Sounding Off:

I read in disbelief retired Judge James P. Gray’s defense of the Obamas removal of Christ from “Christmas” and substituting it with the pagan “Happy Holidays” for their presidential greeting card message (“Obamas were mindful of the Constitution,” Dec. 20).

Gray’s defense for the Obamas’ Christ-less greeting stems from his support of political correctness and states that for the president to wish everyone a Merry Christmas would be “to show presidential favoritism toward Christians, as opposed to other people in our country who hold other religious beliefs.”

Maybe Gray was out to lunch when Obama called off the National Day of Prayer at the White House this year, while opting instead to honor the Muslims’ sacred Ramadan, and further support the Muslims by apologizing for America to many Muslim elite on his world “peace” tours.

While Obama may be ashamed to proclaim the true Prince of Peace, countless Christians around the world are not.

Since 1870, Christmas has been a national holiday in America. And while the celebration of Christmas has been ever evolving since Pope Julius I “Christianized” the Pagan Roman holiday Saturnalia in the 4th century after Christ’s birth, today we are witnessing a great push by the atheists and liberals to completely remove Christ from Christmas and our society.

You can eliminate the snow, the Christmas trees, the jingle bells, the Santa Clauses, the mistletoe, the frantic last-minute buying of gifts, the eggnog and all the Christmas lights and decorations, but you cannot remove Christ from Christmas and the joy He brings.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of the Messiah, our Savior.

The first such celebration is recorded in the Bible, when the Angel of the Lord first appeared to the lowly shepherds to proclaim glad tidings.

There are more than 450 ancient Bible prophecies of Christ, many foretelling the birth of the coming King of kings.

The Persian Magi “wise men” were aware of the prophecies and were the first foreigners to sojourn to meet the newborn King after recognizing and following the Bethlehem Star.

Wise men still seek him. I would encourage you this Christmas to look beyond the superficial pagan traditions of holiday celebrations and celebrate the birth of Christ, God’s greatest gift to mankind.

The gift that is freely given to all, and when opened and received, is the only gift that brings true joy, hope, peace and everlasting life.

RUSS NIEWIAROWSKI lives in Newport Beach.