Every December I can count on the same kind of story showing up in the news. Somewhere in America, someone decides the name of Jesus should be removed from Christmas. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is bold. This year, I did not have to wait long to see the latest example. Portland held its annual public tree lighting, and the city refused to call it a Christmas tree. Instead, the city renamed it a “Holiday Tree” and stripped away every reference to Christ, replacing the celebration with political messaging and cultural activism. As I read through the details, I felt the familiar mix of sadness, frustration, and spiritual clarity. I knew immediately that this was not just a wording change. It was a sign of where our culture is spiritually.
Renaming the Christmas tree a “Holiday Tree” is not inclusive. It is the intentional removal of Christ and the replacement of His name with cultural and political ideology.
Why Portland’s “Holiday Tree” Matters
Some may say the name change is harmless. Others may claim it makes the event more welcoming. But words always reflect beliefs, and beliefs always drive culture. The Christmas tree has stood for centuries as a symbol of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Removing His name does not broaden the meaning. It empties it. The more our culture tries to avoid the name of Jesus, the more obvious it becomes that this is not about sensitivity. It is about discomfort with Christ Himself.
At Portland’s event, there was no mention of Jesus. There were no Christmas hymns centered on His birth. There was no Scripture. The ceremony instead began with a land acknowledgment and a presentation on Native American heritage. After that, a speaker appeared wrapped in a Palestinian flag and led the crowd in a political chant. What historically celebrated hope, peace, joy, and the miracle of Christ’s arrival became a platform for activism.
This is not neutrality. It is replacement. And when a culture removes Christ, something else always rises to take the place. I have written more broadly about this slow drift in The Role of Faith in an Increasingly Secular Society, where I talk about what happens when public life pushes God to the margins.
Why the Activism at the Event Matters
One of the most striking moments of the ceremony came when the speaker claimed that genocide is happening in Gaza. Genocide is one of the most serious words in existence. It describes the intentional extermination of a people group. It carries profound moral and historical weight. It is not a term to be used casually or emotionally.
The suffering in Gaza is real and heartbreaking. Civilian deaths are tragic. But tragedy is not the same as genocide. Genocide requires a clear intent to destroy a people group. There is no evidence that Israel intends to eliminate the Palestinian people. Israel has stated repeatedly that its goal is to defeat Hamas, a terrorist group that kills civilians and hides among civilian populations.
Civilian casualties in war, though painful, do not automatically equal genocide. If they did, almost every armed conflict in world history would carry that label. The accusation was used for emotional impact. And it replaced what used to be a celebration of Christ with political rhetoric.
The Real Genocide No One Wanted to Mention
What stood out even more was what the speaker did not say. While she passionately called Gaza a genocide, she completely ignored the genocide taking place right now in Nigeria. For twenty years, Christians in Nigeria have been targeted and murdered simply because they follow Jesus. More than fifty thousand believers have been killed. Pastors have been executed. Children have been kidnapped. Homes and churches have been burned to the ground.
These attacks are not random. They are intentional. They are driven by hatred for Christians. They fit the legal definition of genocide far more accurately than anything happening in Gaza.
Yet in Portland, there was no mention of Nigeria. No outrage. No calls for justice. No chants for persecuted believers. The silence exposes the selective nature of modern activism. Without Christ at the center, moral clarity falls apart. Emotional reactions take the place of truth. And the culture begins to focus on issues that fit a narrative instead of those that reflect reality.
The Truth Behind America’s Push for the “Holiday Tree“
Portland is not alone in this. This trend is spreading across the country. Christmas parades are being renamed holiday parades. School districts are banning nativity scenes while celebrating every other cultural or religious holiday. Many cities are replacing Christmas markets with winter markets. Corporations refuse to use the word Christmas in their marketing. Government offices remove Christian language from public communication.
No one seems afraid to acknowledge Ramadan, Diwali, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. Pride events are embraced throughout the year. The only word leaders hesitate to use is Christmas. And the only name they consistently avoid is Jesus.
This speaks to something more than cultural sensitivity. It speaks to a spiritual problem. The culture is not uncomfortable with religion. It is uncomfortable with Christ. I have addressed this clash between shifting morals and unchanging truth in Biblical Truth vs. Cultural Relativism: What Should Christians Believe?, and the very same dynamic is on display in Portland.
Why Christ Alone Creates Cultural Tension
Jesus warned us that the world would react this way. He said the world hated Him because He exposed its works. The world does not hate holiday cheer. It does not hate decorations. It does not hate sentimental traditions. What the world hates is the conviction that comes from Christ. He exposes the truth about our need for salvation. He confronts the sin that we would rather ignore.
This is why culture tries to remove Him. Christ cannot be replaced by vague spirituality or seasonal celebration. When His name is removed, the meaning of Christmas is lost.
A New Cultural Religion Has Taken Shape
The more I watch our culture, the more I see that America has adopted a new form of religion. It has its own values, symbols, and expectations. It celebrates emotional activism over objective truth. It promises justice while often ignoring true injustice. It demands conformity to the right causes. It praises those who follow its rules and shames those who do not.
This new cultural religion cannot coexist with Christ because Christ exposes its inconsistencies. He reveals its selective compassion. He reveals its moral confusion. He shows that it cannot offer forgiveness, redemption, or transformation.
Why Christians Cannot Stay Silent
As followers of Jesus, we cannot remain silent while our culture erases His name. We are not protecting a seasonal tradition. We are protecting the truth of the gospel. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. If His name is removed, the season becomes empty.
We must speak the truth boldly, lovingly, and clearly. Not with anger, but with conviction. Not with hostility, but with clarity. The world does not need another vague holiday celebration. It needs the gospel. And it needs believers who will speak it without fear.
Holding Firm to the True Meaning of Christmas
The story from Portland is more than a headline. It is a reflection of where we are as a nation spiritually. It is a reminder that the world is comfortable with celebrations that avoid truth. But it is also a reminder that Christ cannot be erased from the hearts of His people.
Our culture may try to rename the Christmas tree a “Holiday Tree.” It may try to replace Christ with activism. But the truth remains that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it. As long as we speak His name, the gospel will continue to shine.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Watch my full commentary below:
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