cronies commercializing Christmas are paying the bills at Fox News and at most mega churches in this country. I suggest that they stop acting like fundamentalists and actually be them. Don’t go to the mall and buy crap for people you pretend you love. Don’t put [pagan] blown glass ornaments on your [pagan] Christmas trees and overeat. Get all the animals together and sit in the barn burning candles and myrrh. That would be a “real” Christmas. That would be victory. That would be “Mission Accomplished” in the “War on Christmas.” But that obviously can’t happen. So instead, let’s make Jesus the underdog in the war on Christmas. He needs us to cheer for Him, or we may lose the “War on Christmas.” Maybe Jesus is an underdog in The Holy Bible: Fundie Edition. In my translation, that ain’t the case.
Let’s just say that everyone immediately stopped saying “Merry Christmas.” What would be the problem? Would there be no Christmas? Is the existence of the holiday dependent upon these two words? Would Christ’s birth be retroactively edited out of history? I think the answer to all of these questions is NO!!!
I pose these questions as ammunition for anyone who is confronted by Christmas Warmongers. Ask them exactly what victory looks like in this “war.” Ask them what defeat looks like in this “war.” When they are not able to answer, tell the the following:
Happy Holidays from The SuperSpade.
Remembering the Reason for the Season
December 20, 2005
On Christmas morning, I will be taking my nieces and nephews to do Meals on Wheels. In short, Meals on Wheels is a community service organization that serves hot meals to primarily elderly people that can’t enjoy a nice holiday meal due to either financial struggles or just not having an extended family that can take them in. I used to participate with Meals on Wheels when I was in high school and it is a very moving experience to see the joy on people’s faces when they see young people spending time away from their family to say Merry Christmas and hand them a hot meal.
I bring this up because I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year. I graduated from college, found a job, bought a car, etc. and I wanted to really pay homage to my family for sticking with me when times were rough. And the Bible talks about how your heart is where your treasure is, so I wanted to just splurge on my parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews. But one lesson that has hit me hard this year is that having a job doesn’t mean you have money. And with that, I couldn’t get everyone a gift like I wanted to and I have been really down about that. Of course, the holidays are not about material things but I got sidetracked with all the things I could buy with a regular income.
Anyways, my three beautiful sisters talked some sense into me and after we talked, I thought about my more memorable Holiday seasons and what made them so. Almost instantly, I thought about Meals on Wheels and I remembered the tears of joy from the surprises of elderly people thankful for the most basic necessities of life. And then I thought about how memorable it would be for my nieces and nephews to share in the joy of Meals on Wheels because when you do community service right before you open up your gifts, it makes you all the more grateful for the excesses you take for granted.
So if you are like me, (young, working, and broke for the holidays) just remember that “spending” your time doing community service will buy gifts that will last a lifetime. And if you have kids in your family who can only dream about that new Xbox 360 they are getting, ask their parents if you can take them out on Christmas Day to do some community service. This has been a really rough year for a lot of individuals so what better way to close it out than to do some good in your community.
Stay up fam and remember the reason for the season,
Brandon
