Posted on 12/06/2005 4:17:51 PM PST by RWR8189
Well, here we go again ...
"And now a holiday song -- 'God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.'" This from my favorite classical music station. Shall we listen in?
"God rest you merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day; to save us all from Satan's power when we were gone astray ... " etc., etc., etc.
Oh, boy, didn't we cover up that dogmatic theological treatise by billing the musical selection in question as a "holiday song" and not a "Christmas carol"? I guess it's fine (by the standards of the time) to launch on the airwaves an affirmation of Jesus Christ's salvational power -- just so long as we call it something else. As I said: Oh, boy.
This isn't one more disquisition on the emergence of "Happy Holidays" as a politically correct substitute for a quasi-theological salute like "Merry Christmas." This is a puzzled look at the puzzled state of the American mind and conscience in the Year of Our Lord -- excuse me, excuse me -- 2005.
Just what do we do with God in a society led for 40 years, by the U.S. Supreme Court and the American Civil Liberties Union, to at least seasonal rethinking of what might be called our public theology?
We've gotten so picky and prissy about religion in the public square that no one really knows what to say and do at times like Christmas. Our paper currency informs us that "In God We Trust," but try affirming that proposition at, say, a high school commencement. Or try praying it, if you want to see how long it takes an ACLU lawyer to get to the courthouse.
On the scientific front, we find things equally disordered and disputed. Courts these days seem designed for the purpose of adjudicating controversies between supporters of Darwinian evolution and pleaders for the teaching of intelligent design -- the proposition that life didn't just "happen."
Good old generic "religion" -- the kind President Eisenhower commended to us without reproof from the New York Times (oh, but if Ike were alive to try it now!) -- is today a reliable fight-starter. Even in these times of comfort and joy -- whatever we elect to call them. When last I heard, Target was defending itself against an outcry over the in-store downgrading of "Christmas" -- and the upgrading of "holiday."
The dispute makes no objective sense, of course. "Holiday" means "holy day." Holy for what reason? For the reason that Christ was born: absent which occasion the stores wouldn't be bidding you, come max out your credit cards. You'd think we could have sailed on another 40 or 50 years serene in our Christian pan-denominationalism.
On the other hand ...
Even pan-denominationalism isn't a good fit in a world wary of spiritual entanglements. Free-market capitalism, God bless it (there I go again!) not only maximizes prosperity but encourages the personal autonomy and fragmentation that have become our moral hallmarks. In other words, our popular creed, instead of "Jesus Saves!" seems to be "Lemme Alone, Hear?"
High expectations for human performance really don't inform the new creed, which, unlike traditional Christianity, isn't long on moral reasoning, with its encouragements, restraints and, indeed, prohibitions.
To the degree you suggest to someone else how life should rightly be lived, you invite the angry retort or the indifferent stare. Lemme alone! Outta my face!
But the nature of Christianity -- the creed of Christmas -- is about unpleasant realities like human deficiency and humbling ones like redemption: all in accordance with divine directives.
To be wished a Merry Christmas is to be wished a closer walk, a nearer relationship, with the God whose only begotten Son, as the story goes, came to earth at this season. The manger thing, you know -- angels, shepherds, wise men. Oh, so entangling! As it was meant to be.
Oh, and, by the way, Merry Christmas.
Copyright 2005 Creators Syndicate
No. I do not. That was the point of my posting that sentence. Just by reading the post, it is impossible (unless we already have our mind made up) if that was the poster's attitude.
Who are we to judge who is and is not destined for hell?
As I clearly stated, we are not. There is one Judge. But, merely repeating what He has said is not judging anything. It is, well, merely repeating what He has said.
I was in both Vons and Stater Brothers markets today. The word Christmas could not be found in the store anywhere.
<< Says you. >>
That's true.
He do.
As does Almighty God.
Too.
bump
"It's very sad that President Bush has a Holiday Tree at the White House and it has a six pointed star on it."
It's actually called the "White House Christmas Tree".
Thank you for pointing that out. I actually read an article last week that called the White House Christmas tree a holiday tree. The article had a picture of it but called it a holiday tree. You're right! I went to the White House website and they call it a Christmas tree!
"God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get."
I don't agree with that. I believe that most Christian believers pray that all are saved and that they will give the heart to Jesus. We believe the we should "judge not least we be judged". Merry Christmas to you. Amen.
:-)
I saw a Walmart commercial which wished all a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday!
Says the Bible, my dear.
"Who are we to judge who is and is not destined for hell?"
Luke 12:1-5
..."Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. Whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
"I tell you, my friend, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he was killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!"
Rev. 20:12-14
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the were judged by what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead in them, and all were judged by what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire; and if any one's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
FWIW-I agree with you.
Thanks. And Merry Christmas!
"Jesus is the reason for the season."
Well, technically that's probably not true...Christmas is likely when it is because the Roman Catholic Church wanted to supersede Saturnalia. So He's the reason the season is called Christmas, but the reason for the season was originally a Roman winter solstice celebration. I suppose you could argue that the reason for the season is God, who sets the solstice date in the first place, and Jesus is the Son of God, and they're all part of the same Trinity, but that doesn't have the same sort of catchy ring to it as 'Jesus is the reason for the season,' does it?
But have a Merry Christmas anyway.
"...the reason for the season was originally a Roman winter solstice celebration."
I think my brother put it best:
"Yes, the whole Christmas thing has been one of many changes over the years. The celebrating of Jesus' birth seems to be something that came along some time after Christianity became the official religion of the
Roman empire. Before that they celebrated only His death, as was the case with most celebrated people. The Roman Christians began adapting certain pagan celebrations to accommodate Christian concepts, and because of the taint of paganism many Christian groups shunned them like the plague, but over the centuries the practices became more accepted. Even
the days of the week are named after pagan ideas (Sunday after the sun god, Thursday after Thor, god of thunder, etc.). What Christianity has been able to do is to "hijack" some of the pagan practices and make them
their own. There are still people who refuse to go along with the practice, and that is their privilege."
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
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