The real war on Christmas

'Tis the season for Fox News and misguided Christian groups to assault Americans with a phony news story about the "war on Christmas."

There is no war on Christmas and there never has been.

But, that doesn't stop Fox News and extremist Christians for getting angry and becoming well, un-Christian.

Check this story for some background about the early years of the "war on Christmas."

Christmas stopped World War I for a few days in 1914 and it's most unfortunate that it didn't stop it completely.

Ironically, we have Fox News and other misguided souls who want to perpetuate a phony "war," to rile people up over nothing.

The recent skirmishes began, apparently, in September at the Value Voters Summit. Read this piece for details about "Christmas with a Capital C."

What about Santa with a capital S?

The First Baptist Church in Dallas created a website called Grinch Alert to alert consumers about which retailers say Merry Christmas and are "nice," and those that say Happy Holidays or Season's Greeting and are "naughty."

Nina Totenberg, an NPR analyst, created a mini-blizzard when she said to "forgive the expression" but that she attended a "Christmas party." Here's another take on this "controversy."

Fox News has accused the NBA for waging war on Christmas for saying "Happy Holidays" in its promos. Heaven forbid.

The problem with this "war," though, is that Christmas doesn't just belong to Christians anymore and they're fuming like spoiled children who didn't get what they wanted from Santa under the Christmas tree.

Recently, I caught a glimpse of "White Christmas," starring Bing Crosby and that was released in 1954, when "under God" was placed in our Pledge of Allegiance to distinguish the U.S. from the USSR. (The Republican-led Congress needed to do that because they didn't know the difference.)

In "White Christmas," which extols the soldiers from WWII, a few banners read: "Merry Xmas," and "Happy Holidays." Thank god Fox News wasn't around then or we would've have World War III over a sappy movie.

If you want to blame anyone for the dilution of the "true meaning" of Christmas, blame Charles Dickens and his story, "A Christmas Carol." The tale, retold many times in movies, created the modern "Christmas spirit." And, it has nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

Or watch "It's a Wonderful Life," which extends Dickens' "Christmas spirit," into a new realm. Yes, it doesn't have anything to do with the birth of baby Jesus, and yet, it's probably a Christmas movie that even Christ would approve of.

It never dawns on extreme Christians that Christmas actually is rooted in pagan rituals. Check this story for background.

And can anyone really say on what day Jesus was born? No, they can't.

But, it doesn't matter because Christmas, like many things, has evolved. It's now a family time of year when we're all supposed to get along. To be giving and merry and inclusive.

This so-called "war on Christmas," however, preaches exclusiveness, which leads to crankiness and stinginess and worse.

There was a time in our history when the American flag couldn't be used for commercial or retail purposes. Now, if you don't plaster the American flag on everything from storefronts to underwear, you're branded a terrorist.

Likewise, if you don't use the word Christmas to sell flat-panel televisions or underwear with Santa on it, you're labeled a terrorist.

The real war on Christmas is how it's now used to gauge our economy. It's not about how much time we spend with our families, but about how much we spend on our families.

In spite of that, Merry Christmas to you all as well as Merry Xmas (my favorite), Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings.