Blogging Religiously

When I was driving in today, it occurred to me that I haven’t heard much “War on Christmas” stuff this year.

And that’s a reason to say “Happy Holidays!” or “Merry Christmas!” or “Happy Hanukkah!” or whatever else you like.

Then I read this little essay that Archbishop Dolan had in the Daily News yesterday, which offered a nice little touch of holiday-time reconciliation.

He wrote: “As I prepare to celebrate my first Christmas as archbishop of New York, I realize it might seem presumptuous to interject myself into this annual battle. But if any time of year calls for us to follow our better natures, this is that time. Thus, I call for a truce!”

A truce. What a novel idea?

Dolan notes, of course, that he is quite enthusiastic about “keeping Christ in Christmas.” But he also writes: “However, many others don’t believe as we do but still wish to celebrate this wonderful time of the year. Parties, decorations, holiday specials, gifts – I’m all for it!”

And he notes: “Even more troublesome is that this season, when we should be celebrating peace, we find instead so many ways to be at odds with one another.”

I did discover today that the American Family Association, a religious right-ish group big on Culture War stuff, has called for a boycott of the Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic because of TV commercials that do not use the word “Christmas.”

The group says: “For the Gap to pretend that isn’t the foundation of the Christmas season is political correctness at best and religious bigotry at worst.”

And I thought that the Gap sells pants.

ADD: By the way, Dolan will be at St. Patrick’s Church in Yorktown on Thursday evening to meet with representatives of all the churches in northern Westchester and Putnam.

They’ll be laughing in the pews. Dolan is very engaging at these get-togethers.

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