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And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord; (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of...

And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.(Luke 2:4-9)Joseph, Mary’s espoused husband, almost divorced his...

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while...

Now Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father. And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be called John. And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name. And they made signs to...

And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost: And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For, lo, as soon as...

My town is going to have a council vote on removing a nativity scene from the central town park. It is only ONE GUY causing all this trouble, and virtually the whole town is against him. He's a trouble-making POS. I've been trying to get to each and every council member, none are giving me any clear answers. The mayor (who is usually a very staunch conservative) is also being cagey. Just wondering what others have experienced... have the rest of you had this in your town, how did your town council vote?

Cordova has said that Belen means Bethlehem in Spanish, but the Freedom From Religion Foundation is arguing that the nativity scene is religious in nature and should be moved to private property.

Mike Huckabee isn’t particularly thrilled about the Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, even going so far as to declare people should outright reject and states should fight back against the ruling. On ABC’s This Week today, Huckabee asked if liberals would be similarly okay if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of personhood for the unborn. George Stephanopoulos asked Huckabee if he would just outright refuse to enforce the decision as president. Huckabee didn’t give a firm yes or not, but did say he would consider it. He brought up the rainbow lights the White House put up on...

January 6th is the Solemnity of the Epiphany.  The word comes from the Greek epiphaneia, meaning “manifestation” or “appearance.”  In the Western Church, We typically associate Epiphany with the visitation of the gift-bearing Magi or Wise Men or Three Kings to the Holy Family and newborn child Jesus.  In the United States, the feast has become overshadowed by Christmas, though in many cultures, either the two are celebrated together (usually on Epiphany), or Epiphany is the more celebrated of the two.So which Nativity scene did you set out this year?  The simple classic version with the Holy Family, or was...

VIDEO HERE The Holy See has released a radical feminist activist who bared her breasts in St Peter’s Square on Christmas Day and snatched the statue of Baby Jesus from the Vatican’s outdoor Nativity scene. The Holy See prosecutor met Yana Zhdanova and decided to order her release, according to Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi. The Ukrainian protester was also ordered to never enter Vatican City State, including St Peter’s Basilica, or other Vatican property outside the city-state’s walls. The Femen protester shouted “God is woman” when she uncovered her chest in the square, about an hour after...

This is a column we still get a lot of requests for this time of year - written eleven Christmases ago and riffing off an often overlooked corner of the Gospels. It represents one of my first forays into what would become the demographic thesis of America Alone. I'm happy to report that Israel's fertility looks a little healthier than Mr Netanyahu gave it credit for. Europe, alas, remains largely blind to what lies ahead: But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou...

The story of the first Christmas is so beloved that singers and storytellers across the centuries have embellished and elaborated and mythologized the story in celebration. However, most people now don't know which details are biblical and which are fabricated. People usually imagine the manger scene with snow, singing angels, many worshipers, and a little drummer boy. None of that is found in the biblical account. Christmas has become the product of an odd mixture of pagan ideas, superstition, fanciful legends, and plain ignorance. Add to that the commercialization of Christmas by marketers and the politicization of Christmas in the...

He was born in a barn to penniless parents who were part of a people under occupation. Get it? So why do so many of us not get it? I’m against the War on Christmas. No not that one! Wishing someone “Happy Holidays” doesn’t rob Christmas of its meaning—after all, being sensitive to others’ religious beliefs ought to be the attitude of every Christian. And not the one that says we have over-commercialized Christmas—after all, there’s nothing wrong with a time of year when we purchase thoughtful gifts for those we love.

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Vatican's official English-language translation of Pope Francis' prepared homily, to be delivered in Italian, during Christmas Eve Mass on Wednesday in St. Peter's Basilica. Spelling and style are the Vatican's.

A Good And Blessed Merry Christmas To The Free Republic Community. Christ the Lord is Born!

Nativity scene has caused quite a stir in his neighborhood, with some considering it a holiday treat. But others see a nightmare before Christmas. Responding to two anonymous complaints, officials in Ohio’s Sycamore Township said on Tuesday they have ordered Jasen Dixon to take down his display by Friday because it violates local property maintenance codes. Dixon, who manages a haunted attraction in Indiana, faces a $1,000 fine if he does not remove the 10-foot by 10-foot structure he built three weeks ago. He said he made the models for the zombie Mary and three wise men and borrowed props...

The New Testament says Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, but one rogue Israeli archaeologist says it is far more likely the Christian savior was born in Bethlehem of the Galilee, more than 60 miles from Jerusalem. Aviram Oshri spent nearly eleven years excavating artifacts in Bethlehem of the Galilee — an ancient biblical village near Nazareth that was later settled by German Templers — which he believes show that the traditional account of Jesus’s birthplace may be wrong. But when he produced his findings for his employer, the Israel Antiquities Authority, he found his proposal dismissed and called...

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CAROL"Lo! I Arrive To Do Thy Will!"Introduction: Have you ever considered, What is the first Christmas Carol?A carol is a song of joyful praise involving the birth of The Lord Jesus Christ. The first carol goes all the way back to the night in which The Lord Jesus Christ was born. No, it was not the Shepherds! Neither was it the Heavenly host which the shepherds heard. But even before the angels sang, The Lord Jesus Himself sang. Yes, That Little Baby in the manger sang the first Christmas Carol. It was not heard by His parents,...

CLAREMONT (CBSLA.com) — A local church nativity scene depicts a homeless Virgin Mary at a bus stop with a newborn Baby Jesus swaddled in burlap. The theme for this year’s display at Claremont United Methodist Church on Foothill Boulevard is “Commercialism and the Oppressed.” Church leaders say the eyes of God are always watching and people should reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. “We want to draw attention to those people who are on the margins who Jesus would be standing with today,” said Pamela Bunce of Claremont United Methodist Church. The Southland church is known for its design...

(CNSNews.com) -- When the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) went after a city council in Jay, Fla., for displaying a nativity set on public property, the atheist group might have won a battle, but seems to have lost the war. The FFRF, known for protesting any and all religious displays in public places, sent a complaint letter recently to local officials in the 526-person city of Jay, arguing against the life-sized nativity that had been set up on the site every Christmas for nearly 40 years, the group said in a press release. In a letter sent to the city’s...