We got an invitation letter from Merry Maids the other day. It informed us that "the holiday season is fast approaching and in the spirit of the season..." followed by a donation request to support Merry Maids' designated charity.
To which I would ask: "what holiday is that?", and, "the spirit of what season?".
Of course, we're all supposed to know. It's C - h - r - i - s - t - m - a - s, but don't say it too loudly. Might offend somebody.
Then there's World Vision.
It's one thing for a liver-lilied secular organization to wish someone an anemic "happy holidays", but a Christian charitable organization?! Is this the point we have reached -- where Christians cower in fear to wish their sponsored children a "Merry Christmas".?
World Vision states: "World Vision works in many countries where the majority of the people are not Christian. These countries include Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Jerusalem/West Bank/Gaza, Sri Lanka, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nepal and Senegal".
They go on to explain, "We must use great sensitivity in the wording of any messages we send to sponsored children and their families in these countries. This includes the enclosed Christmas card and the stickers that go with it."
Show sensitivity, or what? You get your head chopped off? The country cuts off Christian aid, offered by Christians in Jesus' name?
Does World Vision really think that these countries don't know that World Vision is a Christian organization, and that its supporters are believers in Jesus?
As far as I recall, our sponsored children do not even live in any of the countries on World Vision's must-not-offend list. Still, here's what we get by way of a Christmas greeting to the sponsored kids:
Happy Holidays!
Your friend in Canada
And an inoffensive picture of a winter scene with some nice furry animals. No manger. No Christ Child. No angels or shepherds. No mother of Jesus.
To which I ask -- if this is what commemorating the birth of Christ has come to, why bother?
And that's the way the Keep-Christ-in-Christmas Ball bounces.
18 comments:
Well said! I have given up on World Vision.
What's all this bullsh*t about inclusiveness anyway? If you don't want to celebrate Christmas - DON'T. It's as simple as that. Why should we water down the meaning of such an important day to us for the sake of everyone else (athiests, agnostics, and Allah, oh my!). Ta hell with that!
I doubt very much if any of the atheists who comment at this site would be offended by being wished a Merry Christmas. We slog away at each other, but it's all respectful.
An atheist can trash Christianity and a Christian can try to discredit atheism, but we don't have to worry about some human rights tribunal watching over our shoulders.
Do not buy at any store that has not the guts to say 'Christmas'.
'Happy Holidays' or 'Compliments of the Season' (winter?) in their ads guarantees I will not shop there.
If I go in a shop with windows full of decorations and wish them 'Merry Christmas!' and they get all embarrased and say Happy Holidays or mumble same other evasive answer, I turn around and walk out. I also do not buy vaguely worded or illustrated politically correct Christmas cards.
They must say 'Christmas' on them.
Some businesses don't mind using this special time of Christmas to make money though, but it chokes them to say 'Merry Christmas.'
I have had enough, and I started my personal protest a few years ago. Power to the shopper!
Uhm, you do realize that in an effort to get money out of people other than Christians, it makes sense to say "Happy Holidays" right? Rather than trying to remember all the other holidays AND trying to guess at which particular religion your customer is. Making a mistake can be rather embarrassing...
After all, its also Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, depending on the year it can be Ramadan, Eid is just ending as is Diwali. Not to mention that December 21 through 25 has been a pagan festival for thousands of years...long before there were Christians.
Oh, do you realize that if Jesus actually existed, he was probably born in April? "Abiding by their flocks by night" - to this day not something Palestinian shepherds would NOT do in December.
December 25 was the birthday of Mithra and was turned into Christmas by Constantine so as not to upset his largely Mithras worshipping Legions (whose symbol was a cross, BTW, while Christianity had the fish...).
In short, a celebration at the Winter Solstice has happened for thousands of years under different names. Jesus was not born on December 25, so get over yourselves.
Oh and you over look the semantically obvious too - that "Happy Holidays" could very well be the plural short form of saying "Merry Christmas and Happy new Year".
Of course then you couldn't go around pretending to be victims of some non-existent persecution.
Have a Happy Saturnalia...
Mike -- Unlike the other religious festivals you mention, Christmas is an established Canadian cultural tradition celebrated by Christians and non-Christians alike. It has been a deeply entrenched part of the shared culture of Canadians for centuries and there is no good reason why we shouldn't continue to wish each other a Merry Christmas without fear of offending some mythical person.
Informed Christians know that neither the date nor season of Jesus' birth is mentioned in Scripture and that December 25th was chosen by the Church to mark Christianity's ascension and triumph over Roman pagan solar festivals.
The choice of December 25th was fitting since a prophecy refers to Christ as the "Sun of Righteousness risen with healing in his wings (rays)"; he is the Light of the world, and, of his birth it is prophesied, "the people that sat in darkness have seen a great light". Many people today continue to sit in darkness and it is the Christian's duty and privilege to bring knowledge of the Light of the world to everyone.
It is thus a liturgical festival rather than a mere birthday celebration or commemoration.
The Mithras/Constantine stuff you mention is 4th-rate Internet junkdata most often quoted by people who have never actually studied the matter -- you can do a lot better than this.
I wish you a very merry Christmas.
And exactly who is preventing you from wishing anyone you want a Merry Christmas rkball?
Some people and organizations have opted for Happy Holidays and that is a decision they have every right to make - did anyone force the Merry Maids into their decision, was World Vision told they couldn't say Merry Christmas?
Who are these Christian organizations cowering in fear of?
-- and just where did you get that 'Christmas is when it is to mark the triumph over Pagan solar festivals line' anyway? I'd love to see a real source for it.
stageleft -- And a very merry Christmas to you as well.
" and just where did you get that 'Christmas is when it is to mark the triumph over Pagan solar festivals line' anyway? I'd love to see a real source for it."
Try _A History of the Christian Church_ by Williston Walker, 4th edition, pages 120 and 188.
This is common knowledge.
"The Mithras/Constantine stuff you mention is 4th-rate Internet junkdata most often quoted by people who have never actually studied the matter..."
Actually, Mike is right on the money. And I have not only studied it, I teach it.
"Try _A History of the Christian Church_ by Williston Walker, 4th edition, pages 120 and 188.
"This is common knowledge."
No. It's a common misconception.
I think, rkball, that if you did any actual research into this you would discover that Christmas is when it is, and includes the elements it does, not as a result of any triumph over Paganism, but because Christianity couldn't compete with Pagan tradition and belief and ended up modeling itself after those traditions and beliefs as part of [often violent] forced conversion programs.
Is there something wrong with violent, forced conversions in some objective sense, or is this just a personal preference on your part?
You're not a believer in God and objective morality, are you?
At any rate, the good news is that God forces himself on no-one, and everyone is free to go their own way, reject his loving offer of redemption, and face the eternal consequences.
Common misconception, eh?
So you don't think that December 25th festivals had anything whatsoever to do with the winter solstice, or that the western Church chose to appropriate this date to supplant the pagan festivals and to celebrate the Sun of Righteousness. O-K.
Did you even look up the citations?
Right on the money, eh?
I don't know what your teaching qualifications regarding Christ and Mithra are, but I trust that they at least match those of Dr. Edwin Yamauchi.
Send me your name by email and I'll compare what you've published with his writings.
If by competing with pagan tradition and belief you mean competing with such practices as child sacrifice, sexual orgies, infanticide, blood-letting, and the like, then, right, Christianity can't compete. If that's your bag, it's no contest.
And if you think that being hatched from a rock is more appealing than being born of a virgin, I guess it can't compete.
And if you prefer a mythical character to a flesh-and-blood Saviour, then, no, Christianity doesn't have much to offer.
If on the other hand, you want to look into the face of God, and see an example of extraordinary unsurpassed love and self-sacrifice, I think it holds up rather well.
I will continue to worship Christ and proclaim that the one crucified by the world God has made both Lord and Christ.
Thanks for your comment.
rkball: Is there something wrong with violent, forced conversions in some objective sense, or is this just a personal preference on your part?
Violent and/or forced conversions, in any instance, are in fact totally wrong, in every sense one can think of,
rkball: You're not a believer in God and objective morality, are you?
I am a believer in Gods, but not your god, no. Nor do I believe that without religion there is no morality.
rkball: At any rate, the good news is that God forces himself on no-one,
True enough, it is his followers who have been the violent ones.
rkball:.... and everyone is free to go their own way, reject his loving offer of redemption, and face the eternal consequences.
Now there ya go getting all "one true god on me", if there is any singlular thing about monotheists that drives me especially nuts that would be it - I don't subscribe to the eternal consequences thing either.
rkball: If by competing with pagan tradition and belief you mean competing with such practices as child sacrifice, sexual orgies, infanticide, blood-letting, and the like, then, right, Christianity can't compete. If that's your bag, it's no contest.
And now yer just showing your ignorance about Paganism in general. I really think you should do a little more research into this than what your priest or pastor may have told you, or the writings of people like Caesar, and others, who sought to demonize the people they were trying to conquer.
"reject his loving offer of redemption, and face the eternal consequences."
Can't you just feel the "love"??
Just classic!! That you can type this with a straight face is unbelievable - you didn't right? You were laughing when you typed this right??
Do you not realize that this is EXACTLY what make religion so ridiculous?? It's like that popular bumper sticker:
'jesus christ: accept my love, or burn in hell forever!'
Ah yes... can't you feel the love! ;)
An eternity spent banished from the presence of God will be hell, whatever form it takes. God, for better or worse, has given man free will. And man exercised that will and banished God. Does God, as God, not have the right to do likewise?
That rebellion continues to the present hour.
It is a terrible truth, but it is truth none-the-less. There is a terrible consequence to our rebellion against a good, loving, and just God.
If you want to "feel the love", contemplate the Cross, where a sinless, guiltless man took our sin and guilt upon him. That is God's brutal, unsentimental offer of love to a rebellious race.
You can either accept this sacrifice, or toss it away. If you toss it away, you must be prepared to live with the eternal consequences.
God IS Love. But he is also just and holy.
If you are in a sinful, unrepentant state, it is not love you should be feeling. It is abject terror.
"Knowing the terror of the Lord, we persuade men".
Christ came for a reason. And, if there was ever a life that had meaning, it was his.
"contemplate the Cross, where a sinless, guiltless man took our sin and guilt upon him. That is God's brutal, unsentimental offer of love to a rebellious race."
Religion is so retarded... so god puts an innocent man to death in a BRUTAL way and you see "love" in that act? How is that sensible in the slightest? It is not love to kill your son in this way - it's barbaric!
"You can either accept this sacrifice, or toss it away."
What is there to accept? A 2000 year old story? How do I toss that away?
I have no sin... I have no need for some 2000 year old story to apply to me. God has ZERO affect on my life.
And for this I should rot in hell??
I stand by my sarcastic statement: "don't you just feel the love..."
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