Christmas & The Culture War

Each of us at one time remember putting on a Christmas play or singing carols in music class during elementary school. Pretty harmless, right? Some disagree. In 2005, the ACLU attempted to file lawsuits to over six school districts for displays of Christmas trees and having Santa visits. They're not the only ones who feel this way. Major retailers have outlawed the name of the holiday in their ads, sticking to the 'happy holidays' slogan to prevent anyone from being offended. We now hear the terms 'holiday tree' and 'winter break', as use of the C-word would be politically incorrect.

This certainly pushes some peoples' buttons, but first, let's ask each other… Are they right? Should public schools celebrate holidays with a religious background? Is it right for companies to advertise for Christmas? What about when the city of Papillion puts up the manger near downtown in the park? Is that offensive and politically incorrect for those who do not believe? Could the ACLU actually have a point?

What I think is that we should not ban the Christmas performances put on by public schools. However, I do think that they should be optional, and the parents can decide if they want their child to participate. Society has created a somewhat secular view of Christmas, and I really don't think that decorating a 3rd grader's classroom with reindeer and Christmas trees is a problem, as long as the religious side of Christmas isn't taught. As for whether or not we should remove religion from the public square, I think that Senator John Cornyn of Texas put it best:

"The first amendment clearly provides that congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion nor interfering with the free exercise thereof. Nothing in these provisions requires govt. to be hostile to religious speech or religious liberty. The constitution nowhere requires govt. to expel professions of faith from the public square."

A past Gallup poll showed that 95% of America celebrated the holiday, while only 84% of them called themselves Christians, proving that maybe everyone doesn't find that C-word so terrible. I think that when it does comes to religion, as long as it isn't celebrated somewhere such as a public school, it isn't a problem. Separation of faith from the public square is interfering with our right to exercise religion freely. This argument is a little bit bigger than just whether or not we can celebrate Christmas in public. It embodies the whole culture struggle that our country is experiencing. Is separating religion from the public square a good idea? As for me, come December, I'll be wishing everyone a sincere Merry Christmas :)

-Kettlecorn