thatonegirl [dot] net

Merry Christmas.

The War on Christmas: I can’t stand this, I really can’t. All this talk about being politically correct, wanting to call it a “Holiday Tree” or a “Holiday Parade.” No, it’s Christmas. It’s a Christmas tree, it’s a Christmas parade. It’s all over the news, they say something about it at least twice an hour, and I believe it is the dumbest thing ever.

I am a Christian, but I’m not one of those crazy zealots who will try to cram Christianity down your throat. I enjoy Christmas; it is a time of giving, family and friends. I also respect the religions of other people be they Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or whatever. And they each celebrate their religious holidays in their own way. If the Simon family wants to put a giant Menorah up some where, I say go for it. But the Rockefellers are Christians, and if they want to put a giant Christmas Tree up in Rockefeller Center, I believe they have every right to.

The predominant religion in the United States is Christianity, but the First Amendment grants American citizens the freedom of religion therefore, no one religion is completely dominant. The President is a Christian, a Methodist even (although he’s an Episcopalian convert) and as our nation’s leader he also represents the religious interests of the majority of our population. Last night at the Christmas Pageant of Peace, I was thinking about how things might change should we elect a non-Christian as our commander and chief.

I love the first sentence of the entry on the Christmas tree from Wikipedia: “One of the most popular traditions associated with the celebration of Christmas, the Christmas tree is normally an evergreen conifer tree that is brought in the house or used in the open, and is decorated with Christmas lights and colourful ornaments during the days around Christmas.” (link.) The word “Christmas” is used four times in that one sentence enforcing my point that it is not a Holiday tree. It’s a Christmas tradition, something that is put up and decorated for Christmas. Each holiday comes with its own traditions, this one just happens to be a big pine tree covered in strings of popcorn, handmade ornaments and sparkling lights.

Even Santa has his roots as a Christian entity: “Santa is a variant of a European folk tale based on the historical figure Saint Nicholas, a bishop from present-day Turkey, who supposedly gave presents to the poor. Originally, this had nothing to do with Christmas, however the Germans had a tradition of giving gifts on Christmas and at some point in history traditions merged. This helped to explain the source of Christmas presents given to children on Christmas Day.” (wiki)

A few random articles:
O’Reilly: “War” on Christmas part of “secular progressive agenda” that includes “legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, gay marriage.

‘Christmas’ trees vs. ‘Holiday’ trees: Banner at Lowe’s store in Texas changes message in translation (WorldNetDaily). My favorite quote: “It’s OK to offend all the English-speaking Christians, but no, not the Spanish speakers. They may be just visiting,” a WorldNetDaily reader in Austin said.”

“Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year! Wait, before you read this line, you need to sign a legal waiver.” (James Chang)

Picture of the TDA House Christmas Tree. It’s so pretty.