Merry Christmas, US Heritage, Founding Fathers, Political Correctness

Here's an LSU clip about Christmas from 2007 when they did that "HOLIDAY Tree" political correctness instead of CHRISTMAS TREE; wonder if they are going to do that again? - I'm interviewed at the last ~ 30 - 40 seconds - Channe 2 Link: http://media.dev.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate/11292007-7.html

Check out the Go Fish YouTube, "It Called Christmas with a Capital C" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ) .

A little "Voices of Faith" I wrote a few years ago that came out in the Advocate's "Faith and People" section

"Voices of Faith" Submission

It's Called Christmas With a Capital C

As noted in Amendment 1 to the U. S. Constitution: " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press, or the right of people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Lately, there seems to be a full fledged government compliance with a specific societal trend of intolerance for any allowance of Christian expression per this Amendment, and most notably, with the season of Christmas.

One recent extreme societal influenced example of this was demonstrated by Lowe's, wherein they had even changed their Christmas 2007 catalog to a "Holiday 2007" one, and even went so far as to advertise "Family Trees" instead of Christmas Trees.

The Mississippi-based American Family Association noted the following: "Lowe's evidently did not want to offend any non-Christians; therefore, they replaced 'Christmas tree' with 'family tree,'" the AFA e-mail said. "Of course, if Christians are offended, that is evidently OK." Lowe's finally apologized for this blatant intolerance after it realized its bottom line would be affected. I guess it will take the same type of crisis to bring about a change in other organizations and businesses that have all gone "hook, line and sinker" for political correctness in other ways as well.

Last night, I heard on the news that LSU has joined these ranks by changing the name of Christmas trees to Holiday Trees. This is not an "Either/Or" issue but rather a "Both/And" one. I will certainly not request that other faiths have to change their ritual names but join them in celebrating what it's called.

Go Fish has recently done a fabulous short YouTube song/video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAckfn8yiAQ) that highlights the need for us to simple be lovingly assertive with what we believe! As noted in the chorus:

"It's called Christmas

What more can I say

It's about the birth of Christ

And you can't take that away

You can call it something else

But that's not what it will be

It's called Christmas with a Capital C!"

Supremacist judgements of intolerance without real checks and balances have recently occurred. One example of this involved the initial removal of a Jesus picture from a Slidell City Court. The Times-Picayune simply noted the picture as "a 16th century Russian Orthodox icon showing Jesus holding a Bible with two quotations in Russian. They are from John 7:24 and Matthew 7:2 that call for judging fairly."

There have also been numerous other examples around the country of judges who single-handedly prohibit the displays of Nativity scenes, as well as the Ten Commandments without any true basis other than intolerance.

Phyllis Schlafly, author of The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges And How to Stop It, has superbly noted this current trend on all levels of judicial activism. Recently, on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN), she commented "that when people like atheists or others want to have the complete separation of church and state imposed on others, they simply circumvent the legislative process and go to a supremacist judge."

Charles C. Haynes, a frequent contributor to this Voices of Faith column even noted this in his last published article: "Taking sides in theological disputes isn't in the business of government."

The bottom line about this overall intolerance issue for most people usually is based upon the phrase "separation of church and state," which does not actually occur anywhere at all in the U. S. Constitution, yet it has actually been quoted as such in several Opinions by the U. S. Supreme Court.

The authentic phrase of "building a wall of separation between church and state," was written by Thomas Jefferson in an 1802 letter of his to the Danbury Baptist Association. Recent research about Jefferson has indicated more of his actual theistic beliefs and practices. I'm sure he'd turn over in his grave if he knew what misuse has been done with his true legacy.

As Newt Gingrich noted locally at the November 2, 2007 Caring to Love Ministries function, Jefferson, at times, while he was President, even made available federal buildings in Washington, DC for churches with a temporary need for their worship services.

In conclusion, "We the people" must stand up for true tolerance, as is noted in Amendment 1 of the U. S. Constitution, and, specifically, demand that our Christian heritage be allowed expression. We must make our "Declaration of Independence" from supremacist tyranny to follow the "Laws of Nature and of Nature's God."


Keith John Paul Horcasitas, LCSW, MHA