Open Season on Christians
By Kay R. Daly
December 13, 2004

According to Andy Williams, it is supposed to be "the most wonderful time of the year." As Christians, we celebrate the miracle birth of our Savior, the Son of God. It's the Christ part of Christmas. One wouldn't know that these days, however.

It is the only religious holiday I am aware of that the meaning, history and significance is discussed only in hushed whispers for fear of offending somebody somewhere. Schoolchildren everywhere spend several classroom hours discussing Kwanza, Hannakah and Ramadan, but heaven help the teacher who discusses Christmas, teaches Christmas songs for a Christmas pageant that mention the baby Jesus, or even whisper the words "Merry Christmas."

Instead of nativity plays at school with sweet renditions of "Silent Night" and "Away in a Manger", there are "Winter Pageants" with secular themes or religious themes celebrating every religion except Christianity. Nary a chorus of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" to be found today.

From school auditoriums kicking baby Jesus out of the manger to Macy's embracing only the innocuous "Seasons Greeting" message to ripping the Ten Commandments off of any visible surface, it is a short jump to the judicial confirmation battle. People of faith who are nominated to the federal bench are subjected to a kind of purgatory, persecuted simply because of their beliefs. When Senators Chuck Schumer or Ted Kennedy demand that President Bush nominate judges who are "in the mainstream", what they really mean are judges who agree with them.

That so-called liberal tolerance seems to cover all bases but the Christian ones.

When Mel Gibson made "The Passion of the Christ" he was berated for it from critics columns to "South Park." Let me get this straight. Federal dollars can pay for some "artist" to drop a crucifix into a jar of his own urine and that is art. But if someone puts his own money into an interpretation of the well-documented suffering and death of Jesus Christ and it is called a "snuff film." Tolerance, indeed.

We are taught that art is in the eye of the beholder and to my eyes, "The Passion of the Christ" on cinematography alone is a masterpiece. If the choice truly comes down to Michael Moore versus Mel Gibson for an Academy Award, on several counts Mel should win hands down. It was curious to me why Michael Moore submitted his film outside of the documentary category until it became clear that documentaries must have some form of truth to them.

The anti-Passion bias seems to be in full swing particularly in the end of the year lists for best movie. How is it possible, particularly given the schlock Hollywood put out this year, to have a top ten list of best movies and not have one of the movies nominated by the Academy for Best Picture. Newsweek, among others, managed to do just that.

The secularization of America has been going on for quite some time and it would seem that the persecution of Christians will continue until we are forced to meet in secret talking hushed whispers and drawing the sign of the fish as a signal to other Christians. Oh wait, we've already been there, done that. So what's next? Feeding us to lions? No, that's been done too.

It seems that modern day persecution entails public ridicule, denial of jobs, award recognition and any public utterance whatsoever stating our beliefs. That simply must change.

David Limbaugh's brilliant, well-researched book "Persecution - How Liberals are Waging War Against Christianity" correctly states, "None of us knows for sure what the future holds, but there appears to be a consensus that America, to remain a free nation, must rededicate itself to its foundational Judeo-Christian moral underpinnings. And for that to happen, Christians must champion unfettered religious freedom, oppose those forces that threaten it, and strengthen their own churches, without which any hope to influence the political system and our culture will be futile."

Amen, my brother. And Merry Christmas.

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.