War For the Holidays

By James Johnson

Anyone remember the Robert De Niro film "Wag the Dog"? It was about a Washington spin doctor that concocts a fake war to distract the media and the public from the real issues plaguing the country. Though it had a January 1997 release date, it still somehow feels like a holiday film, especially in relation to America’s latest made up war, "the war on Christmas."
Every year a hand full of columnists pick some random corporation that has dared to start greeting their customers with “happy holidays,” as opposed to “merry Christmas” and accuse them of taking the “Christ“ out of Christmas.
The Gap, SEARS, Wal Mart and K-Mart have all felt the wrath of boycotting Christians, bound and determined that these stores acknowledge their holiday and no other.
“If these companies stop saying merry Christmas, people might start forgetting that Jesus was born on December 25!” cry worried protesters.
Does this strike anyone as needlessly paranoid? Really? Is daring to acknowledge that there are other people who celebrate other religious holidays in the month of December really going to be the final nail in Christianity’s cross? The single most popular religion on Earth, with 2.1 billion worshipers, is going to be derailed by common courtesy?




True, calling Christmas trees “holiday trees” is ridiculous. Placing a model of Santa and his reindeer on top of a Nativity set is ludicrous. And taking down a cross at a government office, only to leave up a menorah is just unfair. But then so is pretending as if yours is the only God on the block with a day worth celebrating.
We’re in a nation in which the majority rules, and the majority have a responsibility to not trample the minority, no matter how unpopular their beliefs may be. It is our responsibility to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Sound familiar?