Posted: August 27, 2011
By:     Bud Mirassou
A few days ago the Ninth US circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a high school teacher had a right to tell a student that Creationism is “religious, superstitious nonsense” when a student asked about it in class. In the most recent New Yorker magazine, a lengthy article addresses the issue of New Secularism (which is another term for atheism). Where atheists once lived and worked side by side with those who have a belief and faith in God, and didn’t overtly try to convert society away from God, the new secularists define themselves as a “historical force ultimately triumphant and victorious: a vision of the future as an overcoming of religion.” The danger becomes increasingly apparent as we note the ongoing effort to take spirituality out of public places, such as:

    *    The cross on Mount Soledad which has been there for years and years must come down;

    *    Jesus, the most important figure in the history of Western Civilization, can’t be mentioned in public schools;

    *    The YMCA dropping "Christian" out of their name, and calling themselves "The Y," apparently for political correctness.

    *    Spring Break not only replaced Easter vacation, but in many ways eliminated the Easter celebration. There was a time when nobody worked on Good Friday. And there was a time when nobody worked from 12 to 3 on Good Friday. Today the children ask, “Grandpa, what’s Good Friday?” (They’d asked their mom and dad, but they don’t know.)

    *    Now, there’s a concerted effort to do the same with Winter Break and reduce, then eliminate Christmastime.

We at SJOI urge the line in the sand be drawn for the protection of Christmastime. We applaud organizations like the Knights of Columbus and their “Keep Christ in Christmas” program. We seek other organizations to identify themselves as doing the same. Christmas, with its messages of hope and love ,is not only essential for achieving individual Joy and Fullness but is also essential to maintain a free society. The Founding Fathers adopted a Constitution protecting the governed from government - not from each other. If 90% of the people do not voluntarily follow the law, democracy doesn’t work. We don’t have enough police and judges unless most live together in peace. If not, a police-state becomes a necessity to bring safety to the streets. As Jefferson put it in the Declaration of Independence, we’re all bound by “... the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God ...” This is basic Judeo-Christian philosophy. Those that don’t know it and understand it and practice it are putting our free-society at risk.

The American Constitution is based upon Natural Law as identified by Aristotle and  the New Testament and carried on by St. Thomas Aquinas, combined with the Judeo-Christian concept of right and long as identified by the Ten Commandments, and melded together by “Love” as taught by Jesus Christ. It’s obviously essential to separate Church and State, all of which is clearly identified in our Constitution. But it is essential to our Democracy that the philosophy (not doctrine) of Christianity be taught. Without a clear understanding of Natural Law and of Jesus and Christian philosophy, one cannot understand the fundamentals of our Constitution. In that context, Christmas should be preserved and celebrated as the Fountainhead of our Constitution in addition to being celebrated by Christians as the birthday of Jesus.

To protect liberty for all, we must protect Christmas and the histroical Jesus.