“Do I Look Like a Christian?”​ Or, The Gift of “Happy Holidays”​ – Stand for America®

December 24, 2016

I am told that I-too may have cause to be offended, by the result of some great prejudice cast upon me. Indeed, every year at certain holidays, I receive many a “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Easter” from people who don’t know me.

I know…I know that in many cases (although not all cases), it is stated in good cheer and with the best of intentions for the Holiday Season—and I really do sincerely appreciate warm season’s greetings—but, concomitant with that sincere appreciation, it tends to cause me pause to consider critically-thoughtfully the communication itself, in the larger sense.

For those who do not know me personally, perhaps it could be my facial features, such as my eyes being a certain color, or my nose being too small or too large. It could be my skin tone, being too light or dark, or too smooth or rough. It could be my beard or lack of it (depending upon the day). It could be my type of clothing (or maybe I don’t wear enough or uncommon clothing). Or maybe it’s my tattoos, body piercings, jewelry, or lack thereof, or something else.

But, something about me appears to cause others to conclude that I am a Christian. This is a bald conclusion, as my theism, atheism or agnosticism, as the case may be, is solely between me and my god (if I should have one or more).

Now, I recognize that there is some social contention, often manifesting in a socio-political context, regarding the term, “Merry Christmas” as distinguished from the term, “Happy Holidays.” This contention, perhaps ironic, rides along with the contention of separation of church and state, the 1954 addition of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, and other socio-political debates about religion versus morality in America.

Of course, it goes without saying that there is no contention on the usage of “Merry Christmas” within the scope of any known Christian group, such as within a church. As between two conversants of the same church, a joyful “Merry Christmas” is certainly appropriate and welcomed. In this particular case, the articles of association (being Christianity) of the conversants grounds the usage of such phraseology.

The social contention, such I as understand it, tends to be with regard to the “Merry Christmas” usage pointed outside of a known religious grouping, such as when a person speaks in general American society, not within a unified group context. Stated another way, the social contention of “Merry Christmas” tends to be a relative scoping or grouping issue, a diversity issue.

Accordingly, when there is not a more particular overriding consented association between two or more conversants, the social articles of association defaults to a more common denominator.

In the United States of America, the common social articles of association is not a Christian Bible, but the United States Constitution. Therefore, respect must be paid to American religious free-thinking, free-believing, social theistic or atheistic diversity.

We know that the “moral majority” having the power of numbers will tend to condescend rhetorically about the claimed cowardice of “political correctness.” But that’s actually backwards, because it is the band wagon that follows the majority, not the inverse. Saying “Merry Christmas” might be claimed to be more of a pandering to the majority in fear than to contradict the majority, and Christians have the strong majority in America, to the turn of about 70%.

As author of ONE: The Unified Gospel of Jesus, perhaps people tend to presume that I would naturally be a proponent of the general social usage of “Merry Christmas” and “Happy Easter,” but it is not so, and I will explain.

1. As a matter of spirituality and wisdom, Jesus, Confucius, and many other wise persons taught The Golden Rule; that is, to do unto others what you would have done to you. Therefore, the first rule—indeed the Golden Rule, be it spiritual or wise—is to treat others with respect. Respect is the first cousin of Love. Love embraces, respect tolerates. Toleration implies endurance of pain by abrasion. Love invites to embracement because it is perfect.

Now, for example, if I were a person of non-Christian faith, a “Merry Christmas” from another person would strike me as a presumptuous oddity of the speaker. That is, since I would be non-Christian, telling me “Merry Christmas” is:

a) simply ignorance or recklessness that presumes that I am a Christian;

b) some unjustified presumption of a social tacit agreement that I have agreed to view Christmas Season and the phrase as a purely social construct (ignoring the weighty fact that much of diverse society in America does not do so);

c) that the speaker may not love me, respect me, or care enough about me to consider my own diverse faith with sensitivity; or

d) that the speaker presumes to impose upon me the religious presupposition of the message, such as a pointed political statement not otherwise grounded in law or American political philosophy (“America is or should be all Christian, or a “real” American is a Christian.).

The restraint shown by a person of, for example, Jewish faith who does not respond with “Happy Hanukkah” to a “Merry Christmas” (or any pointed retort from our compatriots, the atheists) is by sheer social grace or disciplined courtesy. But, disciplined concessions in this regard should not be required or expected from persons of minority belief.

Yes, yes, yes, we have all have heard Christians themselves say that Christmas is purely a social construct, but this seems a disingenuous rationalization. It seems that only a non-Christian can remove Christ from Christmas, a true Christian could never wholly do so.

2. Based upon politics and law, the great United States of America (the purported best of political breeds), invites the theists, atheists and agnostics to participate with equal social and political standing. Unlike some other countries that place a stigma upon people of such diversities, we, as Americans, invite (or should invite) and embrace (or should embrace) persons of diverse faiths and diversities into the social culture.

That embracement of diversity (beyond mere toleration) is the essential beauty of America, the best practice for a free-thinking society, and embracing diverse cultures is our American unique value proposition.

Indeed, our American socio-political culture presupposes that we have conjoined a diverse group of human beings who are pursuing happiness in this great society with a variety of faiths, and who we know are not all Christians.

Of course, if we change the philosophical premise of the United States, then the conclusion naturally changes. For example, if we change the context of analysis to a country using a unified political-religious system (such as reverting to a type of system from which we escaped in the first place). For any country that does not embrace diverse religions in society, or even stigmatizes or condemns diversity of religion culturally, then, it might be a proper presumption that everyone is and must be of one religion. Indeed, society would impose it. But, happily, America is the philosophical antithesis of that context.

3. As a matter of human psychology that I know exists but cannot reconcile to correct behavior as hard as I may try: that there is some obligation within a free-thinking socio-political system in America to impose or to try to impose upon our peaceful compatriot neighbor some abstract belief of our own personal spirituality or faith. It always reduces, for me, that I would simply be picking a fight with my neighbor where none should exist, and only because I might have the majority bully power to do so by weight of statistical numbers. If I were in a minority, stigma would tend to constrain me otherwise. It is not a natural tendency for people to like a Christian bully with a “majority makes it right and better” mentality. Courtesy for others is part humility.

The Holiday Season is a wonderful time of year, and it is a time for reflection about such things as alms giving, faith, family, friends and food. It is, at least socially, about selflessly giving gifts to others, and the courtesies and gestures shown to others.

On the one hand, a thoughtful “Merry Christmas” is and remains a perfect greeting between two or more persons voluntarily associated as Christians within the scope of that conversation. (Whether a “Merry Christmas” is proper when a Christian priest or pastor is speaking to a Rabbi, is the stuff of war, but I hyperbolize, and, as a practical matter, it probably depends. But, it would seem to demonstrate humility for the priest to forego religious pride and presumption and to wish the Rabbi a “Happy Hanukkah,” and visa versa.)

But, on the other hand, “Happy Holidays” should always work for everyone. It is purely a smart and sensitive civil social construct of good cheer without any presuppositions of a person’s personal faith or conscience. It is not presumptuous, it is not being a Christian bully, but it rather simply conveys joy in a context of love for diverse beliefs and cultures within America.

Therefore, do I think that any public official in the United States speaking to a complex constituency should say “Merry Christmas”? No. My personal opinion is that it is a pander only for a bully audience. It seems to me that a Christian should not require it by application of love of others within a diverse group.

It is a perplexing hypocrisy how a person could fight for minority rights on social issues, such as matters of color or sexual orientation, and then would switch the premise when the same person is in the majority on religious belief. As Americans, we love (or should love) the right to be in an unprejudiced minority, without regard to the diversity of the minority.

The gift of a sensitive message of joy has nothing to do with being politically correct (which tends to cycle around anyway). It is a universal message of joy that simply expresses love and respect for many, in a free-thinking civil context of diverse beliefs, without presuppositions or prejudices.

And, love and respect are the greatest gifts that anyone can give.

_________________________

© 2016, 2018 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq. Gregg can be contacted through LinkedIn. Read more articles here.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gift-happy-holidays-gregg-zegarelli-esq-

Stand for America® is a series of publications intersecting philosophy and traditional American values.

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