Politicizing Christmas: The Imaginary War

Bill O'Reilly, the famous Fox News host of the O'Reilly Factor, says the "War on Christmas" is part of a "secular progressive agenda" that includes "legalization of narcotics, euthanasia, abortion at will, and gay marriage". Last year,he heldan online poll asking if you would shop at a department store that doesn't greet you with "Merry Christmas," but instead "Happy Holidays". John Gibson has an entire book on the subject and made it a central part of his show, "The Big Story" on Fox News Channel. Why is FNC so obsessed with this topic?

For one thing, it's not real news.But more importantly it paints liberals as anti-tradition, makes Christians look like victims and keeps the focus away from things we should be paying attention to. What is wrong with saying "Happy Holidays" anyway? It means "Happy Holy Days", after all. The answeris absolutely nothing. Bill O'Reilly and his ilk couldn't care less, because their goal is to stir up anti-liberal sentiment whenever possible by giving the impression that liberals want to destroy American tradition.

First of all, if conservative Christian Americans cared so much about their most sacred observance it wouldn't be what it is today: a commercial holiday, where people frantically hit the department stores and malls to spend money on things that really don't matter. They stress and feel the pressureallmonth for just a few hours of watching their kidsfeverishly tear up gift wrap, smile, and move on to the next nicely wrapped package under the tree. Speaking of the Christmas tree, the most recognized symbol of the holiday, it is rooted in pagan tradition.