Christmas Wars

There are endless discussions going on about Christmas and its exclusion by many this year, in favor of the more politically-correct "Happy Holidays." While I join multiples of millions of other Christians in chagrin at this development of the 20th/21st Century, I was taken back by the ideas of conservative commentator Cal Thomas' thoughts on the subject. See his thoughts here! In short, he says "Don't expect the world to either act like the Church, or get the message of the Savior to the masses on our behalf." Ouch. Thanks for the reminder, Cal.

Meanwhile, Rev. Scott Stiegemeyer imparts the delicious information that St. Nicholas, who would later become the model for Santa Claus, attended the Council of Nicea, which affirmed the deity of Christ. Not only that, he got so fed up at the heretic Arius that he went up and slapped him, for which he had to apologize. See the whole article here.

We need to work that into our Christmas imagery: Santa Claus going around battling heretics who deny who Jesus is. And giving a gentle but heart-felt slap to people who take Christ out of Christmas. Department Store Santas quizzing children who sit on their laps about the Two Natures of Christ and giving clerks who say "Happy Holiday" a slap. Also teachers who forbid the singing of Christmas carols because they mention Jesus.

We will need songs ("Santa Claus is Coming to Slap"; "Frosty the Gnostic"; "Rudolph the Red Knows Jesus"). And Christmas specials ("How the Arian Stole Christmas").

To Christmas, or Not to Christmas. . .
It seems as if every major town is having to decide whether to call their tree the "Holiday Tree" or "Christmas Tree." Kids in their elementary schools are no longer allowed to sing traditional Christmas songs like "Silent Night," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." Now it is only songs like "Jingle Bells" and "Rudolf, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Nativity scenes have been removed from parks and other public squares. Department stores are instructing their employees to say "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas." It is though the world and culture think that they would be better if Jesus Christ had never been born.
This "war" is at the heart of religious pluralism. Pluralists argue that no religion can have a monopoly on holidays, no religion can be superior, no truth can be absolute, and no savior is unique. Foundational to the pluralist argument against Christianity is to discredit the historicity of the Christian faith by arguing that the New Testament documents are unreliable and fictional, and that the Incarnation of Jesus Christ is a "myth" and should be understood in a metaphorical sense. If the New Testament can be found as false and fictitious and the Incarnation of Jesus be reinterpreted as a myth, then Christianity is not "true" "absolute" "unique" and "superior."
It is morally repulsive in our post-modern society that say that there is only one Savior, only one way to salvation, only truth to embrace. They would argue that religious tolerance is the only true path to peace with the integration of everyone's beliefs and values as one world theology united under the same God which every religion is oriented.
Yet it ironic to see that the only people who pluralists don't tolerate are Christians (the intolerant ones). If they are to be true to their virtues of tolerance, then why don't they tolerate Christians and whoever wants to say "Merry Christmas?" It is also doubly ironic to see that those leading the pluralist push to relativize religions are so-called Christians themselves. It is as though they are ashamed to profess Jesus as Lord, as "the way, the truth, and the life." They don't want to believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, and conceived by the Holy Spirit. To do so would to ground Christianity into history and make Christianity truly unique and superior to all other religions.
So next time you say "Merry Christmas," know that you are spreading more than holiday cheer. You are doing more than just fighting a "war" about trees, slogans, or school programs. You are declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord--that Jesus is the great I AM, the one who was, and is, and is to come. Truly, he is the "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace."

"No Room" at Church?!
There also is much ado about some Mega-churches and their cancellation of services on Christmas day this year. While I understand some of the reasoning behind the "Family First" mindset, I would find myself more in touch with the musings of Ben Witherington in his characteristic "It's about God!" style. Christmas Debate!


Winter Solstice? Bah Humbug!
Finally, be sure to read the article by Gene Edward Veith who dispels the common notion that Christmas originated as a pagan holiday, and was later co-opted by early Christians to celebrate their Savior. Veith Article I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from a SBC University (Music major; Bible minor), a Master's Degree in Divinity, and a Ph.D. in Theology (both from Mid-America Baptist) and erroneously believed this myth.

As Veith points out, like many other myths that are propogated by well-meaning people (i.e. Senator Joseph McCarthy overran the whole government with a propped-up Red Scare that found no evidence of Communism; the only way to help poor people is to offer them more welfare, etc), the concept that Christians only began celebrating the Savior's birth after pagan had been worshipping the Sun for centuries is unfounded.

While it is beyond dispute that Jesus was not born on Dec. 25th (at least, the best case scenario is that it is only a one in 365 possibility!) the worship of Jesus for His incarnation into our world has long-standing support in both history and church theology.