Letters to the Editor

Keeping Christmas

Anti-Christian bigotry is rising and becoming more evident this Christmas season (“Nativity scenes cause uproar,” Nation, Friday).

Some larger chain stores are succumbing to the anti-Christian sentiment of political correctness. I’ve noticed the decline of Nativity sets and other decorative items that symbolize the meaning of Christmas. At Top Food and Drugs you can find “holiday wrap,” and at Fred Meyers you can find “gift wrap,” but you do not find “Christmas wrap.” The designs of the wrapping paper are of the pagan and secular aspects that have commercialized Christmas over the last few decades. It is difficult to find designs that actually depict the true themes of the origin and meaning of Christmas.

Our schools remove Christ while promoting other religions. Our government is forced to deny traditions that have existed since before America was born. Minority groups seek to deny the display of the Christ child. They win by the majority’s failure to speak out in favor of our American heritage.

Commercialization was the common complaint, but now it is that the true meaning of Christmas is being ignored by the offerings of Christmas merchandise. Some say that to mention the real meaning of Christmas is to offend other religions. Nonsense. Christianity has contributed to the civilization and greatness of America.

Christmas is “Christ’s mass.” To remove Christ from the Christmas season offends American tradition. Denying American tradition offends the majority of Americans.

ROGER W HANCOCK

Auburn, Wash.

…

Joyce Howard Price’s bias shined through in “Nativity scenes causes uproar.” To take “Christ out of Christmas” is not the goal of those who defend the Constitution and the principle of church-state separation. The goal is for every citizen who enters a taxpayer-funded building to know — beyond a shadow of a doubt — that the state exists to serve all citizens, regardless of religious belief.

Every holiday season, some are willing to brush aside the First Amendment in their eagerness to inappropriately insert sectarian faith into public schools and spaces. The First Amendment does not elevate one religion above all others, but rather places all religions on a par with one another, and recognizes the equality of religion and non-religion. If we dismissed concerns over displaying a Nativity scene in an elementary school, we would open the door to topping government buildings with crosses or stars of David or statues of Buddha, depending on the whims of those with authority over the premises.

Christians do not need governmental help to keep Christ in Christmas, Jews do not need governmental support for their celebration of the Hanukkah miracle and pagans do not need governmental support for their winter rituals. The winter solstice should be a holiday season for all citizens to enjoy in their own way, and none should be made to feel as outsiders by unconstitutional sectarian governmental endorsements.

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