Posted 12/09/2005 05:11:00 PM by Douglas

I must admit, the "war on Christmas" has definitely taken a ceasefire over at FoxNews. The latest affront was O'Reilly's attack on Jon Stewart for The Daily Show's year-old piece. But before that was FoxNew's own secularization of the season by selling "holiday" ornaments for your supposed "holiday" tree. The larger question there is why would anyone in their right mind want to see the logo of a media outlet on their "holiday" tree, but that's a question for another day.

But probably most disturbing of all is what's going on in some churches. Turns out, this year Christmas falls on a Sunday. So are the non-denominational suburban "mega-churches" taking advantage of one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar to tend to their flocks? Nope. Most of them are taking the day off.

Some of the nation's most prominent megachurches have decided not to hold worship services on the Sunday that coincides with Christmas Day, a move that is generating controversy among evangelical Christians at a time when many conservative groups are battling to "put the Christ back in Christmas."

Megachurch leaders say that the decision is in keeping with their innovative and "family friendly" approach and that they are compensating in other ways. Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Ill., always a pacesetter among megachurches, is handing out a DVD it produced for the occasion that features a heartwarming contemporary Christmas tale.

Yeah, why waste time sitting in the pew listening to some preachy guy when you could be home watching TV.

"I see this in many ways as a capitulation to narcissism, the self-centered, me-first, I'm going to put me and my immediate family first agenda of the larger culture," said Ben Witherington III, professor of New Testament interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. "If Christianity is an evangelistic religion, then what kind of message is this sending to the larger culture - that worship is an optional extra?"

Obviously, Mr. Witherington III has attended a few services in these churches.

I wonder where O'Reilly will chose to be sanctimonious on Christmas morning?