'Happy Holidays' isn't an Insult to Jesus. Christians Who Weaponize Christmas are.

American Evangelicals’ annual campaign against the supposed “War on Christmas” began early this year, with the White House promising the apparently perpetually oppressed faithful that with Donald Trump in office, we can once again be a nation that says “Merry Christmas.”And his mindless church-going cult members have responded with performative social posts effusively thanking him for releasing them from the vile and burdensome bondage of “Happy Holidays.”(Now, let’s put aside the fact that never, ever, not once in the history of Democratic presidents have Americans been discouraged from, let alone forbidden to use the phrase Merry Christmas. But hey, why let reality get in the way of a good persecution narrative, right?)Once again, Conservatives have lamented the seasonal straw man menace of “Happy Holidays” in all its pluralistic, inclusive sickness, and celebrated that they are once again (in the spirit of the season), free to weaponize their faith and cram their religious beliefs down other people’s throats. These loveless, joyless yuletide virtue signalers condescendingly wield their adoration of the sweet baby Jesus like a December middle finger to Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists, and anyone else not sharing their expressions of peace on earth, goodwill to men, dammit.For them, the answer to the age-old question, “What would Jesus do?” turns out to be, “be insufferable while alienating and badgering everyone who doesn’t believe what you believe.”It’s becoming more and more ironic witnessing these yearly railings against some imaginary conspiracy and being told we need to “keep Christ in Christmas” by men and women who don’t seem the slightest bit interested in keeping Christ in their Christianity the rest of the year (you know: caring for the poor, protecting the marginalized, welcoming the foreigner, alleviating suffering, shunning greed, championing equality).They find no paradox in annually dusting off and trotting out a Nativity scene depicting a Middle Eastern, soon-to-be refugee child, who would grow to spend his days living off of other people’s generosity and fighting for those on the margins—after they’ve spent the previous eleven months applauding travel bans and ICE raids and border walls and healthcare theft.In other words, every December they angrily demand everyone acknowledge the arrival of a Christ child, who, practically speaking, they have no room for in the inns of their hearts or hometowns.The rest of us see it, though. Many good people who claim Christianity recognize how ridiculous this all is; what a cheap, manufactured fight it has become. We have a perennial faith that finds the real evils of this world worth railing against; a faith that doesn’t need a self-made, trivial seasonal diversion to feel valid. We understand that belief in Jesus is not a license to be an annual ass to non-Christians.There is no coordinated Leftist War on Christmas, but there is a war on Christ by these seasonally ranting believers. Jesus warned his professed followers that the way they treated the least of these was the way they treated him. There are millions of people right now in America and around the world, who are starving and suffering and aching for the smallest scrap of hope—and honestly, they don’t give a damn about coffee cups or Santa displays or sales clerk salutations.They just want what Christians are supposed to provide by virtue of their title and job description: tangible, irrefutable evidence that God is and that God loves—because of how they live and love. They are waiting for the tidings of comfort and joy that the people of Jesus are supposed to be bringing them.Unless we’re willing to expend our energies to do that above all else, we’ll be fighting on the wrong side every time.People who claim Christ should spend less time this season warring with mythical enemies to stroke their fragile egos, and more time having their hearts freshly broken for the daily heavy burdens of those walking alongside them, and then moving to help carry them without delay.I’m a Christian, or at least I aspire to Jesus’ teachings.When someone says “Happy Holidays” to me, I simply smile and reply, “You as well.”I don’t lecture them or correct them or insist that they acknowledge Christmas.I don’t need some forced, compliant lip service from a stranger to have my beliefs validated.I don’t feel my religion is being assailed by another human being’s kind salutation.My faith convictions are not contingent on anyone else agreeing with them.The day Christmas becomes a weapon is the day I’ll know I lost the plot completely.I say “Happy Holidays” because many people celebrate something this time of year, and they shouldn’t feel compelled to yield to me or anyone else. This isn’t a piety competition.I say “Happy Holidays” because I want to be a light to people, whatever their faith tradition or religious worldview, and because simple kindness is rare in these dark days, because everyone could use some gentleness.I say “Happy Holidays,” because I want to be like Jesus and not a jerk.For Christians, this is the only war worth waging this Christmas. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnpavlovitz.substack.com/subscribe