The Reason For The Season

During this morning's commute to work, the local pop radio station played an interview taped yesterday between the morning show's program director and one Robert Marley who, along with his brother Kevin, is staging a campaign to "save Christmas." His beef? That while retail stores all across the country take advantage of December holidays to peddle their wares, many of them are refusing to acknowlege that people purchase those products to commemorate a religious event, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. "Merry Christmas," "Happy Hanukkah," and "Happy Kwanzaa" have been replaced with a generic "Happy Holidays," substituting a religious sentiment with a secular one to promote an increased level of commercialism. He reports some employers have even threatened their staff with termination if such greetings are uttered in their stores.

Robert Marley believes our country is under the attack of a secular progressive movement, a movement that is slowly eliminating any traces of religion--particularly Christianity--from our everyday lives. No prayer in school; no "Merry Christmas" displays in stores that nonetheless deck their halls with red and green decor, pine trees, and images of a jolly fat man whose original roots can be traced back to a Catholic saint. They don't support Christmas, but they have no problems using Christmas paraphernalia to make a profit. These thoughts and more are posted on his Web site.

However, the program director also posed some tasty food for thought as he argued for the plight of the retailer, pointing out it's not Corporate America's job to promote any religious denomination. In his eyes, attacking a secular money-making powerhouse for not promoting religious ideals is the same as yelling at a dog for not pissing in the litterbox. (Or something a little more eloquent.) He also said those religious groups have allowed their holidays to be taken over by mass consumerism, and if Robert Marley wants to fight for anything, it should be removing the gift-giving component associated with these events altogether.

Though I agree that businesses often exploit religious beliefs for financial gain, I find myself aligning more closely with the program director's stance. Maxing out credit cards and waiting outside Super Target at three o'clock in the morning to get a copy of The Notebook for five dollars doesn't and shouldn't encapsulate what the holiday season is all about, and whether or not an employee says "Merry Christmas" as you exit the premesis with a plasma TV in tow is the least of our worries. The world, our country, our cities and towns have homeless people. Hungry people. Abused and neglected people. Developmentally and educationally challenged people. (And many of them are children.) The idea of adopting a project to save a seasonal salutation when there are clearly a number of more significant issues to take on in Jesus's name is laughable. It's as if Marley believes those words are the only means of expression Christians have at their disposal. He's forgetting that when it comes to religion and morality, actions speak louder than words. They will know we are Christians by our love (by our love!), not the greeting we choose to use one month out of the year.

What do you think?

Comments

[Katie]

I totally agree with you. People who are concerned about the desecularization of Christmas in regards to companies are worried about exactly the wrong thing - I mean, of course businesses are going to try to make money off of Christmas, and we (American consumers) would be furious if they didn't. I actually wrote an entry about this a couple of weeks ago, here (http://pedanticmusings.blogspot.com/2006/11/i-hate-people-who-hate-people-for-being.html).

Also, it just doesn't seem consistent with the spirit of holiday giving to be angry at other people's holiday traditions. I mean, does it really hurt you if there's a menorah in a public area? (With government, I don't even think there's a question that it shouldn't be in the business of promoting specific religions, but that's a related but separate question.) Can you not get that your holiday is included if a business says "Happy Holidays"? It just seems mind-boggling and somewhat fabricated by the media to get upset about such things.

[Judy]

i agree with you, frema. whatever holiday you celebrate, christmas, kwanzaa, hanukah, etc., the season should be more about family, love for others, and the magic that love can bring. i know i'm a HUGE idealist and have a romantic spot, but i do still believe in the magic of christmas (or any holiday). i'm very active in my local chapter of the Jaycees, and we run a christmas program that, in a nutshell, helps provide Christmas to the children of needy families in my county. we provide the children with clothes, books, toys, bikes; something to let them know that others DO care (and sometimes the family likes to let the kids believe it really is Santa's doing). for the families we provide food and other items they may need. it's such a rewarding project and i love doing it every year. it's a lot of hard work (raising money, wrapping gifts, many MANY trips to Wal-Mart) and you have your few bad apples... but the majority of the people are so incredibly thankful for the help and usually cry over it all. i would much rather spend my time helping with this project than fussing over holiday shoppers and retail stores. and, frankly, that's what the holidays are supposed to be about, i think.

[Marriage-101]

I agree. There are bigger issues at hand that need addressing.

By the way, I am one of those people who stood outside Target for over an hour and I did in fact buy the Notebook for $4, but I know that's not what Christmas is all about. At least, not that aspect. You see, when I was standing there, waiting, I was with my mom and for us, that was "bonding time" since she lives so far away. It didn't matter if left with a plasma TV or with just a couple of packs of Christmas cards. What mattered was this was "our time". Although I'm thinking we should start a new tradition because 4:30am to hang out with mom? There's got to be a better time than that.

[Audrey]

I agree with you and the program director. Non-religious stores have the right to use whatever holiday greeting they want, and if they choose to use an all-inclusive holiday greeting so as not to alienate their customers of differing faiths, that just seems like better business practice to me.

I wrote about this same issue last year, although the tone of my post is less level-headed and well-written and more I'm-so-f---ing-annoyed-with-this. http://www.sangrialover.com/?p=162

[Audrey]

Also -- holy crap, Frema! 11:59? You got that up just in the nick of time!

[PaintingChef]

I've always said "Happy Holidays", I think because its just easier. I don't want to assume I know which, if any, holiday people celebrate this time of year and so why put myself in a potentially awkward situation. I think people are just kind of looking for something to argue about with the whole holiday greeting thing. Its people like this Robert Marley who are fostering my continued and growing frustration with religion and the people who, instead of allowing religion to be a personal decision by which they choose to live their OWN lives are trying to force their chosen path as the ONLY way to do it on everyone who happens to gravitate within a 10 mile radius of them. Like you said, let your actions speak for you, I think you're right on the money Frema...

ugh... soapbox, sorry!

[Angela]

Hmmm... I have a lot to say about this, and I can't really fully express myself in a little comment box. Sounds like a future writing topic for me when I've got writers block ;)

However, I will say that if anyone takes presents out of the Christmas equation, I will be a very sad girl!

[VirginiaGal]

I don't really care what "holiday" I am wished happiness with, but it's very nice to be wished any sort of happiness (like Notting Hill - in the scene where Hugh Grant's character realizes he's been a dumbass to regect the chance of someone wanting to be with him) and have it truely meant vs. something an employee has to say because of company policy (even at the end of 12-hr shift and they have to pee and are tired and their kid is sick, and they don't have money for med's because they are in a crappy low paying job and everything goes to rent for their crappy apartment, utilities, and then food, well you get the point) and it comes out mumbled without eyecontact. Just don't bother - thank me for visiting your store instead, at least you can do that with some truth. (and yes, I am thinking of people who work at Wal-Mart who probably fall under the guidelines of the program Judy volunteers with).

That said, I totally agree with PaintingChef on the religion thing - and happen to think that if everyone in the world with religious beliefs could keep from trying to force their beliefs on everyone else, the world would be a much, much better place.

Happy whatever everyone, and here's a toast to a very merry, happy, joyous celebration of whatever you believe in celebrating at this time of year, or to not celebrating and hiding in a cave if that's what makes you happiest. "Clink".

BTW, delurking to offer my two cents (or more) on this oh so controversial topic & sorry for so many parenthesis.

[Dawnie]

I totally agree with you and the program director. There are far, far bigger issues to be dealt with than whether or not someone greets me with "Happy Holidays" or "Merry Christmas" or "Joyous Festivus" or whatnot. These people need to get a grip and some perspective.

[mhutchinson]

VERY eloquently put. I also happen to agree with you.

[mjd]

I think that Frema is a very smart person!!!

[Lindsey]

I concur!

[um Ibrahim]

I happened to hear a repeat of the show at 12:30 am. Personally I don't celebrate Christmas as a day of birth for any particular prophet. I celebrate it as a way to show the people I love how much I care about them. This means spending time with family, sharing a meal and even sharing wealth through gift giving. If I am greeted with Happy Holiday or Merry Christmas the sentament for me is the same. I smile and reply in kind.