Convert-A-Grinch

There are times when I tire of castigating politicians. They earn it. They deserve it. They need it. But sometimes just thinking about these ego driven, self centered, jerks hurts my sense of reality and what is important in the world.

But it is the Christmas Season and other things need to be said. Christmas is a unique holiday. It has become both religious and secular. The roots, of course, are religious and focus on the birth of Jesus. Christmas gifts recall the gold, frankincense, and myrrh given to the Christ Child by the Magi. In the secular Christmas, the baby Jesus has morphed into every child. The Magi have morphed into Santa. Christmas has become the holiday with something for everyone.

When I was younger, it seemed that people took more pleasure in the magic of Christmas. Families would get in their cars after dinner and ride out on the dark streets to see the lights. The stores on main street, the creche in the town square, the displays that people put up at their homes were mapped out and the route carefully traveled. After all, you didn't want to miss anything. If one person discovered an especially grand display, their friends and neighbors would hear about it the next day. Merry Christmas was on everyone's lips.

Then along came an army of Grinches.   They don't believe in God and they are "offended". Mean spirited is what they are. They said, "by having religious displays on public property you are infringing on my Constitutional Rights". So they hired lawyers, who, like geeks and hit men, will do anything as long as they get paid for it. As we all know, the Constitution promises freedom of religion, not freedom from religion. So rather than embrace the beauty of the season they have injected their own brand of  sour ugliness.

So now people say happy holidays and look at holiday trees. My feeling is that if you are personally unable to accept the religious holiday, accept the secular holiday. You can accept the joy without accepting the religion. You can accept the tolerance without accepting the religion. You can accept the forgiveness without accepting the religion. Do this and you bring some happiness back into your life and I will have converted a Grinch,