Bah Humbug to Baby Jesus: Anti-Christian Neighbor Sends the Meanest Christmas Letter Ever

Going to the mailbox near Christmas is lots of fun. You often find it stuffed with cards, gifts, and photos from faraway loved ones. But one family in Newtown, Massachusetts got an unpleasant surprise in their mailbox last week when they became the shocked recipients of the meanest Christmas letter ever.

Dear Neighbors:

while we have held our peace in years past we have decided that we cannot let another holiday season go by without bringing a few things to your attention:

1. Not everybody in the neighborhood is Christian and many people do not wish to see such a flagrant display of your beliefs. Imagine if everybody in the neighborhood decided to turn their fronts lawn into an expression of their beliefs.

2. You may think your display is harmless fun but you need to realize that your beliefs are in direct contradiction with those of others. Imagine how you would feel if you had to drive past an anti-Christian lawn display every day!

3. All religious matters aside, your decorations themselves are beyond tasteless.  They are cheap, tacky, and kitschy and are a terrible eyesore on the neighborhood.

4.  Christmas was still more than six weeks away when you began putting out your decorations.  Why on earth do you feel the need to have them out so long?

You are, of course, free to worship as you believe, free to celebrate as you please, and free to have bad taste, but please have the good sense to do those things in the privacy of your own home.

Sincerely,

your neighbors

I’ve written a lot about the continuity of traditions.  Well, this lovely tradition was begun by the Hunter family’s beloved late patriarch, William Hunter, who was a Cambridge firefighter.  He began the tradition about 40 years ago and his daughters, Kristin and KellyHunter, continued it after his death.

“I think dad would be really proud, that it’s still going on.   It’s one thing that always brought him joy,” said his daughter, Kristen Hunter.

“I couldn’t believe it. We were in complete shock. If anything, we have had people come to the door and thank us,” said daughter Kelly Hunter.

“I don’t see the problem, you can be whatever you want to be and celebrate it.  However, you want to be proud of what you are.  We are not bashing anybody for being anything,” said Kelly Hunter.

“We are proud of what we do and we have had so many people stop by and thank us,” said Kelly Hunter.

For some neighbors, the letter has rallied support.  On Saturday night, they will gather and sing Christmas carols at the Hunter’s home.

“Love it, we love it,” said neighbor Rick Arnold.  “Actually, I don’t have to do my house because everybody looks at their house.” (source)

Somehow, Christianity has become the one religion that everyone is free to bash.  Whereas the Jewish faith has the power of AIPAC and the SPLC ready to leap to their defense, and everyone is very sensitive to Islamic beliefs, who listens when Christians complain about being discriminated against?  The mainstream media gets all fired up about saying “Happy Holidays” so as not to offend those who celebrate Kwanzaa or Hannukah this time of year, but why is it okay to blatantly bash Christian celebrations? One Texas PTA even went so far as to ban the word “Christmas” and the colors of red and green from an elementary school “winter party” so as to be excruciatingly politically correct.

In a country that purports to have freedom of religion, one thing is clear. The religious freedom only applies to those beliefs that are not Christian.  While I am perfectly willing to accept that others may celebrate a different faith than I do, it seems that a double standard applies, because my beliefs are considered “offensive” and “politically incorrect”.

The Christmas season has become open season … on Christianity.