What’s the Big Deal About “Merry Christmas”?

Many of us grew up in a culture that embraced Christmas. We said “Merry Christmas” as a joyful greeting, decorated Christmas trees, made Christmas cookies, sent out Christmas cards, gave Christmas presents, watched Christmas specials, participated in Christmas programs, and sang Christmas carols, not just at church but at school too!

Then subtly and slyly, the way Satan works, the concept of Christmas became culturally and socially controversial, even taboo. Stores and advertisers started removing the word “Christmas,” replacing it with “Holidays.” Sales personnel instructed to say, “Happy Holidays,” if anything at all. School Christmas programs called winter programs; Christmas break became winter break. People sued for publicly displaying nativity scenes. And on and on.

What’s wrong with saying “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”? What are the “Holidays?” On New Year’s, do you say, “Happy Holidays” or “Happy New Year.” To our Jewish friends, do we say, “Happy Holidays” or “Happy Hanukah”? Do we send out holiday cards or Christmas cards? Do we buy holiday presents or Christmas presents? Do we put up a holiday tree or a Christmas tree?

A progressive liberal satanic culture has attempted to remove Christ from Christmas. But that’s impossible! There’s no reason to celebrate Christmas without the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Nonbelievers may celebrate Christmas for secular reasons, but Jesus is the only real reason for Christmas, which can’t be denied or erased.

Christmas is a Christian celebration! Without the birth of Christ, there would be no Christmas.

So why the controversy with saying “Merry Christmas”? It’s because the secular world doesn’t want to admit they’re participating in a Christian celebration, so they try to neutralize Christmas to accommodate their unbelief. Retailers commercialize Christmas to make money, so they don’t want to “offend” customers, even though those that eliminate Christmas in their advertising, offend every Christian, or at least it should.

Why Is Satan Trying to Steal Christmas?

There’s a satanic war on Christmas and you’d have to be naïve, manipulated, or deceived not to acknowledge it. Satanists were actually allowed to erect a satanic display next to the manger scene in the Iowa Capitol Building by falsely claiming they’re a “religion!” Satan is the antithesis of Jesus. Satan, the father of lies, sin, and evil who was cast out of heaven with a third of the angels, is the reason Jesus came to earth as a baby.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-2, 14

“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Matt. 1:21

But Satan, who even tried to tempt Jesus before He started His ministry, has not resigned himself to being subservient to Jesus. As long as Satan is allowed to roam the world tempting and deceiving humans and promoting evil, he’ll try to duplicate, imitate, or eradicate the worship of Jesus Christ, especially on Jesus’ birthday.

A group that calls itself the Satanic Temple of Iowa placed with state permission an altar on the first floor of the Iowa State Capitol that displays what are described as the “seven fundamental tenets” of Satanism, including the statement that “the freedoms of others should be respected, including the freedom to offend.”

Completing the display are the temple’s seal, electric candles and a caped figure representing the pagan idol Baphomet, holding a ribbon-bedecked pentangle and topped with a gilded ram’s head. They actually wanted to use a real ram’s head, but the Capitol did say that was going too far.

Rightfully so, outrage and demands for removal came swiftly. Iowa state Rep. Brad Sherman said in the Dec. 8 edition of his Sherman Liberty Letter that the “disgusting display” should be removed immediately and called “for clarifying legislation to be adopted in accordance with our State Constitution that prohibits satanic displays in our Capitol building and on all state owned property.” He further proposed additional legislation to clear the way for displaying the Ten Commandments in all state buildings, including the Capitol, and in Iowa public schools.

In an article appropriately titled, “Sherman: Iowa Constitution endorses God, and Satan is his enemy,” Sherman points to the preamble to the Iowa Constitution, which says, “WE THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF IOWA, grateful to the Supreme Being for the blessings hitherto enjoyed, and feeling our dependence on Him for a continuation of those blessings, do ordain and establish a free and independent government, by the name of the State of Iowa.”

Sherman says the exhibit has drawn widespread “outrage and disgust” among Iowans, “but few people think there is much that can be legally done about it because of free speech and freedom of religion.” “However,” he adds, “I disagree.”

“According to these opening lines of our Constitution, the foundation for laws and continued blessing and success in Iowa is based on these points: 1. There is One Supreme God. 2. Blessings over this state come from the One Supreme God. 3. We must depend upon the One Supreme God if we want to enjoy continued blessings,” Sherman writes.

He continues, and I fully agree, it is “a tortured and twisted interpretation of law that affords Satan, who is universally understood to be the enemy of God, religious expression equal to God in an institution of government that depends upon God for continued blessings.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds released the following statement in response to the Satanic Temple display in the Iowa Capitol Building: “Like many Iowans, I find the Satanic Temple’s display in the Capitol absolutely objectionable. In a free society, the best response to objectionable speech is more speech, and I encourage all those of faith to join me today in praying over the Capitol and recognizing the nativity scene that will be on display – the true reason for the season.” 

Lucien Greaves, spokesman and co-founder of the Satanic Temple, said it is always important for the group to seek equal representation in public forums that are open for “religious displays.” “People assume that we’re there to insult Christians and we’re not,” Greaves said. “And I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values, whether they know what those values (are) or not, would at least appreciate that it’s certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression.”

Jesse Watters Primetime on Fox interviewed a man from another state who felt led to go to the Iowa Capitol and behead the satanic statue. I was quite impressed the way Jesse pointed out the evil of this display and the spiritual warfare going on between Satanists and Christians during Christmas. I hope you’ll listen to this discussion here. It’s not long, and I was cheering for Jesse taking such a bold stand for good against evil. He also had on Lee Greenwood to talk about his new God Bless the USA Bible that contains the Constitution. (Amazon is NOT carrying this Bible!)

The discussion on Jesse Watters’ show pointed out that the worship of Satan is an evil cult, NOT a religion. Satanists have no constitutional right to invade the Iowa Capitol or any government facility with a display the exact opposite of Christmas. What stopped more Iowa legislatures from speaking out and banning the satanic display? Fear! One of Satan’s favorite tools to silence the truth! Sadly, it’s working in our government and even in our churches.

There’s a spiritual war against Christmas. There’s a war against the Christian faith. Too many Christians and churches are silent. This is our time to shout and sing about why a Savior was born on Christmas day. Not surrender to Satan and secularism!

Our current President is cowardly afraid to acknowledge Jesus as the Reason for the season. In Biden’s tree lighting comments, he never once mentioned Jesus and used “holiday” more than “Christmas.”

When President Trump wished the nation and the world a Merry Christmas in 2017 at the national Christmas tree lighting ceremony, he noted that “the birth of Jesus Christ forever changed the course of human history.” Trump continued, “There is hardly an aspect of our lives today that His life has not touched: art, music, culture, law, and our respect for the sacred dignity of every person everywhere in the world.” (Listen to President Trump live and read more of his message at In Christmas Tree Lighting, President Trump recalls ‘the Birth of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.’)

I posted Trump’s Tree Lighting message on Facebook that year and was amazed at how controversial it became. Some Christians saying this was a political stunt by President Trump. Really? Christians don’t make up the majority of the electorate and sadly, many fail to vote! In today’s secular culture there were probably more offended than thanked God for his message. Trump was brave and bold and he stated the truth. Refreshing in DC and I would speculate it’s why he’s coming under such a satanic attack right now.

 Those worrying about “political correctness” and inclusiveness on a clearly Christian federal “holiday” are the ones pulling the political satanic stunts. Tragically, it’s working.

That’s why Christians find themselves fighting not only to keep Christ in Christmas, but also to hold on to our religious freedoms.

What’s Our Role as Christians at Christmas?

With one week to go, here are some ideas:

• Remind the world that every time they write 2023, or soon 2024, they acknowledge the birth of Jesus.
• When someone tells you “Happy Holidays,” kindly and lovingly respond with “Merry Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year.”
• Have a Birthday Party for Jesus and invite your neighbors and friends, especially nonbelievers. (I wrote a blog on how to do this Celebrate CHRISTmas with a Birthday Party for Jesus)
• Put a birthday bag under your Christmas tree and when someone asks whose birthday, joyfully answer, “It’s Jesus’ birthday.”
• Greet everyone you meet, and in all your correspondence, with “Merry Christmas.”
• Use every opportunity to share the true meaning of Christmas and the story of Jesus’ birth.
• Question schools and community efforts to remove the word Christmas and Christmas celebrations. We must not be silent. Voice your opinion. Be willing to take a bold stand for the Truth and for Jesus. Don’t let apathy or fear snuff out the light of Jesus.

When I asked my husband why Merry Christmas has become so controversial, he said, “Because the other side trying to eliminate a Christ-centered Christmas speaks louder than we do!”

Jesus was controversial when He walked the earth. They crucified Him for daring to say He was the Son of God who came to earth to save mankind from their sins. He told us that we too would not have it easy sharing our faith and the Gospel, but He also said whoever denies Him on earth, He will deny in Heaven.

³² “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. ³³ But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. ³⁴ “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:32-34 NLT)

One year, as a single working mom before I rededicated my life to the Lord, I was hurriedly trying to get out my Christmas cards. I signed all the cards “Merry Xmas.” Only one friend boldly admonished me in her Christmas card that I had left “Christ” out of Christmas. I still remember that. She was right.

Will you join me and other Christians in making sure the world remembers that Christmas has only One reason! We celebrate and give thanks for Jesus Christ coming to earth as a lowly baby to die on a cross and rise again three days later on Easter to offer eternal salvation to those who believe in Him.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Merry Blessed CHRISTmas and Happy 2024 from the Thompsons

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PS Since Christmas and New Years are on Mondays, there won’t be another Monday Morning Blog until January 8, 2024. But if you receive my monthly newsletter, I hope to get one out before the end of the year. You can sign up on my website if you don’t receive it already.