Does it seem to you like the attacks on Christmas are becoming more intense with each passing year? I don't know if I just never noticed it before, or if all these anti-Christmas forces have just started making their voices heard so loudly in the past decade or so. Who are the people that make up these groups, anyway? I'm convinced that there aren't nearly as many of them as they would like us to believe. Just this morning I heard on the news about a town in New Jersey that has a banner that was created by the Knights of Columbus that hangs in the downtown area that says "Keep Christ In Christmas," but the group that is suing to have the sign removed is located in Wisconsin. New Jersey and Wisconsin are not exactly next door neighbors.
The primary reason that I'm hearing for wanting to eliminate the word "Christmas" is that it is offensive to members of other religions, but I'm skeptical of that rationale. I have some good friends who are non-Christian (primarily Jewish), and I can assure you that they're not the least offended that I choose to celebrate the birth of Christ. I think the fact that they send me a Christmas card each year is proof enough of that. By the same token, I take no offense that they like to celebrate Hanukkah. It appears to me that the most noise in opposition to the celebration of Christmas is not coming from other religions, instead it's a small minority of agnostics who have decided to declare war on Christianity. If they are so concerned about me offending a non-Christian by celebrating Christ, then I would like to register a complaint that I find it offensive that they're trying to limit my ability to do so.
There is no doubt that our side is in the vast majority, but if we continue to sit back and let the naysayers nibble away at our freedoms, and if we don't elect politicians who have the backbone to stand up against the few who oppose us, then we will wake up one morning and find our freedom to worship as we please will be a thing of the past. I wish that everyone would believe in God the way I do, and I'm willing to spread the word about my salvation to anyone who is willing to listen, but I'm also realistic enough to know that there will always be non-believers in our midst. But that doesn't mean that we can't all share the same streets and neighborhoods in harmony.
It's the Christian way to treat our fellow man with a cordial respect, but I refuse to stand idly by and allow a few others to steal away my rights to celebrate my Lord. I'm not gonna get nasty about it, but there are just some things that cannot be taken from me. So if you see where someone is using the word "Xmas," you can rest assured it's not me. When I say I'm going to keep Christ in Christmas, I really mean it!
So the greeting you'll hear from me this and every December for the rest of my life is: MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Preston
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