If Joe can dedicate a blog post to getting upset about a Youtube video, then so can I.
Some family recently forwarded me a link to a video. It's a song (with a bunch of spoken word edited in) about people saying "Happy Holidays" rather than "Merry Christmas." The video can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ
My Mom asked my brother and I what we thought. It will surprise no one that I had a number of things to say.
First of all, I love the acappella group Go Fish. We have a couple of their CDs and the kids really like them. We used to listen to them all the time. Fun music. Fantastic. I'll get that out of the way.
Secondly, I... uh... STRONGLY DISLIKE listening to Brad Stine. I'm pretty sure that he is the comedian whose diatribe has been edited into the song... I recognize his voice and can tell by the stuff he says. He did stand-up at both of the Promise Keepers events I've been to, this year and a few years back. He drives me absolutely nuts. He's pretty much the redneck "conservative Christian comedian"... Equivalent to the Larry The Cable Guy and the guys on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, even down to the fact that he tries to have his own little catch phrase. He constantly talks about how America is God's country (I think he even used the words "favorite" once, which made me want to stand up and argue with him in front of 10,000 guys), and our Christian heritage, on and on. He can talk for an hour about the same sort of stuff as he does in the song.
While the song is nice, and I understand the sentiment, the problem I have with Brad Stine and those kind of discussions, is this:
Christians in America are not persecuted.
We have it so easy here that we have to come up with something like this and call it persecution, as if it's even an issue. We do the same thing with our kids not praying in public schools, or not having the 10 commandments on a courthouse lawn. We make it as if because of these things, we are being "persecuted."
Christians in China being jailed or killed, and in the Middle East? That's persecution.
Christians in America don't know true persecution, and I think it's one of the reasons so many Christian Americans are so lazy and uninvolved with Christ, and each other. I'm supposed to get angry and make it an "issue" if a non-Christian wants to say "holidays" rather than "Christmas"?
I realize that for the most part, I'm probably preaching to the choir here. I know stuff like this has been discussed before by some of the contributors over there on that sidebar >>>. But I still think it's worth discussing, because stuff like this is debated ad nauseum among American churches and American politicians.
If a Wal-Mart greeter wishing me "Happy Holidays" is persecution, I'm curious what we would call it if we were being eaten alive by lions and wild animals, with people cheering on the carnage from the stands.
Anyway... Who knew that a silly Youtube song would provoke such debate?
*Shout outs to my Mom for sending me the link, and Bill for being a Brad Stine fan. I know you're reading, Bill.
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7 comments:
You have nerve posting remarks like that so close to Veterans Day. Brave Americans died to defend his right to pretend he is persecuted.
One thing I know for sure? That group needs to call Scotty McBloggin next time they plan on doing a video!
Brad Stine is my hero!
This is not Bill.
Wow! Great rant, Scott !! Nice to see some soapbox passion from ya!
I agree that in comparison to the kind of persecution that Christians in other countries endure, American's have it incredibly easy. And making up things to "feel persecuted" about is a ridiculous waste of time that only serves to make the "persecuted" feel more righteous about themselves.
Frankly, I don’t think I’ve ever felt persecuted as an adult. I’ve had people walk on egg-shells around me (as in, they watch the foul language … which I find pretty funny at times because it offends me in the least!), and sometimes I’ve thought that my “Christian presence” makes some uncomfortable. But I’ve never been truly persecuted.
Now, as a child, that’s a different story. I’ve been beat up. Made fun of. Excluded. Hurt. And I’ve witnessed some of this even towards my own children. At the beginning of school, my daughter was exiled to the front row away from everyone else because the neighborhood knew she was a Christian. And she got into several shouting matches with a particular boy over God. Now, I know she wasn’t strung upside down on a cross or anything, but to her, that was huge and hurt deeply. And its persecution that I just don’t experience anymore.
I don’t really have a point…I’m just rambling in response to your rant. But I did want to comment, so there it was… Glorious quotes and all !!
-Eric
How strange that kids and teenagers are more likely to be shunned for speaking out about Jesus, and yet they are the ones that are also 10x more likely to do it. Adults are too easily embarrassed, I tell ya.
You were really beat up as a child for being a Christian? I think this calls for a blog entry. And then a hug.
Bill can't fool me with his 'anonymous' comments.
Kids and tennagers are more likely to be teased and ostracised because by their peers because their peers are kids and teenagers.
Kids and teenagers are savages, especially when they are together.
I got teased mercilessly for a year over my last name..can you imagine that? Can you even think of a way to distort "Bradford" to be anything teasable? So it wasnt just my name, it was the mere fact that I was alive and breathing air that someone else wanted.
(I'm not Bill either)
You dudes should try being in a country where there are more muslims than evangelicals. Persecution? No. Discrimination? Yes.
And I bet they're all on fire, too!!
;) (luv ya Macca!)
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