We’ve all heard the rhetoric about the so-called “war on Christmas.” But why, exactly, do some Christians talk this way? Why do they get so angry? What are they so afraid of? And is there more going on with this rhetoric than might appear on the surface? In this episode, Dan decodes the “war on Christmas” language to uncover the expressions of Christian nationalism that form the basis for it.
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www.StraightWideAmericanJesus.com My name is Dan Miller, professor of religion and social thought at Landmark College.
And as always, it is a pleasure to be with all of you, recording this in that weird space between Christmas and New Year's and trying to fit it in with the kids.
Winter break and all that stuff.
So thank all of you who are taking the time to listen as always I want to thank all of you who reach out to me and welcome that especially for you know insights and topics for the series Can reach me at Daniel Miller swag Daniel Miller SW AJ at gmail.com Always love the ideas lots of great ones coming up for upcoming episodes as always.
I apologize I don't I don't and just don't have time to get back to everyone But we could not do this without you, those of you who listen to us, who support us, who support us financially, who support us just by encouraging our work and the great feedback you give and everything else.
So today, diving into kind of a third episode, a few weeks ago I solicited responses from folks about topics related to holidays and specifically with Christmas coming up.
And talked a couple episodes back about the notion of sort of who owns Christmas, who gets to define it.
Talked in the previous episode about the slogan or the affirmation or whatever word we want to put on it to remember the reason for the season.
And all of that sort of builds to this episode, which is one that a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot of you, almost everybody that I heard from about this brought up, and I kind of figured this would be the case, which is the language of the so-called War on Christmas, right?
And so I want to sort of offer some kind of concluding holiday reflections on that topic in this episode.
And it really builds from those episodes, that notion of who owns Christmas, who gets to define it, the admonition to remember the reason for the season, Because those considerations are really part of, or maybe they sort of build up to, the rhetoric of the so-called War on Christmas.
So let's start with that rhetoric, right?
If you were part of an evangelical church in recent years, if you've ever watched Fox News, if you have people in your life who do watch Fox News or who are part of evangelical churches, you will no doubt have encountered this rhetoric about the War on Christmas, right?
A so-called War on Christmas.
And it is figured prominently, you know, among some big name people who like to throw this around and get really upset about it.
So, what exactly is it supposed to be, right?
What is the War on Christmas?
Well, of course, it would depend on who you ask.
If you ask me, you're going to get one perspective, and I'll get to that in a few minutes.
But if you were to ask those Christians, and it's going to be primarily conservative, white, evangelical Christians who will decry the War on Christmas.
They'll be happy to tell you their perspective, and their perspective is, what you would hear, is that it is a war, quote-unquote, on authentic Bible-believing Christians and their way of life.
It's an attack on the way that they live and on their deeply cherished beliefs.
It is an attack from a secular, godless society that is intent on eradicating Christianity as a way of life.
It's an attack that comes from those who hate America and who want to mine everything good and pure in America, including its Christian citizens.
Right?
Every time someone says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas, let alone Happy Hanukkah or something about Kwanzaa or something about the New Year or whatever, anytime somebody says that, anytime somebody sends you a holiday card instead of a Christmas card, anytime my kid's school now calls it a winter break instead of Christmas break or whatever, anytime that happens,
It is nothing less than an attack on Christian identity itself.
So that's the rhetoric, right?
The rhetoric is this is an attack on Christians.
That you have good, Bible-believing, authentic Christians who are out living their life and expressing their faith and the world hates them for it and takes this out.
This is, of course, wrapped up in biblical rhetoric about the world hating Christians and so forth.
And this is the kind of cultural spin on it in the present.
That is the rhetoric.
And millions of American Christians believe that it is true.
And more importantly than that, I think, is the fact that millions of American Christians feel it to be true.
On a deep, personal, visceral level, they feel that that is true.
They feel that they are under attack as Christians.
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