Dispatches from the Frontline of the 'War on Christmas'
There is no War on Christmas. Many of the issues categorized into this claim is part of the larger secularization of the United States in the public sphere. It's important to understand the distinction.
What is secularization? Union University political science professor Hunter Baker explains it as the "ideological position wherein religious practice and discourse must be removed from public visibility, either physically in terms of the display of religious symbols…or rhetorically in terms of how religious ideas influence policy." Our country is going through significant bouts of secularization, and some of the "War on Christmas" issues fit under this. But not all.
Look, it bugs me too that a big store will accept wads of your cash swipe your pieces of plastic for a holiday they are afraid to mention. It's kind of hypocritical to instruct employees to use words and hang signs that use generic terms like "holiday" instead of "Christmas" yet count on those Christmas shoppers to finish the year in the black.
Here's why, though I find it kind of annoying, I ultimately don't care: If we were that concerned with keeping Christ in Christmas, then a department store probably wouldn't hold so much power over our emotions. A business is gonna do what a business does. They sell stuff. You buy stuff. Isn't it kind of ridiculous to be mad about markdowns on electronics being for "the holidays" instead of "Christmas." Baby Jesus doesn't need that tablet. Neither does your 10 year-old, for that matter.
(Related, but not entirely on topic: When someone mentions the annoyance of switching from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" please don't respond with the "actually, holiday means "holy day." Everyone already knows that.)
That's not to say there aren't obvious signs of secularization at Christmastime. While I truly don't care what invocation a cashier wishes me as I check out, switching traditionally Christmas things into holiday things is simply too blatant. It's not a holiday tree, it's a Christmas tree. Yes, I get that the whole tree thing is some pagan addition to the celebration of Christmas, but there is the matter of rectitude. That big green pine adorned with shiny trinkets and faux ice with an angel/star/ribbon/bird (we use a bird) atop is a Christmas tree. You know it, I know it. We've already created a version of Christmas that involves a fat guy in a red suit giving you crap if you're good (I hear he's actually related to Uncle Sam) in lieu of a King who descended from His throne to show us compassion. Isn't that secularized enough? Can't you just use that Christmas?
But things like red holiday cups at a crappy coffee shop really shouldn't get to us. Of course, no one actually cared about that issue last year. Even Franklin Graham resisted calling for a boycott of Starbucks over that. My guess is that there were a couple knuckleheads on social media who threw a fit. And, for the one millionth time, a couple knuckleheads on Twitter does not a backlash make. In fact, The Left's reaction to the imaginary backlash was more pathetic than anything else.
Here's the thing about the "War on Christmas": To the extent it exists, we, as Christians, created it ourselves. Or, if we didn't create it, we helped facilitate it. Centuries of Christendom and civil religion left us feeling pretty good. There were benefits in society to being a Christian. So if we melded American culture with our religion, so what? The problem now is that there really are no longer benefits in much of our society to being a Christian. Basically, American culture has divorced the Christian faith. Have you ever ripped fabric at the seem? That's kind of what has happened with Christmas. Americans want Christmas, as do evangelical Christians. Americans really just want the festivities, the sales, the family gatherings, some of the music, the TV specials, etc. We as evangelical Christians should simply say, "sure, here you go, we'll just keep Jesus" (as if American culture wanted him anyway).
Look, I get it's frustrating that every year that goes by seems to involve a less Christ-centered Christmas in American culture. What was once an important part of our American culture no longer is. As a Christian, I don't care. And honestly, I find it disheartening that so many evangelicals fawned over Donald Trump when he addressed concerns over religious liberty by saying, "we're going to say Merry Christmas again!" Pardon my all-caps, but "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" IS NOT A RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ISSUE! There are Christians being fined and going out of business because they don't want their cake/photography/dress/venue used for something they conscientiously object to on religious grounds. Nuns were sued because they didn't want to provide abortifacients. Schools are being forced to go along with the delusional belief that one can be any gender they want. A fire chief lost his job because he wrote a book about biblical manhood that included four pages advocating for traditional marriage. The single mother working at JC Penny wishing you a "happy holidays" is not attacking your faith. Literally, for the love of Christ, do not respond negatively to her.
Ultimately, what I'm saying and what I've said for years is if your version of Christmas is too heavy on Santa Claus, an evergreen in the house, singing "Deck the Halls", and hanging stockings with care, I am not on your side with the "keep Christ in Christmas" thing. Not that any of those things are bad, but if we've allowed ourselves to be too consumed with flying reindeer and elves on shelves, then we don't have solid footing to preach the Truth of Christmas against the secularization of Christmas.
No, there is no War on Christmas, but there is on-going secularization of the American culture. This Christmas, please spend more time praying for someone like Barronelle Stutzman and less on yelling at people on the comments section.
What is secularization? Union University political science professor Hunter Baker explains it as the "ideological position wherein religious practice and discourse must be removed from public visibility, either physically in terms of the display of religious symbols…or rhetorically in terms of how religious ideas influence policy." Our country is going through significant bouts of secularization, and some of the "War on Christmas" issues fit under this. But not all.
Look, it bugs me too that a big store will Here's why, though I find it kind of annoying, I ultimately don't care: If we were that concerned with keeping Christ in Christmas, then a department store probably wouldn't hold so much power over our emotions. A business is gonna do what a business does. They sell stuff. You buy stuff. Isn't it kind of ridiculous to be mad about markdowns on electronics being for "the holidays" instead of "Christmas." Baby Jesus doesn't need that tablet. Neither does your 10 year-old, for that matter.
(Related, but not entirely on topic: When someone mentions the annoyance of switching from "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays" please don't respond with the "actually, holiday means "holy day." Everyone already knows that.)
That's not to say there aren't obvious signs of secularization at Christmastime. While I truly don't care what invocation a cashier wishes me as I check out, switching traditionally Christmas things into holiday things is simply too blatant. It's not a holiday tree, it's a Christmas tree. Yes, I get that the whole tree thing is some pagan addition to the celebration of Christmas, but there is the matter of rectitude. That big green pine adorned with shiny trinkets and faux ice with an angel/star/ribbon/bird (we use a bird) atop is a Christmas tree. You know it, I know it. We've already created a version of Christmas that involves a fat guy in a red suit giving you crap if you're good (I hear he's actually related to Uncle Sam) in lieu of a King who descended from His throne to show us compassion. Isn't that secularized enough? Can't you just use that Christmas?
But things like red holiday cups at a crappy coffee shop really shouldn't get to us. Of course, no one actually cared about that issue last year. Even Franklin Graham resisted calling for a boycott of Starbucks over that. My guess is that there were a couple knuckleheads on social media who threw a fit. And, for the one millionth time, a couple knuckleheads on Twitter does not a backlash make. In fact, The Left's reaction to the imaginary backlash was more pathetic than anything else.
Here's the thing about the "War on Christmas": To the extent it exists, we, as Christians, created it ourselves. Or, if we didn't create it, we helped facilitate it. Centuries of Christendom and civil religion left us feeling pretty good. There were benefits in society to being a Christian. So if we melded American culture with our religion, so what? The problem now is that there really are no longer benefits in much of our society to being a Christian. Basically, American culture has divorced the Christian faith. Have you ever ripped fabric at the seem? That's kind of what has happened with Christmas. Americans want Christmas, as do evangelical Christians. Americans really just want the festivities, the sales, the family gatherings, some of the music, the TV specials, etc. We as evangelical Christians should simply say, "sure, here you go, we'll just keep Jesus" (as if American culture wanted him anyway).
Look, I get it's frustrating that every year that goes by seems to involve a less Christ-centered Christmas in American culture. What was once an important part of our American culture no longer is. As a Christian, I don't care. And honestly, I find it disheartening that so many evangelicals fawned over Donald Trump when he addressed concerns over religious liberty by saying, "we're going to say Merry Christmas again!" Pardon my all-caps, but "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" IS NOT A RELIGIOUS LIBERTY ISSUE! There are Christians being fined and going out of business because they don't want their cake/photography/dress/venue used for something they conscientiously object to on religious grounds. Nuns were sued because they didn't want to provide abortifacients. Schools are being forced to go along with the delusional belief that one can be any gender they want. A fire chief lost his job because he wrote a book about biblical manhood that included four pages advocating for traditional marriage. The single mother working at JC Penny wishing you a "happy holidays" is not attacking your faith. Literally, for the love of Christ, do not respond negatively to her.
Ultimately, what I'm saying and what I've said for years is if your version of Christmas is too heavy on Santa Claus, an evergreen in the house, singing "Deck the Halls", and hanging stockings with care, I am not on your side with the "keep Christ in Christmas" thing. Not that any of those things are bad, but if we've allowed ourselves to be too consumed with flying reindeer and elves on shelves, then we don't have solid footing to preach the Truth of Christmas against the secularization of Christmas.
No, there is no War on Christmas, but there is on-going secularization of the American culture. This Christmas, please spend more time praying for someone like Barronelle Stutzman and less on yelling at people on the comments section.
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