Peace on earth, and chill

The message of Christmas is no secret. It's spelled out in Luke 2:14.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

That's the Christmas greeting delivered by the angels on the night of Jesus' birth. Not a word was mentioned about how saying "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas" is a liberal plot to rob Christmas of its religious significance.

Yet that is the battle cry being raised this holiday season by a small but loud band of embittered ideologues. They are so determined to count coup against their philosophical enemies that they have hijacked Christmas to promote their conservative political cause.

Such hypocrites must make God's angels weep.

On Nov. 23, there was a full-page advertisement in this newspaper that equated Christmas with American patriotism. Sponsored by the Upper Room Church of God in Christ, it called on patriotic Americans to patronize businesses that advertise "Merry Christmas!"

Their message was as clear as a winter star: If you don't celebrate Christmas the way these annoying people think you should, you are not a patriotic American. And if you're a business owner who dares cross these people, your economic future may be in peril.

The local campaign is part of a national conservative effort to "Take Back Christmas," as if the birthday of Jesus had been stolen by ... you guessed it, those evil liberals. The ad proclaims "Christmas is as American as Mom's Apple Pie and the Fourth of July."

Really? That Christmas is an American celebration will come as a shock to the rest of the world, particularly in the small West Bank town of Bethlehem.

The bullying tactics of the Upper Room Church of God in Christ are well documented. This is the congregation whose members like to show up at public meetings and sit in the front row, stamping their feet and chanting, to intimidate those who dare disagree with their narrow point of view.

But I never thought they or their callous confederates in the conservative media would go so far as to politicize Christmas.

Have they no shame?

Apparently not.

Contrary to their flag-waving song and dance, they are not patriotic Christians defending their freedom to celebrate Christmas as they see fit. They already have that. What they're doing is attempting to impose their faith on others.

Here's my Christmas card to such people: Not all loyal Americans celebrate the season the same way as you. Some feel more comfortable with the pagan roots of the winter solstice. Others embrace the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah. For some families, Christmas is more about the midnight visit of Father Christmas or Santa Claus than the birthday of Jesus. That each of us is free to worship -- or not worship -- as we see fit is our bedrock national strength, not a liberal conspiracy.

Real patriots celebrate diversity. Only those whose faith in God and country is uncertain need fear other traditions.

That's America. That's freedom. That's "peace on earth, good will toward men."

May you have a blessed Christmas, no matter how you choose to celebrate it.