Competing Views

My wife and I were at a bookstore the other day, I won't mention which one, but prominently displayed on the new books were titles that indicated they were to show how the Republicans stole Christmas and another title about how the Democrats want to destroy Christmas. I suspect they both say virtually the same thing about the role of religious values in the Christmas message. We thought they should have put them side by side on the rack. At night, then, the spirits of the books could come out with their mistletoe and duel.

And, as another Christmas thought, I wish some people would read their history before they spout off. In a recent letter to the editor of the Outpost, the Shepherd think-less tank claimed that the Christmas celebration is a heritage from the Puritans. Now, it's funny but the Massachusetts Bay Colony, for a short time in its early days not only did not celebrate Christmas, but had a law (for about 20 years) forbidding its celebration. Christmas celebrations were brought to this land probably in 1607 when the English gentlemen arrived in Virginia. They were high church Anglicans who had no problems with celebrating the pagan holiday with glee, merry-making and high times.