Two views of the war on Christmas

Santa vs. Jesus – David Frum

“We hear a lot about the war on Christmas. But the true seasonal struggle is the war within Christmas, a single holiday shared by two deeply antagonistic religions. The war on Christmas is really about what brand of “civil religion” America should have. The particular (read: biblical) meaning of Christmas, for Christians, has almost nothing to do with the media war.

Religion one is the religion of Jesus Christ, the figure whose birth the holiday commemorates. This religion emphasizes universal grace and forgiveness.

Religion two is the religion of Santa Claus, the holiday’s most visible representative. Santa upholds a much sterner creed.”

The real war on Christmas – Jim Wallis

“But what we actually have here is a theological problem, where cultural and commercial symbols are confused with truly Christian ones, and the meaning of the holy season is missed all together.”

 

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Tags: Christmas, Culture, Jesus, Santa, Theology, War