Mark's Notebook


	If Jesus Christ were to come today, people would not even crucify him. They would ask him to dinner, and hear what he had to say, and make fun of him. - Thomas Carlyle

Blinkered by the 'Christian' in Christmas?

Christian Science Monitor

Monday 20 December 2004, 12:48 pm
Keywords: Christian Topics , News Articles

By Rondi Adamson

I read this month that some Macy's stores are removing their traditional "Merry Christmas" signs and replacing them with supposedly more inclusive greetings such as "Happy Holidays." The goal is noble, if not the methods. The idea that there is something exclusive about saying "Merry Christmas," is, of course, nonsense. I am an atheist, and it doesn't make me feel excluded.

The reason we have a Dec. 25 holiday is because of Christmas. It is not because of Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Eid (when the latter falls close to Christmas).

My Jewish sister-in-law finds it amusing that Hanukkah, a relatively small Jewish holiday, is better known to Christians than the more significant Passover and Yom Kippur, largely due to our quest for inclusivity.

We celebrate Christmas because modern North America has Christian foundations, regardless of the changing demographics. Denying history is condescending to non-Christians and assumes a fragility and a lack of understanding on their part.

You don't need to be a believer to enjoy it. But there is no reason believers shouldn't feel free to call it Christmas.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1217/p09s01-coop.html