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Put Christ back in holidays, hearts
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A little time has passed since Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, which means we’re far enough removed from the festivities that I can pen this opinion piece without letting those warm and fuzzy “holiday feelings” bias my sentiment. It has become clear to me that Americans are doing all they can to take God out of the holiday season, and it’s disturbing.
First let’s look at Thanksgiving, which now is pretty much glossed over and ignored. Specifically, the retail industry’s neglect of this once-blessed and bountiful occasion is overwhelmingly apparent. In most stores, once Halloween is over, the Christmas advertising begins. It’s sad that Thanksgiving is ignored, in large part, because it focuses on being thankful for what we have. And if we admit to being thankful, then we have to acknowledge that our blessings came from somewhere or someone — someone much greater than the highs and lows of this earthly existence.
We, as a nation, at one time recognized and thanked God for our blessings. This is documented in history books and records dating back to Plymouth Rock and was confirmed when President George Washington proclaimed in 1789 that our country would recognize Nov. 26 as a day of thanks.
According to Washington, Thanksgiving would be, “a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of almighty God.”
Yes, you read that right folks. Washington said to thank almighty God. Well, we sure aren’t doing that around Thanksgiving like we did when I was a child. Instead, we start hearing all the politically correct people chant, “Happy holidays! Happy holidays!”
As Christmas approaches, society’s denial of Christ becomes even more flagrant. Few businesses actually allow employees to wish customers a “merry Christmas,” and even fewer have the courage to use the phrase in their advertising or holiday decor.
For examples of this, just walk through the “Christmas” section at any major department store or even local dollar stores, and you’ll see the “happy holidays” merchandise outnumbers the “merry Christmas” goods.
Well, I hope all the liberals and other folks out there who say “happy holidays” will heed this message. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Now, many of you may want to argue about who this man was, but there is absolutely no debate that Christmas is the day on which we observe his birth. Period.
President Ronald Reagan summed up this rather disheartening trend well when he said, “Christmas can be celebrated in the school room with pine trees, tinsel and reindeer, but there must be no mention of the man whose birthday is being celebrated. One wonders how a teacher would answer if a student asked why it was called Christmas.”
We’re at the start of a new year now, and many of us will make resolutions that we intend to keep. For a moment, though, forget the pledges to get in shape, volunteer more, break bad habits and spend less time at work. The resolution that we all need to make is to put Christ back in America — back in families, back in schools, back in the government, back in Thanksgiving, back in Christmas and back in our hearts.

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