The "War" on Christmas...

I am tired of deleting all the "I'm Going to say 'Merry Christmas' and 'It's a Christmas Tree'" emails that people forward to me...I guess they think I want them because I am a pastor and of course, I will appreciate their defense of God and Christmas and the Baby Jesus...Call me Scrooge, but quite frankly, it disturbs me.

First off, most of the furor is a response to the many corporations and retail stores and civic centers trying to decide how to respond to an increasingly pluralistic society. Since we have allowed a "holy day" become so commercialized that retail budgets succeed or fail based upon the month of December; do we have a right to demand those companies to become less profitable and limit their market during December? They are not the church. Furthermore, for those who complain, I want to ask, "would you shop at a store who hoisted signs of "Happy Ramadan!" when the great feast is observed by the Islamic community? (I would, just for the record.)

Second, "Merry Christmas" is a religious greeting. I use it happily, and nobody is telling me I can't use it. However, if someone who doesn't share my faith responds with "Happy Holidays" or even "Happy Hannukah" based upon their faith, I can't be offended...and neither should you.

I guess I am tired of people looking to the government to legitimize their faith. We should never forget that the Jesus who we commenmorate with Christmas was very critical of the Temple in Jerusalem precisely because of its connection to the Herodian and Roman governments who ruled over Israel. I don't care if our city has a nativity set in front of it. I don't care if the local mall has a "holiday tree" in its courtyard. What I care about is following the God who chose to enter creation in the form of a vulnerable child...follow him regardless of what the city or the government does. I care about celebrating Christ as a Christian; I don't care about forcing anybody else to do it with.