It’s Christmas once again, and you know what that means; and no I don’t mean Santa.
It’s time again for the annual exercise in pointless debate, where narrow minds and righteous indignation take their yearly place amidst the tinsel and holly.
I’m speaking, of course, about the debate concerning the dirty word that pervades our hallowed halls of learning during this season. I’m talking about calling this wonderful time of year, this wonderful season of joy and happiness, etc., Christmas.
It surprises me to no end how vehement this debate gets every year. Anytime a public institution mentions the word “Christmas”, atheists cry bloody murder as if the government were suddenly replaced by the Pope. In response, religious folk cock their rhetorical shotguns as if humanity were taking a pot-shot at God himself.
The problem, as many social ills are, is rooted in the polarized nature of American culture these days. On the one hand, you have militant atheists who view religion as the ultimate childish farce, out to prevent any vestige of its clearly unreasonable logic from entering their country. On the other hand, you have fundamentalist Christians who “believe that the nation was founded on Christian principles” (translation: America should be Christian), and who picture atheists like orcs from Lord of the Rings.
Normally these people, on the fringes of the political spectrum, would be ignored for what they are; radicals out to make mountains out of mole-hills. Yet for some reason, as they seem to be doing a lot these days, these radicals are hogging the spotlight.
The simple fact is, there are two different Christmases that just so happen to occur at the same time. There’s the religious Christmas, the celebration of the birth of Jesus (the one with Baby Jesus and wise men and the candles). Then there’s the secular Christmas (the one with Santa and Frosty and presents and such). What was once a purely religious holiday has now evolved into two entirely separate phenomena.
Think about it. The last time I checked, Santa had nothing to do with Jesus. The last time I checked, you didn’t have to be a Christian to give presents to each other. And I don’t care what last year’s Reveille opinion columnist said, I don’t in any way connect a wreath to anything even remotely spiritual.
Even if you feel the need to make Christmas a religious thing, the simple fact is, in most cases, the whole thing is blown way out of proportion. In most cases that reach the papers, the debate isn’t over anything that is really an affront to free speech; it’s usually over the simple word Christmas. People get up in arms that a store advertises a “Christmas Sale”, instead of a “Holiday Sale”, or that LSU decided to call the colossal tree in front of the clock tower a “Christmas Tree”, instead of a “Holiday Tree,” or if somebody hangs a gigantic wreath from the Law Center.
Does it really matter whether it’s a “Christmas Tree” or a “Holiday Tree”? If you’re an atheist, is calling it a “Christmas Tree” like quoting the Bible? If you’re a Christian, is calling it a Holiday Tree like denouncing your faith?
In all honesty, it kind of saddens me to see this debate. In the universally accepted season of caring and giving and brotherhood, we bicker amongst each other about something trivial. On our own campus, we hear about accusations of infringement of basic rights over, ironically, something that the administration puts up as a symbol of our common love for each other.
Can’t we just once let it rest? Can’t we just once let it go, and sip eggnog together instead of fighting about minutia?
