ALLAN RUSSELL: Efforts continue to take God and Christmas out of Christmastime

Here it is, almost December. Ah, December, the time for Christmas carols, for Santa stories and movies on TV about the joys and beauties of Christmas. Would that we might continue to see Christmas in the light of children’s shining eyes, the smells of the Christmas tree, its multicolored lights and, underpinning it all, the reason for Christmas — the celebration of the Christ Child who was born to die for our sins showing us the way to eternal life. The Christian doctrine is one of love, perhaps more important now than ever before.

But …?

You have seen, and continue to see, continuing attempts on the part of commercial businesses, institutions of education at all levels, atheist groups and a host of others, including the military and other government agencies, to rid our country of any memory of God, of Christmas. Schools have banned word of “Christmas,” substituting other words, such as “holiday wishes,” “Holiday Season” and other non-Christmas words.

Are you aware of this? Do you care that this nation was founded on Christian principles, which others have, for some years, tried to relegate to oblivion?

Please look around you. See the groups, trying to rid us of God. The challenge faces us every day. We, as Christians, must pray for our heritage to remain intact. We are entering not a holiday season, but rather a season in which we celebrate the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the most significant being to ever walk this Earth. Pray for us, for yourselves, our churches and our nation. Merry Christmas!

ALLAN RUSSELL

Leesburg