Christ and Christmas - Thoughts on the Secular and Sacred

As a Christian, I'm bothered by an increasingly disturbing trend to erase anything Christian from the public eye.

NPR is running a hannukah special, but frequently says little about the Christian aspects of the Christmas season.

Stores say "Happy Holidays" in favor of a more "tolerant" expression of holiday cheer.

While I don't want to see my faith pushed to the side, I'm also not offended if a Jewish person wishes me "Happy Hannukah"... I should not be!

In a town not too far from here last year, Christian groups worked together to have a nativity scene placed in front of City Hall. A local wicca group petitioned to have a large pentagram painted on plywood and placed right next to the nativity. Some bonehead ran over the pentagram, causing a flurry of emotions and religious debate.

In my town, the local ministerium decided that rather than to push for a nativity in front of City Hall, why don't we encourage all of our Christian friends, family and neighbors to place a nativity in their front yard.

Instead of fighting over one Baby Jesus and family, there would be THOUSANDS of Baby Jesus-es across the city.

I have no problem with the fact that people don't want to be FORCED to recognize the divinity of Christ. They don't want to be FORCED to worship a God they don't believe in.

But even from a secular, purely historical standpoint, what's so bad about the story of a man who came, was born in a stable, encouraged people to love each other, and do good, and treat people with the respect that we wish we were treated with?

Can't we recognize Christmas as a holiday honoring a really good teacher and man?

I personally believe Jesus is more than that!
But why invent all the crazy mythology about flying reindeer and elves and singing snowmen?

Isn't just the story of Jesus worth celebrating, whether you believe it is true or not?