The Merry Christmas Police

Every year at this time some Christians get themselves all in a tizzy about what greeting is considered appropriate for the holidays.  Bill O’Reilly is famous for this particular brand of demagoguery.  Frankly I’m not one to get upset about being wished a “Merry Christmas,” but I always just assumed that people said  “Happy Holidays” just to be considerate.  I didn’t realize that it was an assault on the very core of their sacred beliefs.

I regularly challenge people’s sacred beliefs and if I were going to do so it wouldn’t be by wishing them “Happy Holidays.”  Pastor Robert Jeffress is a frequent Fox News guest, host of a televangelist show and founder of grinchalert.com.  It doesn’t take any deep insight to figure out that this new brand of “Merry Christmas” police has a “Christian nation” agenda.

Last night Alan Colmes interviewed him and easily uncovered his actual intentions:

Colmes: When you do this thing for fun, which you’re having fun with this this Christmas season and the so-called War on Christmas and you’re doing this to have some fun with this Grinch Who Stole Christmas concept. But behind that is a point of view that you have that Christians are a superior religion and non-Christians should not hold public office. You truly have a bias against those who are not of your particular faith. Is that what Jesus taught?

Jeffress: Well I believe that Christians have a right to elect Christian leaders. I’ve never suggested, Alan, that they ought to be codified into law.

Colmes: So you’d never vote for a Jew? You’d never vote for an Atheist? You’d never vote for a Muslim? You’d never vote for a Buddhist? You would only cast your vote, and urge your flock to cast their votes, for those of the Christian faith.

Jeffress: Well, I believe that a competent Christian is better than a competent non-Christian.

Colmes: Why?

Jeffress: Because that is my religious belief.

Colmes: Is a non-competent Christian better than a competent non-Christian … Can you see an election where a non-competent Christian is running against a competent non-Christian and the non-Christian would be the better candidate?

Jeffress: I can see that possibility and I think at that moment, it has to be a matter of conscience with the Christian.

Colmes: So could you see yourself voting for a non-Christian?

Jeffress: I could see if there were two non-Christians running, I could.

Colmes: But if one is a Christian, even if that person is the less competent person, you’d still vote for the Christian?

…

Jeffress: Alan, I’ll have to pray about that.

After Jesus reviews the candidates, he’ll get back to us with a list of approved non-Christians.