Obama on 22 December during his visit to the Boys and Girls Club in Washington, D.C., during which he had a free exchange (non-teleprompter) discussion with the children about Christmas. All seemed to be going fine until Obama read "The Polar Express" and led a discussion on what the kids wanted from Santa, when a few children brought up the real reason for the season.
Here's the actual transcript (with a bit of commentary):
President: I think one thing that's important to remember is that, even though there's a lot of fun at Christmas, you know, you got – especially when it's snowy like this, so it's pretty outside, you got the Christmas tree, you got the Christmas cookies, you've got presents. You know, I think that the most important thing is just to remember why we celebrate Christmas.
Child: I know!
President: Do you know?
Child: The birth of baby Jesus.
President: The birth of baby Jesus, and what he symbolizes for people all around the world is the possibility of peace and people treating each other with respect. And so I just hope that spirit of giving that's so important at Christmas, I hope all of you guys remember that as well. ...
President: You know, it's not just about getting gifts but it's also doing something for other people. So being nice to your mom and dad and grandma and aunties and showing respect to people – that's really important, too. That's part of the Christmas spirit, don't you think? Do you agree with me?
Children: Yes.
President: You do? (Then another child raises his hand, so the president leans over and asks him) Do you have an interesting observation?
Child: I know why we give gifts to other people.
President: Why is that?
Child: Because the three wise men gave gifts to Baby Jesus.
President: That's exactly right. But the three wise men – the reason (A sign falls off a wall. Is it a sign from God? What timing!) – uh-oh, I thought that was the cookies going down. We couldn't have that. You know, the three wise men, if you think about it, here are these guys, they have all this money, they've got all this wealth and power, and yet they took a long trip to a manger just to see a little baby. And it just shows you that just because you're powerful or you're wealthy, that's not what's important. What's important is what's – the kind of spirit you have.
(Matthew 2:11: "And they bowed down and worshiped him" as the Savior of the world.)
So I hope everybody has a spirit of kindness and thoughtfulness, and everybody is really thinking about how can they do for other people – treating them well, because that's really the spirit of Christmas. Does everybody agree with that?
Children: Yes!
President: I agree with that. Well, you guys all seem like really sharp, sharp young people. And I'm very proud of you. And let me just ask you one last question. Is everybody here working pretty hard in school?
Children: Yes!
President: OK, because the thing that I want everybody to remember, the most important message I can leave is, is that you guys have so much potential – one of you could end up being president some day. But it's only going to happen if you stay focused and you work hard in school. And you guys – there's nothing wrong with having fun and fooling around and playing sports and listening to rap music and all that stuff. But I want you guys to read and hit the books and do your math, because that's really what's going to determine how you do in the future. Alright? That's the most important thing you can do.
(The most important message is personal potential. And the "most important thing" children can do for their future is read and do math.)
President John Adams put it well when he said, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
As Benjamin Rush, also a signer of the Declaration of Independence, explained, "Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind."
To the founders, religion was an essential buttress of free government. That is why Patrick Henry wrote, "The greatest pillars of all government and of social life: I mean virtue, morality, and religion. This is the armor, my friend, and this alone, that renders us invincible."
Charles Carroll of Carollton, a Catholic who signed the Declaration of Independence on behalf of Maryland, wrote, "Without morals a republic cannot subsist any length of time; they therefore who are decrying the Christian religion whose morality is so sublime and pure … are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free governments."
George Washington put it best in his Farewell Address: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation deserts the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."
As Founding Father Elias Boudinot once said: "If the moral character of a people once degenerate, their political character must soon follow."
On the other hand, after his first year, Reagan had words about Jesus in his Christmas address to America:
The shortest Christmas address ever:
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