Tuesday, December 23, 2008

How Sean Hannity Destroyed Christmas

As a life long atheist, I never minded people wishing me a "Merry Christmas". I would even return the pleasantery, although I never initiated it.

But I went to Rural King the other day and the cashier wished me a merry christmas, and I was instantly suspicious. Was this just a friendly person? Or an aggressive christian pushing her religion on me? Was this a premptive assault by a right-wing christian who thinks that she is under attack by militant atheists? And if so, should I return fire by sneering at her assumption that I was a christian, or would that justify her paranoia? Was this a store policy, instituted in response to the campaign by right wing talk show hosts against stores that tried to be more inclusive of American diversity by saying "Happy Holidays" instead of the sectarian "Merry Christmas"?

How sad that a time of year that used to be festive and friendly, the one time of the year that christians at least paid lip service to the ideals of peace on earth and good will to all, has been turned into another battlefield. How delightful it used to be for me, as a peace loving humanist, to have one month when the rest of the country pretended to believe in peace and good will.

That's gone now. They have spread division and hostility among us. Divide and conquer. Argue over words and forget the decency once extolled.

So in order not to further division, I muttered "You too". And moved on.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravery at the checkout, eh? Good to see you engaging in some deep thinking, Wave laborer!

If only we could get the other 99% to do the same we might achieve a halfway decent world.

Take care now!

rose of grace said...

WL, that is soooo how it is now!! I made the mistake of wishing an asian receptionist a merry christmas and was met with silence and suspicion.
I too grew up with the sentiment that wishing a merry christmas was to wish everybody what is good about Christ's message of peace and that we are all one human family at that time of year. Even Jews wished people merry christmas back in the day! It is OVER now. Thank Hannity and all the other blowhards. Thanks, Wagelaborer, for pointing this out.