re: trying to cancel Christmas
"On the left"?
I'd hardly call Garner Ted Armstrong a leftiist:
Why do many Baptists, Methodists, or Episcopalians celebrate purely Catholic customs, which antedate Christianity itself by thousands of years? To most, it simply does not make any difference. Millions see no harm in cavorting about dressed like a demon, or a mummy, or a skeleton; see no harm in celebrating so-called "Christian" holidays with all the accoutrements of paganism. One might as well ask why people keep Christmas, with its symbols of tree worship, eggs and orbs, the holly wreath and mistletoe. Actually the Word of God condemns both.(Emphasis in the original.)
And -- a little historical information I found while researching the anti-Halloween movement:In any event, I doubt the anti-Halloween party will prevail. This tactic was tried before—with Christmas. In the 17th century, because of its pagan ancestry and because it was a Roman Catholic holiday (Christ-mass!), many Protestants decided that true believers should not recognize Christmas. In 1620 our pilgrim forefathers purposely started unloading the Mayflower on Christmas Day to make the point to the crew that they were not going to observe such an evil day.
I'm sorry, I can't see you... I have a beam in my eye.