Point of View

I am offended by the Christmas censors: Schools that ban Christmas carols, the word "Christmas," and even the colors red and green; Towns that ban nativity scenes and call those green, decorated, pointy things "Holiday Trees;" Employers who change traditional Christmas parties into "holiday parties" and forbid employees to say "Merry Christmas;" and who can forget the retailers that want our money but refuse to recognize that our holiday is called "Christmas." It's truly madness.

The censors claim they ignore Christmas so they won't "offend anyone." They failed. Most of those who are offended are not offended by Christmas celebrations, but by Christmas censors! Christians are not offended at the celebrations of other religions. I wish my Jewish friends "Happy Hanukkah," not "Happy Holiday" and they politely wish me "Merry Christmas." How would our mothers feel if we greeted them with "Happy Holiday" instead of "Happy Mothers' Day"?

We should be offended at the constant attempts to remove the name of Christ from CHRISTmas. The "War Against Christmas" is really a war against Christ and His influence in our culture. What is happening in the public schools is merely a symptom of the war to erase religion from our national memory. I received an e-mail recently from a lady who works at a music conservatory in a western state. She stated that that most of the children who study in her conservatory are unfamiliar with traditional Christmas carols. In fact, many children are even unfamiliar with secular Christmas songs about Santa and Rudolph. Since public schools are no longer teaching the songs, children will never learn them unless parents fill in the gaps.

Public school administrators are often misinformed about the constitutionality of recognizing the religious aspects of Christmas. Groups like Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the ACLU scare teachers by sending out ominous letters every Christmas season, admonishing schools about celebrating Christmas. As a result, teachers are led to believe they should strip the classroom of every vestige of the Christmas season. Teachers think they must censor religious Christmas songs and Nativity displays. The focus is often on other holidays during December, although Christmas is the only federally-recognized holiday this month. Christian parents must work diligently to combat the secularism of the classroom so their children can stand up to the lies of the secularists who prefer that Christians keep their religion confined to the four walls of the church.

As Christians, we must carry our faith into every aspect of life, whether it is school or work. Of course, we are not commanded to celebrate Christmas, but we are not forbidden to do so either. Some people say that we should never celebrate Christmas because we don't know when Jesus was born or because the day has some early connections to ancient pagan celebrations. Yawn. I've heard all the arguments. My parents and I stopped celebrating Christmas when I was about eight years old for those very reasons. I even opted out of singing Christmas carols during junior high. We eventually realized that our legalistic beliefs did not make us followers of Christ. There is nothing wrong with commemorating the birth of Christ, just as we remember the birthdays of President Washington and others who have contributed greatly to this nation. We honor Christ when we remember the special time He was sent into the world to save us from our sins.

I love Christmas because I love Christ and I enjoy the music and celebrations that honor Him. I want my grandchildren to experience the joy of His love and to remember that His birth is worthy of observance. I want future generations to have the same opportunity I had to experience the joy of Christmas.

Christmas provides a unique opportunity to share Christ with others through family gatherings, Christmas carols and taking friends, out-of-town visitors and loved ones to church events. These are opportunities that must not disappear from our society. If no one stands up to the Christmas censors, the American observance of Christ's birth will sink under waves of "winterfest" driven by gales of "special seasonal shopping."

If you love CHRISTmas too, I invite you to join Liberty Counsel's Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign. We pledge to be the "Friend" to those entities which do not censor Christmas and a "Foe" to those that do. Together we will help save CHRISTmas and give honor and glory to Him.

Anita Staver is President of Liberty Counsel, a nationwide public interest law firm dedicated to advancing religious liberty, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family. She is a member of First Baptist Church in Orlando.