Santa Was Never On A Cross

I’m consistently bemused by how intelligence leads to a sincere lack of common sense.

I have some friends who are in grad school with me, or working on other advanced degress, and I have to laugh at them sometimes (in a friendly way). Because, God bless them, they’re so intelligent that they have no common sense. No idea of how to interact in public, or dress with some sense of fashion. I guess you could say they’re nerds. An innocent status of nerd-dom is one thing. But refusing to recognize something that’s just logical and practical for the sake of the fact that someone behind a desk had too much time on their hands and was thinking too much is another.

Symbols of the Christian faith have become under attack lately. The California suit against having “under God” in our pledge of allegiance, for example. I suppose it stands to reason that the next thing to be assaulted would be “Merry Christmas,” because that’s too faith-specific a way to wish good tidings during a holiday that, as many are, was named after its Founder.

The ACLU, bastions of intelligence that they are, has once again spent far too much time and energy pushing a “politically correct” alternative to the way things have traditionally been done. Now, I’m really not into tradition, don’t get me wrong. But forsaking it just for the sake of forsaking it, when it makes no sense? That’s stupid. But, I shouldn’t be surprised, because that’s what “political correctness” (aka, “carefully disguised bigotry”) specializes in.

Reducing “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” is an affront to many faiths. If you celebrate Hannukah, has it ever occurred to you that “Happy Holidays” is a way of neutralizing your faith as well? This isn’t tolerance, it’s intolerance. Intolerance of not only Christianity, but of other faiths, as well.

To look at Christmas logically, the holiday was created as a memorial of the birthday of Jesus Christ. Whether you believe in Jesus’ divinity or not, you kind of have to recognize that He has been the most influential and controversial Person in history. His birth is the reason the holiday is commemorated. He is truly, to entertain the cliche, “the Reason for the season.” His birth, life, and death were turning points in human history. Santa Clause…well…somewhat less significant, wouldn’t you agree?

So I guess my question is, if we’re able to call Martin Luther King, Jr. day by its official name, why can’t we call Christmas by its offical name? Because it’s the same prinicple. Christmas was named after the Christ. Even if you’re not a Christian, that just makes sense. Its not an insult to anyone to wish them a “Merry Christmas,” regardless of their faith. It’s not an insult to me if I wish someone “Happy Hannukah.” Why would we presume the reverse?

I guess because the ACLU are experts at assuming the burden of an insult that doesn’t exist. Get over it, guys. We’re all adults, here. It will all be okay, I promise.

By the way, there’s this really cool grassroots movement called Operation: Just Say “Merry Christmas.” It’s kind of nice to see someone taking a stand on this whole issue. Check out their website and support them if you’re so inclined:

http://www.operationjustsaymerrychristmas.com

Whomever may be reading this, permit me to be among the first to wish you a Merry Christmas.