These Pakistanis Christians face persecution during the Christmas holiday.  AP Photo Muhammed Muhusein

I wanted to wish all my readers happy holidays and Merry Christmas.  For those who have agreed with my posts I hope I have given you good information to advance the progressive cause.  For those who disagree I still appreciate your readership and your ability to provoke my own thoughts with civil commentary of your own.  I hope I have given you something to think about or at least provided you with some entertainment.  It has been a very successful year for me in blogging as I have routinely finished each month as one of the top examiners in politics.  I thank God and all of you for making that possible.

If you wish to give me a Christmas gift you can do so by visiting my recent slideshow entry which has photos of Christmas celebrations from around the world.  After all the best gift for any blogger is page views! 

One pictures that struck me in particular is displayed above.  The picture is of a group of Christians living in Pakistan who were recently left homeless as a result of religious persecution.  They now live in tents and fear even more persecution in the form of a Christmas "present" this year.  Despite all this suffering the woman in the back still finds a way to smile.  That is the essence of Christmas; hope brought into a world filled with suffering.  A fuller description of the story can be read here.

I am well aware of the fact that Christians are not the only group to suffer persecution (and that at times Christians have perpetuated persecution).  However the photo did make me think of how thankful I am as I sit here blogging freely in a country that allows me to express almost any opinion I wish; where I can go to church, celebrate Christmas, without fear while they huddle around a fire in a tent fearful that their next "Christmas present" will be another attack.  So I will go to sleep tonight and pray for those who are being persecuted in Pakistan.  May your Christmas be filled with peace and joy no matter what your political affiliation.