Bill O'Reilly and his "War on Christmas"

Bill O'Reilly and his "War on Christmas"
Being Right and Wrong in the name of the Christ
by Dr. Gerry Lower, Eugene, Oregon


http://www.opednews.com

On the second day of December, Fox News Network reported the results of their "opinion dynamics poll" regarding Bill O'Reilly's statement that "There is a war on Christmas in the U.S. today." Of those responding to the poll, 42% said they agreed with Bill's statement. The majority, 48% of those polled, were in disagreement with O'Reilly's statement, and the other 10% essentially said, as always, that they did not know anything (1). In this instance, those who know nothing are in a desireable position because of the high probability that neither active side in the debate knows what they are talking about.


It is O'Reilly's notion that his "War on Christmas" is being hotly pursued by liberals and atheists and those who would have the audacity to agree with the radical notion of seperating church and state. Bill just came unhinged, you see, by the media's use of the term "Holiday trees" in place of the term "Christmas trees" - which Bill dutifully interpreted as an effort by evil people to remove Christ from Christmas. In Bill's Old Testament world, it is an absolute requirement that its adherents live in the Here and Now, no history allowed, no evolution allowed, no cultural context allowed. It makes for ignorance defined.


Meanwhile, Fox News is making effort to sell "Holiday" decorations with Bill's name on them (2), a pair of balls to hang on what better be your "Christmas" tree. It makes a little money for Fox News Network and Bill gets his name haning from some dupe's tree. Bill has taken an overt path to ignorance bordering on the psychotic, while Fox News has taken an overt path to religious hypocrisy bordering on the psychotic (3). Bill has accomplished the impossible, i.e., to be right and wrong at the same time.


Bill is, of course, entirely right in claiming that there is a "War on Christmas." At the same time, Bill is extraordinarily wrong to assign his wrathful blame to liberals and the detractors of religion and capitalism. Surely Bill must know that wars are far more prone to stem from right wing, conservative interests. Surely Bill must know that the war on Christmas began long ago, shortly after WWII, when capitalism took over both political parties, leaving America with only liberal and conservative capitalists at the helm.


snip


http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_dr__gerr_051203_bill_o_reilly_and_hi.htm

the real war on XMAS comes from corporations commercializing XMAS... removing the spirit of peace on earth good will to men and replacing it with the call to consume.

The "pair of balls" description had me picturing something like trucknutz, which would have been tacky but appropriate. Alas, they are just plain vanilla round white ornaments. Who orders these things?

Classic Fox

for the pics of the ornaments. Unbelievable.

his balls somewhere else, his Christmas tree if he likes.