Grandmother Spider's SpiritWeb

Is there any member of a minority religion who believes there's a war on Christmas? Anyone? Bueller? No. Of course not. From where we sit, this is still very much a Christian country, and so what. All paths blah blah blah. Just leave me alone to follow my ways and we're fine.

So what's this REALLY about? Whipping up the culture wars. Listen to former Fox New producer Charlie Reina:

It’s no surprise, of course, that this phony call to arms, this “Christmas (ergo, Christians) Under Attack” hysteria, emanates from the bowels of Fox News Channel. The network is, after all, ground zero in the culture wars that polarize so much of America these days. Make no mistake about it: Fox is on a mission. Its slogans say, “Fair and Balanced” and “We Report, You Decide.” But in the six years that I worked there, what I heard most from Fox management were mission statements – about turning things around, taking news back from the liberals, and giving “middle America” a voice long denied it by the “east coast media elite.” In other words, using its news report to bring about change -- in the media and, ultimately, in the direction of American culture.

...

[W]hat really separates Fox from the competition is its unabashed use of religion as a divisive weapon. Common sense -- and common courtesy -- have long dictated that personal religious beliefs be kept out of news reporting unless the story at hand involves religion. But on Fox, it’s not uncommon for an anchor to raise the issue of a guest’s religion, or lack thereof, a’ propos of nothing.

...

[I]t’s no wonder this “War on Christmas” (now in its second successful year) is a production of Fox News Channel -- the very network that has made accusation, recrimination and confrontation the gold standards of cable “news,” and whose personalities have fashioned a self-serving “war” out of whole cloth, thanks to a scattered handful of p/c dupes and a shameless management willing to use even Christmas for its own political ends.

If you're Pagan and watch Fox News for any other reason than keeping an eye on the folks who'd love to drive us back into the broom closet, I wonder what's up with you. Seriously. What's up with you? I'd like to know. I mean, we've been experiencing the War on Yule for, what, 2,000 years now?

You have to ask "cui bono," and who benefits clearly are the Republicans who use culture wars--even their own sacred days--to whip up hatred and try to divide Americans against each other. Don't fall for it. Like I think readers here are falling for "the war on Christmas." But this kind of thing is going to whip up fears and hatred of us, we all know; don't fall for fearing and hating back.

(And yeah, I'm returning to blogging here.)