Dont make us have to listen to some notion that the so-called war on Christmas is raging anew. It was a phony war last year, and we dont need to fuss again in 2006 that some insidious force is trying to turn it into a secular holiday. Already the Alliance Defense Fund, based in Scottsdale, is announcing that it has more than 950 attorneys ready nationally to combat attempts to censor Christmas. Their fourth annual project to save Christmas from the Humanists and pagans will take on anyone or any group that tries to replace Merry Christmas with Happy Holidays or other steps to censor the celebration of Christmas in schools and on public property. The Defense Funds president, Alan Sears, in a release, pronounces, Frankly, its ridiculous that Americans have to think twice about whether its OK to say Merry Christmas. Thanks to the ACLU and its allies, Christmas isnt what it used to be. Sears suggests it is time to fix the damage those organizations have done to Americas favorite holiday and that overwhelming majority of Americans opposed censoring Christmas. To back that, he offers four polls. They say 95 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, 2005); 90 percent of Americans recognize Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ (Gallup, 2000); 88 percent agree that it OK for people to wish others Merry Christmas and the majority are more likely to wish someone they just met Merry Christmas rather than Happy Holidays (CNN/USA Today/Gallup, 2004); and, finally, 87 percent believe nativity scenes should be allowed on public property (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, 2003).So, with all that, how can it even be an issue? Christmas is as safe as Wal-Marts survival. Much of Sears additional remarks are a diatribe against ACLU, accusing it of fear, intimidation and disinformation. The ADF insists school officials, for example, may safely say Christmas vacation of the December-to-January days off, or that government-sponsored Christmas displays are not banned as some people believe.An author and pastor, David Jeremiah, capitalizes on the phantom war to promote his book, Why the Nativity? 25 Compelling Reasons We Celebrate the Birth of Jesus. But his press release is titled, The War on X-Mas, and he begins the release by saying, Most every December, peoples thoughts often turn to peace on earth but the on-going war over Christmas promises to make this holiday season yet another better known for bah, humbug than for good will toward man. He promises that the soon to be released film, The Nativity Story will also address the escalating war on Christmas and make the true meaning of this season an unavoidable topic in our culture.Look for retailers to be smarter this year and relent on the issue and use Christmas more freely. Theyll avoid getting caught in the controversy lest the zealots attack them and start boycotts and badmouthing for trying to be more universal and culturally sensitive.I stand with what the Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, has said, There is no war on Christmas. And its insipid to say so when there are really nasty wars raging in Iraq, Afghanistan and other trouble spots. In short, this silly debate trivializes the real wars. Tell people you know who are Christians, Merry Christmas. To others whose status you just dont know, use Happy holidays or have a good one, pal.

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