Freedom OF Religion

It boggles my mind when I hear about things like this... ONE person complained about a Christmas tree being put up, and they school takes it down (though they put it back up). Why does it seem like the only religion people ever complain about is Christianity? If someone had a dreidel on a table, or any other item symbolizing a religious holiday, no one would complain--why is it only Christian holidays that are criticized? I never seem to hear about Christians claiming to be "offended" by other religions celebrating their holidays! (I have a theory about this as well, but we'll save that for another time)...

In my home county, Tehama County, the county offices are not allowed to decorate with angels or Santa--because they are "religious symbols"...

DUH! The entire holiday is religious! It's about the Son of God, coming to earth as a human baby, born in Bethlehem two-thousand years ago...that's what Christmas is about. Even Linus from Peanuts knows this (see "Charlie Brown Christmas")...It's not about presents, or anything else that the secular world has made it to be. It's about our Savior's marvelous birth and life...

To those who want the "religious symbols" taken away from Christmas, I ask this question: Why do you even celebrate Christmas if you don't understand/appreciate the true meaning? It would be like someone celebrating/participating in Ramadan, because they wanted to diet and Ramadan includes fasting from sunrise to sundown...what a dumb reason to do something! If you are celebrating Christmas just to get gifts...I don't even know what to say to you...

I think it's kind of ridiculous to make a holiday into something that it's not (i.e. Christmas and presents with no Jesus, Easter and the candy/"Easter bunny" with no Jesus), and I think it's even more ridiculous to ignore that which you choose to ignore--like the fact that these holidays are about JESUS.

If "Christmas symbols"--like angels and nativity scenes, and apparently even Christmas trees--offend you, then don't celebrate. BUT, don't prevent someone else from celebrating the birth of their Lord and Savior...

And don't even mention the "Separation of Church and State" to me in this situation--because the majority of citizens in this country use that phrase out of its true context constantly. I'm not going to go off on that tangent right now (if you are curious, you can ask)...just know that it doesn't apply to decorations in a cubicle!

I am SO thankful to work for a company that truly embraces diversity and allows associates to express their religions/cultures. In two weeks, I'm participating in a Christmas Caroling performance at WORK--and we're singing "religious" songs! How awesome is that?! No one is forced to come to the performances, but nearly everyone does, because they understand that it's stupid to be offended by something like that, and they enjoy the celebration. We have Christmas trees in the lobby and in the cafeteria. And I have never heard anyone complain about that.

Yes, I'm on a soap box. But it's absolutely amazing to me how far this country has gone to be "free from religion". If you don't want to be "religious", that's your choice (though it breaks my heart because you are missing out on the most marvelous relationship available to you)--but it's also my choice and freedom to be "religious".

The Constitution of the United States of America grants us the freedom OF religion, and the right to practice it freely. And I take that right very seriously.