The question that needs begging is why do these evangelical "missions" receive church status from the federal government, and thereby escape public scrutiny?

Why are these militaristic evangelical missions given so much clout when it comes to the national winter holidays in the US, and preferential treatment by federal and state agencies like the IRS and state Depts of Revenue? Answer: the power of the Christian business class in the US over our political life.

As Martin Gibson has pointed out, Christmas is both a federal and state holiday in all 50 states. I would question that as well. I don't think it should be a federal holiday. I would be perfectly happy to stick with Thanksgiving and New Years as federal holidays. But I am opposed to Christmas being promoted as a national holiday, particularly when it is linked so strongly to Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox evangelicalism, to exploitation by Christian politicans (of all races and ethnicities) and to promotion of American militarism.