"Merry Christmas" is offensive?

Cheerful and Bah, Humbug comments all in one place

Principled backlash proving successful
In a previous issue of VersagiVoice, the development of "principled backlash" was described, with part of the focus on the actions of Christians actively to oppose the attempts of others to remove the religious element from the "holidays." The initial impact of that backlash is already apparent. Defensive articles are appearing, chiding Christians for being upset that others have learned to enjoy the "holiday spirit" which Christmas generates.

It won't work, guys. You are trying to take something precious from us, and we intend to reclaim it -- in a kindly, persevering, Christian manner, of course.

Scripps Howard News Service chimes in: To insist that the placing of a nativity scene in a government building at Christmastime represents an effort to establish a state faith is a laughable absurdity, and there's an appropriate way to describe those who carry on about it: secular fanatics.

Real diversity works like this
For the 15 years we lived on a corner lot in Huntington Woods, one next door neighbor was a Jewish family. Each Christmas for three or four of those years their 8-, 9-, 10-year old daughter visited our home and -- reaching as high as she could -- placed a handful of ornaments on our Christmas Tree, which our two families then dubbed a Hanukkah Bush and admired together.

Our neighbors were Observant Jews, not Assimilationists. Indeed, their older daughter chose to move to Israel. Neither the Catholic nor the Jewish family felt in any way diminished or offended by that neighborly annual exchange of religious goodwill.

More bah, humbug ruminations
Public school calendars have taken to labeling the "Easter Vacation" a "Spring Break," and "Christmas Vacation" is now "Winter Break." And, if that's not offensive enough to the Christian majority attending most public schools, some go further and name Jewish holidays on the calendar. (One reader claims to have found Ramadan on school calendars, but I've not seen it.)

2004 will likely be seen as a watershed-year when even Luke-warm Christians began manifesting what I have previously called "principled backlash" against politically correct attacks. That backlash is actually being strengthened by the renewed, more intense, challenges from the politically correct this Christmas season. The guess is that we are seeing a secularist backlash to reports that President Bush's reelection was partly the result of values-based voting.

It's not just Christmas and Holy Family scenes on public property and prayer in school about which principled backlash is occurring. Consider:

Ultra-liberal Netherlands, reacting to a couple of Islamic attacks, is moving to expel immigrants and to demand that sermons in mosques be delivered in Flemish.
Great Britain, which for years condescendingly chided the U.S. for not being able to handle its racial problems, is startled to find that even its open-minded young people see immigration as a bigger problem than unemployment, terrorism, or crime.
When some blacks complained after Notre Dame fired its black football coach, sports writers didn't hesitate to point out that six or seven white coaches were terminated in what has become a season-ending ritual in college sports. The point is, those writers until very recently would have feared being labeled a bigot for criticizing the knee-jerk use of the race card.
Universities are restructuring scholarship and admission policies which discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity.
The English-as-the-official language movement is gaining strength, supported not just by WASPs, but by us sons and daughters of immigrants who spoke our European language at home, continued our customs (such as having several church festivals a year and permitting young children to drink wine with meals) but who "mainstreamed" ourselves in school and in social and work environments. It's not "either-or;" it's "both."
The outstandingly tangible demonstration of principled backlash was the passage, in 2004, by eleven states of marriage-protection constitutional amendments. This was the response to the too-aggressive moves in California and Massachusetts to promote gay marriage. As usual, the disappointed activists claim not to believe that anyone but bigoted homophobes would do such a thing. The point, though, is that an increasing number of even apolitical "straights" are willing to to endure that narrow-minded characterization and openly contend about the issue.

The manner in which the politically correct preach and practice "diversity" seems dreadfully intolerant. Contrast that with the inclusive attitude of the Protestant or Catholic who joyfully spreads seasonal goodwill to Jews, Atheists, Moslems, Hindus, Agnostics, Buddhists by wishing them a "Merry Christmas."

A friendly exchange about "Merry Christmas"
This exchange began with the 02 December brief item in VersagiVoice:
Don't let PC prevent a "Merry Christmas"
True, unlike theocratic states like Israel and Iran, the United States does not have a state religion. However, how can any objective observer not recognize that this country is culturally a Christian nation? Enough, already, with "Happy Holidays." Why should anyone take offense at "Merry Christmas," a greeting which is so full of good will? Does "diversity" flow only in one direction?

South Washington retailer Lori Broesamle, of Mia Mahalo, wrote:
I have to say that I do not agree that we "should" say Merry Christmas. I do not consider this a Christian Country. I consider it a country which will not persecute one for being Christian. Nor should one be persecuted for being Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or any other noninvasive belief. I hope we are not forgetting the Constitution which allows us the freedoms we enjoy.
03 Dec 2004

To which VersagiVoice replied:
Thank you for your comment. I must say I find it hard to understand why a non-Christian or atheist would feel persecuted or offended by the cheerful greeting, "Merry Christmas." Of Mediterranean-Italian descent, I am occasionally addressed as a Jew or as an Arab. When that happens, I feel neither persecuted nor offended. Depending on circumstances at the moment, I either pleasantly offer a correction or acknowledge the greeting without comment.

And Lori Broesamle came back with:
Okay, Frank. I believe what you were trying to get across was when receiving a Merry Christmas, it would be gracious to receive it the way it is meant, instead of a religious stance. With that I agree!
04 Dec 2004

Every Christmas:
Some American Jews volunteer to work in place of their Christian friends on Christmas Eve and Day, so those friends can celebrate the holidays with their family . . .

. . . and some say they are offended because Christian music is included in school concerts or other public gatherings.

That second custom continues to puzzle me. If there is such a thing as a unifier of mankind, it is music. For centuries, around the world, listening to music has provided inclusive and broadening experiences; people have appreciated the melodies, harmonies, rhythms of "others" without sensing spiritual or religious intimidation or contamination: Leonard Bernstein, a Jew, composes a masterful Mass . . . American and European audiences attend Ravi Shankar recitals . . . Catholics and Protestants appreciate equally the Ave Maria composed by their respective co-religionists, Gounod and Schubert. Music is unique, yet universal; specific, yet diverse.

Whether through hypersensitivity or malice, there are those each year who manifest ill-will during a season of goodwill, by making it a point to publicly complain that religious Christmas music is "offensive" to them. That offends me. (FJV: 09 Dec 2004)

Cheers to the Fox News Network for using biblical quotations and wishing its audience a "Merry Christmas."

The ultimate politically correct Christmas greeting -- 2004
source unknown

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for

an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress,

non-addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice

holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious

persuasion or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the

religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their

choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all; "plus" a

fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated

recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year, but

not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures

whose contributions to society have helped make America great, (not to

imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is

the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the

race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of

computer platform, or sexual preference of the wisher.

Disclaimer By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms.

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely

transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no

promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for

her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is

revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted

to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for

a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday

greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement

of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the

wisher who assumes no responsibility for any unintended emotional stress

these greetings may bring to those not caught up in the holiday spirit.

A friendly exchange about "Merry Christmas"

Click here for the ultimate politically correct Christmas greeting.

Hanukkah Bush
Real diversity exemplified by Christian and Jewish neighbors.

This is diversity?
Public School calendars omit Christmas and Easter, but list Jewish holidays.

Principled Backlash
Traditionalists strike back against political correctness.

Object to Christian Music?

Religious tolerance
British liberals fear "Catholofascists"
During these days and weeks of worldwide attention focused on the Pope, it is especially ironic to read that some in Britain fear the appointment of a Catholic to Prime Minister Blair's cabinet. The woman in question is a staunch liberal herself, an ardent trade unionist, has been a Labor parliamentarian, but the new Education Secretary is an actively practicing Roman Catholic. Assigning cult-status to one of the Catholic groups to which the woman belongs, opponents fear she will bring Catholic principles to bear on some of her decisions.

The furor reminds those of us who had forgotten that England was Catholic for hundreds of years longer than it has been Protestant; has a State Church (Anglican); maintains enforceable laws which specifically ban Catholics -- and, apparently less often, Jews -- from certain areas of public life. Ah, the enlightened English! -- 07 April 2005

It's so easy to be offended
-- and to offend
One side-effect of the otherwise joyful Christmas season is having to deal with arguments about the 'Happy Holidays" euphemism. And one manifestation of that side-effect is the set of offensive jokes which pops up each year, one each about Christians and Jews.

Jews are rightly offended by the gibe based on the stereotype of Jews as obsessively money-driven: "The favorite Christmas hymn of Jewish merchants is What a friend we have in Jesus."

Christians bristle when they hear some Jews boast that Irving Berlin's outstandingly successful song, White Christmas, "has nothing to do with religion -- and neither has his famous Easter Parade."

Will the time ever come . . . ?

One last "Happy Holidays" comment:
When Christians hail you with Merry Christmas, they are not demanding that you attend Midnight Mass!

It's a cheery message wishing you pleasant times and happiness.

A vitriolic dimension to the Bah Humbug dialogue
Readers may have noticed that there is a harsher tone these days to comments from some of those who object to acknowledging that the year-end "Holiday Season" is really the Christmas Season. Reading "Atheism's Wrong Turn" in the left-leaning The New Republic suggests a reason.

Concerned that the extreme language of "ideological atheism" may destroy the more thoughtful positions taken by "liberal atheists," writer Damon Linker points out that hundreds of years ago "atheist thought split into two traditions: one primarily concerned with the dispassionate pursuit of truth, the other driven by visceral contempt for the personal faith of others." Linker places in that second category the recent anti-God, anti-religion books by such famous/popular writers as scientist Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and Christopher Hitchens (God is Not Great). He quotes Dawkins: " . . . the long psychological damage inflicted by bringing the child up Catholic . . . " and cites what he terms "Hitchens's wildly excessive denunciations of Mother Teresa."

With his focus on defending "secular liberalism," Linker comments, " [T]oday's atheists feel perfectly justified in dispensing with such moral luxuries as tolerance and civility." His hope: "The task for the rest of us -- committed to neither dogmatic faith nor dogmatic doubt -- is to make certain that combatants on both sides of the theological divide fail to get their destructive way. And thereby to ensure that liberalism prevails." -- Dec 2007

Holiday Tree?

Have Jews or Muslims or Hindus or Buddhists or Sikhs traditionally decorated evergreens this time of year? No. Ancient pagans aside, only Christians practice that custom.

It's a Christmas Tree. -- Nov 2008