Christmas and Progressives

Jim Harbison

Initially, I thought I would write this editorial to address the zealous but misguided comments from our local progressives (or whatever socialists are calling themselves now days), who busily aim at remaking America into another European styled Socialist-Democracy. Many probably spend their holidays and energy devising ways to motivate the government to force their baseless moral certainty on the rest of us. Instead, I decided I would be politically incorrect and wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS. I am not embarrassed to say MERRY CHRISTMAS and I refuse to substitute HAPPY HOLIDAYS for it. The lessons and teachings of Jesus Christ continue to make the world a better place and were the founding moral principles in developing this great nation.

I know this will not sit well with our secular progressives who shun religious faith while they deny America’s exceptionalism and our Christian heritage. Progressives have long forgotten what significant world event is celebrated in December -- the birth of Christ. They are too busy trying to create a socialist society that is devoid of any religion. They would rather fight to remove Nativity scenes from public property than acknowledge the rights of Americans to practice their individual religious beliefs. Christmas is not about Winterfest, Festivus, Kwanzaa or some other socially designed holiday that fogs over the real reason for reflection and celebration. It is a revered religious holiday where Christians around the world have rejoiced in the birth of Christ for more than 2000 years.

Unfortunately, Christmas has become the season for commercial exploitation and profits rather than a period of sacred religious celebration. While I am not an openly and deeply religious person I do believe in God and think Christmas should be a time for serious contemplation and reverence. It is a time for rededication of our lives to God, our families, our community and society.

Christ practiced compassion and brotherly love and Christmas provides us with many opportunities to follow his examples and assist the less fortunate. As individuals, we need to show compassion for those who are ill, out of work, hungry or homeless. However, compassion isn’t about the government’s doling out benefits that keep people impoverished. Charity has been and should again be the proper province of individuals and churches. The government should be about providing an environment for equal opportunity, not guaranteeing certain outcomes.

Rather than giving a man a fish to eat, we need to remember that it is better to teach him how to fish so he can feed himself and his family. Progressives haven’t accepted this yet and continue to insist on creating a growing list of programs that seem generous but serve to keep the less fortunate dependent upon an increasingly intrusive government that offers them little opportunity to ever improve their economic status. Instead of proving benefits that maintain some level of poverty government should be offering them assistance to become productive citizens, who will foster self-respect and self esteem, rather than committing them to an existence of multi-generational economic dependence.

Unlike Marxist-Socialist societies we are still able to openly worship and to thank God for the many blessing we enjoy and to celebrate the birth of His son, Jesus Christ. Christmas provides us opportunities to acknowledge and reaffirm our faith in God and our Christian beliefs and to follow His examples of charity, compassion and virtue to improve our community. Let’s try to do this throughout the New Year.

Merry Christmas to all. May each of us find that place in our hearts that urges us to reverently remember why we celebrate this day each year.

Christmas and Progressives