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More Holiday Protests for the Baby Jesus

THURSDAY DECEMBER 23 2004 5:00 AM

Submitted by Christopher. Edited By Christopher.

Following a story in the New York Times about the growing political wave of “moral values” behind Christians promoting Christmas, a slew of other Christian organizations have organized protests that attempt to return the true meaning of Christmas to all heathens who max out their credit cards, sing songs about Christmas trees instead of the Baby Jesus, and those that spell the holiday “x-mas.”

From New Jersey to California, Christians are moving to counter years of lawsuits that have made governments wary about putting Nativity scenes on public property, and that occasionally have led schools to drop Christmas carols from holiday programs:

• In Bay Harbor Islands, Fla., a Christian sued in federal court after town officials refused to let her erect a Nativity scene next to a menorah, or Hanukkah candelabra, on a causeway. Last week, a judge ordered the town to comply.

• In Maplewood, N.J., parents and students recently petitioned the local school board after school officials dropped even instrumental versions of Christmas music from class programs.

• In Denver, a Protestant church responded to the city's decision to drop "Merry Christmas" from public signs by trying to enter a Christmas-themed float in the holiday parade. Supporters picketed the parade and sang Christmas carols after the float was rejected.

• In California, a group called the Committee to Save Merry Christmas is boycotting Federated Department Stores. The group claims that Federated's affiliates, including Macy's, prohibit clerks from saying "Merry Christmas" and ban the word "Christmas" from ads and store displays. The retail giant says it has no such policy.

Even Kwanzaa, the African-American harvest celebration, has taken a hit. In Los Angeles, the Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson, a conservative black activist, has urged black Christians to spurn Kwanzaa, which he calls a "pagan holiday."

Like Easter.

Julie West is tired of being wished "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." She's annoyed with department stores that use "Season's Greetings" banners, and with public schools that teach about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa but won't touch the Nativity story.

So last week, she sent a baked protest to a holiday party at her first-grade son's school: a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and red icing that spelled out "Happy Birthday Jesus."

Did she get this idea from Full Metal Jacket?

46 Comments

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Testm0nkey

I'm lost

March 2004

DEC 23, 2004 05:06 AM

i completely forget where but in the past a local strip club has raised lots of toys for the childrens shelter. they have now been banned from giving those toys they received this year to the shelter because people have complained.

little side notes that make it a bit different: last year it turned into a media spectacle when the strippers arrived in a limo to present the presents
the mayor i believe it was received lots of calls how it was a bad thing not to have the ban and also its terrible he is banning them. but he isnt lifting the ban this year at least

like everything, compromise. let them donate except keep it charitable not a spectacle. the one day schools talk about kwanzaa and hanukkah let them talk about christmas too. theres nothing wrong with saying happy holidays. if that makes you upset then maybe youd understand how saying merry christmas may upset a druid or what have you.
buddhism has a part in here somewhere but they have never been ones to complain
HIYO

germ13

United Kingdom

September 2003

DEC 23, 2004 05:30 AM

Buddhism says just like there are different fingers on your hand there are different religions in the race of men.

jake_lex

Lexington, KY

February 2003

DEC 23, 2004 05:33 AM

Did she get this idea from Full Metal Jacket?

She probably can't wait for the magic show. :p

Seriously, this has nothing to do with "compromise" at all. The right-wing Christian fundie-fascists want Christmas made a fully, and completely, Christian holiday, and want no mention of other holidays, or any admission that there are other holidays going on at this time. Their definition of religious freedom is that they should be free to force the rest of us to be Christians.

I thnk we should really piss them off and just say "Happy Yule!"

randomcharacters

I'm lost

August 2004

DEC 23, 2004 05:49 AM

once again...40 or so christians making the other 200 million look like assholes...

DarthLunchBox

Fayetteville, NC

December 2003

DEC 23, 2004 05:58 AM

jake_lex said:

I thnk we should really piss them off and just say "Happy Yule!"

OHHHH! I like this idea! You know, I work retail, and you do, you've got another holiday going on at this time. I'm sorry I don't recognize kwanaza (which I will probably get alot of flack for). Though, you're right, you don't want to wish someone Merry Christmas, because for example, one of my really really good friends is from North Africa, and she's Muslim. Muslims don't celebrate christmas as in the commercialized side of it, with the tree and stuff. Infact in talking with her, they don't even exchange gifts.

I say Happy Holidays at work, not Merry Christmas. I've had several customers complain, but I tell them, there is another religions holiday going on, and it's 8 CRAZY NIGHTS of gifts. For me the holidays also include the calender New Year.

I'mma just shut up on this topic because I could go off on things. Both on the christian side of it trying to force it down peoples throats, and also on the non-christians, being pissy about the whole Christians trying to put Christ back into Christmas.

revpjack

Putnam, CT

September 2004

DEC 23, 2004 06:09 AM

I think we should counter the "put Christ back in Christmas" people with "Put the X back in X-Mas" with a picture of the band X, or Malcolm X, or Professor X.

imu

Cleveland, OH

November 2004

DEC 23, 2004 06:13 AM

How would these people feel if places like sears and JC Penney's put up Happy Kwanza, Ramadahn (probably mispelled) or Hanukkah. I hate to tell these people from a legal stand point Christmas has never been viewed as a religious holiday by the government....why.....because the constitution clearly says that the Federal Government can not recognize any particular religion. What is even more irritating to me is you have these right winged fanatics claiming their the minorities, (and like I said it's not Christians over all it's the fanatics). Why don't we just give it up and call it Ramwanzachrismukkah and have the entire month of december as a paid holiday and a gift given every day.

stuzzy

Seattle, WA

June 2004

DEC 23, 2004 06:25 AM

screw jesus

Fleur

SUICIDEGIRL

I'm lost

DEC 23, 2004 06:27 AM

I sing happy birthday to Jesus every Xmas

hermetica

Cook Islands

January 2004

DEC 23, 2004 06:33 AM

imu said:
How would these people feel if places like sears and JC Penney's put up Happy Kwanza, Ramadahn (probably mispelled) or Hanukkah. I hate to tell these people from a legal stand point Christmas has never been viewed as a religious holiday by the government....why.....because the constitution clearly says that the Federal Government can not recognize any particular religion. What is even more irritating to me is you have these right winged fanatics claiming their the minorities, (and like I said it's not Christians over all it's the fanatics). Why don't we just give it up and call it Ramwanzachrismukkah and have the entire month of december as a paid holiday and a gift given every day.

I prefer 'Kwanyuleramhanumas' myself...

manual

Canada

November 2004

DEC 23, 2004 06:50 AM

Well, I guess the born-agains need something to do, because all the poor have been fed, naked have been clothed, etc.

But it's impossible to completely take one side on this sort of nonsense. The rabidly religious and the rabidly non-religious don't even remember why they fight anymore, they just like to piss the other side off. They're very existence depends on it, they need each other.

For the rabidly religigious the easiest way to feel 'holy' is to oppose the 'unholy', and for the rabidly non religious, the easiest way to feel 'tolerant' is to oppose the 'intolorant'. yin and yang...

semyaza

Wildomar, CA

December 2004

DEC 23, 2004 08:03 AM

I'm sorry, but I've become a rather miltant anti-fundamentalist person lately.

I like the 'Happy Yule" idea a LOT! However I'd like to say one thing to the fundamentalist Christian community out there:

Fuck you.

I know...not particularly intelligent or persuasive. But it makes me feel good! LOL

jake_lex

Lexington, KY

February 2003

DEC 23, 2004 08:08 AM

The thing that amuses me most about this is that the conservatives are using stories to prove he "anti-Christmas jihad" (to use Bill O'Reilly's phrase) that are completely bullshit. A common story that shows up a lot is that Federated Stores has issued a company policy banning employees from saying "Merry Christmas." That's bullshit. There is no such policy.

Wren

SUICIDEGIRL

Minnesota, USA

DEC 23, 2004 08:50 AM

These people are so dumb, and so full of consipracy theories.

They act as if they are being persecuted. You are not being martyred here, you fucktards. Now take your ball and go home. No one wants to hear it.

Lit_the_Filter

Tacoma, WA

August 2004

DEC 23, 2004 08:51 AM

I love that there's a segment of Christians who actually believe they're oppressed in this country. LIke, how, fucking paranoid and self-important do you have to be to actually believe that shit?

EDIT: I'm pretty sure Hickenlooper capitulated on the "Merry Christmas" signage.

[Edited on Dec 23, 2004 8:52AM]

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