The alleged “War on Christmas” is largely a figament of Bill O’Reilly’s, John Gibson’s and Joe Scarborough’s imaginations.

Is the Right’s war on the alleged “War on Christmas” a sophisticated Twenty-first Century pogrom against Jews, Muslims, non-Christians, and even Christians who don’t believe the “right” way?

“Happy holidays” and “seasons greetings” holiday wishes have been part and parcel of American Christmas wishes for as long as I can remember. And I’m 47 years old. Along with “Merry Christmas” and religious themed Christmas cards, I can also remember my parents sending out the more generic greetings as well in the 1960s and 1970s.

Certainly there have been court cases on government sponsored Nativity scenes. And public schools are more careful about religious Christmas songs than when I was a kid. Otherwise, however, it seems that Christmas is as big or bigger than ever. Christmas is a federal holiday. Christmas is still considered, at least by most Christian and secular Christians, to be the biggest and most important holiday of the year. And if you go to the mall this time of year, it is packed with shoppers buying Christmas presents.

The alleged “War on Christmas” is largely a figament of Bill O’Reilly’s, John Gibson’s and Joe Scarborough’s imaginations.

But like flag burning, another bogus but emotional issue that helps Rightwing groups raise funds and attack liberals, the Right’s war on the non-existent “War on Christmas” also serves political purposes. However, it also seems to be serving far Right Christian religious purposes as well.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, and even into the Twentieth Century, the Christmas season was often used by Christian churches and Christian leaders to launch pogroms against Jews. These pogroms were violent, often leading to death.

Obviously, people aren’t dying in the Right’s counter-insurgency against the bogus Christmas war. But ugliness lies beneath it. It is an attitude of “my religion is better than yours and you will darn well recognize that and also celebrate as I celebrate.” It is an attitude that was at the heart of the pogroms. It is an attitude that belittles the beliefs of others. It is an attitude if not hate, then at least intolerance.

The United States is a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious nation. A little sensitivity isn’t a bad thing. But the evidence that you can’t celebrate Christmas pretty much as you want is scant. Christmas is alive and well in the U.S. of A.–as should respect for others’ traditions and religions. Christmas is a time of “peace on earth goodwill to men (and women)”–not a time to practice religious bigotry.