Offended? Use reason this season

Dallas Morning News | Jacquielynn Floyd:

“It's tough to know where to plant your foot in this minefield of seasonal nomenclature: You now risk giving offense with either 'happy holidays' or 'merry Christmas,' which I guess leaves us with the vapid, perfunctory but always safe admonition to 'have a nice day.'”

Jacquielynn Floyd wants to be nonpartisan; she tries hard to be nonpartisan. She even-handedly criticizes both sides of this so-called "war on Christmas" for being quick to take offense. She tries to make up by wishing both sides a "bodacious holiday season, be it religious or secular."

What she doesn't realize is that nonpartisanship is not a shared value in this culture war. Nonpartisanship can be mistaken for tolerance of the opposing views. And tolerance is anathema to fundamentalist Christians. A popular bumper sticker reads, "Truth, not tolerance."

William Murchison, in a post on the Dallas Blog, informs readers of an art contest sponsored by the Plano Independent School District that is meant to foster "harmony, respect, tolerance, acceptance, and understanding among or between different racial, cultural, ethnic, and/or religious groups." Mr. Murchison assures us, in a tone dripping with disdain, "I'm not making this up." He describes the attitude as "pallid stuff" that ought to cause Plano to "keel over collectively from boredom and stupefaction."

Tolerance is not welcome on one side of this culture war. You can't NOT take sides. You're either with us or against us. Ms. Floyd gives away which side she is on in her column's title, which is a call to "use reason this season." She apparently doesn't remember Martin Luther's warning that "reason is the enemy of faith."

Happy Hanakkah, Happy Festivus, Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year everyone! Whew, that was a mouthful. How about if I just wish everyone Happy Holidays?