The Spirit of Christmas

by Keith Cooper

From Broader View Weekly, December 19, 2008

Every year around this time a spark is struck in a talk radio studio or on some set at Fox News or in someone’s e-mail inbox. It grows into a fire of outrage about how Christmas and all of Christianity is under attack by secularists, atheists and liberals. Every year this outrage is used as a springboard to unify a certain base of conservatism and propagate a fear among this base that there is always a concerted effort to extinguish the Christian message.

The fact that there is no organized front taking up this agenda matters little. This backlash of fury is by definition a political movement and not a religious one. Its purpose is to maintain a stark divide in social politics and sustain an environment that will continue to support partisan us-vs.-them warfare.

This same tactic is used to polarize the populace over other social issues. One of the most striking similarities between the Save Christmas campaign and other issues like marriage and patriotism is a blurred perception that accepts a false reality.

In order to mask the fact that opposition to same-sex marriage comes from a dark core of prejudice and hate, opponents tout the sacred and traditional definition of marriage (most often grounded in biblical precedence). The fact that there is no such commandment in the Bible defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman is immaterial. Hard core believers will point to the relationship between Adam and Eve and a few words spoken by Jesus about relationships as a definition of marriage. But “nontraditional” forms of marriage and marital relations abound in the Bible, ranging from polygamy to incest. And a religious tradition so fond of commandments that it committed to law such matters as dietary restrictions and parental obedience seems to have omitted marriage from its official rulebooks. It appears that society’s current emphasis on marriage’s holy nature is a recent phenomenon, and more about political expedience than traditional homage. Still the premise of marriages sanctity is accepted as indisputable fact by the majority, and remains the basis for a movement that seeks to limit the rights of a growing sector of Americans.

This blurring of reality and perception is often applied to efforts to assign patriotic prominence to one group while defining another as innately unpatriotic. Inevitably a vocal outcry will soon reemerge over the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. Listening to the debate, one would assume that Thomas Jefferson or another storied forefather of our great nation had a hand in penning this oath. Most forget that it wasn’t even written until the late 19th century or that the words “under God” didn’t appear in it until the second half of the 20th century. Still the Pledge is held by some in higher regard than the Constitution that is the basis for our laws.

Likewise, the fevered response over the perceived threat to Christmas is a symptom of a blurred sense of reality. Christmas, as it is celebrated today is not exactly a Christian holy day. Atheists and agnostics alike refer to the holiday as Christmas and celebrate it with as much vigor as do devout Christians. In fact, the timing of the Christmas season has more to do with the celebration of Winter Solstice than with any religious event (check Wikipedia, www.history.com, or other such informational sources). While some speculate about the actual date, it is accepted fact that December 25 was not Jesus’ birthday. And few can deny that in our current commercialist climate, the focus is more intently on the Wii under the tree than the story of the Christ child.

That said, I must strongly assert that Christmas is not among my favorite holidays. Christmas IS my FAVORITE holiday. My brother’s argument that there will always be Christmas is valid because it is a special and powerful season. Despite the consumer frenzy that led to the recent trampling death of a Walmart worker even in the bleakest retail cycle in recent years; despite long lists to Santa for fickle fantasies that will be discarded within a week of Christmas morn; despite the season’s impending transformation into a Hallmark holiday like St. Valentine’s Day, there remains at the heart of Christmas a spirit of good will.

The spirit of Christmas compels us to drop a dollar in a bell ringer’s kettle. The spirit of Christmas helps to fund and supply food pantries throughout our community. The spirit of Christmas inspires our involvement in causes that transcend our usual narrow focus. This spirit of Christmas brings the smile to our faces and the “Merry Christmas” to our lips as we greet total strangers. In fact, the spirit of Christmas is part of what makes “Save Christmas” campaigns work.

The spirit of Christmas ensures that there will always be Christmas.