Fighting political correctness on Christmas

EDITORIAL

(December 26, Washington, Sri Lanka Guardian) “The Holiday Season” in the United States is a remarkable time of year. From October through December, a series of festival and holy days bring individuals, families, and communities together in a spirit of charity and consideration of others. Depending on your ethnic and religious persuasions, Halloween, or the Day of the Dead, honors the ancestors of each family or at the very least provides a night of fun in the community for children when they get to dress up as monsters, cowboys, princesses, or anything else they can imagine. Thanksgiving comes just a month later, bringing people together to remember all the reasons they have to be thankful; thankful for the food they’re enjoying, the people they’re enjoying it with, and for many, the blessings they perceive God to have bestowed upon them. At the same time, this holiday brings out the better nature of many people who sacrifice tirelessly to bring food, clothes, and other creature comforts to the less fortunate, so that as many people as possible have some reason to give thanks.

Then finally, there is Christmas, and it is the biggest holiday of them all. The Jewish minority enjoys Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights around the same time, but for most Americans, Christmas is a time to celebrate with family, presents and traditions that if we ever stopped to think about them, seem totally insane. It has become totally rational to drag a pine tree into our homes, hang colored glass from the branches, and sting out light bulbs across the yard, roof, and nearby trees, in the hope that an exceedingly happy fat man, flying around with reindeer will sneak into your home at night and leave you presents in exchange for baked goods and dairy. I have purposely chosen not to investigate the historical source of these bizarre traditions because knowing how it all came about take would away some of the wonder I have for the holiday that has more unusual and entertaining traditions than any other day of the year.

Now, of course, I haven’t yet mentioned the real purpose of Christmas. For the largest religious body, not just in America, but in the whole world, Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the son of God, who would die to create a new covenant between humanity and the Almighty. As an Agnostic, I have only ever enjoyed the secular festivities, but I cannot help but see the effect this religious celebration has on American communities. I am greatly touched, as much as a religious outsider can be by the abundance of faith visible on Christmas, and even more by the spike in charity that the Christmas Spirit instills in people. While many charities are secular and are even driven by businesses to make their brand names more visible to consumers, religious bodies also organize large charity campaigns all year round that prepare for the Christmas season. Churches often provide free Christmas dinners to the poor, presents for less fortunate children, clothes and blankets for unfortunate families, and often turn gatherings of the most unfortunate members of the community into a grand celebration. Despite my lack of faith, I am thankful that American communities can benefit during the holidays from the kindness encouraged by these faith-based charities.

For the past several years, though, there has been an unfortunate trend in the United States called “Political Correctness” that is especially visible during Christmas time. A combination of fringe minorities, within many minority groups, and many more people who hope to capitalize on a social, political, crusade have campaigned to, among other things, take religion out of Christmas. Fearful of losing money and votes from non-Christians, many businesses, news channels, papers, and politicians no longer wish you a merry Christmas, but now say, “Happy holidays” or “Season’s greetings.” Towns often face lawsuits if they dare have a nativity on public land, such as in front of a school or courthouse, with exploitive lawyers eager to claim that it is tantamount to government endorsement of a religion. It seems that there is even an irrational fear among many people that just by wishing a neighbor merry Christmas, it may become a religious insult if that neighbor turns out to be a non-Christian. In the words of my great-grandmother, that’s just a bunch of hokum.

While by the time this is published so anyone can see it, Christmas will be nearly over, I urge all Americans and people around the world to greet others however you want to greet them. If you were raised to celebrate Christmas and enjoy going to church on Christmas Day, don’t you dare feel afraid to wish your Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or Atheist neighbors a merry Christmas. If they are anything close to decent people, and you can bet they almost always are, they will take your warm greeting in the spirit it was given. If you are unfortunate enough to run into a rare breed of person with a perpetual chip on their shoulder, stand up for your principles of kindness and community closeness. Do not apologize, for you have nothing to apologize for. They can be miserable and obstinate all by themselves. If you are a member of a local or state government, stand up for this important aspect of American culture that goes far beyond religion and keep nativities in the town centers. The founders absolutely believed in the separation of Church and State, but never intended for all aspects of religion to be removed from public life. The Communist nations trapped behind the Iron Curtain adhered to such a doctrine and their people suffered for it. It is part of America’s culture and heritage and should be defended wherever it is threatened. If in turn, you are greeted with a wish for a happy Hanukkah, would you ever be so condescending and bigoted as to reject their kindness because they wished it from the wrong faith? I trust in the goodness of the general public to know this by heart, but I suppose this is my own short protest against the senselessness that is political correctness. Honor your culture and heritage, whatever it is, and do not hide it, wherever you go. Live by your principles and live contently. I haven’t believed in Santa Claus since I was a small child, I celebrate the holidays through extravagant consumerism and good times with my family, and I am a godless heathen, but I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas.

(The Editorial authorized by Eric Bailey of Sri Lanka Guardian, based in Washington DC. He can be reached at eric@srilankaguardian.org )