Jim Wallis, author of God’s Politics – Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It, has written an interesting article on his blog. It’s his latest contribution to the The Washington Post/Newsweek online discussion On Faith.
While many would claim that America is a ‘Christian Nation’, Rev. Wallis says that it’s not only not the case, he hopes it will never be so. He claims that many fundamentalist Christians have tried to re-write US history.
Some still say that Australia is a ‘Christian Nation’ too. That’s certainly not the case and we’re kidding ourselves if we believe that it is.
Jim Wallis makes comment regarding the Christian backlash against retailers who have ‘taken Christ out of Christmas’. The actions of retailers in wishing customers a Happy Holiday instead of using the word Christmas has been dubbed the “war against Christmas” by some Christians.
Wallis won’t be losing any sleep if a shop assistant wishes him a ‘Happy Holiday’. He says in the article, “Does Jesus’ message really depend on our being reminded to have a ‘Merry Christmas’ just before we plunge into shopping malls and engage in orgies of holiday consumerism that run so directly contrary to his message? Are Wal-Mart and Target to be seen as critical places of theological and spiritual reflection?”
Great point isn’t it? Do we really want to connect the madness that we experience each year at this time with Christ? Does saying ‘Merry Christmas’ really redeem what the season has become?
He touches on the belief, held by some Christians, that the government should be used to enforce the church’s language and theology. While I think that Christians should be involved in shaping politics I do battle with how far that influence should reach.
I certainly believe that people of faith should be influencing policy to ensure justice for all but I don’t think that we should be legislating ‘Christian belief and morality’. The Bible says, “The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” That’s why it always amazes me that so many Christians want to change the outward appearance and actions of others rather than seeking to touch hearts. Why should we expect anyone to adopt our ‘moral code’ unless we first demonstrate Christ’s unconditional love?
Posted by Rodney Olsen
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Spot on!
Brilliant!
Let me add on that I think the reason Australian Christians don’t want to say Happy Holidays is because it’s not “holidays” here in Australia, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and we don’t celebrate other religions holidays such as Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. Therefore Merry Christmas would be the more appropriate term as it’s Christmas time.
Years ago, I heard a Christian speaker in a Church announce that “the United Nations had struck Australia off their list of Christian countries.” A friend of mine contacted the United Nations to verify this…
Interestingly, the United Nations said, “What list of ‘Christian Countries.’ We do not have such a list?”
I’d have to read the book before I could agree with,
“While many would claim that America is a ‘Christian Nation’, Rev. Wallis says that it’s not only not the case, he hopes it will never be so. He claims that many fundamentalist Christians have tried to re-write US history.”
And I sure don’t think there is any re-writing of history by true christians. The opposite, true christians are always interested in preserving things to the last detail, like, say, the BIBLE.
Good post. As Christians, we’re often fighting the wrong battles in the so called culture war…instead of meaningful change, we focus on externals. I ask some questions of Christian activism in my latest post
“WWJS – Where Would Jesus Shop”
If you’re interested, do check it out.
http://everysquareinch.blogspot.com/2006/12/wwjs-where-would-jesus-shop.html