Freedom of Religion in America?

As a Christian, I, for one, am angry. I am tired of Christians who back down because they don't want to "upset anyone." I am tired of being told "keep your religion to yourself" and I am tired of having the religion of others boldly shoved in my face. Where did our Freedom of Religion go?

Muslim and atheists have more freedom to express their opinions, faith and religion or lack there of, than a Christian does and its time Christians put their foot down. Atheists seek to remove God from the pledge of allegiance and to take the ten commandments out of the courts. Resolving the problem, seems easy to me, if you don't like or agree with it, don't say it. Recently at a skating show, a high school choir was told to stop singing, because the carols might offend Sasha Cohen, who is Jewish.

This country, one built on Christianity, claims to support diversity and tolerance. Where then is the tolerance shown to Christians? In a world that is so worried about political correctness, is there no place left for tolerance? Voicing your opinion will brandish you with the stigma of being intolerant, or discriminatory while Muslims and atheists brazenly speak their mind and receive no backlash.

Listening to a radio show, I heard that some 5-8 million Muslims currently reside in the United States and that number is increasing daily. The same religion that hosts the likes of the September 11^th terrorists, is slowly taking over the United States. How long until those Muslims, begin persecuting Christians like they do in other countries. In Croatia and Bosnia, Christians are freely murdered because of their faith and some areas of France and other European countries post "No-Go Zones." Being Christian, Jewish or just white could result in death by entering those zones. Muslims believe that Allah teaches to attack your enemy whenever and wherever possible. How then did we become the enemy? If we, as Christians and Jews, don't make a stand and unite today, there may be no time tomorrow.

This holiday season, the intolerance toward Christianity is becoming more evident. The meaning of Christmas is to celebrate Christ's birth. I enter stores and find not one reference to the true meaning but what I do find is Santa, snowmen, and reindeer. I hear person after person utter "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry CHRIST-mas." I see holidays being created on television, like Festivus and Chrismukkah, that take the true meaning for the holiday and turn it into a commercial festivity.

When you take the Christ out of Christmas what are you left with? An empty day, no reason to celebrate and a greedy holiday made for those who want to receive gifts. The phrase "Tis better to give than to receive" comes to mind. Christmas should be about the ultimate gift, the birth of a perfect child, who would die for our sins.

Christianity is a way of life that should be shown to others through our actions. You can't just be a Christian on Sunday. Christianity means changing our words, our thoughts and our actions. We must show others that we won't back down, that Christianity is not a passing phase and that we are ready to step up to the challenge.

This holiday season, I challenge you. Put one less gift under the tree and use it to help a child with nothing. Give those twenty dollars to a woman's shelter where the women often have nothing more than the clothes on there back. Show others you are a Christian by your words and actions.

Remember the reason for the season and celebrate it.