Krauthammer on Christmas
Dec. 21st, 2004 10:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
billroperThis column by Charles Krauthammer appeared in the Chicago Tribune yesterday. (But the source I've linked to doesn't require registration. So there.) I handed the paper over to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
daisy_knotwise to read, because we've been discussing the subject of the "de-Christmasing" of Christmas for a while and I thought she'd enjoy the article.
This is, of course, nothing new. I recall old gags about "getting the X out of Xmas". But it does seem to be an accelerating trend and I'd like to think there's some happy middle ground here.
Of course, it's the guys standing in the middle who get shot at by both sides.
daisy_knotwise to read, because we've been discussing the subject of the "de-Christmasing" of Christmas for a while and I thought she'd enjoy the article.This is, of course, nothing new. I recall old gags about "getting the X out of Xmas". But it does seem to be an accelerating trend and I'd like to think there's some happy middle ground here.
Of course, it's the guys standing in the middle who get shot at by both sides.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 04:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 04:56 pm (UTC)Government buildings have been avoiding decorations; makes sense -- they're supposed to be doing so, that little First Amendment thing about not endorsing a religion. (Honestly, if they had equal quantities of decorations for Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, and Saturnalia, I'd be good with that. I really would.) A lot of school districts have been cutting back on calling holiday celebrations "Christmas celebrations", without question. Because they are sometimes hit with lawsuits from people who do not worship as the majority does. And why? Because there is pressure to make them worship as the majority does.
Just today, there's a story (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cheerleader21dec21.story) about a judge overturning an appeal by a Georgia cheerleading coach to get her job back. She required the cheerleading team to attend Bible studies. A Jewish woman on the team had a problem with that. If you can tell me what Bible study has to do with college football cheerleading, I'll buy the beer.
Bill, I don't think you or I know more than a handful of people who might even theoretically have a problem with Christmas, apart from the normal "holiday depression/how am I gonna pay for all this/no time no time no time" stuff. Even the pagans we know celebrate Christmas, as a facet of the seasonal holiday. But ever since Bill O'Reilly started this nonsensical "I'm the only guy defending Christmas" thing, suddenly the holiday that drives 20% of our economy is in danger.
Ri-i-i-i-ight.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 04:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:17 pm (UTC)When I worked in retail, I would always offer to work on Christian holidays (Easter and, yes, Christmas*) if it meant the Christian employees could take those days off.
*Frequently, the displays would have to be turned over between close on Christmas Eve and opening on Boxer Day. I had no problem doing the work on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day because, well, they aren't my holidays. On the other hand, I did have problems when one idiot manager of mine tried to decorate me during the holiday as if I were a Christmas Tree.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:40 pm (UTC)B
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 05:46 pm (UTC)I'd rather strangers not assume that I am Christian. I'd rather not see overtly religious decorations on public buildings. And I think Krauthammer's comment about Orthodox Jews demonstrates that he doesn't actually know any Orthodox Jews. But his writing is a good demonstration of why Christianity is such a dominating world religion.
In general, I don't care much for reigious fundamentalists. The ones in the White House terrify me, as do the ones who are terrorists. (Although the ones in the White House can do more damage.)
I've come to terms with Christmas over the years. It's a nice holiday, and I enjoy Christmas Day spent with friends and the children of friends. But I could do without the "season."
B
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:32 pm (UTC)K. [thanks for the pointer]
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:40 pm (UTC)B
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:41 pm (UTC)Tear Down The Cross (http://gadflyer.com/articles/?ArticleID=258).
It is not what you think it is.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:45 pm (UTC)As a kid, I never thought of Christmas as a christian holiday. It was a social event, something everyone participated in in general, just everyone had different specifics as to their personal activities.
We went to church, some friends went to temple, some did nothing other than have family over. It always simply felt as an event that the world came to gether to celebrate.
Sure, Christmas is religious, and non religious and for families and for shopping. We're THE consumer society, lets consume people. But it is as I've always thought it was and hoped it was, a unifying time. A time that, perhaps, just for a moment, people will stop and think about someone else. And you don't have to be of any paricular background to participate in that!
And as he said in the article, how weak is your faith or lack there in that seeing or hearing references to another belief would piss you off? Don't like it? Ignore it.
It wouldn't hurt for you to find some part of the season to embrace. "The Christmas Spirit" should be a real thing, something we all decide to embrace. Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", certain one of THE touchpoints of, at least, American Christmas, embraces the ideal of the christmas spirit, with out a tick of relgious overtones.
Live your own life, let others live theirs. And cut Christmas a break.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 06:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:11 pm (UTC)I think that people should, in fact, be free to celebrate it in the manner they so choose. I do object to the assumption that I have any interest in celebrating it.
(Although if someone wishes me happy holidays, my answer this year has mainly been, "It was very nice, thanks. And same to you if you've got one coming up.")
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:13 pm (UTC)Actually...by both Jewish and Christian teaching, this is something we should embrace all year 'round.
That which is hateful to you, do not unto your fellow-man. That is the whole of the law; the rest is commentary..
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:14 pm (UTC)Hmmn—that's treating religious expression as the equivalent of a coffee pot in the breakroom. I suspect that for the vast majority of the minority who oppose the endorsement of religion in public (i.e., by the government), it's more like elevator music in being pervasive.
But I need to write an entry myself about this, I think.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:45 pm (UTC)I found Krauthammer's dismissal of Chanukah commemorating a battle to be short-minded. From my understanding, many sects of Jews do believe Chanukah to commemorate protection of the Temple to be the reason for the holiday, and I know I've heard at least one religious/observant Jew tell me that the miracle part was largely inflated throughout history. I could be incredibly off the mark, though.
JT
no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 07:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 08:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-21 08:03 pm (UTC)(Although I as an adult when I found this out)