"Merry Christmas" from the
enlightened liberal left coast
by Jen Shroder
12/19/04 permission to repost already granted
Last night I stood in line at my local Border's bookstore waiting
to buy a Christmas gift. A charming brunette woman standing next to me
struck up a conversation and politely asked me to consider a book on
the shelf. The title of it attacked Christmas and angels. As nicely as
I could, even wincing in apology, I said, "Well I probably wouldn't
like it, Christ is pretty precious to me." The woman's voice raised a
notch as she quickly insisted it was a great book, that even
Christians would love it and it was just humorous sarcasm. After
listening to a long rant as she forced the book in my hand, I politely
said, "No thanks, I don't think I'd like sarcasm about things that are
holy to me." With a shocked look, her voice became louder as she
started berating me, calling me clueless. (I couldn't take too much
offense, that's one of my favorite descriptions of myself).
She wasn't quite yelling at me, but in the quietness of Border's
bookstore it created a scene. Just then a cashier opened up on the far
side of the room and called her over. I think that whole section of
the store overheard her rattling off about how embarrassed she was for
me. I was stunned. I suppose THIS is one of the enlightened tolerant
of the liberal left coast. Perhaps it's all my fault because I forgot
to wear my cross necklace, a sure signal that I might not share her
sentiments, warding off the whole situation.
Curious, I looked up the book on Amazon.com and read the reviews.
All were favorable, calling the book perverse and blasphemous which
was why everyone who wrote a review loved it. The previous book by the
author was about Jesus as a boy and I can't even repeat how the book
began.
Every year the ranks of society are being replenished with bright
young adults reverberating their lessons in public school, that Jesus
Christ is an acceptable topic only if we are ripping Him apart in the
negative. In Chicago, a school bus driver lost her route for objecting
to the new Christmas song, "I Hate This Holiday." Driver Carmen Brown
said, "I'm a churchgoer. I believe in Jesus and believe Christmas is a
Christian holiday, but when they hand my child a piece of paper to
learn a song that says, 'I hate the holidays and everything it stands
for,' my son is confused."
At the University of Louisville, Professor John McTighe was quoted
by columnist Brian Yates as saying "It was the religious zealots who
say they were voting on morals. I think we should all buy AK47's and
shoot them all! That's what I would suggest, if it were allowed."
And in San Luis Obispo, a woman was shouting at me because I didn't
want to join her in ridiculing Christ. I suppose she realized I'm one
of those religious fanatics that voted for Bush. (smile) I am. This is
the so-called tolerance of atheists and secularists, forcing their
hatred and censorship of God on society, demanding only their ideology
rule the nation. Humanists, secularists and pluralists demanding we
adhere to THEIR hate-filled religion, and anyone who opposes their
view will not be tolerated.
I am proud of the majority of our nation. Most of us don't have
temper tantrums demanding our way. We have been heard in the voting
booths and by our representatives. We have been extremely tolerant as
a small minority shrieks to enforce their beliefs. But I say the line
is drawn when it comes to our children and public school. We
absolutely must defend their religious freedom, including the right to
be Christian without being mocked, pressured or reprogrammed into
whatever our atheist school system decides to make them. Push me in a
bookstore and I will silently take it. Push my child in public school
and you will hear from me and my lawyer. I pray all parents rally to
the call. Our children desperately need protection. Don't imagine
someone else will do the job for you. Carmen Brown won’t be able to
last long fighting our battles alone. Neither will the Eklunds, or
Darla Dowell, people you probably never heard of who have valiantly
fought for our children.
Before "The Passion of Christ," Mel Gibson played a courageous and
godly man in "The Patriot." At first he refused to get involved with
the Revolution, but after his son lay murdered in his arms, after evil
and oppression overtook his world, he attacked the soldiers who
intended to unjustly hang his other son. We cheered as he fought a
bloody battle and freed his family. Afterwards, in moments of
reflection, his sister-in-law said, "You've done nothing for which you
should be ashamed." The Patriot replied, " I've done nothing, and for
that I am ashamed."
Beloved Americans, we should be ashamed. Too many of us have done
nothing. Our children have endured sustained attacks on their faith
alone in public school and are floundering. We are losing our
families, our heritage, our freedom. We prefer to go to movies rather
than face conflict. We applaud as heroes forge ahead against
impossible odds overwhelmed by the enemy, we live and breathe their
victories and identify with them, but we bury our heads at what is
happening in our own world and place the spiritual health and well
being of our children on a secular altar of sacrifice.
Don’t leave Darla Dowell, the Eklunds or Carmen Brown alone to
fight for our children. Answer the call. Get involved. Stand up to
your school board if need be and contact your representatives. In
Christ we are commanded to love, but love does not mean we surrender
our children.
For now, school is out, so Merry Christmas, America! Christmas for
me this year has brought a whole new meaning to the verse, "Pick up
your cross and follow Me." Good advice, you never know who you’ll run
into at the checkout line. Don’t leave home without it.
Jen Shroder has been interviewed by Fox News, Associated Press, and
dozens of talk radio hosts and news media. Shroder began as a mere mom
outraged by the lessons her children brought home from public school,
and claims God's leading as the only explanation for the success of
her website,
BlessedCause.org
