Every year, the Christmas season brings a time of turmoil and anger, typically centered around the public display of Nativity scenes on public property. Let me say up front that I'm not a huge fan of the "season" only because it's been supplanted by all the things it's not about. I am a huge fan of the Savior, coming into this world to save us, love us and show us compassion.

I'm a card carrying Southern Baptist, by the way. If it matters. I think our celebration of Christ should be bible based and closest to what He would have wanted.

I am not a fan of the Nativity scene. At all. So, for a mish-mash of particulars that might resemble a fruitcake, I'd like to give you three reasons for tearing down the Nativity scene. Everywhere. Especially in the public square. Please bear with me.

<a href="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/statechurch.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3140" style="margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px" src="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/statechurch-300x239.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="205" /></a>1. Christians should be fans of the "accomodation" idea of religious expression. Here's the idea behind it, according to The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commision, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention - "Seeks government 'accommodation' of individuals’ rights to express religious beliefs in government locales." (<a href="http://erlc.com/documents/pdf/restoring_religious_freedom.pdf">Here's the handy, dandy PDF file explaining all the views</a>.) Most Christians don't have a problem with that statement. However, the meat of the issue comes in this explanation - all religions have a right to the public square, as long as they are privately funded. In other words, if the Christians can put up a display, so can Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists. Know why? Because religious freedom for one is religious freedom for all. And denial of that freedom for one is denial of freedom for all.

For some reason, some Christians get angry about that. We see people getting angry when a school won't let a Christian say a prayer before a ball game or a graduation ceremony. Do you know why the school just bans it? Because they know the law. The law says that if you let the Christian do it, they have to let the Buddhist do it. Frankly, they don't want the headache or the culture war. So, they just say, "no prayer." I think it's a fine thing to do. The only other alternative is to ask the Christians, "Fine, have your prayer, but we have to allow the Muslim family to have their leader pray as well." How do you think that would go over?

I'm all for freedom of religious expression. I say, open the floodgates. Unfortunately, the culture at large isn't ready for it. In turn, culture gets mad at the government for "restricting" freedom of religious expression when the government just doesn't want the darn headache. They get tired of fighting the battle every year and just say "no" to the hot-headed Christian majority.

Worst part? How do you think the vocal Christian majority looks to those who don't believe as they do? Not very good. It's not the way to win the battle of hearts and minds.

2. It's biblically incorrect for the most part. Yeah. Fact checking time. Evangelical Christians pride themselves for being strong in the bible. So, let's review the Christmas story for a moment. It's found in two sections of Scripture. In <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/luke+2%3A1-20/">Luke 2:1-20</a>, we have Mary and Joseph arriving at Bethlehem, giving birth, and shepherds arriving after seeing angels who appear to them on the ground. In <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/matthew+2/">Matthew 2</a>, we have the arrival of the magi, who came to Mary and Joseph while they were living in Jerusalem while Jesus was a young boy. Many scholars think this happened up to two years later. Yeah.

Let me use a local "live nativity" near my house as an example. They've prided themselves with their biblical accuracy. I did a drive by the other night. They've even rebuilt Bethlehem. How did they do?

Star over the manger - nope. The star appeared almost two years later over Jerusalem. Wise men - nope. Weren't at Jesus' birth - two years later. <a href="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jesusmary.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3141" style="margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px" src="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/jesusmary-300x192.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="192" /></a>The bible actually never says there were three. Angels - nope. The angels appeared, on the ground to the shepherds, not at Jesus' feeding trough. <a href="http://www.ancientsandals.com/articles/01_jesus_birth.htm">Innkeeper</a>? Nope. Where is an innkeeper mentioned? Yeah, no room at the inn. But the inn mentioned was more like a house crammed with people during the census. It was probably more comfortable for them with the animals.

Why do we feel the need to romanticize the scene? It was a girl around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_%28mother_of_Jesus%29">15 years old</a> giving birth in a tough environment. The only people who showed up were nasty, stinky shepherds with their smelly sheep. But they were praising God. A humble birth for an amazing Savior among low people.

3. I think there's a better way to concentrate our passions. Let's think back to the early church for a moment. Here were a bunch of men and women who had seen the risen Savior. Their lives were lived every day with the zeal and passion for Him. They showed love for one another and for others based on what Christ had done.

I don't have any evidence for it, but I'm pretty sure one of the other disciples didn't come up to Peter one day and say, "Hey Peter, let's remember the birth of Jesus and put up a little play about it. Even better, let's put up a living crucifixion to remember that day." Why would they want to do that? They spent every day in the love and enjoyment of the presence of Jesus Christ. Their hearts overflowed with His presence in their community, their families and their relationships.

<a href="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lvingnat.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-3142" style="margin-left: 6px;margin-right: 6px" src="http://provoketive.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/lvingnat-300x206.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="206" /></a>Do we really need to set up these ridiculous little tableaus twice a year that are mocked with error? What glorifies Christ more? A little set up that tells nothing to the world, or lives that reflect out His love to others? What if our communities of faith put the same amount of effort into the poor, the disenfranchised, the mocked, the persecuted, the homeless, the forsaken, the abandoned, the beaten, the abused, the hated of this world? What if we went to the places in our communities where Christ went first?

I'm definitely not calling for people to tear down Nativity scenes in their community ala the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther#Peasants.27_War">Peasant's War</a> that followed Martin Luther's stand against Rome. I am calling for rational thought when it comes to the Christian mission.

I often wonder what Christ would think if He came into our communities and saw our Nativity scenes and the wars we wage over them. The time we spend keeping them on the public square. Would He be proud? Or would He simply move on to the impoverished neighborhoods to share, love and heal?