The Real War on Christmas

Some years ago Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and various other right wing luminaries decided they were outraged by the liberal penchant for inclusivity which had reached the point where people were cautioned against saying, "Merry Christmas" but rather "Happy Holidays," for fear of offending people who were Jewish or Muslim and did not celebrate Christmas.
 
Pretty soon, Blacks were told they ought to be celebrating Kwanza or some such holiday nobody had ever heard of, and few American Blacks had any interest in.


And all this, the Righteous Fox brethren were broadcasting as "The War Against Christmas!"

The Phantom hates the idea he might have to agree with Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly on anything, but he had found the whole practice of avoiding "Merry Christmas" as fundamentally stupid.


Has any Jew ever been harmed to be wished a Merry Christmas? Most American Jews have learned, growing up in America, to simply say, "Thank you" and move on.
Or, more often they say, "And Merry Christmas to you."
It's a harmless interpersonal ritual, like "Have a nice day."  
It does not violate the Constitution. It does not denigrate the Jewish or Muslim religion to recognize there is such a holiday as Christmas.


It does not violate anyone to be addressed as if they were Christian, when, in fact, they are not.
In fact, as any reader of Phlip Roth will know, many American Jews have aspired to assimilate so completely nobody even knows or guesses they are Jewish at all. They are, in fact, only too happy to be wished a Merry Christmas as a sign of acceptance, something which some more zealous Jews have decried as "the next holocaust," i.e., assimilation in which Jews simply disappear, melting into the background of a Christian society.
The thing is, America is no longer simply a white, Christian society. It is in fact a diverse, secular society, fundamentally indifferent to Christmas beyond the gluttonous orgy of gifting and gift receiving of that most wonderful (bountiful) time of the year.

The Phantom would bet atheists do not caterwaul in dismay if someone says, "Merry Christmas."

But looking at the interminable Christmas ads on TV, as he runs on the treadmill every morning, the Phantom is really revolted. They are worse even than the ads for food which glisten in saturated fats. The Christmas ads glisten in saturated fats of the soul.

Children are shown, tucked into warm beds in fuzzy pajamas, dreaming of toys; mothers dream of diamond necklaces; fathers dream of pick up trucks with ribbons tied round their flat beds.

The whole "holiday season" is about the piling on of "stuff," the purchase of affection with gift wrapped items.


The Phantom is aware there can be a certain pleasure buying gifts for others, trying to craft a gift to a person, showing how well you know someone.


And the Phantom is well aware that he has reached that pleasant, comfortable station in life where he has enough "things," more than enough stuff and presents simply add more to an already overstuffed closet.

When he was less financially comfortable "things" and the products of mass production were far more exciting.


But still, the Phantom can only imagine how Jesus would react to Christmas as he would see it on TV and in the malls with all the background Christmas music being piped in to stoke sales.

The whole idea of a rapacious, consumer society is just so unappetizing.
Jesus is reported to have said it is difficult for a rich man to get into Heaven.
Must be a reason for that, and the pursuit of money and gifts purchased with money must make that all the more difficult.
Reportedly, Jesus told a story about the Good Samaritan, who finds a man lying in the dust along a roadway, naked, beaten, and he freely gives this man clothes and nurses him back to health. Now there is a spirit of giving. But this was done to restore someone who had all this taken from him, to get him back on his feet, not to pile on gifts to someone already swimming in material things.

The Phantom does not know Jesus in any way whatsoever, but he has read about him and he can only surmise, Jesus would observe what America has done with Christmas and he would puke.