As yet another Christmas season dawns upon us, those who rejoice in its message must once again contend with those who despise it.  Anti-Christianity has become the hate that dares not speak its own name, disguising itself instead in the sheep's clothing called "freedom from religion."

While denying that they hate Jesus and His followers, the anti-Christian warriors have clearly demonstrated their animosity in various ways, even forbidding their employees to say, "Merry Christmas."  In doing so, they have cited their right to be free from religion.

The motives of those who make war on Christmas are not about freedom.  There is no Church of America to compel their worship, nor are there compulsory tithes.  Non-Christians are as free as Christians, either to worship or not, but that is not enough for the social injustice warriors.  Their motives are fear and hatred.

This is nothing new.  Hatred of Jesus is an ancient and deadly sin.  The Bible records perhaps the first instance of it:

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth [his army], and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. (Matthew 2:16)

One of the many lessons in this passage is not, repeat not, that King Herod disbelieved in Jesus.  Quite to the contrary, he recognized in Jesus a challenge to his own power.  However misbegotten that recognition was, Herod rightly feared Jesus, the king of no earthly kingdom.

So it is today.  We are told that religious freedom means the suppression of Christianity.  It is to be barely tolerated, and even then, only so long as it hides behind the walls of churches.  It is as if the phrase "nor prohibit the free exercise thereof" meant "except in the public square."  It is as if the term "neutrality toward religion" meant hostility toward it.

Ironically, while the political left despises all symbols of Christianity, it fawns over the least tolerant of all the world's major religions, even going so far as to call for the implementation of sharia law.

Anti-Christian hatred has all but expunged from public education the teaching of the Mayflower Compact, the oldest written form of constitution in North America.  The compact explicitly and unapologetically proclaims its purpose: "Having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith ..."

Anti-Christian bigots have gone so far as to punish schoolchildren for wearing Christian-themed tee shirts, for the most innocuous expressions of their faith.

At the same time, they seek to compel adherence to their own rituals, including by firing a teacher for quietly refusing to address a gender-confused girl as a boy.

The war against Christmas is not imaginary.  It is not a campaign against a tree.  It is a recognition that when citizens worship God more than they worship government-enforced secular dogma, those in power become less powerful. That terrifies them, and like Herod, they will stop at nothing to preserve their positions.

By the way – merry Christmas!