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I have a simple point to make. Christmas is not about Ramadan, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. It's not about a festive spirit, family, food or Santa Claus.

I wrote a Christmas poem a few years back entitled "X Marks the Spot." It was about taking the name of Christ out of Christmas and it was written in the early 1990s. While watching cartoons with my girls, I realized that we have gone far beyond just taking the name of Jesus out of Christmas. We have crowded Him out all together. Nearly every Nickelodeon and Disney cartoon this season has sought to educate our young viewers that Christmas is more than a Christian Holiday. Bah Humbug!!!!

Tolerance became the watchword at the turn of the 21st century and the "slammin'" thing to do. Rightly so, our society must tolerate diversity. That is the strength of our nation and one of the bedrocks on which our nation was founded. Apparently the only one that many media types want to discuss. You won't hear national news anchors hailing the virtues of the prayer life of George Washington or how Abe Lincoln sought God for guidance in the Civil war. Now I am rambling -- back to my point. CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A TOLERABLE RELIGION!! Well, maybe you could say the religion of Christianity is tolerable, but that is where we have drifted astray. As many of us have discovered on our own personal journey, Christianity is more than a religion. It is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the one person that loves us more than we will ever fathom in this life!

Yes, Satan almost succeeded in taking the name of Christ out of Christmas. If you find our adversary in academia, he can even give you a theological reason for taking the name of Christ out of Christmas. Many of you have heard the following argument: "X is the Greek letter that represents Jesus Christ and therefore it is an honor to represent the Christ child with an X." Hogwash!!! How many of you take a copy of the Greek manuscript along with you to church or Sunday School? As many of you do, I read from a translation that communicates the language that is spoken today. Christianity is not supposed to be a secret society that only a few intellectuals benefit from. It is for the masses, for the smart, the not so smart, the rich, the poor, the black, the white, the yellow, the brown and any other hue of skin pigmentation found in our world today. Christianity is for Africans, Americans, Arabs, Jews and every other nationality that can be listed.

My question is simple: Why are so many ethnic groups attaching their unrelated celebrations or festivals to the holiday that honors the Incarnation of God Himself? Why have we allowed Christmas to become just one of the rituals among rituals that marks the end of the old year and the beginning of a New Year?

Our adversary was unsuccessful in taking the name of Christ out of Christmas with the rise of the commercialism of the 20th century, but it seems apparent that he is succeeding after just a few years in the 21st century at taking the presence of Christ out of Christmas with an emphasis on tolerance and diversity. How would you like it if on your birthday you were told that it was not fair for you to celebrate because someone else might get their feelings hurt? I believe that is the trend of tolerance of other gods continues we will soon be a polytheistic society. We would do well to read the books of Kings and Chronicles and learn from the history of the nations of Israel and Judah. Polytheism, or the worshiping of several gods, led to their ultimate destruction.

I enjoy all of the traditions of Christmas with my own family, but I want to encourage you to do as I will be doing and let Jesus Christ be the pivotal center piece of the Christmas holidays.

Keith Pierce is pastor at Cades Cove Baptist Fellowship, 2342 Duncan Road

Maryville. You may contact him at 984-0465 or freedompastor@aol.com.