Customer Reviews

The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought

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Since I'm a Canadian, I'm probably not wired into the discussion that seems to be happening here. There seems to be two problems being argued here in the reviews:

1) The current legal decisions that public money can not be used to fund any particular religion. This is an ongoing area of dispute as governments at all levels attempt to determine what constitutes an establishment of religion.

2) Various non-government organizations attempting to use as inclusive a term as possible.

Since the first item is legal issue that depends on the way that the US Constitution is read and affects how governments spend tax dollars, it doesn't have much to do with what the greeter at Walmart says. And that, it seems, is where the current discussion is focussed.

And I'm not clear what the fuss is. I agree, some things are dumb: It's not a "Holiday Tree", it's a "Christmas Tree" just like "Turkish candy" and "French fries" are what they are called.

However, at the risk of pointing out the obvious: Walmart is not a Christian organization. Nor are governments--people are Christians, not organizations. It's not surprising then that, as a business rather than a Christian organization, Walmart might choose to greet customers with a term that includes as many of their customers as possible.

There also seems to be a misconception that people avoid saying "Merry Christmas" because they don't want to offend others. Let me use an anology: My mother brought me up to show good manners and respect to others. No one who uses "Happy Holidays" is suggesting that others will be offended by using "Merry Christmas" (at least, no one with a brain). In the same way, I use "Please" and "Thank you" not because their ommission will offend anyone but because omitting those courtesy terms shows a lack of respect to others. In the same way, I might use "Happy Holidays" to those of my friends who are non-Christians as a way of showing respect for their traditions (even if I don't share them). I suspect that commercial organizations follow the same line of thought. It's not offending others that worries them so much as showing some respect for other's differing beliefs.

In fact the only people who seem to be offended in this discussion are those who insist that everyone must wish them a "Merry Christmas." It seems to me that insisting that people say "Merry Christmas" because 85% of the population is Christian is an odd thing to demand in a nation that values free speech. It seems to me that insisting that everyone who enters Walmart be greeted with "Merry Christmas" because I'm a Christian is--well--un-Christian.

I think I must be missing the point.

I read this book wondering of there was really any meat to the whole "war on christmas" hysteria, but there is next to nothing of real substance in the book. Gibson's book is essentially a 186 page pamphlet. It's largely anecdotal, offering almost no cites to back up anything. No footnotes, no endnotes, and most irritatingly, he makes reference to lawsuits without citing the civil docket number or even the venue, so good luck with your fact checking. On 12/20, Bill O'Reilly went on the air retracted his claim, which also appears in Gibson's book, that the Plano Independent School District banned red and green clothing.

Aside from enjoying Mr. Gibson both as an author and commentator, this particular book was right on target. Not being a Christian, I don't celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, but I love the spirit of love and peace, comfort and joy that only happens this particular holiday. The "bah humbug" crowd find if you're happy and want to share that happiness there must be something wrong. Tough. So, let me take this time to thank John Gibson and wish all people, if not the religious aspect, then the fun of the Christmas season: bright lights, good food and coming together with friends and family.

I was raised a muslim. I was devout follower and strict adherent to this religion for many years. When the attack on the twin towers occurred I converted from a believer and obsequious disciple of islam to Chriustianity. Christ taught charity and kindness and islam is a philosophy of hatred and control. Not many from the media have the courage to describe this barbaric and inhumane way of life for what it is. Mr. John Gibson is not afraid. Of all media personaliies, he is my hero. I love his book!

John Gibson's philosophy on life and his views on society personify everything the baby boomer generation was taught to believe. He is not afraid to take on the liberal establishment and their atheisitc and nihilistic attitudes. John is not one to acquiesce to the mainstream media and offers his audience a fresh and honorable perspective of what is right and not politically correct. He is prepared to take on the evil-doers, whether muslim, atheist, unpatriotic, french, etc and confront their beliefs with logical, pithy, and compelling reasons that are irrefutable. His defense of christian life and the ideals of most Americans is highly applauded and this book is a reflection of the type of campaigns that he is willing to wage to champion his cause. Thank you Mr Gibson, you are the best.

"This isn't a war on Christmas it's not even a skirmish," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. "When the facts are exposed, the Religious Right's `war on Christmas' melts faster than a snowman on an 80-degree day."

Among the incidents debunked by Americans United is a tale frequently told by Fox News Channel commentator John Gibson. In Gibson's new book, The War on Christmas: How the Liberal Plot to Ban the Sacred Christian Holiday Is Worse Than You Thought, he asserts that the public schools in Plano, Texas, have banned students from wearing green and red clothes. The story has been reported uncritically in other media outlets and hyped by Bill O'Reilly but it is apparently untrue.

A spokeswoman for the Plano schools told Americans United that the district has no such policy and expressed frustration that the story continues to circulate. The Plano schools have posted an item on its website denying the rumor. A similar claim about public schools in Saginaw Township, Mich., is also false.

I must confess that I was not sure of the book by John Gibson, as being a Brit. I do not follow his work on a regular basis. I will definitely be buying it now as it seems to have evoked such anti-Christian feeling, it must be speaking the truth of the situation.

How about a bit of hard evidence of similar anti Christmas & anti-Christian feeling in the UK. The Daily Express yesterday, front page news, a London Local Authority ( Lambeth) has banned the word Christmas from all official celebrations and public lighting ceremonies, reason! in case it offends other religions, yet just last week it advertised it's celebration of Darwali. At the moment there is uproar, who is defending Christmas in the UK this week, the common man on the street including non- believers, the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists,

and guess what the Christians themselves. Here's more evidence, Christmas catalogues have been received in our household, with not one picture of the nativity scene, or mention of Jesus Christ throughout, and last Christmas the British Red Cross banned Christian messages or nativity scenes from shop windows. That,s hard evidence of anti Christian feeling but all this promotes is unfairness, and is against freedom of religion.

American Christians and freedom loving people of all faiths my best regards to you all, keep fighting for your rights to express and defend your faith, and good on you John, keep fighting the good fight. And God bless America, the UK & all the earth, with Love & salvation through Jesus Christ & Good will to all in the coming Christmas Season. Happy Christmas.

This book, on the surface, is mostly just funny. The sort of alarmist and paranoid stuff that usually I'm limited to getting while reading some survivalist magazine at the old used bookstore, talking about how we all have invisible barcodes on our hands, a handy feature that the government will use to find and kill all of the Christians from the comfort of black helicoptors soaring in the blood-red sky. In other words, hillariously awesome. But, taken with more than a grain of salt, and applying a little bit of thought to the piece as a whole, a more interesting thesis comes forward. Basically, this book is a perfect example, illustrating the complete bankrupcy in the very idea of the state. The republic is dying, and it is killing itself from within. Not because of the imagined evils of some phantom anti-christian army nor is it because of the whacky Christians forcibly converting everyone to their extremist religion. But somewhere in there, the absurdity comes out. That we would have people throwing a fit because some shop clerk at told them "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" at the cash register is beyond all comprehension. You've got fundamentalist-types freaking out because someone told them "Happy Holidays," and angsty 13-year old atheists freaking out because someone told them "Merry Christmas." Both of you- grow up. No, Christianity shouldn't become the state religion, contrary to the wishes of the fundies; and no, any word involved with any religion shouldn't be banned from being spoken in any public school or office. The most amusing part is the idea that Christmas is "becoming" secularized. Maybe this guy has been living in the Third World or something, but Christmas has been one of those commercial holidays for a long time, more than just the last couple years. And here's a little tip- the ACLU, communists or liberal evildoers had nothing to do it with it. I know, a shock! But as Jesus would've said, Christians killed Christianity- but what can you do, eh?

Unfortunately, the higher level analysis didn't make it into this book. Meaning that it's trash, pretty much. If you are in the mood to get your persecuted Christian groove on this holiday season, I definately would say check it out, but if you have the uncommon ability to think rationally- stay away!

What I've read and heard about Gibson's book is interesting. I'm amazed that a group of people who control the government, control the courts, have the leading and most populous religion in the United States, and who control the media are still able to feel paranoid that their "way of life" is slipping away.

I grew up in a fanatical Christian household (the Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, was my preacher), and even when I was up to my ears in religious fervor, these Christians were worried that Christmas was becoming too "secular"... that their living nativity scenes weren't historical enough, or that there was too much Santa and not enough Jesus in their holiday. Didn't stop them from buying lots of Christmas presents, though.

American Christians seem to be suffering from a massive victim complex, brought on by cretins like O'Reilly and Gibson who convince these good-intentioned people that their religion is being sapped by all things secular, including, ironically, the media. (The last time I checked, O'Reilly wasn't leading people in prayer or hymns on his show... in fact, he is decidedly UN-Christian in his bombastic and angry attacks against anyone with whom he disagrees.) Gibson's book is just a means to capitalize on the fear and paranoia middle-America is feeling about everything... including the loss of their religion.

I separated myself from the church when I grew tired of being afraid of everything - including eternal punishment for questioning God's infinite love. I celebrate the "Holidays" along with my Jewish, Muslim and Atheist friends who enjoy spending time with their families and loved ones as much as Christians do. I suggest that we meet the fear and paranoia of these Christians with the love and acceptance that their religion denies them.

At first I thought this book was going to be another tired re-hash of the same old problems we've known about for years, with secular liberal satanists trying to keep the United States government (best. government. EVAR.) from making Christmas the one official and true holiday.

Man was I surprised! These LIEberals (get it??) aren't just looking to keep the government out of the religion business, they are -literally waging war on Christmas.- Gibson describes in shocking detail the Battle of Knoxville, where a batallion of mechanized liberal infantry stormed the churches on Christmas Eve and slaughtered anyone celebrating the mass. Or the Storming of the Beaches at Houston, when secular humanist frogmen, behind a wheezing Ted Kennedy, destroyed a group of carolers and stuck their heads on pikes on the highways leading into town, as a warning to any other Christians who were thinking about baking tree cookies or giving presents to their children. Or the Coup of Duluth, where the Democratic Elite Guard overthrew the City Council and immediately issued a fiat banning nativities, and made the hanging of colored lights punishable by summary execution.

THIS BOOK IS A WAKEUP CALL. Thank you, John Gibson. May these demonic forces all enjoy "five to the noggin" before the last remaining Christian is rounded up and sent to their re-education centers (public schools).