On Christmas - OPEN LETTER TO TRAVIS

Travis, please have a read through this article discussing the analytical error Christians are making in protesting the "Happy Holidays" phrase and so forth at Target and so forth.

Here are two quotes from the article which I consider the most important:

On the idea that the White House sending non-religious cards and Target saying "Happy Holidays" is bad:

• In what way does the failure of the White House and commercial venues somehow impinge on the right of American families and churches to celebrate Christmas in any manner that they choose? It does not, of course. [American families and churches] are free to remember its true meaning and not treat it as a secular occasion, just as secular venues (such as government) are free to set aside its religious meaning. For Christmas to be both secular and religious is consistent with the idea of freedom.
  (emphasis mine)

On the idea that forcing people to behave in a way an interest group (such as fundamentalist Christians) is appropriate:

• Coercion only forces people to change their actions; it does not persuade people to change their underlying values and convictions. And since those already convinced of the moral rules would abide by them without coercion, the only real impact of compulsory morality is to engender hypocrites, those whose actions no longer reflect their inner convictions.

I welcome your thoughts in the comments section to this post.

Thank you, and Merry Christmas.