The Non-existent War on Christmas

Let's talk about the “War on Christmas”. This war is a myth, plain and simple. There is no war on Christmas; it's a figment of the Christian imagination, much like their deity. This supposed war on Christmas revolves around their belief that secularists and even Christians who only wish to be inclusive of people of other faith and belief systems are somehow infringing their rights by not saying merry Christmas to everyone, calling Christmas trees “holiday trees" and other such nonsense. It's basically another reason for them to whine about how they as Christians, who still represent a majority of the US population, are being oppressed.

The war on Christmas nonsense started when stores started putting up “Happy Holidays” signs, asking employees to say Happy Holidays to shoppers, Government displays started being inclusive of other religions and beliefs that also celebrated at the same time of year and other horrific events. After all, being inclusive and tolerant of other people certainly must be tantamount to hating Christians and oppressing them of their right to celebrate their holiday. Oh how they must be suffering as they are forced to make people feel welcome and not force them to be made to feel uncomfortable by the constant barrage of Christian holiday nonsense. How terribly oppressive it must be to be forced to pretend to acknowledge that other people celebrate holidays at the same time of year as you do and feign respect for their traditions.

The truth be told, there is a war, but it's not a war on Christmas; it's a war by Christians against cultural acceptance of others, respect for their beliefs and feelings and tolerance of the diversity that makes up the American nation. It's a white-bread war of ignorance by people who really can't stand the fact that their neighbors are not exactly like them and this just chaps their butts to the point of needing prescription strength diaper rash cream to help make the butt hurt go away. It's infantile to say the least and flat out ignorant if we are going to be absolutely honest.

If we are going to be really truthful about this, it really has nothing to do with the atheists out there not wanting people to celebrate Christmas or the holiday season and has everything to do with Christians thinking that everyone should be celebrating just like them. It's ridiculous. No one, Atheists or anyone else, has ever told Christians that they cannot celebrate Christmas. The only thing that anyone is asking is that Christians show respect to others who celebrate the season based upon their own beliefs and more importantly that Government buildings, which are by their nature secular, are not the appropriate place for displays that prop up one religion above the others. This is what is really bothering the religious right, the simple fact that they are losing the religious privilege that they wrongly held for so long. They cannot deal with this loss, even though it does not mean that they are losing their right to practice their religion or celebrate their holidays. The only thing they are losing is the right to shove their beliefs down our throats and act as though they are the only ones that matter at this time of year.

Oh, and before I forget, let's just leave all those “Jesus is the reason for the Season” signs in storage this year. This is not a request to oppress your religion, it's a request to stop acting like a dumb-ass. Axial tilt is the reason for this and all seasons so you simply need to get the heck over it. There are an abundance of holidays that revolve around the seasons which result from the angle of the earth's axis in relation to the sun. It has always been this way and probably won't change any time soon. There were celebrations of the Winter and Summer solstices as well as the Spring and Fall equinoxes that were used to create mythological holidays through all cultures long before your personal belief system came into being so stop with the egotistical nonsense about Jesus being the reason for the season. Jesus is just another myth that was tied to an already existing season. If you really want to be honest, the season is the reason for the celebration and your mythical Jesus is just tagging along for the ride.

The right really needs to get over this “war on Christmas” nonsense. It really makes them look like a bunch of whiny kids crying because they aren't getting their way. Basically grow up and get over it. Celebrate whatever you want, just don't think you have a special right to force you holiday beliefs down everyone's throats and let the rest of us do our own thing and we'll all be a lot happier.