“Is your house decorated for the holidays?  Are you planning a “holiday party”?  Cooking a “holiday turkey” for dinner?  Is your “holiday sock” hung by the chimney with care?  Have you decorated your “holiday tree”?

 

Christmas is being undermined by the creeping grinch of political correctness.  As Americans, we are threatened with the possibility of being left with an unpleasant package under the “holiday tree”: a generic, bland public celebration of important religious events.  Sharing our traditions with others should not be mistaken for an imposition of Christianity on non-Christians.

 

During this festive season, Americans of all religious and ethnic backgrounds celebrate great holidays.  Jewish Americans observe Hanukkah, Muslim Americans participate in Ramadan, African-Americans take part in Kwanzaa.  I respect and enjoy the fact that our great nation draws upon so many important secular and non-secular traditions during the generally-termed “holiday season.”  It is a shame, however, when the identities of these individual holidays are lost to political correctness.

 

In Washington, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert sent the clear message that we have become too secular in our holiday beliefs when he restored the title of Capitol Christmas Tree to the 80-foot Norway Spruce that decorates the front lawn of the Congress.  It is a “holiday tree” no more.

 

The thin veil of secularism obscures what is truly great about the unique celebrations we enjoy this time of year.  As a Christian, I appreciate the rich heritage Christmas brings to the holidays, just as others value Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Ramadan.  These are the times we spend closest as families, when it is cold outside and the warmth of these celebrations brings us together.

 

From an educational standpoint, these holidays should also inform students’ understanding of how our federal laws, especially the U.S. Constitution, function to protect the expression of religion and the freedom to celebrate the religious holidays which are important to us.  Court challenges to the presence of Santa Claus in a parade or Christmas tree decorations in town squares are not about the separation between church and state – they are about forcing secularism on the vast middle ground of American life and culture.

 

The presence of a Christmas tree or a menorah in a public space should not be offensive to anyone in our free society.  Our liberty and strength lies in what we permit, not what we refuse to tolerate.  Those who would strip religious holidays of their public identities send a disturbing message to the faithful of our country – they tell us they prefer an America in which religious beliefs are lost the moment we step over the thresholds of our front doors.  If we do that, we risk losing the important themes of our religions: love for our neighbor, peace in every aspect, and the importance of our everyday conduct in our relationship with God.

 

What we have in common through religion is just as important as what separates us.  We in Southern Missouri are renowned for the strong role our faith plays in our lives, regardless of what church or affiliation we belong to.  It is because we place such civic pride in our acts of neighborliness, the role of our faith-based institutions in helping the less fortunate, and the morals and ethics that inform our public lives.

 

At Christmas time, at Hanukkah time, at Ramadan time, and at Kwanzaa time it is important to celebrate the personal significance of the holidays.  It is just as important to celebrate the public significance of these holidays – given the fact that we are “one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all.”

 

I wish you the best, whatever holiday you choose to celebrate this season.  From me, I wish you Merry Christmas!”