'Happy Holiday' hypocrisy

One of the collateral casualties of the war on terrorism seems to be the traditional battles over Christmas nativity scenes. These are normally launched by the American Civil Liberties Union, all three Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, People for what never has been or will be the American Way, and a few dour atheists who've never actually made it through the second half of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

In the interest of public service, I think we should remind these groups of their civic duty at this time of year. Since they seem to have dropped the wreath, so to speak, I'll try to explain why it's so important that Christmas not be celebrated during the holidays.

TRENDING: Is this what you voted for, America?

We do have "Happy Holidays," of course, which everyone acknowledges. Schools close for an extended period of time. Banks close. Even government sleeps more soundly than usual. But it would be politically improper and culturally insensitive for anyone actually enjoying the holiday to mention, at least in public, what we really celebrate.

This is especially true in schools. Children in American schools no longer celebrate Christmas, of course. They celebrate "winter break." During their "holiday" they go home, decorate the Christmas tree, make their gift list and check it twice, visit Santa at the mall, and admire their friends' Christmas decorations and lights. Some even go to church where they hear the Christmas story.

We can't tell the Christmas story in school, of course. Celebrating Christmas might make the odd elementary school atheist who has already studied and rejected the world's great religions feel left out in the cold. Little Jewish boys could be reminded of their orthodox religious history, and ask embarrassing questions of their no-longer-practicing mother and father. Little Islamic girls might question praying to a god who requires acts of mayhem from a little brother, while condemning little girls to an afterlife of sexual servitude to provide for the boys' reward. Buddhist children might wonder how Jesus made it to perfection in only one trip.

We can't celebrate Christmas in school, you see, because that would mean we'd have to explain what it is that we're celebrating. To do that, we'd have to read from the Bible about the little baby, born without an earthly father, who grew up to make the extraordinary claim that he was God in the flesh, and that His death on a Roman cross was to eternally bridge the chasm that had arisen between God and individual men and women over their disobedience, which is to say your and my sin.

We can't celebrate Christmas in school, you see, because we've already taught our children that the only truth is that there is no such thing as truth; that all cultures and customs are equally good regardless of what it is like for people living in them; and that it's morally wrong to make judgments about good and evil – especially if those judgments might influence innocent young children in their life choices.

So, for the good of the children, we can't celebrate Christmas, especially in school. We can't, because if we did, we'd have to explain what Christmas is. And if we explained what Christmas is, then we'd have to talk about Jesus. And no one can account for Jesus without explaining good and evil, God (who is not supposed to exist), and sin, which is wounding to self-esteem. And so we can't talk about Christmas in school. Not even if we wanted to. Which we don't.

One of the more endearing traits of those on the political left is their unabashed hypocrisy. In public, they stand firmly on their principles. There, they demand that religion, which has motivated men and women for good and ill throughout human history should simply not be discussed in the public square. But at home, they deck the halls, decorate the tree, buy their gifts, go to Christmas church services and pray for world peace. They help their children leave cookies and milk by the chimney for Santa, and they go to bed where they sleep the sleep of the morally pure. In short, they enjoy privately all the things they are so eager to deny the less fortunate who surround them: the blessings of life in a Christian nation.