Christmas in the Winter of Our Discontent
“Now is the winter of our discontent…”
-Act 1, Scene 1 “Richard III” by William Shakespeare
Some two thousand eighteen years ago, give or take a year or two, a child was born to a young Jewish woman in Bethlehem, because her espoused husband had returned to that city to be registered in a census ordered by Caesar Augustus. The birth of that child, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, marked the beginning of Christianity, and also served as the point of demarcation between the ancient world, and the world which followed, in human history.
Raised as a Jew in His stepfather’s home of Nazareth, not much is known of His early life, other than His circumcision being recorded, where He was officially named by His stepfather, and preaching to astonished rabbis at the ceremony of His bar mitzvah, thirteen years later. Yet, this child would change forever the concept of the meaning of life, itself, and challenge all- believers, or non- to seek peace within ourselves, and in the way we treat one another. His life, His teachings, His death and resurrection, would lead to the creation of the world’s largest monotheistic religion- Christianity, which was based upon the Judaism of His own mother, Mary, but with the added promise of everlasting life for those who believe in Him.
In the two millennia that followed the life of Jesus Christ, the world saw war, upon war, upon war- much of which was based upon religious differences- within and outside Christianity, itself. Supposedly, we live in a country where the freedom OF (and NOT “from”, as some would have us otherwise believe) religion is constitutionally-assured, by virtue of our First Amendment rights. Yet, in a country which supposedly assures all the freedom to worship as we deem fit, whereby there is no state-sanctioned denomination (also established in the First Amendment), it seems today that some religions or, for that matter, non-religions, are more equal than others.
Say something against Islam, for example, and Attorney General Loretta Lynch has promised that doing so will invite criminal prosecution. Make a video which insults the prophet Muhammed, and one might find themselves jailed without the benefit of habeas corpus protections, for years.
Host a holiday party at a public school- one that features a non-religious character in a red suit with a white beard, and just one single complaint by an agnostic or an atheist can bring on a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), effectively shutting down such a holiday celebration. Add a crèche (manger scene) to a public square where a menorah is displayed, and both symbols of the season are brought down based upon the wiles of malcontented non-believers who wish to impose THEIR views on the rest of us.
Work at a store, or a business, or in a government agency and utter the phrase, “Merry Christmas” and find out just how quickly the denizens of political correctness are ready to issue a verbal warning that you are flirting with unemployment.
Such is NOT the separation of church and state, but rather an all-out assault against religion, generally, and Christianity, specifically. Left unchecked, the generations of infants born in this new century will witness the outright censure of Christianity as a religion, and the banishment of Christmas, as a holiday, itself. How sad that a true religion of peace is proscribed from celebrating the birth of its Savior, by the politically-correct classes that only seek to destroy our freedoms and our culture, and how sad for the youngest among us who must bear witness to the acrimony surrounding something as simple as a jolly old elf bringing toys down a chimney.
So, while we are still not legally estopped from saying so, at this juncture in our history, please allow us to extend our heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all who should read this post.
-Drew Nickell, 21 December 2015
©2015, by Drew Nickell, all rights reserved.