THE ATTACK ON CHRISTMAS - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

Holiday tree rather than Christmas tree. Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas at retail outlets. The banning of Christmas Carols that have any reference to Christ. The banning of any display of the nativity on any public grounds. These are just a few examples of the attack on Christmas that has been gradually taking place in our nation but has reached a somewhat fevered pitch this year since Walmart and Target have been under fire for supposedly requiring their employees to wish, "Happy Holidays, " rather than," Merry Christmas," ( on a side note I did call Walmart's corporate office in Arkansas and was told it was NOT company policy it was left up to the individual store). The controversy took a new twist this past week when Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert reversed the calling of the official tree in Washington a, "Holiday Tree, " which began during the Clinton administration and said that he would light a, "Christmas Tree," thus changing the official name back as it was before the mid nineties. All of this is based on the false notion that the United States Constitution states that there shall be a, "separation of church and state." Notice that I stated that it was based on a, "false notion." Why you may ask, "false ?" Because the words nor the premise of a, "separation of church and state," even exist within the Constitution! Over the last several decades there has been a, "dummying down," of the populace concerning the Constitution especially at the school level where reading the Constitution was required and now there is hardly a mention of it in the text books that are used in today's government schools. The majority of the population have never seen a copy of the Constitution much less read it. So the political premise of a, "separation of church and state, " is blindly accepted. To better understand what I am stating here we must first take a look at the Constitution and then the origin of the separation idea. What is known as the, "establishment clause, " is found in the first Amendment of the Constitution which actually states, " Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The Founding Fathers realized the importance of freedom of religion as a basis for a free nation since they placed the, "establishment clause, " as the first right that the people have as found in the Bill Of Rights, the first ten Amendments to the Constitution. To better understand why the Fathers felt this so important then next we must look at where they had come from. As a British Colony and before, the soon to be nation followed long standing European laws governing religion which established a state church that one had to belong to to marry, own property, be buried etc. When the Pilgrims first came to this land, that is the primary reason that they left Europe, that they may have freedom to worship and believe as they wished. Therefore the Founding Fathers realized the necessity to establish religious freedom as law in the United States. The freedom to worship and practice religion as ones conscience and heart leads and the prevention of the establishment of a state church as was and still is the law in Britain and the rest of Europe. The idea of, "separation of church and state, " is found in a letter written by then President Thomas Jefferson in 1802, (full transcript of the letter - http://www.usconstitution.net/jeffwall.html), as he answered the Danbury Baptist Association's concerns that the state of Connecticut saw religious liberties as, "favors granted, "rather than immutable rights. Jefferson in his answer stated that religion was guided by ones conscience and not by the state, "thus building a wall of separation of church and state." Ever since this letter the idea of, "separation of church and state, " has been attributed to the Constitution rather than the interpretation of Thomas Jefferson. It is only in the last 60 years that this idea has taken on the significance and political stature that it has and has been used to attempt to eliminate God from even being referenced much less worshiped. The Founders NEVER intended for God to be eliminated from this nation just the freedom for all to worship as they believed and to follow their conscience for that worship whether it be God the Father , (whom I worship), Buddha, Mohammed or whomever.

Although Christmas is primarily a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of the Savior, it is a recognized holiday that has been celebrated in this country and throughout the world for that reason and the name Christmas is applied to the celebration of Christ's birth. This ridiculous politically correct idea that the name of Christ as referenced to Christmas cannot even be used as a greeting, or a tree or the display of symbols celebrating His birth because it violates the Constitution is absurd. We celebrate Christmas because we believe in Christ as many do or ones celebration is based on the secular idea of Santa Clause etc. Either way the holiday is Christmas and it finds its origin in the birth of the Christ therefore WE here at The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth wish you A Merry Christmas and a blessed season !

Ken Taylor