I can't take it anymore. I was determined to not get involved in "the culture war" this year - what the Heritage Foundation is calling "an attack on Christmas". But I can't stand it. I have to say somehing. This must be how my mother feels every time someboy brings up managed care.

The straw that broke the camels back was this article which outlines why some Christian Conservatives are unhappy with the white house holiday cards.

In the first place, I cannot imagine why anyone is commenting on this in the first place. When I was shopping in a grocery store in a largely Jewish neighborhood near Rosh Hashana, several kind people wished me "Happy New Year!" to which I replied "Happy New Year to you too!" Maybe I looked like somebody from their synagoge. Maybe they didn't know me from Adam's off ox, but they were just sharing their joy.To not accept someone's good wishes, or their good will is beyond bad manners, it's just plain nasty.

This may be the only thing I have ever agreed with "W" on - or at least had some sympathy for him. For goodness sake, the man is sending good wishes. They're HIS wishes on HIS cards. It may be true that Christian conservatives put the guy in office, but they don't own him! He represents EVERYBODY - even the alleged 4% of people who don't celebrate Christmas. If I send you a Christmas card and you don't like it then just throw it out - who would go to the press and be critical about it? I read about Jesus telling people to "go in peace" if they couldn't take what he was saying, I read about him instructing the diciples to "shake the dust of their sandles and go to the next place" if people didn't want to hear what they were saying, but I never read anything that said followers of Christ can't use good manners.

This is a thing that baffles me about the Christian Far Right. Okay, lets assume the Heritage Foundation is right, the ACLU and all of us liberals are evil and plotting a "war on Christmas" ( which I don't believe is true, but I don't want to argue every single point in one blog entry) As a Christian I say FINE! BRING IT! The Bible I read when I signed up didn't promise me that my faith was going to be a de facto state religion, that it's values were going to be the values of the world I was gonna live in. It said the opposite. It said if I lived by these values I was going to be a hated minority, and yet I would have to still follow Christ's example - love, kindness, and respect - in dealing with my neighbors.

True Christians are a minority, folks. There are lots of people who have ties to churches or meetings because it's good for business, or to meet new people, or for the potlucks, or to rebel against their parents or their state, or to have something to do on Sunday. It's like this story the nuns used to tell us about a church in the USSR during the Stalinist Era. It was a secret church, deep in the woods. To practice their faith these people had to take their lives in their hands - and they did so gladly. The worship service had just started, when suddenly men in uniforms of the state carrying rifles cocked and ready stormed the church! They stood at the exits, flung open the doors, and their leader marched up to the front and said. "You have one minute. You have a chance. If you want to, you can run, we won't follow you." So most of the Christians ran. But the pastor and a few brave souls remained. The leader signeled to his men, they closed the doors, took off their hats, set down their rifles and bowed their heads. "You can go on with the service now, Father" the leader said to the shaking pastor, "The unbelievers are gone. Let's worship!"

True Christmas is NOT going to be stamped out by calling former Christmas trees, "trees of illumination". Pagans were the ones who brought evergreens indoors at winter solstace - some Germans took it up from them in the 1400's. Pine trees have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. Ditto Santa Claus ( I can only imagine what St. Nicholas, the patron saint of sailors, thinks of his namesake) garish electric lights, Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer, retail sales, X-boxes, do-hickey's and gazingus pins. Sure you can celebrate a winter holiday with those things - you can even call it Christmas. And if you are a true Christian, and you want to, you can add or delete as many worldly things to or from your celebration and still celebrate Christmas.

You can also have a very festive, wonderful Christmas without any of these trappings. All you need is two or more people gathered in Christ's name and he will be there with you. If people want to celebrate something that isn't Christmas at the same time as your holiday, some secular, solstice oriented concept,some all inclusive winter wonderland, what's the problem? I'd be glad if they called it something else, cause it ain't Christian Christmas. What I'd like to hear in the mall is an announcement over the heads of people trampling one another for sale merchandise "Attention Pagans, will you please come get your holiday?" But they're all out in the woods sitting around the Yule log laughing at us.

Why would you want the name of our saviour to be associated with a sale on violent, sexually suggestive movies, and games which were made in countries where Christians really ARE being persecuted - like China. Why would you want beautiful sacred music such as "Oh Come Oh Come Immanuel" used as a marketing ploy? Somebody, somewhere in the above referenced article said something about "putting Christ back in the war (with Iraq)" - I admit by then I was so steamed I couldn't read it, I was cross eyed. I can't even imagine putting "Christ" and "war" in the same sentence, except in the metaphysical sense of the fight against evil.

If you are a true believer than I challenge you! Town says you can't put a nativity set on the courthouse steps? Put it in front of your house, or your church. Depict it on your car. Can't wear jewelry, including a cross or crusafix to school or work? Sew it on your clothes. Whatsa matta? You say you don't to deal with the neighbors who come by to look at your creche - or you live in an "upscale" neighborhood where people only put up tasteful wreaths - you'd be - DIFFERENT! Not gonna mess up your fine suit, the one you paid all that money for, by sewing weird stuff on it. No way, you say! 94% of people celebrate Christmas! Lets make 'em do it OUR way! Lobby congress, call the white house, don't trip over that homeless guy on your way to go carry a sign and march on Washington!

True believer? I challenge you! Say "Merry Christmas!" like you mean it, not like it's a social hand grenade you're throwing into somebody's lap. When someone wishes you "Happy Holidays" ASK them what they celebrate and LISTEN to what they say, then wish them a happy, Merry, or in-law free one! Tell them you're Christian. They're supposed to know we are Christians by our love, not by our appalling manners!

True believer? Or Christian of convenience? Now I know there are true believers with conservative view points - I'm not saying you're not out there, because I know you are. But I also know that there are those within the fundementalist movement who are there for the power, for the worldly glory, and for the material gain. Challenge THEM. Because I bet once they've run out the door you and I could worship much more deeply and in harmony.