To: dwestneat@seattletimes.com
Your "Losing our battle for Christmas" column was funny. (note: See his also followup column that prompted this letter.) I could see the satire, and I agree with you that Christmas isn't about shopping and Macy's store ads. But humor can be just as easily for something as against it.
The response to your piece should indicate to you that something is happening that you had not previously realized. There is more antagonism toward Christmas than existed in this country before. I understand that the issue has probably been sensationalized through media (as is usual), but it wouldn't get traction in people's minds if it didn't resonate true in their experience. They are seeing religious expressions of Christmas being restricted. Then they think, "Why, if Christmas is being restricted, then my own religious faith may also be restricted too."
For example, organizations or individuals pursuing church and state separation issues keep school districts afraid of lawsuits. So the schools often unnecessarily restrict private religious expression. The school may relax directives when they are shown as legally unnecessary. But it seems offensive to have to fight for freedom of religious expression inside the USA.
You may think that this is nothing but oversensitivity to the on-going dynamic balance between the secular and the sacred. However, the attorney quoted in the article above pointed out that December used to be a slow month. Now it is their busiest month for religious freedom cases.
In general, it is not conservatives that are pushing for secularization. It is the liberals that are doing it. Evidence for this can be seen in Canada, which is a more liberal society than the USA. (I went to school in Canada and have family in Canada.) Their liberal government restricts religious freedoms to a greater degree there. You can get into legal trouble for expressing certain Christian moral religious beliefs there (for example related to homosexuality).
Liberals also claim to promote diversity and tolerance. But to Christians they appear to show intolerance and discrimination. Wouldn't you worry if that was happening to you?
-Larry Grove
P.S. Be careful about telling people to stop believing the newspaper. On the other hand, maybe the decline of our newspapers is exactly because of that, because readers think they aren't believable sources anymore!
Supporting links on the web
A column on this topic from CNN
The Rutherford Institute posted a "Twelve Rules of Christmas" regarding legalities of Christmas celebrations (mostly outlining religious freedoms)
A lawyer's commentary on hostility in public schools toward Christianity
A column on this topic from the Weekly Standard