Here Comes Santa Claus, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise

December 10, 2011 Martha Thomases 0 Comments

As we discussed last week, the holidays that bunch up around the Winter Solstice bring out the best and the worst in people.  Sometimes, it seems to me, the so-called “War on Christmas” is the war between our best and worst selves.  Throw in the upcoming Iowa caucus, and you have the perfect military strategy to win a victory for the worst.

Exhibit A:  The new Rick Perry campaign commercial.  Let’s leave aside the rumors about the Texas governor.  Let’s just consider what he’s saying.  He seems to feel that it’s wrong that gay people are allowed to serve openly in the military while children are not allowed to pray in schools.  He thinks that people who put their lives on the line to protect his should spend precious energy hiding a part of themselves – energy that could be better spent focusing on the mission to which they are assigned.  

He also thinks that children are not allowed to pray in schools.  He is mistaken.  No one stops anyone from praying silently or quietly.  What is not allowed is an organized prayer in which all students are required to participate.

I went to a private school which required chapel attendance.  I know what it feels like to be forced to participate in a religion in which I don’t believe.  I know how it felt, at Easter, to listen to the Episcopal priest read the part of the New Testament where the Jews are offered the choice of letting Jesus live or die, and knowing that particular passage inspired centuries of oppression against my people.  Forced prayer helps no one.

(Oddly enough, the headmaster at the school once tried to solicit a donation from me by citing how great Easter was when we were students.  He was shocked that I didn’t share his memories of a warm, fuzzy experience.)

There are a number of great responses to Perry’s ad on the web, but this one is my favorite.

For some reason, Christians, who are a majority in this country, feel oppressed when other people don’t share their beliefs.  Some think saying, “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” is an attack on them, a dreadful form of persecution.  They threaten to boycott stores that don’t use the word “Christmas” in advertising and other promotion, including greetings from sales staff.  

At the same time, they insist that legally allowing something that their religion prohibits is discrimination against their religion.  Marriage equality, for example, which grants gays and lesbians the same rights to wed secularly as heterosexuals, is somehow an affront to the Catholic church.  And yet, they openly eat shrimp and wear clothing with mixed fibers, even though Orthodox Jews are offended by that.  

Anti-bullying laws, which protect gay and lesbian kids (and kids who look gay or lesbian, or who are short or fat or a different color or picked on for any random reason kids can think up) are also a slap at Christianity.  

I missed the part of the Bible where Jesus tells his followers to beat up queers.  I must have been distracted by the part that says one should not make a big deal about one’s piety, but should instead pray privately.

There are Christians who find other battles to fight over this holiday season.  I recently learned about an incident nearly 20 years ago, in which Christians stood up for the rights of their Jewish neighbors to celebrate our holidays in peace.  Their generosity spread to the whole town, and people of all beliefs united to fight bigotry.

I found out about this (nearly 20 years after the fact) from a great organization, Not In Our Town, which works at a grassroots level to encourage communities to organize against hate.  They work with classrooms, towns, civic organizations and others.  They don’t count on celebrities, they count on you and me.  

There are worse holiday gifts you could give than a donation to Not In Our Town.

Martha Thomases, Media Goddess, celebrates the holidays with cartoons.