Wednesday, November 25, 2009

"Politically Correct" Christmas's


"Mark, something in your post prompts me to share a little reader mail. That something is, “Interestingly, the two objectors in this story are Jewish and Muslim” — objectors to the banishment of Christmas, that is. In yesterday’s Impromptus, and in a Corner post, I stepped into the arena of “Merry Christmas” — the verbotenization of that phrase. I mentioned that I have a Jewish friend who works in a large Catholic organization — and he is the only one who gets away with saying “Merry Christmas.”

A reader who works at a textile company wrote,

A few years ago, our company received dozens of Christmas cards, and only five wished us a “Merry Christmas” instead of “Season’s Greetings” or some such. One card came from a Christian, two cards came from Jewish fabric brokers in New York City, and two cards came from Muslim fabric-mill owners in Pakistan.

Of course. Then there were e-mails like this:

As an Orthodox Jew, I find it unsurprising that your Jewish friend is the one who wishes co-workers a Merry Christmas. After all, we tend to be a religious people. . . . You will find that it is generally the non-observant — Jew and Christian alike — who protest Nativity scenes at a mall or other such places. Not to speak for all Orthodox Jews, but I don’t think it bothers us in the least. Nor do we need an electric-light Menorah put up next to a Nativity scene for equality.

For many of us, Christmas is a wonderful time of year. People seem to realize that there is more to the world than just themselves . . .

Etc., etc. We all know these tunes, but it’s nice to be reminded of them, and to sing them a bit once more."

---National Review

3 comments:

Katherine said...

A few years ago, our company received ...

If the card was received by the "company" I see no reason to wish it a "Merry Christmas." We don't baptize corporations. Yes, we do live in a strange society where an unborn baby is deemed not to be legally a person but an amalgamation of capital is.

Gregory Thaumaturgas said...

You're right. (sarcasm)

“Every man who knocks on the door of a brothel is looking for God.”
--GK Chesterton

Yes, we certainly don't baptize brothels! Yes, Yes! Let's not even mention the subject in Church! Neither should we mention abortion, nor should we mention..... etc.....

If we remove "Merry Christmas!" from December 25th, and replace it with "the time of the year Santa swoops down chimneys with bags of presents" things just will start going downhill.

As a side note, companies seem to feel free to wish Muslims a happy feast day. Why is it bad for Christians to be otherwise?

RICHFIELD, Minn. - A scanned version of the Best Buy Black Friday ad on BestBuy.com wishes Muslims a happy Eid al-Adha, which falls on the extended Thanksgiving weekend. (http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/best-buy-ad-eid-al-adha-black-friday-2009)

~G.T.

Katherine said...

If we remove "Merry Christmas!" from December 25th,...

I am moderately left of center on economic issues, but I am not a Marxist. I simply can't use the term "we" when refering to the action of private corporation (unless I happen to be a stockholder) as if corporations are a public good.

I wish my Christian friends a Merry Christmas as the day approaches. Nothing stops me from doing so and I have never heard any objection (and if you are wearing a rosary around your neck, be forwarned -- I am going to presume you are Christian).

Making demands on others is outside the bounds of what I understand to be civility and decency. I simply cannot understand telling someone else you must wish me a merry Christmas.