War: On Christmas
A war on Christmas seems unlikely in a country dominated by Christians, the most vocal (and most powerful?) of which seem to think that their "way of life" is under threat. It makes me wonder if the love affair, replete with domestic violence and all the wonders of domesticity, between 'Merica and Christianity is newly vigorous or if it has been a long running business.
The rhetorical make up of the USA has been multiplicitous for a while, I suspect. With the left hand (the hand of the small sneaky blade), our nation has sold itself as a melting pot, a pluralism, or a multiethnic/racial place. With the right hand (the hand of justice and transparency), our nation has always been Christian in practice and discourse.
So, is the Christian dominance of our country new? No. Is the ironic and duplicitous Christian complaint of liminality new? Kind of. Religious freedom for religious exiles from Europe to 'Merica meant the freedom to be a weird (and often fundamentalist) Christian. I do not think it meant one was free not to be Christian. N. Hawthorne let us know about that. Correct me if I am wrong.
Are we facing a new attack on Christmas and Christianity wherein a completely Christian history of 'Merica is threatened by all those non-Christians? I think we are. Finally, non-Christians are taking up a voice of resistance to the double standards of religious freedom. Admittedly, the public sphere has been scrubbed somewhat clean of religious language in a number ways and places (schools, buildings, etc.).
What's the deal? Are we a Christian country or do we have religious freedom? Is it possible that both are true?
We are free to be Christian in as boring or crazy a way as we please. But, if we dare suggest that late December might be more about family than Jesus, beware.
We are fighting a war. And if you get caught, you will be an enemy combatant.
The rhetorical make up of the USA has been multiplicitous for a while, I suspect. With the left hand (the hand of the small sneaky blade), our nation has sold itself as a melting pot, a pluralism, or a multiethnic/racial place. With the right hand (the hand of justice and transparency), our nation has always been Christian in practice and discourse.
So, is the Christian dominance of our country new? No. Is the ironic and duplicitous Christian complaint of liminality new? Kind of. Religious freedom for religious exiles from Europe to 'Merica meant the freedom to be a weird (and often fundamentalist) Christian. I do not think it meant one was free not to be Christian. N. Hawthorne let us know about that. Correct me if I am wrong.
Are we facing a new attack on Christmas and Christianity wherein a completely Christian history of 'Merica is threatened by all those non-Christians? I think we are. Finally, non-Christians are taking up a voice of resistance to the double standards of religious freedom. Admittedly, the public sphere has been scrubbed somewhat clean of religious language in a number ways and places (schools, buildings, etc.).
What's the deal? Are we a Christian country or do we have religious freedom? Is it possible that both are true?
We are free to be Christian in as boring or crazy a way as we please. But, if we dare suggest that late December might be more about family than Jesus, beware.
We are fighting a war. And if you get caught, you will be an enemy combatant.
posted by Breathing at 2:34 PM
1 Comments:
Jesus Christ Chris!!
*pause to allow you to take in my whity/ironic opening line*
Seriously man. You take that "War on Christmass", klap-trap seriously? No way man... Fight "The Man", not his wars.
As you know, nearly every blood relative, (we calls it "ken"), I have lives in Texas, as you refer to as, "The Epicenter of The Evil Empire".
I've decided to attach an e-mail excange I had with a family fiend down in "our countrys neither regions", (a place I love and-laugh at).
I think it contains some poiniant perspective as well as some facts and a couple web site links to check out.
This war on Christmass crap is just another inch of the crow bar being used to pry the back off of the safe that is the basic trust between people with more in common than they were led to belive, and less, if anytihg, to fight about than they are told. Wherever there is conflict some one at some level is usually profiting. It's just a weak wedge issue being pushed hard to lift simple fat asses off of their waletts and separate fearful minds made lazy and expectant/entitled by the conditioning of consumerism, from the cash inside.
Please read. Tell me what you think.
Heather-
It was interesting talking with you about the separation of church and state the other evening. Your comment that the separation was never designed to protect the nonchristians but to allow people to practice "their particular kind of Christianity" was eye opening to me. Not that I agree, but I'm sure that's a popular view. It made me say a silent "wow" to hear what you had to say. It's amazing to me how differently we were taught. I respect that. You, raised as a preachers daughter in the south, and me quite literally growing up the son of a scientist in the North, all be it a scientist from Corpus Christy. Our country North and South, is really split and deeply wounded about issues of faith but the vast majority of us share a common belief. What the hell! *laugh* Sorry. A little joke.
In my view it's not at all necessary for those two ways to be in conflict or contradiction, and I'm encouraged that our country will realize that fact and those two general backgrounds or disciplines will learn to cooperate, compliment each other, and overcome the divisiveness of conniving political interests that intervene and tell us what "team" we are on, and pit Americans against one another. Although my father seems to personally worship ideas and knowledge he's not an atheist, and my beliefs are more similar to the rest of my family than his are. I guess that's why I find it so exasperating that there is this conflict in our country. Between evolutionists and creationists and those who want the separation of church and state to remain in law and those who don't.
In regard to the evolution/incompetent design debate, my Baptist Grannee always said that God and the Bible explains the why questions, and science answers the how questions. I don't think at the root there really is a conflict but those who have produced it: Pat Robertson, Jerry Fallwell, et al. and their predecessors, are most certainly profiting from it. Wherever there is conflict there is usually someone at some level profiting form the strife. The Middle East or here at home. It's a wedge issue designed to split people into groups that can be manipulated and drawn on for funds. And power…
As a person with a strong faith and a fascination with life, living things and the way our world and universe is put together, knowing how evolution works or how matter and energy relate to each other only inspires more awe at the miracle of creation for me. I believe in a creator. That's not incompatible with being curious about how it was done. Einstein said that: "You can choose to believe that everything is a miracle or that nothing is a miracle. I choose to believe that everything is a miracle." Even Pope John Paul II stated that the study of evolution is "Compatible With Faith", merely reiterating what Pope Pius XII had said during the time of Darwin's life.
See:
http://www.catholic.net/RCC/Periodicals/Dossier/0102-97/Article3.html
There are some scientists out there, I'm sure, who think they can explain everything without god, but from my point of view it is no threat to anyone's belief or teachings because regardless of their intentions they are only explaining everything about god. And why should they care as long is the data is god. *laugh*
As a person of faith that loves my country and is alarmed at how divisively certain powers are polarizing and "terrorizing" the country to form a split down the middle, it scares me to see the separation of church and state being eroded, apparently to the misguided pleasure of some devout. It is a constitutional protection designed to prevent exactly the kind of corruptions and looses of freedom that Christians, (and others), most fear. The most frustrating thing about it for me is how counterintuitive it all is. I mean this is the party that wants small government right? How small is our deficit? Don't like Tax and spend? How is Borrow, (from China), and spend better??? This is the party that wants government out of private lives but where do they get off funding faith-biased initiatives?
Here's the thing for me: It's like some guy said: " I love my Christianity, my local church community, and the wonderful sense of peace and connection with my awesome god that it gives me each and every day, but you know, it would really be so much better with a little big government corruption and the inevitable corporate meddling and underhanded cheating that I see in Washington."
Gahhh!!!
Anyways I looked into the facts on the nature of our government since so many people seem to think it's a Christian government and don't understand the protections and importance of a secular one. Some girl on the radio didn't even know that the constitution begins with: We the people... She thought it was something about god. Not mentioned in the constitution once by the way... So here's a quote:
"The government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion."
Written in article 11 of the 1797 Treaty of Tripoli and signed by then President John Adams.
Please check out these links: They are very definitive I think.
http://earlyamerica.com/review/summer97/secular.html
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/12/great_debate.html
I really seriously didn't mean to get into all this but you brought it up some how. Right?? I think so at least… *laugh* Thanks for getting me thinking. Hope the thoughts are welcome.
Best,
Aaron
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