Fewer Broken Pieces

The very idea of Christians engaging in “culture wars” is ridiculous. It is contrary to the radical reconciliation which the gospel prescribes. What’s worse, I find that most “culture wars” (especially the so-called “war on Christmas”) are focused not on preserving the truth of orthodox Christianity, but on continuing Christianity’s dominance in the marketplace. Hence Bill O’Reilly and others are such outspoken critics of “Happy Holidays” usurping “Merry Christmas” as the standard greeting in retail stores across America.

We live in a pluralistic society. I know there are some (perhaps also some Christians) who want to change that, but we have to learn to live with it. Christians have to accept the fact that their culture is losing its dominance over mainstream America. We say “Happy Holidays” because there is a confluence of various holidays around this time of year, some religious and some otherwise (e.g. New Year’s).

I think at the root of this problem is a failure on our part to think reciprocally about the issue. Or, in other words, we are not applying the golden rule in this situation. If we as American Christians can imagine what it is like for Christians who live as a cultural minority, we might appreciate that “Happy Holidays” is a much more inclusive and welcoming term. We should put ourselves in the shoes of those who live as a minority among us and realize that a general holiday greeting does a lot to show our hospitality and kindness and thankfulness that they have joined our society.

The bottom line is that asserting our cultural dominance for its own sake does nothing to advance the gospel. Indeed, I believe it hinders the gospel! So perhaps the “culture wars” should be recapitulated as a war of the reconciling aspect of the gospel against the unchristian aspects of our American culture. That war is actually winnable, and I believe it is a better service to God.