"[BIBLE VERSE]" [REFERENCE]
AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL CHRISTIANS: Therefore, I encourage all Christians this year (and from now on) to openly, lovingly and joyfully celebrate Christmas and enjoy a Merry and Blessed Christmas, share it enthusiastically with others, sharing the real reason why we celebrate this glorious and wonderful Holy Day (from which the word "Holiday" was derived); which God's angels proclaimed as "...Good News of Great Joy to All People. Today in the town of David (Bethlehem) a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11)
JOYFULLY AND OPENLY CELEBRATE "CHRISTMAS"! IT IS YOUR PRIVILEGE AND YOUR RIGHT AS AN AMERICAN. (UNLESS YOU ALLOW IT TO BE TAKEN AWAY) I am an American citizen by birth and a Christian by faith and the Grace of Jesus Christ.
As an American, I also fervently believe in the two (2) most fundamental principles this nation was (and must continue to be) founded upon; namely: 1. That all men and women are "created equal", and "endowed by their Creator" with certain "inalienable rights"; including "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (including love, joy, fulfillment, peace, significance, purpose and freedom); and, 2. That an American citizen's essential right to "freedom of speech" and the "free exercise" (expression) of their religious (or lack thereof) are sacred cornerstones of our Constitutional Democracy, which no legitimate law may lawfully abridge.
Therefore, as Americans, we are duty-bound to advocate and defend our fellow citizen's right to equal treatment under the law, freedom of speech and freedom to freely and openly express and exercise their religious beliefs or non-belief in God. In fact, so critical are these fundamental civil rights, that it can validly be said that for one to actively seek to undermine or deny others these rights is, in fact, to engage in manifestly un-American behavior; against the very core of our constitutional democracy. I fully support the wisdom of our Founding Fathers also not permitting the covenant to officially establish any specific religion, or non-religious belief system (including agnosticism or atheism. (Note: Unlike many communist countries and various dictatorships, etc., the United States of America may not (under the guise of "separation of church and state") officially adopt a religion or officially or embrace "godlessness" (i.e., agnosticism or atheism) any more than it can Christianity, Islam, Judaism or any other "religion". Instead, the government must equally defend every citizen's right to openly and publicly express their respective "religious" belief or non-belief in their private, public and even political lives.
Therefore, as an American Christian, I am at a total loss to understand how and why we have progressively acquiesced to the reference of "Christ", "Christmas" and even "Merry Christmas" being systematically removed from our media, stores and other public places - based upon the claimed excuse that non-Christians might be "offended"! Really?!? Since when has potential offense (or opposing views) ever been a legitimate basis for an exception to the rights of Freedom of Speech and Religious Expression? As a Christian, I am exposed virtually on a daily basis to an ever-increasing deluge of profanity, explicit and/or grossly inappropriate sexual content, gratuitous violence and "speech" disparaging my faith and deeply-held belief in Christ on radio, television, cable, the internet, magazines and other public media, which are offensive to me but are protected by the First Amendment. (And "no", I am not "offended" if others wish me a Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Winter Break, etc., etc.; it's their right, which I respect and would defend.)
Yet, unfortunately today, one can invoke outcries of "offensive" by simply speaking reverently the name of "Jesus" or "Jesus Christ" in public or in the media - unless, of course, you use "Jesus!", "Jesus Christ!" and/or "_ _ _ Damn!" as expletives; in which case, it will be perfectly acceptable. [Can you imagine the uproar if, instead, Christians used the holy names of "Allah, Mohammad, Abraham, Moses, Jehovah, etc. in the same disrespectful manner?!?] The reality is having to be exposed to "offensive" speech/content and/or other people's different religious beliefs (or unbelief) is, I submit, simply part of the price we all must pay (dare I say "tolerate") to live in a "free" country; with true freedom of speech and religion. (Especially since recent U.S. polls still show that a substantial majority (70%+ of Americans still identify themselves as "Christians", how can the claimed "offense" to a minority justify silencing and censoring the First Amendment rights of the majority?)
If Christians attempted (wrongfully) to silence any other faiths, agnostics or atheists because we find them "offensive" to us as Christians, the outcry of non-Christians would be deafening - and legitimate. So don't we, as Christians, have these same basic rights?
Christians, therefore, must stop being intimidated and reluctant about publicly expressing their Christian faith - and instead freely, to publicly, lovingly and joyfully express their Christian beliefs, openly proclaiming "Merry Christmas" without any reservations or apologies to anyone!. As Christians, we do not celebrate winter break, any "season" or some amorphous "Holidays" ("Happy" or otherwise). We celebrate Christmas! We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior - the "Indescribable Gift" of God. I buy "Christmas" trees and "Christmas" presents to celebrate His birth. I have always identified December 25th as "Christmas Day". I listen to "Christmas carols" and send Christmas cards proclaiming His birth and decorate our homes with "Christmas" lights and other "Christmas" decorations. So exactly when and why did "Christ" suddenly become offensive in this nation? As a Christian, I am tired of this de-Christianization of Christmas in order to avoid "offending someone" (non-Christians?)
I, for one, absolutely refuse to relinquish my Constitutional rights, and the rights of my family and all of my Christian brothers and sisters, to openly and joyfully celebrate "Christmas" - the birth of "Christ" our Lord. If "Christ" is ultimately allowed be taken out of "Christmas" (simply because non-Christians may be "offended"), then it will be sad and tragic commentary on America, Christians and for the fundamental rights and beliefs upon which this nation was founded; and for which so many have given their "lives, fortunes and sacred honor". I pray never to see such a day in this nation.
Therefore, I encourage all Christians this year (and from now on) to openly, lovingly and joyfully celebrate Christmas and enjoy a Merry and Blessed Christmas, share it enthusiastically with others, sharing the real reason why we celebrate this glorious and wonderful Holy Day (from which the word "Holiday" was derived); which God's angels proclaimed as "...Good News of Great Joy to All People. Today in the town of David (Bethlehem) a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11) Merry Christmas! May God Bless You All and May God Continue to Bless the United States of America.
John C. Adams III,Santa Ana, CA
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