The U.S. Post Office is especially busy during the Christmas season. The lines are longer than usual as people wait patiently to send carefully packaged gifts to loved ones across the country, as well as Christmas cards to those both near and far. Business is good, albeit frantic, and once you get up to the counter you have a choice when it comes to stamps: Snowmen or Mary, take your pick.
The question may be phrased differently depending on which location you visit, but these were my choices when I asked for Holiday Stamps. You can still get the standard Forever Stamps with the Liberty Bell on the front, but if you want something fitting the season, it is either a Religious or non-religious stamp, one with brightly colored snowmen, nutcrackers, gingerbread men, and deers, or a Madonna scene stamp.
I later discovered that the U.S. Postal service also offers Hanukkah stamps, Kwanzaa stamps, Eid stamps and a holiday pack of 2008 42-cent nutcracker stamps + 2-cent Nava-ho-ho-ho necklace stamps. (actually they do spell Navajo correctly, I just thought .... well let's just continue)
I asked for "Holiday Stamps" and "Snowman or Mary?" was the question/response I received. The last time I was only given the now so-called "Snowman" stamps, and since I had started my envelopes with those, and wanted to finish sending my envelopes with those for continuity's sake, I quickly said "Snowman."
Also, I'm a Protestant, so my natural instinct is to resist anything Catholic. I have had some Catholic friends, some wonderful and some not-so-much, so it's not the people as much as the institution I reject which exalts Mary and the Pope as if they were God himself. If my choice had been "Snowman or Jesus?" I would have of course said "Jesus!"
As I left the post office I began to think about the secular versus the sacred. I had just picked secular. I wondered how many other Christians had done the same. Had I been asked directly: "Secular or Sacred?" I would have said "Sacred!"; however, I hurriedly chose Snowmen over Mary the mother of God with a little baby Jesus in her arms.
Perhaps many Christians such as myself make choices for "secular" over "sacred", or "secular" over "tainted-sacred", and think it's okay. The question is: Is it? Is it okay to choose what the world holds dear? especially at this time of the year?
I don't know how many friends and family will even notice or care about the stamps I chose, but I do hope the Post Office sold plenty of both.
Comments
"exalts Mary and the Pope as if they were God himself"
Except that Catholics don't do that. We honor Mary, not worship her. Look at Mary's Magnificat: "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed" (Luke 1:48)
Besides, even if you're allergice to what you think the Catholic Church teaches, you do realize that the birth of Christ automatically includes Mary, don't you?
to Mary Kay: yes of course, and Merry Christmas to you!
We are talking about Christmas, right? When Christ was born? He didn't come from the stork. How on earth is this Mary/Christ child stamp "Catholic". This is a ridiculous article.
You have now ignorantly attacked the Church and dishonored Christ's mother. You can thank the Church for compiling your "Protestant Bible" (which conveniently leaves out books it doesn't agree with) which states in the King James Version: "And she spoke out in a loud voice, and said, Blessed art you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb." And thank the Blessed Mother who became the handmaid of the Lord. Oh, and on your birthday be sure not to honor your mother for what she gave you.......
to Samiam and Hezikiah: thank you for your comments, please re-read the article a little more carefully
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