Christmas/XMas/Holidays...I don't care anymore
Of course, I am sure that everyone is aware of this battle that has been raging politically, commercially, and spiritually over whether or not Christmas should still keep its name. Many stores have changed their "Christmas" stuff to "holiday" stuff. Legal battles are raging as to whether or not various school and libraries should be permitted to have "Christmas" things associated with them. The heat of the battle seems to be over that 5 letter word that is in Christmas- Christ. I think that it is a pretty stupid battle, but that is just my own opinion...but here's why-
Politically, I think that the ACLU and other entities like it should just shut up and try and play by their own rules. They seem to want freedom and equality...except for when it comes to what has now become the icon for Christian expression of this holiday. For some reason they want equality only if it can discriminate against the minority of those who still uphold keeping Christ in Christmas. I am not going to say much about it other than that they should just GET OVER IT. I'm sure that in practicality there are far fewer children and teachers in the schools and workplaces that are actually offended by a Christian practice of Christmas...at least most of the people that I come into contact with on a daily basis don't seem to give a rat's rear what it means to others as long as everyone has a good time. Why not? Why can't each have their own and we can all be friends? We don't need to involve judges and what not. It is just stupid.
Commercially, stores are being pretty naive to think that changing the signs to say "Holiday Sale" is really going to make that much of a difference by appealing to a larger crowd. I mean, let's face it, most people we know celebrate "Christmas" whatever that means to them. I know they are out there, but there are far less Jewish people who celebrate Hanukkah than Christmas...and some even mix the 2. And I know even less who celebrate Kwanza. So we are still back to the main 2 holidays that fall at this time of year- Christmas and New Year. But I guess to be fair, there are 4 holidays all together that could make up the cluster of "holidays" in which they speak, so I guess that technically they could be on the right track...but for Christian groups to start calling for the boycott of certain stores because they have taken the word "Christmas" out of their advertising is just childish...but I'm getting to that. I just think that the commercial market is getting ridiculous.
Spiritually, I personally am finding that this issue of Christmas is really revealing more and more the spiritual infancy and immaturity of Christianity in America [and probably the rest of the world that we have taken our philosophies and traditions to through our missionaries]
In the religious market of the Christian's spiritual economy Christmas is one of the best selling points. It is one of two times a year that has higher number attendance of "worship services" attended by the otherwise unchurched. Usually about a good fourth of the year is even dedicated to some kind of musical or play or production that will be given at this time.
Anyhoooo- I have been hearing much ado on the radio and Internet lately about all of these things concerning this holiday. I hear so much about all of the opposition from the secular world to try and snuff out this supposedly sacred time of year and how it hurts the Church so much. I hear people sincerely believe that December 25th is Jesus' birthday and that it should be celebrated year to year as a duty of his followers. I also hear how many even seem to take the approach that you can't even really truly claim to be a follower of Christ if you don't celebrate the holiday.
Then the latest news is all of the buzz and disturbance about some of the mega-churches across this country who will be closed on Christmas this year, which happens to fall on a Sunday. Oh the outrage that is being cried by many who believe that this is just a preliminary step toward the downfall of the Church in the 21st Century. Give me a break.
While I do admit, that as growing up as a good fundamentalist Christian that the idea of closing churches down on Christmas seemed like a strange idea to put into place this year, I do have to admit that since I have become a little less fundamentalistic and a little more realistic in my understanding of the Bible and spirituality [and I am no fan of mega-churches] I heard what I thought was a pretty good defense given by a church that was going to be closed this Sunday. I know that the message is a little lone (40 minutes) but if you want to hear what it was, then go to http://www.southlandchristian.org/assets/series/main/051211_3wishes_peace_jweece.mp3 and give it a listen.
I have to say that I applaud the pastor for delivering a message like this. It takes courage. It takes some studying. But most of all it takes the ability to take the heat.
What do I mean when I say that I think that the militant practice of Christmas and the demands for all that it brings reveals the spiritual infancy and immaturity of the American church? Well, it is like this; when you look at the church from its inception until now, you will see that there are many practices, doctrines, traditions and ideas that have developed over the years that have, for now, become commonplace. A good thorough observation of Church history will show that there has been much evolution that has taken place within the Protestant Church...a similar evolution to what we like to criticize the Catholics for.
When I say that, I mean that you will find many things that we have very deep convictions about that you just simply don't find in the Bible- Christmas celebration is one of them. I am not going to get into what I think about all of the origins of the Christmas celebrations of the Constantine era of the 3rd and 4th Century C.E. or the argument over holy verses non holy days as talked about in 1 Corinthians...but what I will say is this: There are a good number of people who seem to be willing to die on a hill called Christmas.....when they have never been asked by God to give their lives there. It is a man made tradition. It is temporal. It only means what you make it mean. Now am I saying that I am against it? Absolutely not. I firmly believe that to each is his own in these matters and it is not my job to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do in "celebration" of a certain thing or not...But what I do know about the holiday and what it is and is not...let's just say that I am happier leaving God out of it.
I am probably very different in that regard. I don't care if my family celebrates Christmas. In fact I enjoy it as a time for all of us to get together and give gifts and what not...but I don't want to buy into this lie that either
A.) We can somehow get away with only celebrating Jesus' birthday when the Scriptures don't command such a thing from us...or
B.) Try and mix the celebration of his birthday with our own gift exchange amongst ourselves with a nice tree and music and snacks.
In our house, we don't teach our kids about Santa. We let them know that some people believe in him, but that he is not real. That is just what we have chosen to do.
As a kid, it just never made much sense to me why we would "do" Christmas by starting out reading the account of Jesus' birth from Luke or Matthew, then praying, and then tearing into gifts and not saying another word about the Birthday Boy.
I could probably fill this entry will all kinds of other boring thoughts about the subject but I'll just leave it at this- HAPPY HOLIDAYS IS OK WITH ME! I am a Christian, but I would just as soon leave God out of this mess we have created in his name. I mean it is just irony that the right wingers have such a hell [or heaven, which ever you prefer] bent mission to preserve the morals and ideas that this country was supposedly founded on...and yet our Puritan forefathers rejected the celebration of Christmas as a Pagan holiday. That is irony at it's best.
So, even though it's not my bag...whoever is reading this- have a Merry Christmas, whatever it means to you. And don't let the man [whoever he is in your case] get you down.
It's now very late and I'm tired.
Politically, I think that the ACLU and other entities like it should just shut up and try and play by their own rules. They seem to want freedom and equality...except for when it comes to what has now become the icon for Christian expression of this holiday. For some reason they want equality only if it can discriminate against the minority of those who still uphold keeping Christ in Christmas. I am not going to say much about it other than that they should just GET OVER IT. I'm sure that in practicality there are far fewer children and teachers in the schools and workplaces that are actually offended by a Christian practice of Christmas...at least most of the people that I come into contact with on a daily basis don't seem to give a rat's rear what it means to others as long as everyone has a good time. Why not? Why can't each have their own and we can all be friends? We don't need to involve judges and what not. It is just stupid.
Commercially, stores are being pretty naive to think that changing the signs to say "Holiday Sale" is really going to make that much of a difference by appealing to a larger crowd. I mean, let's face it, most people we know celebrate "Christmas" whatever that means to them. I know they are out there, but there are far less Jewish people who celebrate Hanukkah than Christmas...and some even mix the 2. And I know even less who celebrate Kwanza. So we are still back to the main 2 holidays that fall at this time of year- Christmas and New Year. But I guess to be fair, there are 4 holidays all together that could make up the cluster of "holidays" in which they speak, so I guess that technically they could be on the right track...but for Christian groups to start calling for the boycott of certain stores because they have taken the word "Christmas" out of their advertising is just childish...but I'm getting to that. I just think that the commercial market is getting ridiculous.
Spiritually, I personally am finding that this issue of Christmas is really revealing more and more the spiritual infancy and immaturity of Christianity in America [and probably the rest of the world that we have taken our philosophies and traditions to through our missionaries]
In the religious market of the Christian's spiritual economy Christmas is one of the best selling points. It is one of two times a year that has higher number attendance of "worship services" attended by the otherwise unchurched. Usually about a good fourth of the year is even dedicated to some kind of musical or play or production that will be given at this time.
Anyhoooo- I have been hearing much ado on the radio and Internet lately about all of these things concerning this holiday. I hear so much about all of the opposition from the secular world to try and snuff out this supposedly sacred time of year and how it hurts the Church so much. I hear people sincerely believe that December 25th is Jesus' birthday and that it should be celebrated year to year as a duty of his followers. I also hear how many even seem to take the approach that you can't even really truly claim to be a follower of Christ if you don't celebrate the holiday.
Then the latest news is all of the buzz and disturbance about some of the mega-churches across this country who will be closed on Christmas this year, which happens to fall on a Sunday. Oh the outrage that is being cried by many who believe that this is just a preliminary step toward the downfall of the Church in the 21st Century. Give me a break.
While I do admit, that as growing up as a good fundamentalist Christian that the idea of closing churches down on Christmas seemed like a strange idea to put into place this year, I do have to admit that since I have become a little less fundamentalistic and a little more realistic in my understanding of the Bible and spirituality [and I am no fan of mega-churches] I heard what I thought was a pretty good defense given by a church that was going to be closed this Sunday. I know that the message is a little lone (40 minutes) but if you want to hear what it was, then go to http://www.southlandchristian.org/assets/series/main/051211_3wishes_peace_jweece.mp3 and give it a listen.
I have to say that I applaud the pastor for delivering a message like this. It takes courage. It takes some studying. But most of all it takes the ability to take the heat.
What do I mean when I say that I think that the militant practice of Christmas and the demands for all that it brings reveals the spiritual infancy and immaturity of the American church? Well, it is like this; when you look at the church from its inception until now, you will see that there are many practices, doctrines, traditions and ideas that have developed over the years that have, for now, become commonplace. A good thorough observation of Church history will show that there has been much evolution that has taken place within the Protestant Church...a similar evolution to what we like to criticize the Catholics for.
When I say that, I mean that you will find many things that we have very deep convictions about that you just simply don't find in the Bible- Christmas celebration is one of them. I am not going to get into what I think about all of the origins of the Christmas celebrations of the Constantine era of the 3rd and 4th Century C.E. or the argument over holy verses non holy days as talked about in 1 Corinthians...but what I will say is this: There are a good number of people who seem to be willing to die on a hill called Christmas.....when they have never been asked by God to give their lives there. It is a man made tradition. It is temporal. It only means what you make it mean. Now am I saying that I am against it? Absolutely not. I firmly believe that to each is his own in these matters and it is not my job to tell someone what they should or shouldn't do in "celebration" of a certain thing or not...But what I do know about the holiday and what it is and is not...let's just say that I am happier leaving God out of it.
I am probably very different in that regard. I don't care if my family celebrates Christmas. In fact I enjoy it as a time for all of us to get together and give gifts and what not...but I don't want to buy into this lie that either
A.) We can somehow get away with only celebrating Jesus' birthday when the Scriptures don't command such a thing from us...or
B.) Try and mix the celebration of his birthday with our own gift exchange amongst ourselves with a nice tree and music and snacks.
In our house, we don't teach our kids about Santa. We let them know that some people believe in him, but that he is not real. That is just what we have chosen to do.
As a kid, it just never made much sense to me why we would "do" Christmas by starting out reading the account of Jesus' birth from Luke or Matthew, then praying, and then tearing into gifts and not saying another word about the Birthday Boy.
I could probably fill this entry will all kinds of other boring thoughts about the subject but I'll just leave it at this- HAPPY HOLIDAYS IS OK WITH ME! I am a Christian, but I would just as soon leave God out of this mess we have created in his name. I mean it is just irony that the right wingers have such a hell [or heaven, which ever you prefer] bent mission to preserve the morals and ideas that this country was supposedly founded on...and yet our Puritan forefathers rejected the celebration of Christmas as a Pagan holiday. That is irony at it's best.
So, even though it's not my bag...whoever is reading this- have a Merry Christmas, whatever it means to you. And don't let the man [whoever he is in your case] get you down.
It's now very late and I'm tired.
posted by The Raging Paradoxidation at
23:20
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