Perspectives
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Christmas is about Christ
ommunicator Spokane Falls Community College
The holiday season is upon us once again. For some the crisp, frosty weather and the smell of fireplaces blazing brings a sense of cozy nostalgia arousing memories of family holiday traditions. For others, there is a sense of frenzy and excitement as the proverbial boots are laced and armor is adorned in preparation for yet another season of combat holiday shopping. Then there are those who grit their teeth as the wave of nausea overcomes them the first time they hear “Jingle Bells” playing in the grocery store while Halloween candy is on the shelves. The Communicator staff decided to celebrate the season by taking a look at different perspectives on whether traditional language or a more all-inclusive approach is appropriate outside private family gatherings.
Christmas is not immune to constitutional rights Some folks argue that the United States is a Christian nation, and many become offended when Christmas is not celebrated publicly. My colSarah league argues that Dyer in America, 93 percent of people celebrate Christmas and 78 percent are Christians, which leaves 7 percent of the American population that neither celebrates Christmas secularly or religiously. That might seem like a small number until you realize that the 7 percent of the US population that doesn’t celebrate Christmas; that equates to just over 22,000,000. So the question is how do we as a society want to treat the non-Christian minority and still appease the Christian majority? The obnoxious phrase “War on Christmas” began be bandied about by politicos and media outlets, including Fox News and The Washington Post, in the late 20th century and has been used as a standard by conservative Christians ever since. This “War” is not against Christmas or against Christianity. The “War” is being waged by people who are tired of being forced to publicly celebrate Christmas and who believe that the government and government-funded institutions can’t force a religious celebration on its citizens. The First Amendment reads “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...” For the protection of all, the founding fathers of the United States decided that the government
has no role in celebrating, funding or endorsing any specific holiday. The hottest battleground in the fight to secularize government funded institutions has always been the public school system. Christian parents become angry when schools hold “holiday” pageants in lieu of Christmas concerts, cut religious Christmas carols from the program or change what they consider to be the “true” meaning of Christmas. Secularists argue that non-Christian children shouldn’t be forced to participate in Christmas activities with religious overtones. The secularists are right. The First Amendment directly protects the rights of the individual over the government, which includes government funded institutions like public schools. If Christian parents want their children to participate in religious celebrations of holidays then they can and should consider enrolling them in religious, private schools. The reason Americans call the period between Thanksgiving Day and New Year’s Eve the “holiday season” is obvious. In chronological order, there is: Thanksgiving, Ashura, Bodhi Day, Chanukah, Santa Lucia Day, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, and Omisoka. Every one of these is celebrated in late November and December. What do Christians expect from these other holidays, these other religions? They expect those ones to be ignored, and theirs to be painted on everything in sight for three months a year. Let’s take the middle ground, and not celebrate any of them in schools and malls. Keep your religion (or lack thereof) personal, private and at home where it belongs.
Jennifer Bridges | Editor
These are the top 15 religions in the U.S.: Christianity Secular Judiasim Islam Buddhism Agnostic Atheist Hinduism Unitarian Wiccan/ Pagan Spiritualist NativeAmerican Baha’i New Age Scientology
Hey... its been a while... We would like to hear from you, the student body, we need your opinion.
Conner Knuckols
Christmas pisses non Christians off because it acknowledges the birth of Jesus Christ. Since the U.S. has no official religion, the government feels the need to respect the religious views of all
religions. I do feel we should respect people’s religious views, but seriously, Christmas isn’t even religious anymore! The holiday is now being overshadowed by the commercialism. Black friday is the start of all the commercialism during the holidays. People all over rush to the front doors of stores at midnight, just to make sure they get the perfect gifts for their family and friends. I don’t think there is anything religious about buying presents for your loved ones. Christmas music is the most annoying of all the commercialism. The day right after Thanksgiving, the radio stations are already in full force blaring Christmas tunes. For one month you here the same tunes over and over. Then there are the Christmas decorations. Take a walk through Coeur d’Alene at night. Christmas lights galore! Walk around your neighborhood. 100 bucks says you will find a house covered in lights, santa and frosty blow ups on the lawn, christmas light reindeer, fake snow, and wreath on the door. Take a drive down 1-90 at night.
All the farmers put up giant christmas light signs. The decorations don’t stop outside the house. Inside houses you will most likely find stockings, a christmas tree, with ornaments and lights on it, poinsettias, nutcrackers and maybe even a mistletoe. Even the food is becoming commercialized. Christmas cookies of snowflakes, snowmen,reindeer and trees. Oh and lets not forget gingerbread houses with gingerbread families. According to the Gallup.com, It is estimated that 93 percent of people in America celebrate Christmas. They are free to not celebrate whatever they want, but honestly what is more American than Christmas. America was built on other cultures. So was Christmas. The traditions that we enjoy at Christmas today were invented by blending together customs from many different countries. The famous Christmas tree is influenced by the Germans, the mistletoe influenced by Scandinavians, the wreath came from the Irish, the stockings came from Belgium and the Netherlands, and the iconic figure Santa Claus came from the Dutch who created him in the image of St.Nicholas who was Greek. America was formed by immigrants from other countries, and a modern American Christmas was created by the traditions of other countries. So to all the non believers, don’t think of Christmas as a religious holiday, think of it as an American holiday full of culture, history and commercialism.
Student Beat: What do you think?
Holiday shopping: Early or Last Minute? I just shop whenever there’s good deals and stock up. I also like to do Black Friday. - Christina Clark SFCC Student
I go last minute. I haven’t gone shopping on Black Friday for a few years but I have before. -Corey O’Connor SFCC Student
I go to Walmart when they have the dollar aisles and I grab a whole bunch of dollar items and put them in little gift baskets and for certain people I make homemade cookies. -Kelsey Goble SFCC Student
A little bit of both. It depends on who they are and what they want. I don’t like Black Friday it sounds racist. -Amorah Loddy SFCC Student
Did You Know?: The word “Christmas” means “Mass of Christ”, later shortened to “Christ-Mass”. Source: http://didyouknow.org/christmas
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