commercial Christianity

Every Christmas, Americans are inundated with propaganda from stores and outlets and people peddling services. Radio stations begin playing Christmas music all day starting November 1. Today, during a welcome lunch break from law school, my friends and I discussed the sudden onslaught of Christmas-themed commercials. Apparently, the real meaning, according to Hallmark and its ilk, is giving. Giving, I suppose and by default, its reciprocal, getting. Gone are the days of wishing a happy birthday to Jesus, whose name we derive the popular holiday and season. As a libertarian, I do not mind the secular take on the holiday. As a Christian, it's frustrating to see how every passing year, a sacred festival is hi-jacked further down the road to populism.

In high school, I first heard of the fight to remove nativity scenes from the lawns of government buildings. The Ten Commandments are no longer welcome in courthouses. I think Ohio's motto, based on Philippians 4:13, was ruled unconstitutional, but to my knowledge it has not been replaced.

I am not sure where I stand as regards the leaking of Christian principles into American government. Conservatives loudly claim that our country was founded on Christian men who recognized the power of the Almighty. Liberals counter that the establishment and free exercise clauses, as well as the intent of the Framers, translate to the oft-used phrase "separation of church and state." I think conservatives hold so strongly to keeping Christ in the government because they do not believe any other religion or lifestyle can beget a moral life. But atheists are quick to say that they can still act ethically.

It seems as though Christianity is only a means to an end for those who advocate its necessity. For liberals, Christ was a man who fed large crowds with only a few fish and loaves of bread, but where was He when women are free to kill their unborn children. For conservatives, Christ was a man who said that marriage was only to be between one man and one woman, but were was He when political prisoners are being tortured for the greater good?

A union of government and religion tends to destroy government and degrade religion. – Hugo Black