Sunday, December 23, 2007

War on Christmas: Who Won?

In the past couple years, the War on Christmas has been a big topic in major news media. The O'Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes, and other prime-time talk show hosts have all had something to say about the dilemma. But now it seems that heated discussion of the War on Christmas has fallen into the backdrop of the scheme of things, and is virtually non-existent in discussions today.

But I think one big question still stands about the whole thing... Who won the War on Christmas?

A brief outline of what this war was and is all about: The War on Christmas was basically whether or not major corporations would include the words "Merry Christmas" in their T.V. advertising and billboards. Merry Christmas had become unacceptable in the eyes of many Democratic Congress People, as they felt it was an infringement on the 'Seperation of Church and State' ammendment. Nativity Scenes, words Merry Christmas, and any reference to Jesus Christ were all considered taboo and were most promptly banned, and most corporations fell into suit as they were afraid of law suits and the like.

Bill O'Reilly was an active campaigner to bring the words Merry Christmas and Nativity Scenes back into public light. O'Reilly stressed the importance of the reason for the season, and his voice and his viewers made a huge impact just a year ago. Major corporations brought back Merry Christmas into their commercials and bill boards, and Nativity Scenes were not so taboo anymore. Why? For one, many businesses were experiencing new lows in their Holiday sales due to the backlash of their ill chosen choices. Two, many people began to speak out about wanting to see Nativity Scenes brought back to the public squares. It seemed as if the War on Christmas truly was won ...

But the sad part is that it seems we are back to square one.

Today, in commercials, you don't hear Merry Christmas. Every Wal-Mart commercial I've seen, tries to further a specific product or brand, and does not mention Christmas at all. Lowe's isnt saying Merry Christmas, the same for Sam's Club, Sears, and the list goes on.

What happened? It seems that everyone is trying to straddle fences and cater to the masses, once again we see the real reason for the season being tossed aside and not given a second notice. We have fallen into complacency, and put the money as first place... What a dangerous complacency that is. This isn't a battle we can afford to lose.

It looks as if the War on Christmas has erupted again, but there is a silence among the people against it. You never hear the news media talking about it much anymore, you don't hear of people speaking out, wanting Merry Christmas to be said.

So today, to any and all readers of Conservatives United, I urge you even at this late date to speak out and say something to the major corporations. Write letters, make phone calls, speak out to the major suppliers that it's not all about the superficial products that we buy that makes Christmas, but it's our Risen Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

The one who came as a baby in swaddling clothes, and was born in the lowliest of places. The one that came and bore the weight of the world, and bled, suffered, and died on a tree to take the weight of our sins to give us a chance at Eternal Life. The Ultimate display of human love, the Ultimate reason for Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone. I pray the Lord will bless you this Christmas, and you can enjoy a time to forget the fast pace of life and spend a few moments of contemplation of the greatest gifts we have this time of year, family, friends, and most of all a Risen Saviour. And please, never forget that He is the reason for the season.

-Lucas-

4 comments:

  1. Lucas,

    You actually buy into this War on Christmas nonsense? It's just another way for O'Reilly to boast and brag about how important the ego-driven jerk is when in reality, his rantings and his opinions are about as valuable or as significant as a pile of horse manure.

    And so what if K-Mart and Sam's Club don't have huge banners that say 'Merry Christmas!'? It's the manager's store, it's their choice if they want to say Merry Christmas or not.

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  2. It's the manager's store, it's their choice if they want to say Merry Christmas or not.

    That's where you forget, Jonathan!

    Christmas isn't about the stores, it's about the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thus, the stores should be more than happy to put up a banner that says, simply, Merry Christmas!

    ~ Jeremiah

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  3. Christmas isn't about the stores, it's about the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, thus, the stores should be more than happy to put up a banner that says, simply, Merry Christmas!

    This is where you forget, Jeremiah: it's the store's choice whether or not to say Merry Christmas. They don't have to it the manager doesn't want to.

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  4. Jonathan,

    First off, no I don't buy into the War on Christmas, I know it to be sound fact. Every event that O'Reilly, et al. reported on was the absolute truth. The cases he cited were actual events that happened. And these events were threats against Jesus Christ.

    No Jonathan, I don't buy into anything... The only thing I ever bought into was a card bet in the tenth grade, and I lost five dollars then, once burnt a lesson learnt I guess...

    Now to touch on another point. You actually think that managers for Sam's, Wal-Mart, Sears, et al. own the stores that they govern? Let me fill you in on how the chain of command works in retail outlets.

    I work for Wal-Mart, and no manager be it the head man or the co-people under him, can put up anything unless Home Office (the big dogs) tell them to. They tell them what to put up, when to put it up, how long it stays up, and when to take it down. No manager has any jurisdiction over the signing that is at his/her store. Now albeit it would be a good gesture if some of the managers took the gumption to go against the grain and actually put up such a sign, I can guarantee you that if Home Office found out about it, and nine times out of ten they would, then said manager would be disbanded from his/her duties and given a one way ticket out of the company.

    So no, I don't blame the managers at your major retail outlets, I blame the brains behind them. It's the rich, high paid CEO's that call the shots, and they could care less about Jesus Christ. They think their money is going to take them through life and ease any and all woes that might come their way. They are possessed with 'The Almighty Dollar' and that's a fact boy.

    Secondly, I blame complacent people, ones who ignore things such as this. Who feel that as long as they 'keep Christmas in their own way' it doesn't matter what anyone else does. Almost a Scrooge mentality if you will. They feel if the fire isn't nipping at their door there is no use to try and go against it. But it's that kind of attitude that gets a lot of people burnt in the long run.

    No Jonathan, unlike you from the way it sounds, I tend to think about my actions a lot more the older I get. I've had to go through a few sessions in the School of Hard-Knocks, but I believe I'm a better person for it.

    In closing I'll leave you with a quote that my sixth grade teacher told me a lot during math sessions...

    'Plug in brain before opening mouth.'

    -Lucas-

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