Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza or just plain happy holidays!

The season is upon us.  No, not the Christmas season, but the “war on Christmas” season. It’s launched annually in America.  In this case, most of the rhetoric comes from the right, Fox News and its reps.  But today I found this little deception on the Drudge Report website: In the middle of the site is a photo of the US Capital building and the nation’s Christmas tree.  Under it is the caption, “Christmas Tree Banned: Religious Symbol.”   Here’s the interesting part: If you click on this item you are taken to the real story which starts with, “Residents in a Newhall senior apartment complex are protesting an order from management to remove their beloved Christmas tree from the community room…”

That’s right.  The story has nothing to do with the photo and caption prominently displayed in the most popular area of the site.  It’s about a retirement home in Tarzana, California.  So my question is why.  Why do the extremes on the right and left need to launch ridiculous claims?  Because it’s consistent with their need to create and maintain a “we – they” conflict in the public dialogue.

So why is that necessary?  Because it sells advertising and advertisers require viewers and viewers are loyal to news outlets that confirm their beliefs.  Do you see the recursive quality to this whole situation? Make the claim that there is a war on Christmas.  Keep repeating the claim.  When people begin to believe the claim, reinforce it with examples, even if you need to invent them from nothing.

This Drudge report is such a good example because it exposes how disingenuous the extremists in this country can be.  If there really were a war on Christmas there would be no need to distort the truth with misleading photos and captions.  They could use real facts.

I do agree, there is a concerted effort to preserve the separation between church and state guaranteed in our constitution.  And to some Christians that effort may seem like a war on Christmas.  But I would argue that those Christians are the ones who would like to see Christianity be the national religion.  There has been no loss of freedom to practice your religion of choice in America.  But there has been a restriction on imposing that practice on unwilling citizens.  

In the interests of full disclosure, I am a Unitarian and secular Christian.  That means I personally try to practice Christian principles even though I’m not a devoted believer.  So I have no inhibitions in wishing people a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanza  or a happy holiday based on their respective beliefs.  I have no problem with religious displays of any kind on private premises.  And dare I say, I even accept religious displays on public property, if the community’s beliefs are being honored.

So why is it so easy for me to respect everyone’s beliefs without judgment?  Well the truth is that it’s not.  I have to work at it.  I have to confront my own biases to make room for it.  That’s right, I have to create space for respect and the only way I can do that is to confront my own prejudices.  It helps me to subscribe to and work at living the first Unitarian principle,” honoring the inherent worth and dignity of every person.”

At this wonderful time of the year, shouldn’t we all try living that principle?  Shouldn’t we ignore the efforts to divide us into separate camps? Christmas is celebrated at the same time as the original Pagan holidays when the tree and the lights were used at the deadest and darkest time of the year as a reminder of the life and light spring would bring.

A Christmas tree is the symbol of new life and light whether it’s the Christ child or the beginning of a new seasonal cycle.  Let’s celebrate that together.

Robert DeFilippis