'Christmas under Siege around the World'--Say What?

"While the public expression of Christmas is being debated in heated cases across the states, millions of Christians around the world and their religious freedom are literally under attack."

I'm sorry. Did I miss something here? Since when does Christmas equal Christian? Don't get me wrong. The birth of my Saviour is very important to me. I believe He is human, born of a Virgin. I believe He lived, died, and rose again. To relieve me of my debt of sin.

What I don't believe is that Christmas itself, is an integral part of being a Christian. "Keep the Sabbath." "Love the Lord your God." "Love your neighbor." "Pray." "Fast." These are all part of the Christian life. Christmas is not.

My inlaws do not celebrate Christmas, for deeply held Christian reasons. They dug through the Bible, and truly believe it is a pagan holiday that true Christians should have no part of.

My parents, on the other hand, know that its deepest roots are truly to be found in paganism, but believe that it has been redeemed, and they celebrate with joy the birth of Jesus.



My wife and I did not celebrate it for the first decade of our marriage. My first year away from home showed me how shallow my vision of it was. Without close friends and family, Christmas was empty and hollow. Nothingness wrapped in lights and tinsel and bright paper. But we pushed through, and celebrate a little now. A simple tree, a few gifts, not a lot. But more than abhorrence and derision.

Anyway, that was all beside the point, really. My point being, this article makes it sound like the 'attack' against Christmas is a form of persecution. (If you look deep enough and see Satan behind all forms of persecution, then this is true.)

But honestly, can I truly put myself in the same boat as North Korean Christians because my son can't pray at school. Or we can't put a manger on the city hall lawn? The 100 million christians in China are ecstatic they know someone who know someone who has seen a bible once. (Okay, that's a little exageration. But just a little one.)

Christmas is fun, but if you take it away, I'm still a Christian. Take away my Bible, my church, my family and my job because I'm a Christian, then I'm being persecuted. Take away my life, then I'm a martyr.

Please, for the sake our Brothers and Sisters in Chains around the world, don't confuse Christmas with Christianity.