While shopping the other day a fellow customer started to say, “Merry Christmas” to me and then stopped halfway through and looked at me with uncertainty and almost a guilty feeling, and said, “Can I say that?” I said, “Yes, you can.” …and wished her a Merry Christmas back. After we parted ways, my thoughts took over.

Here we have good people trying to spread good tidings to others yet feeling restrained in order to abide by an unspoken law for fear of offending someone.

My thoughts took me back to elementary school when we had Christmas parties in our classroom and the majority of the families celebrated Christmas so that was ok. There were a number of other faiths in our class, it being a college town with many nationalities present, and often students would question, ‘what would the non-Christmas celebraters do during the class party?’ The teacher stated that no one was obligated (forced) to attend the party. They could go home early, stay at their desk and not participate, or they were welcome to join in the fun.

It was not a big deal, that’s just the way our American heritage led us and so we celebrated Christmas out of the joy and love of our hearts.

Today, the fear of recrimination by the ‘politically correct’ (whoever these people really are) causes many good people attempting to do good things, to not do or say them because of that fear, and it can feel very intimidating.

Why would people seek to stop, or control, or outlaw good things that others do, that are a part of our particular country’s heritage just because not everyone may be of that persuasion?

It’s hurting no one, just say ‘thank you’, and receive it as a thoughtful gesture. Yours is merely a different opinion.

We are a free nation, founded on belief in God and His goodness. We cannot become all things to all men and compromise our convictions;  yet we can be kind, polite and friendly to everyone without changing or squelching our beliefs.

Saying Merry Christmas is hurting no one. Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion. If the other person doesn’t observe what you do, let it pass, but don’t give up your faith over it.

I’ve traveled to other countries, and personally, it wouldn’t occur to me to be offended and ask them to stop doing their particular celebrations because they weren’t my style. That is their heritage and I have mine; besides it’s fun to see how other countries live their lives.

Let’s strive to maintain our own Godly heritage and convictions while seeking to do good to all.