Whatever Happened To Christmas?
Have a joyous and blessed 'winter holiday'...
[Dennis Mountjoy] 12/23/05

Christmas is a wonderful, joyous day. For Christians it is uniquely important. It is the day that Christ the Lord was born. Many others who do not share our faith still rejoice in its message of peace on earth and goodwill toward men. The beauty of this day is so powerful that more than 90 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas.

So it’s hard to understand why the word “Christmas” is being abandoned. Are people so ashamed of this holy day that they don’t want the word “Christmas” spoken in public – not in shopping malls or offices or classrooms, not on television or radio? It’s even hard to find the word “Christmas” in advertisements for Christmas presents. Quietly, gradually but steadily, the word “Christmas” is disappearing from public view and is being replaced by something called the “Holiday Season,” with “Happy Holidays” taking the place of “Merry Christmas.”

Does anyone really believe Christmas is just one in a list of winter holidays? Of course not. We still say “Happy Thanksgiving,” “Happy Hanukah” and “Happy New Year.” Yet where has “Merry Christmas” gone? All of us, including the promoters of the “Holiday Season,” know quite well that this is the Christmas season. We all know that on December 25, the stores close, hundreds of millions of people go to church, more than any other time of year; and families exchange presents, come together for a festive meal, and wish each other a “Merry Christmas.”

So why are we subjected to this elaborate and silly Holiday Season charade, and who is behind it? No one, it seems. In fact, when we complain about an anti-Christmas campaign, we are told there is no such thing. We’re imagining it. The “Holiday Season” just sort of… replaced Christmas.

When that argument collapses of its own weight, we are told that other religious groups are offended by Christmas. But that’s not true. People of other faiths are not campaigning to stop us from talking about or celebrating Christmas.

They are not afraid of Christmas. In fact, as people of faith, they respect Christmas, just as Christians respect their holy days and traditions.

So, who is ashamed of the word “Christmas,” and what are they ashamed of? A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger? Or maybe angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will toward men?”

The vast majority of Americans find Christmas a time of joy, peace, and hope. Even many who do not share the Christian belief that Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world admire Him as a great moral teacher. Unfortunately, many people perceive Christmas as being offensive to others. And thanks to “political correctness” in this country, it is seen as the ultimate sin to offend anyone. Since when in a country where we cherish our First Amendment right to freedom of speech is it offensive to wish each other “Merry Christmas?” By the way, the First Amendment guarantees a freedom of religion as well.

In reality, there is a small group of people who want to impose their ideas of "political correctness" on the rest of us. They do this by trying to drive religious beliefs underground. Their message is as clear as it is outrageous: You can believe whatever you wish, as long as you do it in the privacy of your own homes or inside your churches – just don’t dare do it in public.

No thanks. We’ll keep on decorating our Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, wishing “Merry Christmas,” and rejoicing at the words “Fear not: for, behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”

“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” -CRO-

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