by Grant
(Rossville, Georgia (just south of Chattanooga))
Manger Scene and Christmas Lights
Grant is a long-time resident of Northwest Georgia, just south of the Chattanooga Tennessee line. This Chattanooga editorial is about the use of the word "Christmas" versus "the holidays".
For the past couple of years, I have been increasingly frustrated with the effort to "sanitize" the time of year almost everyone I have ever known has always referred to as Christmas.
I realize that we have lots of immigrants from many lands, cultures, and religions here in America nowadays, but since the beginning of the United States, we have always had the same kind of diversity.
In fact, this nation was built because immigrants seeking religious freedom came to this land to get away from religious and personal tyranny that they lived under.
Now, let me explain the difference in the true tyranny and oppression that the immigrants to this nation back then were facing and what many are "calling" tyranny and oppression today.
True tyranny and oppression for these first immigrants to our land included being forced (note that word...forced) not to merely tolerate a set of religious beliefs and/or celebrations, but they were forced (there's that word again) to actually profess to be a part of that religious group (the "Church of England").
They could not express disagreement with it publicly for fear of retaliation up to and/or including death or imprisonment by the state.
Conversely, those that are trying to get us to call the season surrounding December 25th, a generic, non-specific holiday are portraying themselves and those who celebrate other holidays as the victims.
This may be a wake up call for some of you, but you are actually flipping the whole situation in the name of "tolerance". You are actually the oppressors, but you want us to tolerate it.
In case this is news to you, for hundreds of years, December 25th has been celebrated as Christmas, in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ.
And since this country was founded, it has been the same. And, get this...it was celebrated by a mixed bag of Christian immigrants and converts from all over.
Oh, and guess what else? Other holidays were celebrated in the days, weeks, and months surround Christmas by other religious groups as well.
And...though the Christians didn't celebrate Hanukkah, and the Jews did not celebrate Ramadan, and the Muslims did not celebrate Christmas, until recently, there was never a consorted effort to change Christmas into something else or generalize Kwanzaa, calling it simply "the holiday".
And does it not seem strange to some of you that the only holiday that is being targeted is Christmas? Would you like to know the reason?
...Because Christmas has the word Christ as it's root and is rooted in the fact that Jesus Christ was born in a manger in Bethlehem. And that Christians claim because God's Word, the Bible, says that there is no other name among men whereby we must be saved.
Well, guess what? No one is forcing anyone to believe that or anything else in the Bible in this country. The government is not forcing you. Christians are not forcing you and we wouldn't want to. Because true Christians are the ones who originally fled to this land to obtain freedom of religion. They do not want to take it away.
True Christians don't want a "theocracy" in this nation as some allege. They just want to remain free, just as they want that same freedom for all other people of good will.
And just in case you are a little confused about true freedom, allow me to explain...
Freedom does not include being free to blow yourself up along with other innocent people in the middle of a mall or a Christmas parade, but it does include your right to boycott malls and Christmas parades.
Freedom does not include the right to force people to convert to your religion and kill them if they don't, but it does include your right to try to reason with others in an effort to try and persuade them to believe as you do about any given subject.
Freedom does not include the right to hi-jack a private or commercial aircraft and fly it into buildings full of innocent people, but it does include the right to peacefully address your grievances with those that you disagree with.
Freedom does not include the right to blow up an abortion clinic just because you believe abortion is murder so you feel justified in killing those who kill the babies there. I believe abortion is murder as well, but I cannot justify murdering those who do the same. But, you still have a recourse...Freedom will allow you to boycott and protest those clinics on public property. You can even protest on private property as long as you get permission from the owners.
So, with all of that in mind, please enjoy or at least consider the following video, but be sure to read the P.S. after it...
