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Has Christmas Become Too Secular? >

Christmas Is What Made America Great

Because of Jesus, we live in the best country in the world

December 22, 2011

About Tim Wildmon:

Tim Wildmon is the president of American Family Association, a national organization promoting the Judeo-Christian moral value system.

If Jesus Christ had never been born, there would be no United States of America. If Jesus Christ had not been born, I would not be writing this column and you would not be reading it. Christmas is the reason we Americans live in the greatest country in the world.

[See pictures of the White House Christmas decorations.]

In 1950, President Harry Truman gave a speech to the Attorney General's conference. This is what he said: "The fundamental basis of this nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days…"

If Jesus Christ had never been born, there would be no Christmas celebration. The American economy depends on people buying other people Christmas gifts each year. That is why the idea of "holiday" shopping is so ridiculous. No one buys gifts to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. The kids don't run downstairs at 5 a.m. on New Year's morning. Overwhelmingly, Americans exchange gifts with friends and family precisely because it is Christmas. Ask American retailers and they will tell you--it's the most wonderful time of the year. It is hypocrisy of the highest order for retailers to make their living from Christmas sales, and yet be too politically correct to even acknowledge that fact in their advertising, pretending that people are "holiday" shopping. Who are they trying to kid?

[See the latest political cartoons.]

Christmas in America has always been special. Christmas is the only religious holiday that is also a federal holiday. That is why it is so offensive to see an obvious attempt by secularists to remove Christmas and replace it with some generic "holiday" celebration. We see the governor of Rhode Island changing the name of a Christmas tree to a holiday tree. Last year in Tulsa, the annual Christmas Parade was renamed Winterfest. Examples like these are popping up more and more every year as liberals fret over offending some tiny minority out there.

This is all about getting rid of our country's Christian heritage in the name of multiculturalism and political correctness. "Don't offend non-Christians," is the argument. Well, what about vast majority of Americans, Christians, who are offended by those trying to get rid of the true meaning of Christmas? The truth is, as President Truman said, one cannot appreciate America without appreciating our Christian roots. And Christmas is a part of celebrating our Christian roots.

Tags:
holidays,
Christianity,
religion
Other Arguments
#1
#2

No — The Winter Solstice is the reason for the season

ANNIE LAURIE GAYLOR, Co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation

#3

No — We have taken the opportunity to come together and positively celebrate our diversity

ROY SPECKHARDT, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association

#4

No — Christmas in America has always been a secular holiday

HERB SILVERMAN, Founder and President of the Secular Coalition for America

#5

Yes — Go ahead and doubt, or just join in while we believers enjoy the season

JANICE SHAW CROUSE, Senior Fellow of Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute

#6

Yes — Christmas is a celebration of Jesus's birth

ANDREA S. LAFFERTY, President of Traditional Values Coalition

#7

Yes — Crackdown on religious free speech can't be ignored

J.P. DUFFY, Vice President for Communications at Family Research Council

#8

Yes — Who are the anti-Christmas police protecting when they seek to smash Christmas?

BILL DONOHUE, President and CEO of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights

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