Christmas is just a few days away. We have watched in amazement as boys and girls have retold the Christmas story through drama and song with an excitement that many of us adults have lost. It is almost with a reverence they gently rock the baby Jesus in their arms as they sing "Away in a Manger." Our Lord must truly smile upon them.
We have sung many of the great songs of Christmas, somehow never tiring of those timeless melodies or the even more timeless words. How could one ever grow tired with "O Come, All Ye Faithful" and its powerful, yet reverent refrains, "Oh, come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord?" Or how could one not be amazed with those marvelous words, "O little town of Bethlehem...the hopes and fears of all the years are instilled in thee tonight?" And there are those almost immortal words, "Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright... sleep in heavenly peace." Generation after generation has never grown tired of singing those carols.
And yet not everyone is excited over the music of Christmas. I share the following story from the pen of Todd Starnes. It can be found at www.townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2016/12/14/school-choirs-barred-from-performing-at-annual-nativity-celebration. This is another one of those attempts by one or two individuals whose desire in life seems to be to attack the person of God. The article begins, "School children in Wake County, North Carolina will no longer be allowed to sing Christmas carols at an annual Nativity celebration after they received a complaint from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based group of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers." Let me just add that the day will come when these people will be privileged to live in a world that will be completely devoid of the presence of God. As joyous as they might think that would be, I highly doubt, that when it happens, there will be much joy. Now, back to the article.
"The Freedom from Religion Foundation said the performance at the annual Apex Christmas Nativity Celebration were unconstitutional and could not continue. 'The whole purpose of the event is to display and honor nativity scenes, which highlight an exclusively Christian aspect of the holiday season, rather than a secular Christmas celebration,' FFRF attorney Patrick Elliott wrote in a complaint to the district last year. 'Students are intentionally brought to the church to be exposed to hundreds of depictions of the Christian legend of Jesus' birth.' Legend? Well, if that doesn't jingle your bells...
"Anyway, the school district decided it would be best to ban student choirs from taking part in this year's celebration - most certainly breaking the hearts of children who wanted to spread a bit of Christmas cheer. 'No one was particularly happy with the outcome of this,' school district spokesman Tim Simmons told The News & Observer. 'Some schools had been participating for several years.' The annual event is a three-day 'celebration of the birth and ministry of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,' sponsored by the Church of Latter-day Saints in Apex. ... I reached out to Steven Bodhaine, who oversees nine Mormon congregations in Wake County - a very nice gentleman. He assured me there has never been any proselytizing at the celebration. 'There's never been a single incident or concern in the past 13 years,' he said. 'In fact, these schools often look forward to this because it's such a beautiful venue to perform.'"
Mr. Starnes concludes his article this way: "The Freedom From Religion Foundation says they are dedicated to the 'separation of church and state.' But in reality they are a bunch of mean-spirited Christophobic agitators who prey on small towns and innocent school children. ... What a heartless thing for someone to do - setting loose a bunch of godless Grinches so they could bully children. Folks, if that doesn't curdle your egg nog, I don't know what will."
It seems that we encounter this agnostic, even atheistic, attitude every Christmas Season. Just as His birth created an uproar in Jerusalem when King Herod heard of it through the magi, so His birth continues to create an uproar with many who have turned away from Him as had King Herod of old. The only recourse for King Herod was to eliminate Jesus, thus his insane order to have all the baby boys under the age of two in the area surrounding Bethlehem killed. So also the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and their partner in crime, the ACLU, seek to destroy those venues where the story of Jesus is proclaimed. Herod could have sought the Truth that Jesus came to bring...but he did not. Those who belong to the FFRF would be welcomed by Jesus...but they, too, have walked away. How sad to miss the real Reason why we celebrate Christmas.
But let me share some great news. This article was written by Bob Unruh and can be found at: www.wnd.com/2016/12/major-decision-on-gender-mandate-for-churches. You might remember earlier this fall I had written about a push both in Iowa and in Massachusetts that would force churches to have all their bathrooms be gender neutral because their buildings were seen as being places of public accommodation. This designation came because a church might host a fund raiser for a youth initiative and invite the city to come for a spaghetti dinner or an ice cream social. But, in the State of Massachusetts, state officials reversed their decision after being sued over alleged constitutional violations. "The Alliance Defending Freedom says four Massachusetts churches and their pastors are voluntarily dismissing their lawsuit after the state changed its 'Gender Identity Guidance.' ADF brought its complaint in October against Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination commissioners Jamie R. Williamson, Sunila T. George and Charlotte G. Richie, and Attorney General Maura Healey. Massachusetts makes 'gender identity' a special class, granting more protections than ordinary citizens. Under the measure, the attorney general had claimed 'houses of worship' are places of 'public accommodation,' and members, therefore, cannot even express ideas concerning 'religious expression regarding biological sex and gender identity.' The complaint alleged state officials decided to interpret the law 'to force churches to open church changing rooms, shower facilities, restrooms, and other intimate areas [to people] based on their perceived gender identity, and not their biological sex, in violation of the churches' religious beliefs.'
"Now the case is being dismissed, because the state has retreated. State officials admitted the First Amendment protects a church's freedom to operate consistently with its faith even when engaged in community outreach activities, such as spaghetti suppers."
This decision is a huge one for churches. I am grateful to the lawyers and staff at ADF for their tireless work on behalf of the Christian community to help safeguard our rights to proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.
When the light of Jesus Christ penetrates the darkness of this fallen world, one of two reactions occur. People either retreat more deeply into the darkness or they cautiously approach the light. King Herod and those who identify with today's Freedom From Religion Foundation retreat into their darkness, while others, like the magi and those with the Alliance Defending Freedom, approach the light and have lives forever changed.
So, how has Jesus Christ impacted your life this Christmas?
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