Topic: Random Thoughts
It’s that time of year again. The holiday season. Thanksgiving just ended, and Christmas is coming. You’ll notice I said “Christmas”. That seems to be a point of controversy every year doesn’t it? One on hand you inevitably have certain municipalities forbidding the placement of religious symbols on public property, (invariably they seem to only fret about Christian symbols, but that is a subject for another time). On the other hand you have the annual boycotts of businesses that don’t openly say “Merry Christmas”. You have the calls of “put Christ back in Christmas” and “it’s the reason for the season”. I’m sure you’ve seen and heard them all before.
First let’s touch on the subject of religious symbols on public property. As a conservative, I guess I am supposed to support anything Christian. However, I believe that there is a reason that the first thing the founding fathers said in The Bill of Rights was “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”. Now admittedly displaying Christmas decorations or displaying Nativity scenes is not establishing a religion, however it does give the impression of endorsing one. I decorate my house every year, and so do millions of other people. When this is done to portray the religious aspects of the holiday, then this is your Constitutional right expressing “the free exercise thereof”. Does it really make a difference if the county courthouse or the public library don’t have Christmas decorations? Does it stop them from fulfilling the purposes they were created for? Why do some people feel the need to insist on such displays if not to basically force their religion on others?
Next we have the issue of people who insist that stores and places of business expressly promote Christmas. The “Put Christ back in Christmas” crowd. I’ve seen instances of people demanding boycotts of stores that refuse to do so. They create websites that list which businesses are “Christmas friendly” It’s not as if these businesses are denying the fact that this is the Christmas season. I imagine that they have weighed the pros and cons and have decided that by saying “Happy Holidays” they are acknowledging the fact of the season without alienating those that do not celebrate the Christian Christmas. As far as I know this is still a free market, (for now at least), and these businesses have a right to do business as they see fit. Yes people have a right to call for boycotts if they see fit also, but to me it seems petty and vindictive, and really achieves no purpose.
Finally we have “it’s the reason for the season”. Don’t get me wrong, I say “Merry Christmas”, I give Christmas presents, put up Christmas decorations etc… In other words I celebrate Christmas. Not in an exceptionally religious way, but it’s Christmas to me nonetheless. However putting aside the fact that many people are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, let’s look at a few facts. Most scholars agree that the biblical accounts of the Nativity describe conditions that do not coincide with these events happening in December right around the winter solstice. The holiday was put into place sometime around the year 273, and it was put in December to overshadow the Pagan holiday season. As a matter of fact we still use the term “Yule”, which refers to the Pagan holiday, also known as Winter Solstice, Alban Arthan, Feill Fionnain, Yuletide, Midwinter, Sun Return, and Fionn's Day. The symbols of which were evergreens, wreath, yule log, holly, and spinning Wheel. The traditional colors were red, green, and white. Traditional herbs for this celebration were holly, mistletoe, ivy, cedar, bay, juniper, rosemary, frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, and pine. Offerings can be apples, oranges, nutmegs, lemons, pinecones, oak leaves, and cinnamon. The deities they celebrated were Newborn Gods, Triple Goddess, and Virgin Goddesses. So whether or not you believe in the divine birth and the coming of the savior, it’s pretty clear that the early Christian church placed Christmas at this time of year on purpose.
To me the most important thing is the holiday spirit, and taking this as an oppurtunity to put aside some of the petty quarrelsome things that taint our very existence throughout our lives. Whether you say “Merry Christmas”, “Happy Hanukah”, "Happy Quanza” or simply “Happy Holidays”, hopefully it will bring you peace and goodwill.
Merry Christmas
James West
Widefield CO
Posted by thejameswest
at 12:49 PM MST
Updated: Monday, 28 December 2009 2:18 PM MST
