Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA

 

Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas?
 

Dear Pastor Scott,

            What’s the big deal whether stores advertise the “Holidays” or “Christmas?”

            I have been inundated with this question and similar ones to such an extent that it is worthy of deep consideration.

            At a surface level, there is no “big deal.” I’d rather be greeted by a store clerk with a cheery “Happy Holiday” than a grumpy attendant forced to say “Merry Christmas.” At a deeper level there more at stake. A lot more.

            Our country is at a crossroads where we’re going to have to make up our mind whether we want to become a godless society, or hold to our roots of faith.

            Statistically, an overwhelming majority of Americans claim to be Christian. The history of our country along with our founding fathers were predominantly Christian. Faith has always been a part of our history and openly promoted in our culture. Only this generation has sought to change that.

            Our founding fathers and the framers of our constitution wrote extensively on the need of faith to be promoted in the public arena. George Washington declared that “It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.” John Adams wrote; “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” Ben Franklin stated; “He who shall introduce into public affairs the principles of primitive Christianity will change the face of the world . . . God governs in the affairs of men; and if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, neither can a kingdom rise without his aid.”

            A word of appeal to those offended by public displays of  “Merry Christmas . . . In God We Trust . . . One Nation Under God . . . the Ten Commandments,” etcetera, etcetera. Christians are daily subjected to offensive matters in a culture which promotes sensuality, sexual promiscuity, abortion, euthanasia, blasphemy, and the like, and yet we’ve learned to “take it.” If we have to live in a world that does not hesitate to offend our values, then perhaps the secularist should be a little more patient and tolerate.

           I hate to be a bearer of bad tidings, but the word “Holiday” comes from the ancient Christian “Holy-Days”, so it’s just a matter of time before someone gets upset over that.

           Merry Christmas!

            --Pastor Scott

To submit your question for Pastor Scott, you may write to: Ask The Pastor, PO Box 98, Shambaugh, IA 51651, or harvest@heartland.net, and on the web at www.askpastorscott.com