A Christmas tree at the Capitol. AP Photo Alex Brandon
Fox News is pushing full steam ahead with their "War on Christmas" coverage this week. This morning Fox & Friends ran with a segment interviewing one group that is purchasing billboards throughout the country that essentially guilt people into saying "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays."
One of the billboards says "I miss you saying 'Merry Christmas' - Jesus" while the other states "Its OK to say 'Merry Christmas' - Jesus." While the interview is being done Fox News runs with the headlines "Faith under fire?" and "Ladies fight to save Christmas."
Liberals have argued that in fact Christmas is not under attack at all. Instead some have said that the "War on Christmas" theme is being used by some conserviatives (like those at Fox News) who wish to increase ratings by creating a fake Christian martyrdom in America.
While the phrase "Merry Christmas" is perfectly acceptable to Christians to use it outside of the Christian realm seems to actually lessen the meaning of the phrase. In asking everyone to use the greeting as a sort of neutral, secular greeting it could be argued these groups actually lessen the meaning of the message. If you are asking non-Christians to use the phrase with the Christian meaning you are essentially act like they believe something they do not. Christians would certainly not appreciate if Muslims demanded that everyone be greeted with "Assalamu alaikum" which literally means "May the peace and mercy of Allah be with you."
Comments
Cue up the "but this is a CHRISTIAN NATION!" in 5...4...3...
Good for Fax News. Keep up the good fight. Restore our country to the Christian principles upon which it was founded and which created the environment for the great successes we acheived before scumbag progressives facilitated its downfall. Death to Socialist/Progressives and Communists (they're all the same).
I, for one, am not and do not want non-chrisitans to use any phrase other than those they desire. What I do want is for them to pack their s#*t and GTF out of America.
Oops. That should've been "FOX" not "Fax" News.
Christmas is part of our national identity. If it weren't the fourth quarter of the country wouldn't be so important. It's good for the economy and most people like it, so say Merry Christmas and have fun:)
Spook, what a thoughtful, intelligent post - paragraph 1 was all about the principles on which the country was founded, and paragraph 2 said for any non Christians to get out. Thanks for the laugh.
If anyone is leading us towards a Totalitarian it's FOX news.
I ment Totalitarianism.
Aw spooky, considering it's use of RNC press releases unedited, "Fax News" was spot on.
Merry Freaking Christmas!
THERE! as required by (conservative)law!
"...to use it outside of the Christian realm seems to actually lessen the meaning of the phrase."
Where is this Christian realm?
RubberGlue says:
"...to use it outside of the Christian realm seems to actually lessen the meaning of the phrase."
"Where is this Christian realm? "
go down the hall,it will be the 3rd door on your left...knock 3 times and tell the Mad Hatter that Alice sent you.
Notice how the host wanted the Christmas ladies to attack atheists and they didn't. He seemed disappointed that they didn't engage in the regular atheist bashing that is Fox and Friends. Hmmm, will he allow them back if they don't call atheists names?
Spook, you DO realize that our country was founded on the fact that all faiths should be tolerated and accepted. This attitude of "GTFO of America" is completely against the founding principals of our founding fathers.
While you may not agree with the other religions, they dont (generally, unless they're extremists, and those are bad all around no matter what religion) bother others about their faith and try to force their beliefs on others. What harm does it do to you to let people find faith on their own?
Don't be an ignorant Christian who can't think for himself or be the type of tolerance our founding fathers escaped from tyrannical control to find.
Can't conservatives get it through their stupid heads that liberals are the 'enforcement police' for speech in this country!!!
Jesus likely would not have wanted us to quote him as saying "it's ok to say merry Christmas" etc. when he never said anything of the sort.
In a new Nov 2010 Rasmussen Poll, 69% of random Americans polled still favor "Merry Christmas" over the generic "Happy Holidays." So it isn't just Fox and it isn't just Christians. Congrats! Your article has contributed to the proof that there is a war on Christmas by those who don't want it. But, for the record, as a Christian, I do believe in free religious speech for all, as long as it is peaceful and simply verbal, and don't mind the Muslim greeting as long as they don't mind mine. Happy Haunkkah and Happy Kwanzaa too. I read another article that pointed this out well: People who don't want Christmas (at least not with its Jesus meaning) shouldn't take their employers' offer of time off at this time of year, or Christmas bonuses, and shouldn't accept cards or gifts. After all, that all started because of this country celebrating Christ in December as of the mid 1850's or so. And gifts started because of gifts to the baby Jesus.
Fighting the nonexistent war on Christmas is self-defeating http://exm.nr/fTGeCL
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