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Thursday, December 15, 2005
War on Christmas is just good manners
Liberals all just laugh about the supposed war on Christmas because it is so completely out of our experience to deny someone the freedom to enjoy their beliefs in any way they see fit. When you think about a majority religion, one that completely dominates a culture for over a month, as being under siege; well... it just seems laughable.
It is funny how, the Right has an uncanny way of taking my core beliefs and trampling on them so much that I no longer adhere to them in the way I once did. Take the Flag. I used to get teary-eyed when we stood for the anthem or displayed the respect and honor that was taught back in the 50s. My father, in his later years, never passed a flag flying without rendering a hand salute. Patriotism runs deep in my heart, but not so much these days. With all the chest beating and American war mongering, I am increasingly of a mind that is disgusted with the hypocritical display of phony patriotism and I tend to minimize my own public displays of flag-waving.
So too with my faith, I find that I am far less inclined to be overly focused on the commercialism of the holiday these days. Part of this is the way the Right is shoving words and actions into my persona without consulting me as to what the meaning is. I say Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings because I respect that not everyone shares my (dwindling) beliefs. I do it because I respect these people and I do not want them to feel that I am taking them for granted. This is a matter of etiquette, not politics. The Right does not own God nor do they get to define what she means. There are many paths to spiritual awareness and I believe they are all worthy and somehow arrive at the same place. So here's my point, don't try to distract me from the real issues of politics with this laughable so-called "issue" when the Republonazis are failing to honor their responsibilities to properly govern this great nation. I hope during this season of peace and harmony we can all dispense with the phony accusations and pray that the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Orleans, Korea, and any other place where people are hungry, unclothed and unsheltered can be blessed by the good graces of men and women reaching out to the family of man. This is not about our American culture, it is about our citizenship in the brotherhood of man. Peace and Happy Holidays.
It is funny how, the Right has an uncanny way of taking my core beliefs and trampling on them so much that I no longer adhere to them in the way I once did. Take the Flag. I used to get teary-eyed when we stood for the anthem or displayed the respect and honor that was taught back in the 50s. My father, in his later years, never passed a flag flying without rendering a hand salute. Patriotism runs deep in my heart, but not so much these days. With all the chest beating and American war mongering, I am increasingly of a mind that is disgusted with the hypocritical display of phony patriotism and I tend to minimize my own public displays of flag-waving.
So too with my faith, I find that I am far less inclined to be overly focused on the commercialism of the holiday these days. Part of this is the way the Right is shoving words and actions into my persona without consulting me as to what the meaning is. I say Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings because I respect that not everyone shares my (dwindling) beliefs. I do it because I respect these people and I do not want them to feel that I am taking them for granted. This is a matter of etiquette, not politics. The Right does not own God nor do they get to define what she means. There are many paths to spiritual awareness and I believe they are all worthy and somehow arrive at the same place. So here's my point, don't try to distract me from the real issues of politics with this laughable so-called "issue" when the Republonazis are failing to honor their responsibilities to properly govern this great nation. I hope during this season of peace and harmony we can all dispense with the phony accusations and pray that the world, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Orleans, Korea, and any other place where people are hungry, unclothed and unsheltered can be blessed by the good graces of men and women reaching out to the family of man. This is not about our American culture, it is about our citizenship in the brotherhood of man. Peace and Happy Holidays.
