{"id":246,"date":"2009-12-11T12:45:00","date_gmt":"2009-12-11T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/12\/happy-holidays-to-you-jay.html"},"modified":"2009-12-11T12:45:00","modified_gmt":"2009-12-11T12:45:00","slug":"happy-holidays-to-you-jay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/lynnvsekulow\/2009\/12\/happy-holidays-to-you-jay.html","title":{"rendered":"Happy Holidays to you, Jay!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jay, <\/p>\n

I’m glad you brought this up. <\/p>\n

I’d like to know, what’s wrong with saying “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” anyway?  Isn’t the Christmas spirit about being welcoming, loving and peaceful to all? Don’t you think when certain Religious Right groups make such a fuss over this every year, claiming there is some sort of “war on Christmas,” that they are the ones breaking that peace? <\/p>\n

I think so at least. Take your friends at Liberty Counsel (as Henny Youngman, a comedian only the two of us may be old enough to remember, “please” take them) who year after year put together a “Naughty and Nice” list of retailers<\/a> based on the language stores use in their holiday marketing materials. The group recommends boycotts against stores that use “Happy holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It seems rather bizarre to me that stores that choose to be inclusive of
\nall – including those who are both Christian and non-Christian – are
\nbeing criticized for that.  Last I checked, our country was founded on
\nthe principle that no one religious belief shall be favored. These
\nretailers are not denying our country’s “heritage,” as you claim, but
\nrather abiding by our earliest traditions.  <\/p>\n

Discussing this
\nwith you now actually takes me back. It reminds me of a similar
\nargument<\/a> I had years ago with former Fox News Host John Gibson on this very Web site. We
\nwent back and forth about the religious meaning of pine trees.
\nIt seems so trivial to me that over the years, people have made such a
\nstink over calling a pine tree a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas
\ntree.” As I said back then, nothing in the Christian Bible invests any
\nreligious significance in pine trees, so I don’t see why it’s such a big
\ndeal. What point are these whiners even trying to prove? <\/p>\n

Our
\ncountry is full of a variety of faith traditions. During this time of
\nyear, several of these religions celebrate holidays of their own. I see
\nnothing wrong if a private company chooses to be inclusive of all, or
\nif someone rather call a decorated pine tree a “holiday tree” rather
\nthan a “Christmas tree.” That’s their right, just as it is your right,
\nJay, to celebrate the holiday of your choice. <\/p>\n

But I would like
\nto note, Jay, the reason you and I have this freedom is because our
\ngovernment officials, for the most part, have left it up to each
\nindividual to treat this season however he or she sees fit – whether
\nthat means celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,  or any other holiday.
\nIt’s the government’s constitutional duty not to favor one religion
\nover another. And because of that, our country really can be a
\nwelcoming and peaceful place for all. <\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n

To subscribe to “Lynn v. Sekulow” click <\/font>here<\/font><\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/font><\/font><\/span><\/span><\/span> <\/font> 
<\/font><\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jay, I’m glad you brought this up. I’d like to know, what’s wrong with saying “Happy Holidays” and “Seasons Greetings” anyway?  Isn’t the Christmas spirit about being welcoming, loving and peaceful to all? Don’t you think when certain Religious Right groups make such a fuss over this every year, claiming there is some sort of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":164,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66,4,124],"tags":[291,293,261,51,67,292],"class_list":["post-246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religious-displays","category-religious-freedom","category-religious-right","tag-christmas","tag-happy-holidays","tag-liberty-counsel","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-war-on-christmas"],"yoast_head":"\nHappy Holidays to you, Jay! - Lynn v. 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