The strange thing is that the US Postal Service has issued stamps commemorating the Islamic holiday of EID and the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. No one is up in arms about these stamps and no one has called for them to be scrapped. The only stamp that has been deemed inappropriate is the one commemorating the Christian holiday of Christmas.
I personally believe that they have two options. Recall all the stamps or issue all of them. I would like to see all the stamps issued because this reaffirms the idea that the United States allows freedom of religious expression. The First Amendment says that the Government will not make a law establishing a religion nor will the government prohibit the free expression thereof. The stamps do not make a law establishing a religion but by excluding one religion the Postal Service, a body of the Government, has decided what is an appropriate religion and what is not.
For those of us who are tired of the continued attacks on Christianity I have a message for the upcoming Christmas Season. When you greet someone say “Merry Christmas.” Forget the happy holidays crap and all the other expressions designed to hide the fact that it is Christmas by expressing what you feel inside. I have done this in the past and have had little problem though you are sure to run into a person who takes exception. One such fellow told me that I was imposing my religious beliefs on him and that I should have a more appropriate expression than Merry Christmas. My appropriate expression for this chap was the verbal expression of the extended middle finger. That is the kind of expression that some people need and probably want. I do, of course, give the appropriate greeting to my friends who are not Christians and they reciprocate. That is what people in a free society do. By exchanging such greetings we reaffirm the belief that our society allows us to practice religion as we see fit and it respects the heritage of the beliefs of others. To exclude one part of our society, as the Postal Service has done, undermines the freedom that so many have fought and died for.
Jesus Christ is recognized as the Son of God by Christians and as a great prophet by others. It is not inappropriate for any religion to recognize that we are celebrating the birthday of a man who had a great impact on our history, regardless of religious belief. However, for those who are so against this holiday I have a recommendation. Get up and go to work like you always do. If you can not recognize the man then why should you benefit from his birthday?
Writer’s Note: I am unaware of an official announcement that this stamp has been cancelled other than this Press Release which states
Five additional stamps from the Holiday Celebration series are currently available nationwide as well: Kwanzaa, the celebration of family, community and culture; Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights; EID, the Muslim Holiday; Madonna and Child, the Christmas stamp; as well as last year’s Holiday Ornaments.