my biggest pet peeve right now
this article appeared in the Metro of the San Antonio Express News last Thursday, December 16, 2004 (a.k.a. yesterday)
DONT LET CHRISTMAS BE SECULARIZED
-Cal Thomas
In Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge is surrounded by merriment and acts of charity. None of it, not even thelong-suffering kindness of his nephew, has the slightest influence on his hard heart.
It is only when the angel prototypes--the "ghosts" of Christmas Past, Present, and Future--confront him with his "sin" that Scrooge comes to his senses, repents and is "converted."
That message of conversion--indeed the "original intent" of the Christmas message--is obscured not only in the boisterous celebration of something that has nothing to do with the "reason for the season," but now also involves lawyers and complaining liberal and conservative ministers who either celebrate Christmas or want everyone ot celebrate it as they do.
The battles of Christmas 2004 include protesters in Denver who marched and sang carols along an official parade route because they had been denied entry by Parade of Lights sponsors. Rules written by event sponsors prohibit floats and other expressions with a Christmas or religious theme. Officials did allow the Two Spirits Indian group to participate. The group considers homosexuality to be "holy."
In New Jersey, the school district of South Orange and Maplewood has decreed that school bands will be limited to secular songs, such as "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland." The school district policy also bans instrumental "religious" songs, perhaps because some non-Christian might be reminded of Jesus, get offended and file a lawsuit.
In malls everywhere, store clerks are instructed to say "Happy Holidays." You never know when a Kwanzaa shopper, a Hanukkah observer or an atheist might hear a greeting that does not reflect the sentiments of their "holiday."
Among the problems of trying to have it both ways--Christmas and "holidays"--is having it neither way. THe message of "O Holy Night" cannot co-exist with "Sleigh Ride."
The culture has shoplifted a most glorious event--God becoming Man--and appropriated it for the sole purpose or persuading people to buy stuff they can't afford for people who dont need it.
Christmas observers should end this charade. People who take the central meaning of Christmas seriously should not lend lend their credibility to those who obscure and subordinate that meaning to drunken office parties and shopping mall visits where they buy gifts for everyone except the One whose birthday is supposedly being observed.
The Christmas celebrant has become too fixated on the secular culture and desires to go along to get along. What would happen if increasing numbers of Christmas believers declined to participate in the orgy of consumption and instead asked the baby who became a man--and much more--what He would like for His birthday?
He gave us plenty of instructions, beginning with "feed the hungry,clothe the naked, visit those in prison" and "care for widows and orphans," not to mention "love you enemies" and "pray for those who persecute you."
That last one is especially tough, so we file lawsuits and complain that we get no respect.
The secularists can still have their days off and they can call those days, including Dec. 25, anything they wish. Let them display on public or private property whatever they like.
Let those of us for whom Christmas has a historic and eternal meaning celebrate it in our hearts, our lives and our relationships as never before. You never know when an Ebenezer Scrooge might notice and be converted.
I, too, have felt some thing like this. how "christ" is now being taken out of "Christmas." well, i'm going to continue saying "merry christmas" (unless i know you're not christian, or if you'll get offended). my intent is not to offend anyone or to force my religion upon others, but i will not be forced by others to suppress my religion. i will say "bless you" when someone sneezes, unless you dont like that then i will say "salud", cuz, again, my intent is not to offend, just to let people know that i will not conform to the political correctness of society and i will bend to the "dont show your faith because some one might be offended" mentality that has suddenly taken this country by storm. pretty soon, Mt. Rushmore will have to be redone to include people who were minorities and not Christian, despite the fact that they were not president of the greatest country on this planet. Our declaration will have to be revised so that the word "God" is replace with something more general because people today cannot accept the fact that our forefathers were Christian and at the same time were excellent leaders and did much good for our country despite their belief in a God. and if society doesnt accept our forefathers, that means that public school education will have to be rewritten to the point where all people and events that were inspired by any aspect of the Christian religion will be removed from our textbooks. pretty soon, we have a communist government run by hyper-sensitive, watered-down, grey conformists who kneel to the demands of those pathetic people who have nothing better to do than to make sure that their children are safe from any opportunity to be influenced by Christian values. God forbid that---oops, hehe, silly me, cant use the word "god" how could i forget--Darwin forbid that future generations should learn that acts such as murder, incest, sodomy, theft, deciet, lust, etc. have bad consequences; let alone should they learn that love is the only alternative to all these.
please leave me your thoughts about this.
DONT LET CHRISTMAS BE SECULARIZED
-Cal Thomas
In Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Ebenezer Scrooge is surrounded by merriment and acts of charity. None of it, not even thelong-suffering kindness of his nephew, has the slightest influence on his hard heart.
It is only when the angel prototypes--the "ghosts" of Christmas Past, Present, and Future--confront him with his "sin" that Scrooge comes to his senses, repents and is "converted."
That message of conversion--indeed the "original intent" of the Christmas message--is obscured not only in the boisterous celebration of something that has nothing to do with the "reason for the season," but now also involves lawyers and complaining liberal and conservative ministers who either celebrate Christmas or want everyone ot celebrate it as they do.
The battles of Christmas 2004 include protesters in Denver who marched and sang carols along an official parade route because they had been denied entry by Parade of Lights sponsors. Rules written by event sponsors prohibit floats and other expressions with a Christmas or religious theme. Officials did allow the Two Spirits Indian group to participate. The group considers homosexuality to be "holy."
In New Jersey, the school district of South Orange and Maplewood has decreed that school bands will be limited to secular songs, such as "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland." The school district policy also bans instrumental "religious" songs, perhaps because some non-Christian might be reminded of Jesus, get offended and file a lawsuit.
In malls everywhere, store clerks are instructed to say "Happy Holidays." You never know when a Kwanzaa shopper, a Hanukkah observer or an atheist might hear a greeting that does not reflect the sentiments of their "holiday."
Among the problems of trying to have it both ways--Christmas and "holidays"--is having it neither way. THe message of "O Holy Night" cannot co-exist with "Sleigh Ride."
The culture has shoplifted a most glorious event--God becoming Man--and appropriated it for the sole purpose or persuading people to buy stuff they can't afford for people who dont need it.
Christmas observers should end this charade. People who take the central meaning of Christmas seriously should not lend lend their credibility to those who obscure and subordinate that meaning to drunken office parties and shopping mall visits where they buy gifts for everyone except the One whose birthday is supposedly being observed.
The Christmas celebrant has become too fixated on the secular culture and desires to go along to get along. What would happen if increasing numbers of Christmas believers declined to participate in the orgy of consumption and instead asked the baby who became a man--and much more--what He would like for His birthday?
He gave us plenty of instructions, beginning with "feed the hungry,clothe the naked, visit those in prison" and "care for widows and orphans," not to mention "love you enemies" and "pray for those who persecute you."
That last one is especially tough, so we file lawsuits and complain that we get no respect.
The secularists can still have their days off and they can call those days, including Dec. 25, anything they wish. Let them display on public or private property whatever they like.
Let those of us for whom Christmas has a historic and eternal meaning celebrate it in our hearts, our lives and our relationships as never before. You never know when an Ebenezer Scrooge might notice and be converted.
I, too, have felt some thing like this. how "christ" is now being taken out of "Christmas." well, i'm going to continue saying "merry christmas" (unless i know you're not christian, or if you'll get offended). my intent is not to offend anyone or to force my religion upon others, but i will not be forced by others to suppress my religion. i will say "bless you" when someone sneezes, unless you dont like that then i will say "salud", cuz, again, my intent is not to offend, just to let people know that i will not conform to the political correctness of society and i will bend to the "dont show your faith because some one might be offended" mentality that has suddenly taken this country by storm. pretty soon, Mt. Rushmore will have to be redone to include people who were minorities and not Christian, despite the fact that they were not president of the greatest country on this planet. Our declaration will have to be revised so that the word "God" is replace with something more general because people today cannot accept the fact that our forefathers were Christian and at the same time were excellent leaders and did much good for our country despite their belief in a God. and if society doesnt accept our forefathers, that means that public school education will have to be rewritten to the point where all people and events that were inspired by any aspect of the Christian religion will be removed from our textbooks. pretty soon, we have a communist government run by hyper-sensitive, watered-down, grey conformists who kneel to the demands of those pathetic people who have nothing better to do than to make sure that their children are safe from any opportunity to be influenced by Christian values. God forbid that---oops, hehe, silly me, cant use the word "god" how could i forget--Darwin forbid that future generations should learn that acts such as murder, incest, sodomy, theft, deciet, lust, etc. have bad consequences; let alone should they learn that love is the only alternative to all these.
please leave me your thoughts about this.