For around 25 years, we’ve been told there’s a “War on Christmas.” Supposedly, people aren’t allowed to say “Merry Christmas” anymore, and things like “Christmas bonuses” and “Christmas vacation” had to be rebranded to say “holiday.” For a while, I subscribed to the same concern. But in recent years, especially with the turn in our political climate, I can now see the real “War on Christmas.”
To explain, let me tell you what this non-Christian finds so wonderful about Christmas.
Christmas encourages us to express the best of our humanity. We are generous and appreciative. We sing and dance with abandon. We gather together with family and friends. We indulge in foods that are only available this time of year. And there is the story of a poor carpenter and his unexpectedly pregnant wife who are forced to go to a distant city and stay in a stable. That’s where they give birth to a baby boy whose message of compassion inspired the world. Christmas offers a spirit of joy that welcomes everyone. I never felt I had to give up my faith to troll the ancient Yuletide carol. The lights of my menorah joined the lights of the Christmas tree.
Who could say “Bah, humbug” to that?
Ten years ago, Kirk Cameron (the pain in Growing Pains) came out with a movie, Saving Christmas. Who was he trying to save it from? As it turns out, other Christians. The movie was about Kirk arguing with a character named (of all things) Christian to prove all the dogmatic aspects behind the holiday. But part of his lecture includes what he feels is the “reason for the season,” materialism:
And don’t buy into the complaint about materialism during Christmas. Sure, don’t max out your credit cards or use presents to buy friends, but remember, this is a celebration of the eternal God taking on a MATERIAL body. So, it’s right that our holiday is marked with material things.
No generosity. No appreciation. No joy. Just buy yourself a new 85″ 4K UHD OLED TV. It’s what God would’ve wanted.
That’s not the most disturbing part of the push by Cameron and other Christian nationalists. They don’t just want to put the “Christ in Christmas.” They want to push everyone else out. “Merry Christmas” ceases to be an invitation to celebrate, but a demand for obedience. For them, there is no room in the inn for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday. It’s Christmas and Christmas only.
And what a grim Christmas it would be. It would be about getting instead of giving. If material goods are the sign of God’s favor, the more you get, the more God favors you, right? Christmas would become a competition of who is more devout and who follows the liturgy precisely. And don’t you dare put in anything secular. No “Jingle Bells” or Santa. Christmas is all about showing who’s the most Christian. There’s no room for joy. Or Jesus.
The great irony of the “put the Christ back in Christmas” crowd, is they’re kicking Christ out. The Jesus who healed the sick while they let miscarrying women bleed out in parking lots. The Jesus who preached to tax collectors and prostitutes while they hate anyone who’s not a white heterosexual Christian. The Jesus who cautioned, “Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15) Meanwhile, they worship billionaires who want to strip people of their Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
These aren’t the complaints of someone from the outside looking in. On TikTok, I’ve listened to the testimonies of numerous ex-evangelicals. These people love Jesus and know the Bible, but their experiences with the church were the opposite of what Jesus taught.
The true “War on Christmas” is being waged by Christians against Christianity. It robs the holiday and the faith of the generosity, compassion, and joy at its core. Those of us who want to live in a just and humane world need to support those who want to save the real spirit of Christmas. We need to help preserve the message of hope, welcoming, and generosity expressed in the words, “Merry Christmas.”
