What Christmas?

There are six of us old-timers that play "high-stakes" poker every Wednesday from noon to 4P.M. Yeah, really "high-stakes"....nickle-dime. It's just a chance for us old-timers to get together to gossip once a week. Too cold to golf. The oldest among us is 91; the youngest is 73.

During the "intensive" high-stake poker games the gossip topics range from sports to politics to movies to TV shows to everything else old-timers like to talk about, even mentioning the "hot babe" that just moved into someone's neighborhood.  Our 91-year old is our resident joke teller. No one can make you laugh like him, especially delivering his  great punch lines.

So during our gossiping and "high-stakes" poker the topic moved to Christmas celebrating in the current culture in today's society. The six of us "old-timers" shared special Christmas stories and celebrations in our schools, churches, and towns during "the old days". 

No one talked about what was, or wasn't "politically correct" in our schools, churches, or towns. Finally someone asked, "what the hell has happened to our culture today"? 

It started with the wide-spread ban of praying in schools and public government offices. And now we can't celebrate Christmas without being ostracized by a small group of people who look upon God and Jesus Christ as forbidden idols, instead of mankind's salvation for love and peace.

I'm 78 years young, and I have friends, and even a family relative who does not believe in any type of a diety, let alone our God, and his son Jesus Christ.  If someone, anyone, chooses not to believe in any divine being that certainly is their right, even though I totally disagree with them.

I certainly don't attack the agnostics or atheists, and while I disagree, I certainly respect their right to believe as they choose.  My problem is with the organizations that very proudly and confidently are succeeding in the complete elimination of Christianity from our culture in all public schools and government buildings.

Today, our young children cannot light up their faces and hearts while singing Christmas carols in school, or while Christmas caroling in their neighborhoods. There cannot be any Christmas plays in our public school auditoriums anymore.Remember bundling up with a heavy coat, gloves, and ear muffs to trek to the center of town to watch the Christmas lights turned on by a city official and going "ooh" and "ahh" when the manger lights were turned on?  Why do we allow the destruction of Christianity while we are forced to honor Muslims of Islam faith?

Remember when we all greeted Christmas in our Judeo-Christian culture?  We bourght Christmas trees, not holiday trees. We greeted on another with "Merry Christmas", and not "Happy Holidays".Why have we allowed a few distraught groups to take that from us during our most joyous time of the year? It seems that the non-believers of our Judeo-Christian values are not satisfied just to be ignored; oh no, they had to attack those that strongly believe in God.  We have ignored them; why don't they just ignore us to let us believe as we choose.

As I'm typing this my favorite Christmas carol, "Little Drummer Boy" is playing on the radio. I love that song so much I have it on a CD, and even play it in July. This beautiful song will always remind me of an infant born in a cold manger, and rose to teach mankind love and peace. He is my Jesus.

It's almost evil that there are groups of people who choose to politicize our God-given right to worship as we choose.  These groups are the happiest when they are successful in eliminating joy and Christmas from us all, especially our young children.

I urge all of Judeo-Christian values to continue to pray and honor our God, teach those beliefs to our young, and do all you can to spread God's word of love and peace. God bless us all on this most joyous time of the year.

And that's Politics with Pete for today...God bless our country...and our troops