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Has Christmas Become Too Secular? >

Secularism Cannot Change the Truth of Christ's Birth

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

December 22, 2011

About Janice Shaw Crouse:

Janice Shaw Crouse, senior fellow of Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute, is author of Children at Risk and Marriage Matters and was a presidential speechwriter for the first President Bush.

Christ's long-anticipated birth brought joy and renewed hope to early Christians. That the secular world today doesn't understand and turns Christmas into a commercial parody or tacky heyday does not in the slightest diminish the significance of the day for people of faith.

[Lowe's Intolerant for Pulling Ads From "All-American Muslim".]

Wise men today still celebrate His birth. No other event in history warrants such a huge, worldwide celebration. That the Word become flesh is the reason for the season. His birth fulfilled the true promise of "hope and change," and nothing or no one else has wrought such remarkable transformation in individual lives and entire civilizations either before or since His birth. Millions attest to being reborn from the depths of depravity, depression, and despair through the power of believing in Him. Is it any wonder the birth of Jesus Christ is cause for celebration and that the Christmas season is full of festivities and joyous traditions?

In this country, we celebrate Christ's birth in the middle of winter--analogous to the Light of Truth's warmth piercing Error's frigid, hostile darkness. Christmas is the ultimate singularity, God becoming one of us that we might become one with Him—the ultimate connectedness!

Family members drive hundreds, even thousands, of miles to be home with loved ones. Friends get together for a special meal, to go to events or concerts, or just hang out. There is justifiable reason for spending quality time together, and the tangible evidences of love create bonding and renew friendships and family relationships. People of faith and non-believers alike join in festivities and enjoy the gift giving, parties, decorating, feasts, and all the excitement of Christmas.

[Remembering Christopher Hitchens.]

Despite the stress of commercialization—all the hyper-expectation, overindulgence, and excessive spending—Christmas remains, for faithful multitudes, the most wonderful time of the year. To be sure, some spend outlandish amounts of money, and others get too caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season to focus on the truth of Christmas. But even though far too many people experience only the peripheral aspects of Christmas, countless believers celebrate Christ's birth, both His coming into the world and into their hearts. And like the shepherds of old, they fall on their knees in praise, worship, and adoration.

Tags:
holidays,
religion,
Christianity
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

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

TIM WILDMON, President of American Family Association

#9

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

Reader Comments Read all comments (6)

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I'm grateful for a pro-religious argument that doesn't confuse government expression of religion with personal expression of religion. Thank you for staying on topic.

Daniel Miles of OR 4:16PM December 23, 2011

"Christ's long-anticipated birth brought joy and renewed hope to early Christians."

There were Christians before Christ? That's news to me. Is this some sect/theology I don't know about or is the author just clueless about the origins of her religion?

JS 7:21AM December 23, 2011

Some family members drive hundreds of miles. others are not welcome because of their views on mythology, don't feel like they'll fit in or don't want someone else's views shoved down their throat.

Even as an atheist, I loved my grandmother's version of christmas- a time for giving, forgiveness family and celebration. When the next generation made it a political issue, and re-initiated such vicious attacks not seen since the enlightenment, it ruined it for all of us. People forgot that many early figures like lincoln, jefferson and more were openly critical and some might say hostile toward christianity, yet it was considered their right. Christians today want to return us to a time when Jews, atheists and non-christians have no right to voice their opinion. Indeed some want to deny citizenship to them. They even consider their views mainstream.

We've got great challenges ahead in finance, medicine, the environment, terrorism and more, yet the christians want to fight over 2000 year old mythology. When will they get it that insisting this be treated as the truth, is divisive and destructive and we have to move forward?

steve sexauer of CO 2:07AM December 23, 2011

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