December 24, 2006
FROM THE ARCHIVES: STAMPING OUT JOY
Unholy war on Christmas (Anthony Browne, The Australian, December 23, 2004)
Christmas has always stirred passion, attracting opponents and supporters. But, until recently, banning it has been so culturally offensive that fictional Christophobes entered the English language for their infamy. Ebenezer Scrooge declared: "Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly in his heart." Dr Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas declared that the Grinch's motivation was "that his heart was two sizes too small".
But real-life Scrooges and Grinches have banned Christmas before, not because their hearts were too small but because their bigotry was too great. And now it is happening again.
In 1647 Oliver Cromwell cancelled Christmas: no parties, no fun, no days off work. Cromwell's Puritanism was offended by bacchanalian revelry, led by the Lord of Misrule. Each year, town criers went through the land ordering that "Christmas and all other superstitious festivals" should not be celebrated.
The English were outraged. Secret festivities were held, pro-Christmas riots broke out and dozens of Christmas martyrs were jailed.
A pamphlet called An Hue and Cry after Christmas was published, demanding that: "Any man or woman, that can give any knowledge, or tell any tidings of an old, old, very old grey bearded gentleman, called Christmas ... let him bring him back again into England." [...]
So who are the modern Scrooges, Grinches, Cromwells and Castros, and what motivates them?
In most cases, the Christophobes use the excuse of multiculturalism, insisting that celebrating Christmas is offensive to non-Christian minorities, often citing Muslims. But the truth is that it is done in the name of Muslims, rather than at the request of Muslims, who accept the existence of Christ. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists don't mind Christmas celebrations any more than Christians object to Diwali, Eid or Hanukkah.
As UK Commission for Racial Equality chairman Trevor Phillips said: "It's not offensive to minority communities to celebrate the festival of Christmas."
No, the real Christophobes are the self-loathing, guilt-ridden, politically correct liberal elite, driven by anti-Christian bigotry and a ruthless determination to destroy their own heritage and replace it with "the other". It is the American Civil Liberties Union that is threatening lawsuits against any schools that allow the singing of carols and the BBC's editorial policy bans criticism of the Koran but not the Bible.
In reality, the Christophobes are acting against the interests of ethnic minorities. By stripping Britain of its culture and traditions, they are causing a dangerous rising tide of anger.
It prevents social cohesion and integration -- who could want to integrate into a culture that is committing suicide?
(Originally posted: 12/23/04)