Merry Christmas... Or Else!

Well, it's that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and the hot heads are starting to make noise again about how we're supposed to greet each other between now and the end of this month. We can't just say hello, or hi, how the heck are you. We are required to say Merry Christmas. This is not a suggestion according to some. It is a requirement. "We were founded as a Christian nation!", it's asserted, the underlying theme being that since Christmas is a Christian Holiday and we are a Christian nation, we should force Christmas on everyone.

If some people weren't so blasted pig-headed about forcing people to say "Merry Christmas", this whole thing would be amusing... sort of like the bit from Hogan's Heroes:

(Phone rings - Yours truely answers the phone bouncily)
Me: Lowe's Flooring Department, Bruce speaking, how may I help you?
(I listen to the phone for a moment, the expression on my face falling from bouncy to annoyed)
Me: Yes, yes, of course, Merry Christmas...

It can't be Happy Holidays - despite the fact that several holidays from several traditions are also celebrated at the time of the Winter Solstice. Print Merry X-mas and prepare to be lambasted - despite the fact that X has been accepted short-hand for Christ since before the Crusades. It has to be Merry Christmas... or else!

"We need to quit being so politically correct", or so is said, "We need to put Christ into and keep Christ in Christmas!". Mmmmmkay... What I'm hearing is that we should quit being politically correct and start saying what we are being told to say, so that we can be properly politically correct.

Excuse me?

This makes as much sense as a group of people at a Sarah Palin book signing.

Who appointed these people to be "Thought Police" anyway? Seriously.

Here we are, approaching the Winter Solstice, a time marked by most major religions and many non-religious people and a few self-appointed hot-heads are getting their panties in a wad if we don't say Merry Christmas. If we don't say it, we're not paying tribute to their own particular set of beliefs which are the only accepted set of beliefs we should have!

If the scenario sounds familiar, it should. Many of the problems we have in the Middle East are due, in large part, to religious fanatics forcing their views down others' throats. Forcing their views of Islam to be the only proper view of Islam and death to anyone who thinks otherwise! "If you don't think how I think you should think, you are an infidel. You'll burn in hell!"

Quite honestly, I'm offended by people who feel as if I should take a loyalty oath (of sorts) to prove that I am a Christian. Or for that matter, I am offended that there are those who insist that my view of Christianity is wrong because it does not fully agree with their view of Christianity. I see that attitude as being an impediment to being a Christian. My view is rather handily summed up by Dave Burchett, a friend from High School, who wrote this really good book titled "When Bad Christians Happen to Good People" (Available at least from Amazon.com). You're welcome for the plug, Dave!

Merry Christmas? Yes. I haven't quit saying it, but there are other greetings I use for other people of other faiths. For my atheist friends, it's merely "Good Luck!". Then there's my all-time favourite"

HAPPY HOLLANDAISE! (Let's get sauced)

Be Seeing You!