I've heard so many people talking about "The War on Christmas" recently that I decided to gather my own thoughts on the subject. This is a two-part post. The first is "Who is the enemy?" and the second is "What is the answer?"
A few weeks ago, I walked into the mailroom at our church office and found a stack of "I Say Merry Christmas" bumper stickers with a sign next to them that read, "please take one." For years, I have heard television and radio news personalities sound the alarm on the "The War on Christmas." According to their warnings, "Merry Christmas" as we know it is disappearing only to be replaced by its evil half-brother, "Happy Holidays."
This week, I stumbled across Focus on the Family's I Stand for Christmas campaign. The project allows customers to rate retailers on how "Christmas-friendly" they are. The implication is that we (consumers) would only patronize those who celebrate appropriately. The I Stand for Christmas web site says, "For millenia, CHRIST has been the reason for the season."
Is that still true? If we are honest with ourselves, is Jesus Christ really the reason we gather?
Most of us spend a paltry amount of time reflecting on Jesus compared to the massive amount of time we spend shopping at the mall, attending parties, wrapping and opening gifts, and eating huge meals. We spend an hour at church on Christmas Eve holding a candle and singing "Silent Night" but we spend four hours at the mall the day before. Sure, we may gather around grandpa for a stiff five minutes and listen to him read the Luke account of Christ's birth, but we hardly listen. We are licking our chops at the mountains of presents behind him. In reality, Christmas for Americans--and yes, even the Christian ones--is shaped more by Currier and Ives than Joseph and Mary.
I often wonder what the Lord would think if he returned to earth at Christmas and surveyed the way all of his followers were celebrating his birth. What would the Son of Man who "has no place to lay his head" think about our gaudy decorations and lavish presents totaling over $400 billion in America alone? Would Immanuel be pleased to find us remembering his lowly birth with materialism and gluttony?
I stumbled across a documentary recently that addresses these questions. "What Would Jesus Buy?" features the satirical countrywide tour of Reverend Billy and The Church of Life after Shopping. The film is directed by Morgan Spurlock (of "Supersize Me") and is littered with shocking statistics. It's a convincing presentation of what Christmas has become. It makes you wonder if we should actually be asking retailers to remove the word "Christmas" from their advertisements, to stop defiling our holy holiday.
Check out the trailer.
So many Christians want to fight against the "War on Christmas" with bumper stickers and boycotts, but I wonder if we've been fighting the wrong enemy. I wonder if we are the enemy. As Titus 1:16 reminds us, it is useless to profess God with our lips but deny him with our lives. Should we be more concerned with what the retailers are saying to us when we enter their stores or why we're spending so much time there in the first place?
Jacob said:
I have had the same thoughts. It has really been bothering me lately. How can we break free from it? Looking forward to your next post.
Posted: December 19, 2009
Josiah said:
My wife and I discussed this same thing just last night also prodded on by the FotF site. We came to similar conclusions. Why do Christians feel the need to be belligerent and offended? We are not of this world. If we are to be offensive, shouldn't be for the sake of the gospel?
Posted: December 19, 2009
Travis Mamone said:
I used to think that something was wrong with me because I never got mad at the phrase "Happy Holidays." In fact, I would always reply with, "Thank you, you too." Then I realized that the growing consumerism surrounding Christmas is more dangerous than some silly phrase.
Posted: December 19, 2009
Dave said:
The use of Happy Holidays doesn't really bother me because we live in such a diverse society, and there is more than one religious/national holiday that is part of this time of year. I simply stick to Merry Christmas when I personally offer good wishes to others...even my Jewish friends.
What bothers me more is that not too many people focus on what Christmas is about---it's been turned into such a commercial event, the mean gets lost in all the flurry of shopping, gift buying, and partying that goes on.
Posted: December 19, 2009
Katie said:
I'm really not sure what the fuss is about with Happy Holidays. As far as I know, Christians aren't the only ones with a holiday this season or credit cards. Christians have such a judgemental reputation as it is, insisting on something so silly on makes us look like we think that WE are the reason for the season and not Jesus. I think Christians need to relax and be respectful to others...even at Christmas. As for our consumerism, it is disappointing. Jonathan, you brought up an excellent point...even at my parent's home, we spend 5 minutes reading the Luke 2 account of Christ's arrival, but 3 hours opening gifts and eating...what a sad ratio...thanks for the post.
Posted: December 19, 2009
Mel said:
Thank you for putting this out there. My husband and I have been thinking about this for a long time. I also love how belligerent our fellow Christians get on social networking sites...I can't tell you how many times I've seen "I celebrate CHRISTmas!!" on FB....like they're literally *growling* the word "Christ." What better witness than to growl the name of our Savior at people, eh? This year, we're doing handmade gifts, and for those for whom we couldn't, we donated money in their honor to a charity that is significant to them. We definitely don't have it all right or have the answers, but we've all got to try. Thanks for this post!
Posted: December 19, 2009
Jonathan Merritt said:
Jacob: Good question. I hope to provide some possible answers in my next post. Look for it in the next day or two.
Josiah: I couldn't agree with you more.
Travis: Consumerism is dangerous, no doubt.
Dave: Totally agree.
Katie: You make a great point. We have made US the "reason for the season." I guess things haven't changed a whole lot since the tower of babel.
Mel: I hear ya. I feel the same way. Jesus was persecuted and never said a word. We feel the slightest persecution and scream our heads off. I love your idea to do handmade gifts and donate money. Great ideas!
EVERYONE: SO HOW DO YOU ALL THINK WE GOT TO THIS POINT?
-The prosperity boom in the US?
-The idea that consumerism is necessary to drive capitalism?
-The secularization of America, and subsequently, the church?
-The failure of our churches to gloss over "respectable sins" like materialism?
Jm
Posted: December 19, 2009
Jonathan Moss said:
We've fallen prey to the Christmas season of shopping because Christians have been taught that giving is better than recieving.
While this is true, it's not necessarily about giving the best gifts that the World has to offer, aka materialism..
It's about giving the gift of love from Christ himself. If that love overflows into gifts, then let it be. If that love overflows into time given in serving, then let it be. But let's not put all of our effort in giving "gifts," when the greatest gift has been given.
Just my .02 cents
Posted: December 20, 2009
Katie said:
I think that we have arrived at this point because we pick and choose which problems and sins we think are actually bad...homosexuality and believing in global warming (haha) = horrible, greed and overindulgence - a.o.k.
Posted: December 20, 2009
Bill Beahan said:
I agree that the commercialization of Christmas has diverted from the true meaning of the season but no honest person can deny that the left is using Political Correctness to also divert from the true eaning of the season. As Christians we need to look both inward and outward. I am getting tired of the so-called "emergent church movement" seeming to spend the majority of its outreach attacking Conservative Christians. We need to self-examine which is what I believe the Bible means by working out your salvation with fear and trembling. The Bible also calls for us to put on the full armor of God to e ready for the Deceiver who is not just present in Islam Mormoism etc but also people like Van Jones and Jim Wallis who twist Christianity for their own leftist (and ultimately un-Christian) ends.
Posted: December 20, 2009
Dave said:
We've fallen prey to consumerism because we forgot that it's more important to build riches in heaven than to build riches are earth. I grew up pretty poor compared to today's standards. As a kid I wore hand-me-down clothes, was lucky to have a bicycle, a deck of cards and monopoly as a means for entertainment. I took my lunch to school in a brown bag, and was lucky to have the 5 cents in my pocket to buy milk in the cafeteria. A lot of other kids at school and in the neighborhood had nicer clothes, etc. and bought lunch in the school cafeteria because their parents could afford it. Yet we all seemed to get along and no one really cared as much about status as they do today (unless my memory is failing me).
Many parents today are so pressured to provide all the latest gadgets, designer clothes, cell phones, etc. for their kids, it's got to be hard to stay focused on building those treasures in heaven.
So my point is that I think we don't even realize we're being materialistic. What once were luxury items that only the rich could buy, can now often be purchased by a large majority of the population. So now it's ok for everyone to buy that iPhone, for example. Yes, I think you've got a point, Jonathan, that the prosperity boom has driven this. What's happened now is we're desensitized to the issue.
Your question made me think of where we (including myself) are: I've got at least 5 different types of coats in my closet. I really only NEED one, so I should give the rest away to someone that doesn't have a coat (I can't remember which verse in that Bible mentions this, but I read it recently).
Posted: December 21, 2009
Clayton Shaw said:
I just wanted to raise some brief comments that I believe are valid but not mentioned. “The War on Christmas” as it’s been labeled isn’t singularly focused on the topic of employers requiring employees to stop saying the word Christ in their stores. This argument includes the removal from public venues and schools. Those of us that grew up in the eighties and before probably have vivid memories of walking into the classroom behind a gift-wrapped door, decorating the class tree, and enjoying the class gift exchange. That experience is non-existent these days. My teacher friends and I are lucky to get 45 minutes on the last day before “Winter Break” to have the “Holiday Party” were students are granted disgusting 3 for $5 pizzas and slimy Publix cupcakes in a room with no decor. The parties now are so lame. I can understand the anger of the overwhelming majority of us that do celebrate Christmas but have to tone it way down for those that don’t. I don’t think it’s harmful being upset about but it is harmful to just let it go.
As far as the consumer side goes, people are out shopping like crazy because they are buying things for others. God gave us his Son and in turn we dub Christmas as a season of giving. It’s because of this amazing spiritual phenomenon that retailers go from red to black with their numbers for the year. I’d hate to see what would happen to our economy without a Christmas. I believe it is very important that we at least acknowledge that there is a phasing out of the word Christmas and many of it’s spiritual traditions. I’m still blown away that Linus still finds his way onto CBS with the Luke monologue. I look forward to your next post with the answer, because I know that the Morgan Spurlocks of the world don’t have it.
Posted: December 21, 2009
Travis Mamone said:
How did we get to this point? I personally think it's a number of things. Part of it is the "us vs. them" mentality in American politics. Part of it is the rush to get that Hot Gift before anyone else (remember the Black Friday stampede last year?).
As far as the solution, I don't know. Although I like this one thing Advent Conspiracy suggests, which is instead of buying your loved ones a gift spend time with them. If only I thought of that BEFORE I bought all my gifts!
Posted: December 21, 2009
Harold Knight said:
It may be the certainty that Emmanuel is God-In-Our-Image-Is-With-Us that's the problem. As long as we think we have “exclusive hold and possession of access to God through exclusivist misunderstandings of the Incarnation” as Prof. James Sanders says, it's an easy step to create God in our own capitalist materialist image. Christians are, after all, historically in charge of American capitalism. We have made Christmas in our own image (just as we have made God in our own image).
Posted: December 21, 2009
CJ said:
On what basis are we deemed a consumer society? B/c the country spends $400B on "stuff"? So what? This is such a superficial measure for "consumerism." Anyone know how much this country gives to charitable orgs and other needy causes on annual basis? How about $307B in 2008, which was down from previous years. Historically, I don't know if this giving to spending rate is above/below average or generally consistent. Additionally, the U.S. consistently leads all other nations in international giving, especially when national emergencies arise.
Yes, many of us have much more than we need. The real issue is one of stewardship and contentment with what we have been given, especially for believers. Are you, personally, being faithful with what you have been given? Aside from what Scripture says about debt, only you and God can answer that. Are you content, or do you spend a lot of your time envying others' pay, position, reputation, "stuff," etc.? Or, perhaps you get a little judgmental and jump to conclusions when you see someone with a lot of shopping bags coming out of a store, yet you have absolutely no idea what they bought or why. Personally, during this time of year, I look at the percentage of my Christmas spending that is devoted to supporting the least among us. And instead of buying gifts for some of my family members, we have mutually agreed to give to the least among us. Yet, this is just a part of my lifestyle as I examine my annual giving rate and where I gave of my time.
As far as the war on Christmas is concerned, I think the issue is the continued erosion of God in the public and even non-public square. How absurd that Merry Christmas is offensive!! With modern efforts of tolerance education, in the words of Malcolm Muggeridge, "we have educated ourselves into imbecility." We have come to the point as a nation where someone will be offended at just about anything. I believe there are plenty among us who subconsciously go throughout their day looking for ways to be offended (and others who try to offend them just the same). I won't refrain from wishing anyone a Merry Christmas. If I know they are Jewish, I will even wish them a Happy Hanukkah. I have to chuckle at the "Happy Holidays" moniker, for the root of "Holiday" is "holy day." So, for the real Scrooges out there, this may get them wound even tighter if they stop to think about it.
Posted: December 22, 2009
Justin said:
"SO HOW DO YOU ALL THINK WE GOT TO THIS POINT?
-The prosperity boom in the US?
-The idea that consumerism is necessary to drive capitalism?
-The secularization of America, and subsequently, the church?
-The failure of our churches to gloss over "respectable sins" like materialism?"
Interesting question, I'll try.
In my opinion, it is most clearly the effect of consumer-capitalism. What bends my mine when considering how that works in our society is the simultaneously corrosive and cumulative effects of consumerism on whatever it touches.
Would Christmas be as huge, universal and as well known in our culture without the crass consumerism that goes with it? Probably not. At the same time, Christians rightly point out that the religious meaning is lost, or bleached out of the holiday by the excessive focus on buying stuff.
This dichotomy exists in other contexts, art, for example. Take the movie industry. The chase for every last dollar ends up with a deluge of soulless, excessively violent, offensive, poorly written, poorly thought out spectacles. Then again, the good stuff would surely have a harder time getting made without benefiting from the size of the industry that the crappy stuff primarily inflates.
Music is the same way.
Posted: December 23, 2009
Andy said:
I don't think you guys get it. First of all, I wouldn't celebrate Christmas if Christ wasn't celebrated. The attack against Christmas is an attack against Christianity itself. Look, we can argue amongst ourselves as Christians about how much time we spend thinking about the birth of Jesus, but groups like the ACLU want Christmas stigmitized as "offensive". Therefore, if Christms can't be uttered, then the real meaning won't be uttered either. The leftist pagans can't stand the first 6 letters and that is why they keep pushing "Happy Holidays" on us.
There was a comment left by someone who said they didn't mind HH and wondered if it is just them. Look, this is the classic"frog in the kettle" experiment. Gradually fade out the saying "Merry Christmas" with "HH". Then, the real meaning gets totally lost and then its all about penguins, reindeer, snowmen, polar bears, etc..,. We might as well start celebrating the Winter Solstice!
Those of us who want "Merry Christmas" realize this.
Again, if Christians want to argue about making the holiday more about Jesus...fine. But pedal to the metal pagans/atheists want not only to marginalize Christmas, but make a case that is hateful, bigoted or offensive. See how Europe and Canada are trending and tell me I am wrong.
Finally, what really rubs me is that no other holiday is called "holiday". I am a teacher. Many of my students wish me a "Happy Halloween"or "Happy Valentine's". In December when I say "Merry Christmas" more and more say that don't want to offend anyone so they say "HH". When I respond with "Shouldn't we say "HH" all of the time for all holidays" I get blank looks. I mention that Muslims and Jehovah's Witness don't celebrate SVD and won't they be offended by saying "Happy V D". They just don't understand my point.
So, it is about trying to teach the youth that Christmas is offensive, materialistic, etc.... I am not suprised to see this on this forum based on the title of the new book found here. "Green like God"? Come on!!!
Posted: January 15, 2010