I don't observe Christmas in December, for historical reasons that merit a different blog post. In fact, I don’t celebrate any of the traditional Christian holidays – even though I love the holiday season. However, as an American, I would be a hypocrite to advocate forced change of the name “Christmas tree” to “holiday tree,” or the greeting “Merry Christmas” to “happy holidays.”
It’s not merely semantics, but a matter of principle. Now, I’m no genius, and I have little skill in rhetoric, but the controversy over Christmas should never happen in America. A large part of what it means to be free in America involves religious freedom. This is the message of the pilgrims in American history. Religious censorship is what motivated them to emigrate from Europe .
So when I see organizations attempting to neutralize public events related to Christmas – or ban them altogether – I’m reminded more of constraint and intolerance than freedom. Unfortunately, I feel many Americans have mistaken our freedom of religion to mean freedom from religion.
As I understand it, freedom of religion safeguards the people from a government that would force its people to practice a certain religion only. To my knowledge, the U.S. government has never forced a religion on anyone. And having a public display of a Christmas tree or manger scene is hardly an act of repression.
I think military members understand the idea of freedom very well – because everything their job stands for ultimately comes down to protecting freedom. I saw a refreshing example of real religious tolerance last Christmas at Langley Air Force Base. The chapel had a Christmas tree and a Menorah displayed – together. They had a lighting ceremony that recognized both Christmas and Hanukkah. Now, until the government starts making attendance mandatory to such events, I welcome them with enthusiasm. Some of the best memories come from these events. A feeling of unity and camaraderie is a common result, or else people would not have them.
Nevertheless, some people have come to believe freedom includes freedom from being offended. But in a land where free speech is touted, personal offence is unavoidable. So, if you’re offended because someone wished you “Merry Christmas” this year, understand no one owes you recompense. I hope your offense is taken with dignity and mitigated by understanding that offence is a small price to pay to live free. After all, freedom doesn’t empower subjugation.
