To anyone even remotely familiar with the Christian bible it has always been a mystery why Christians make such a fuss over, or even consider celebrating, Christmas when it is nowhere to found in their holy bible because its origins are Pagan. It is, however, not so much a mystery why conservative Christians and Republicans make a federal case over an alleged “war on Christmas” because the U.S. Constitution prohibits the government establishing religion and ramming it down the populations’ throat; something social conservatives claim is their religious right. In fact, ever since the shift to saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” to accommodate all faiths and not just Christianity, conservatives have made their ridiculous war on Christmas an annual cause célèbre. Not because there is a war on Santa Claus or Jesus, but to incite anger and righteous religious rage towards anyone not in the religious right’s special club.
Now, it appears that Fox News, the religious right, and conservative pundits have another “war on Christmas” enemy to add to their growing list of atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, Wiccans, Heathens, and Muslims who they say hate Christmas. The newest combatant joining the fake war on Christmas went beyond opposing saying Merry Christmas or protesting against Christian Christmas displays on government property and actually assailed the holiday celebration as a farce; likely because he is the supreme leader of the Catholic Church and not involved in conservative America’s silly Christmas outrage.
During a Mass at Casa Santa Maria, Pope Francis quietly committed one of the most heinous sins to American conservatives and religious right fanatics. There have been a world of things this “progressive” Pope has said to incite Republicans, conservatives, and evangelicals to abject anger and outrage, and each and every time it is because he talks like the Christian bible’s humanitarian Jesus. This latest incident is no different and is another signal that on a couple of important issues, Francis is a progressive pope; and an honest-to-dog humanitarian.
Pope Francis said,
“We are close to Christmas. There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes, all decked out, while the world continues to wage war. It’s all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war. A war can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be – a little here, a little there – there is no justification.
What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now? What shall remain? Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims, and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers. We should ask for the grace to weep for this world, which does not recognize the path to peace. To weep for those who live for war and have the cynicism to deny it. God weeps, Jesus weeps.”
It is unclear exactly who the Pope was referencing regarding the opposition of peace and lust for war, but it is beyond refute that his sermon was a damning indictment of America’s neo-Christian conservatives and Republican warmongers. The Pope’s Mass was delivered after three separate terror attacks in France claimed 129 lives, a Russian passenger plane was bombed, and dozens were killed in a suicide attack in Lebanon, and they were all connected to America’s propensity to lead the world at waging war. War Republicans claiming Christianity love because it pours “lots of money into arms dealers” and creates “so many innocent victims;” in the Middle East and in America. Americans are victims because Republicans have no problem devoting well over 60 percent of the nation’s annual budget to making war at the expense of the welfare of Americans living in distress.
It is too bad that the progressive Pontiff failed to single out the rank hypocrisy of American neo-Christians and Republicans who raise Holy Hell because they are prohibited from forcing their idea of Christmas on everyone while avidly supporting perpetual war; and going ballistic because all Americans are not joining in to sing “Peace on Earth, goodwill toward men.”
What has been curious is why conservatives and the religious right have not yet launched a vicious attack on the Pope for calling their special holiday “a charade;” particularly when he went out of his way to note that the only people profiting from wars are arms dealers who are more often than not the American military industrial complex. One might think that after going insane over a coffee franchise’s red to-go cups sans “Merry Christmas” greeting, Fox News and religious conservatives’ heads would have exploded by now because the head of the Catholic Church called their special holiday a sham. However, they are probably unaware of the Pope joining the “war on Christmas” because they give as little attention to a Papal sermon as they do their special holy scriptures.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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