I believe in my Lord. I believe he died on the cross for our sins, and I pray to him everyday. However, I am not one of those completely crazy Christians. I did not flip out about the Starbucks cups not being "Christmas" enough, I don't freak out when I am stopped from praying in public because it may hurt someone else, and I didn't even say anything when Christmas trees had to be taken down because again they MAY offend someone. I don't mind that you celebrate Hanukkah, or even nothing. However, I do care when people call it "X-Mas."
If we freak out about a cup not being festive enough, then why do we continue to take Christ out of CHRISTmas? I think in the hustle and bustle of the holidays, making our wish lists, and planning our party outfits we forget why the holiday is really here. Jesus is the light of our world, and we celebrate his birth on this holiday. It is Jesus's birthday, yet we take out the one thing that still slightly reminds us... HIS NAME. What if on your birthday we started saying "Happy Day?" I don't know about you, but I would be rather upset. It is my birthday, not just another "happy day" for you. This is the same thing, we are celebrating someone who died for our sins who we continue to pray and love every day, but can't even find the time over the holidays to say his name when we are celebrating.
Maybe some of you will think this is just like the cup thing. Or think I am just another Christian striving for attention of my belief, but I'm not. Lately the majority is always wrong. If the minority of the population does it, fine. But help us all if we try to celebrate something that the majority of our population believes in. When you ask me to please take down the "Happy Holidays" banner in my classroom, I don't respond with telling you that your child missed a very important test when he missed school for Yom Kippur. I respond with "Yes ma'm I am sorry you are offended." When you give me dirty looks for praying before I eat, I don't respond with telling you how I had a child cry to me because your child sat during the Pledge of Allegiance making her believe that her dad who she lost in Iraq fighting for YOUR rights wasn't respected or remembered.
I understand all the different beliefs, I accept them as well. I may not believe in your traditions, yet I don't start quoting the Bible when you mention you are Buddhist. I have good friends that are Atheist that respect when I pray before my meal, or that I may not be able to hang out on Sunday morning because I am at church. Why can't we just accept everyone, and everyone's different beliefs? It is what makes us who we are, and what makes the world around us so diverse.
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
