There's a long and sacred history of the use of X to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect. Teaching Series. Conference Messages. Tabletalk Magazine. Gift Certificates. Ligonier Ministries. Supporting Ligonier. Thus, it has to go. Certainly, Christians have a right to feel however they wish, and if they think that Christianity is being driven from the public square, there's really no arguing they're wrong.
In fact, polls show that organized religion in America has been declining. Writing at First Things , Matthew Schmitz, who is well aware of the historical roots of Xmas, discusses another reason some Christians might be wary of the shorthand:.
The cultural, religious, communal traditions we see as especially embodied by Christmas have been undermined by the rise of commerce and cult of efficiency. The desire to get from point A to B by the shortest possible route, irrespective of the charms of traditional byways, fuels our mania for abbreviation.
The hatred for Xmas, then, may stem in part from an innate suspicion of the attempt to render all things ancient and beautiful modern, cheap, and sleek. Here's a Christmas song from Christina Aguilera, who sometimes calls herself Xtina. Appropriately enough, it's called Xtina's Xmas. First, the US remains divided over several traditional culture war issues, most prominently abortion.
The battle over Xmas, though it might seem trivial, only reinforces the "secular vs. Christian America" narrative that fuels those arguments. Second, the fight over the word Xmas underscores some American Christians' real fear of persecution. It might seem ridiculous that members of the nation's dominant religion would feel persecuted, and it's easy to laugh about those who claim the statement "happy holidays" means de facto persecution. But try looking at it from their point-of-view.
The United States has gone from a nation where the default religion was assumed to be Christianity, to one that increasingly tries to make room for people of all faiths and belief systems. That can seem like a gradual, inevitable evolution to those not embroiled in the culture wars, but it can feel like a massive sea change to those who are.
These changes are fast, and they are real, and those concerned about them shouldn't just be dismissed or mocked. In fact, dismissing concerns about the changing religious landscape is bad for all of us in the long run, as Susan Brooks Thistelthwaite wrote for FaithStreet about religious pluralism in America. In other words," she continues,. It is only when we take the risk of actually looking at our religious stresses and strains that we can begin to act to know them, engage them, and hopefully move them in a more positive direction.
Many people do, but the origin of this controversial term might change your mind! Some people associate Xmas with the holiday as a commercial, secular occasion instead of as a particular cultural and religious ritual. But, the history of the word Xmas is actually more respectable—and fascinating—than you might suspect. First of all, the abbreviation predates by centuries its use in gaudy advertisements. It was first used in the mids. And why would people need to abbreviate Christ?
Is there really any relation between math and Christmas? Well, none. The X actually comes from the Greek letter Chi. The Greek word for Christ is denoted by first letter X. Roman emperor Constantine I used the X reference to denote Christ. While it may not make a huge difference in greeting Merry Xmas or Merry Christmas, some people think that Xmas is a non-religious version. One of the misconceptions associated with the word Xmas state that it was used deliberately to take out the religious angle from Christmas, which is why we see the quotes, 'Keep Christ in Christmas.
It became more like a cultural war between left and the Christian right.
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