THE BABE IN THE BUNKER

NOW BATTLE FOR CHRISTMAS HITS CALIFORNIA TOWN

Exclusive: Barbara Simpson rallies to save Christian holiday traditions from city's grinches

People don’t like to call it a “war on Christmas,” but in fact, that’s what it is. It started a number of years ago, as gradually it became hard to find greeting cards that said “Merry Christmas” and stores stopped using those words.

The “accepted” phrase became “Happy Holidays” and any inference of religion in the public sector was verboten.

Just who exactly started it all – I don’t know, but it spread like wildfire and the political left latched onto it and pushed the agenda.

Soon, it hit the public schools – no more “Christmas pageants” and certainly no traditional Christmas decorations in classrooms and absolutely no gift exchanges. Even the traditional Christmas vacations disappeared from the school calendars. Now it’s “winter break.”

The anti-religion contagion spread. St. Valentine’s Day is no more – just “Valentine’s Day” in the schools that even allow it.

As for Easter, that’s been scrubbed, too. No celebration of it in classrooms – decorations and baskets – and now, any vacation is called “spring break.”

What’s doubly insulting is that when the administration schedules it, they ignore the actual date of Easter and plan the school vacation for any dates they desire. They don’t care that for people in the “real world” – read that parents – this often clashes with normal holiday time off and can create family chaos.

It has all devolved into a massive effort to remove any vestige of “religion” from the public square.

How about your town? Do you have a community Christmas tree? Probably not, certainly not if you’re in California, as am I. Now it’s a “holiday tree.” The town supports this even as they provide an opportunity for town kids to have their pictures taken with “Santa Claus.”

Adding to this mass erasure of Christmas from the public square in the United States, we have more and more instances of Muslims complaining that Christmas celebrations and music are “offensive” to them.

This is especially evident on college campuses, where Muslim students are in a minority yet demand that their religion get the same level of attention other holidays receive, especially Christian holidays.

One example is Loyola University in Chicago. It’s essentially a Catholic University – majority Catholic. The rest is a mix of other religions with less than 5 percent Muslim. Yet the Muslims demand that their religion have equal representation. In other words, there’s too much “Christmas” for them to stomach. They’re “offended.”

In many cases, even some representatives of the Catholic Church have caved in. It’s reported that Fr. Kevin O’Brien, dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in California, says Jesus doesn’t care what we call the holiday. He says we have to be protective of the rights of others, “Muslims, for instance” to practice their faiths in this country.

Since when did Muslims get so “special”?

How celebrating Christmas prevents Muslims from practicing their religion, Fr. O’Brien doesn’t say.

In Ireland, Fr. Desmond O’Donnell says Christians should abandon the word “Christmas” because it’s been entirely secularized, as has Easter. According to him, it’s a lost cause.

Pope Francis also lamented the changes. He said last week that if Jesus Christ is removed from the holidays, the significance of Christmas is gone.

I’ve given a lot of thought about the celebration of Christmas in my town.

I noted we have a very large lot selling trees that are called and advertised as “Christmas trees.”

I saw that retail establishments mention Christmas as they try to capitalize on the tradition of people exchanging gifts, and they hope those people will make purchases in their stores to use as their gifts.

The town also has an opportunity for children to meet “Santa Claus” and have pictures taken with him.

I find it odd that the town sponsors this, ignoring that Santa Claus is based on a real, historical man named Nicholas – a saint in the Catholic Church – and his life story is the background of Santa Claus bringing gifts. That fact seems to have escaped the town fathers as they don’t object to “Santa” for pictures, yet they persist in having a town “holiday tree.”

We have a big celebration for the lighting ceremony and yet refuse to call it a “Christmas tree.” Yes, the holiday of Christmas is a Christian holiday based on the birth of Jesus Christ. Without that, there is no Christmas, and that’s what my town is doing: wanting to have it both ways – the celebration, yet be politically correct, trying to eliminate the religious aspect of the day.

So I decided that as a Roman Catholic, I want to officially register my view that what my town is doing is offensive to me and my religion.

I am offended, and I’m asking that the town change the policy, get back to reality and have the town celebrate Christmas, as it was historically, should be now and will continue. Just call it “Christmas.”

If the town refuses to face this reality and finds it acceptable to continue to offend me, then I suggest there should be no mention of the holiday whatsoever.

And this also goes to how the town ignores “Easter.” It is not about rabbits and eggs. It is a holiday at the heart of Christianity, regardless of the politically correct games the town continues to play: “Spring Egg Hunts” or even “Egg Scrambles”!

Oh please. At the very least, call it what it is – “Easter” – which my town, and many others, conveniently ignores.

Bottom line, I am offended and have requested a change in policy. The next move is up to the town.

Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy New Year, too!

Follow Barbara Simpson on Facebook.

http://www.wnd.com/2017/12/now-battle-for-christmas-rages-in-california-town/