Linus "True Meaning of Christmas" speech almost censored

And to think, network TV executives almost had this segment pulled from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

     "During the making of the animated Christmas classic A Charlie Brown Christmas, Peanuts     
      creator Charles Schulz had a meeting with Lee Mendelson, the show’s producer, and Bill
      Melendez, its lead animator.
 
       The discussion concerned Schulz’s insistence about including a New Testament scripture  
       reading of the Christmas story from the Bible. The scripture reading was to be spoken by
      Peanuts character Linus Van Pelt in response to Charlie Brown’s lament, “Isn’t there anyone
      who knows what Christmas is all about?”
 
      Mendelson and Melendez both voiced their concern about the reading, with Melendez telling
      Schulz, “It’s very dangerous for us to start talking about religion now.” Schulz answered him by
      saying, “Bill, if we don’t, who will?”
 
      In the end, the scripture reading was retained, and the CBS special was the second-most
     watched show of the week when it debuted on December 9, 1965."

Perhaps the execs feared the monologue on the "true meaning of Christmas" would upset sponsors bent on commercializing Christmas.  Thank God that did not happen.

Leave it to logical Linus to get it right for generations of American children to see every Christmas season.

"Glory to God in the Highest. And on earth Peace and Goodwill to men."