Christmas, Christians, and the State

I had an interesting exchange on a blog by Semper Fi the other day.  He was upset because Christmas, the word, had disappeared from most holiday advertising.  He saw it as just another assault on Christianity by the left, and he wondered why some people were so afraid of Christianity.

My first response was that, as an agnostic, non-Christian, I'd think that was a good thing.  How many Christian kids today wake up Christmas morning to celebrate the birth of their Messiah?  How many even know that's what the day's all about?  Let's face it, it's not the left wing conspiracy (oh how I wish we had one!) that's ruining Christianity, it's the brazen commercialization of what should be a profoundly important day. 

I'm probably getting the sequence all wrong, but he brought up the issue of "freedom to" as opposed to "freedom from" suggesting that his "freedom to" worship was being compromised.  He's probably right, but that distinction between "to" and "from" is critical in understanding why.

In terms of the fear of Christianity, I noted that one of the most important elements in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights was the protection of minorities against "the tyranny of the majority."  Those Founding Fathers were very smart people.  Christianity is the dominant religion in the U.S., and there's a growing, powerful, well-funded, well organized segment of right-wing fundamentalists that want to impose their beliefs on the rest of us.

That's why there's "freedom from."  They don't have the right, as Americans, to do that--although none of them have probably ever read the Constitution or Bill of Rights.

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade, one of my best friends was a Jehovahs Witness, and his religion forbid him to say "The Pledge of Allegiance."  I don't remember why it was forbidden, but the teacher, outraged, sent him to the principal's office.  Even then, I thought that a stupid, wrong thing to do. 

He wasn't anti-American, he just had a set of beliefs different from the mainstreams--and that's what the Bill of Rights is there to protect. 

That's what I find odd about so many "conservatives."  You'd think they'd be the first to recognize and support the protection of minorities from the tyranny of the majority.  It's one of the most important and powerful concepts on which this country was founded--it's also one of the reasons for the freedoms we enjoy today.  That may mean losing some of their cherished "freedoms to" -- such as having Christmas decorations all over every street in the America--but that's a small price to pay to protect the more important "freedom from" tyranny.

Comments

[SemperFi]

Thanks for the plug/link.

I do think the issue of Christian "tyranny" is a bit mischaracterized. No Christian I know endorses a theocracy, all that is being asked is stop the erosion of our traditional Judeo-Christian culture and heritage.

If some 87% of the population believe that Judeo-Christian precepts are the underpinnings of our nation and that the corporate acknowledgment of God is a good thing and has done us in good stead for a couple of centuries, you can begin to understand the Christian concern when the ACLU and the secularist make every effort to purge those fundamentals from our society.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Hopefully, The Light and the Glory was under your Christmas tree and gift-wrapped for you reading pleasure beginning tomorrow....)

[SemperFi]

Thanks for the plug/link.

I do think the issue of Christian "tyranny" is a bit mischaracterized. No Christian I know endorses a theocracy, all that is being asked is stop the erosion of our traditional Judeo-Christian culture and heritage.

If some 87% of the population believe that Judeo-Christian precepts are the underpinnings of our nation and that the corporate acknowledgment of God is a good thing and has done us in good stead for a couple of centuries, you can begin to understand the Christian concern when the ACLU and the secularist make every effort to purge those fundamentals from our society.

MERRY CHRISTMAS! (Hopefully, The Light and the Glory was under your Christmas tree and gift-wrapped for you reading pleasure beginning tomorrow....)

[MSchannon]

I probably wasn't clear about "the tyranny of the majority." It doesn't specifically refer to Christians--it was a phrase used by the founding fathers to explain the protections granted by the Bill of Rights.

Their fear was that any majority left unfettered would impose its beliefs on a minority--and since they were in the minority in Europe and saw the problems, they wanted protection against that.

I confess I share some of your annoyance at the lengths to which liberals go...I admire and support the ACLU (and did when they supported the Nazi's marching in Illinois years ago--and I'm Jewish). But I do sometimes wish they'd pick their battles a little more carefully.

On the other hand, you have to acknowledge that some Christians are getting out of hand--the recent episodes at the Air Force Academy are a chilling indication of what can happen when one group goes too far.

I have to confess, I haven't bought The Light & The Glory yet--but it's on my list & i've just starred it (LOL).

Have a Merry Christmas and a very successful New Year.

Mark