Keeping Christ in Christmas

To the editor: I was thrilled to read Lisa Perry’s letter, highlighting the removal of the word “Christmas” from the Christmas season. This is a subject that my friends and family feel passionate about as Christians and patriotic Americans. Unfortunately, organized attempts to oppress faith exist all year round and are something that deserves the attention of anyone offended by the efforts to secularize Christmas. The trend in our society that suppresses Christian holidays, terms and symbols goes directly against the core beliefs of the Founding Fathers of this great nation. It is also an insult to the many men and women who have fought against communism and tyranny in order to insure that Americans could enjoy religious freedom. Freedom of religion does not mean suppressing and/or banning expressions of faith in the public forum, but instead allows that expression. This is not communist China, or the former USSR or Cuba, where such behavior would be expected; this is the country where people immigrated in order not to be persecuted for their beliefs. I realize that there are a minority of people living in this society who are offended by the word Christmas; they are the same people who would like to remove the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. These are people who misuse and misinterpret the U.S. Constitution to impose their values on the majority of this country, instead of exercising their rights as Americans to simply not say whatever words offend them. Eighty-five percent of this country defines themselves as Christians, and there is no law forcing any non-Christian to become part of the faith. Why then should Christians be forced to remove their faith from their lives, or leave it at their doors when they exit their homes? This Christmas, please think about our country and its history and consider that the separation of church and state was designed to protect God from the government, not the government from God. Beth Poust Monroe