It’s interesting to note that Bill of Rights Day is December 15. Being celebrated this close to Christmas perhaps it would be appropriate to stop and reflect on an article appearing in the December 6, Chicago Tribune. The article reported that “When children who attend the McHenry County school gathered in the gym last week to brighten friends and parents with holiday cheer, they sang of lighting candles for Hanukkah, gave their rendition of a Jamaican folk song and even did their lists for Santa. But their songs never mentioned Christ or the Christmas story–an omission that drew swift criticism from Christian groups pushing public schools to remember the meaning of Christmas.”
It’s truly an amazing thing how people have used the courts of this nation to prostitute the words of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. How can any reasonable person use these simple words, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” to prohibit the singing of “Silent Night” or any other Christmas carol as part of the educational process relating to what Christmas in America. Is not “Christmas” the very name that the Federal and most state governments have given to the holiday that is universally celebrated in this country each December 25? How do the schools teach the true history of this national holiday without at least mentioning Christ?