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This week marks the 70th anniversary of the release of "Good Will to Men", directed by none other than William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who went on to create The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and a lot of other classic cartoons."Good Will to Men" is basically a remake of the much darker (and hard to find) 1939 short "Peace on Earth".Thankfully, we are no longer under such dire threat of nuclear annihilation as audiences were in the Fifties. But I thought this was worth sharing all the same. Its themes are more timely than ever before."Love thy neighbor." Click here to...

Hundreds of Christians in China will likely spend Christmas in jail this year, according to a recent report. Starting on Dec. 13, the Chinese Communist Party mobilized “more than a thousand police officers, SWAT units, anti-riot forces, and firefighters” in the Zhejiang Province’s Yayang Town in Wenzhou City, raiding churches and conducting mass arrests of Christians, ChinaAid reported Friday. “Belongings of relevant individuals were illegally confiscated, roads leading to the church were completely blocked by police, and Christians in Yayang Town were unable to enter the Yayang church. The operation lasted nearly five days, yet no public statement was issued...

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #12 of 33 JOSEPH AND MARY TRAVEL TO BETHLEHEM L U K E CHAPTER 2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was...

Vince Guaraldi Trio’s soundtrack album for ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ has become a seasonal classic, full of magical pieces that stand on their own.The choice of Vince Guaraldi to create the soundtrack for the first A Charlie Brown Christmas Special, which aired on CBS on December 9, 1965, came about by chance – and ended up proving to be an inspirational decision. American television producer Lee Mendelson, the man who produced the show, was looking for someone to do a jazzy soundtrack. He initially tried for Dave Brubeck. “The first call I made was to Dave Brubeck, who was an...

A special Santa Claus is touching hearts and bringing an extra dose of holiday cheer to children with Down Syndrome in metro Atlanta. Last year, the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta decided they wanted to give participants at their annual holiday party the chance to see a Santa Claus who looked like them. That's where Bradley Carlisle stepped in. Carlisle, 36, lives independently in an apartment in Dunwoody. Donning the classic red suit and white beard, his debut left some families who attended the event crying happy tears, the nonprofit said. "It was magical," one parent said. "For our kids...

As explained in a previous post, the Nativity of Jesus has been celebrated by Christians on December 25 since antiquity. The feast of the Nativity has always been an opportunity for homiletic fireworks on a grand scale, and the Fathers of the Church took full advantage of the sacred day to wax eloquent. In keeping with this theme, here are a few excerpts from some of the earliest extant homilies delivered by various Church Fathers to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God. The first comes from Pope Liberius who reigned in the mid-4th century AD....

A Christmas Prayer By Rian B. Anderson It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year for Christmas. We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Daddy wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Daddy to get down the old...

We lived in Dresden, Germany a while back. The BEST time to be in Germany is during Christmas. The choir in the background is the choir that is pictured in the video.

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #11 of 33 SHOULD JOSEPH MARRY MARY? M A T T H E W CHAPTER 1 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and...

A small town committee in South Carolina kept a Nativity display in a market parking lot in defiance of the mayor’s order that it be taken down. The controversy began in Mullins, South Carolina, around Thanksgiving when Kimberly Byrd, head of the Mullins Beautification Committee, said her committee would decorate the town’s new marketplace “like a Hallmark movie” for the Christmas season, believing it would draw in business. The group paid for the decorations out of their own pocket and included a Nativity scene, but Mayor Miko Pickett reportedly asked that it be removed, fearing it would offend residents of...

The Department of Homeland Security is running an end-of-year Christmas special to further incentivize illegal aliens to self-deport. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the department will be tripling the cash incentives from $1,000 to $3,000, urging illegal aliens to leave the country on their own. Illegal aliens who choose to self-deport through the CBP Home App will receive this bonus through the end of the year and may be eligible to re-enter the country legally in the future. 'Raise your hand! We'll help you get home.' The Department of Homeland Security is running an end-of-year Christmas special to further...

There is a Christmas manufactured for display windows and marketing campaigns, bright, hurried, and quickly forgotten. There is the Christmas our Founders knew, quiet, severe, inward, and bound to something far older and more demanding than comfort. They did not inherit a nation wrapped in ribbon. They brought one into being through cold hands, empty stomachs, and resolute faith. When George Washington crossed the Delaware on Christmas night, there were no speeches to stir the heart and no crowds to bear witness. There was no certainty of success. There was only an obligation. The men who followed him were unpaid,...

Dear Editor—I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?Virginia O’Hanlon 115 West Ninety Fifth Street

CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #10 of 33 SHOULD JOSEPH MARRY MARY? M A T T H E W CHAPTER 1 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 1 JAMES TISSOT "The Anxiety of Saint Joseph" But after he had considered this, an angel of the...

We Magi of Orient Are - A Beautiful, Biblical and Traditional Christmas Song and Video

Newsdump Alert: A Second Release Of Jeffrey Epstein Related Files... Newsdump Alert: Almost Complete Honduran Vote Count Revealed This Weekend As US Sanctions Honduran Officials Over Vote Count... Newsdump Alert: Syrian War Monitoring Group Says US Has Killed At Least Five ISIS (Daesh) Members In Its Retaliation Attacks... Newsdump Alert: Ukraine War Continues Eight Killed... If El Rushbo were around he would have products to offer you as gifts like books. If I had written a book to sell I think the title would be based on my own experiences... Hey it's the "FBI Update" The Hollies singing "Long Cool...

[Catholic Caucus] This Miracle on 66th Street Includes an Adorable Nativity PageantDozens of children, a room full of gratitude, and the quiet heroism of the Sisters of Life turn a parish gym into Bethlehem and remind New York where Christmas really lives.There’s no place on earth like New York City at Christmas.The sidewalks in Herald Square feel like a slow-moving river of scarves and shopping bags. Rockefeller Center’s tree draws crowds who gaze with awe upon its lights. St. Patrick’s Cathedral gets dressed for the season with garland and wreaths, and there is also that familiar hush that somehow survives...

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CHRISTMAS BIBLE-ART EPISODE #9 of 33 THE BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST L U K E CHAPTER 1 When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. 1 TINTORETTO "The Birth of John the Baptist" 2 ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI "Birth of St John the Baptist" 3 LUCA SIGNORELLI "The Birth of St John the Baptist" 4 DOMENICO GHIRLANDAIO "The Birth of St. John the Baptist" 5 JUAN DE FLANDES "The Birth and Naming of John...

Putting baby Jesus in zip ties places the Christmas story as a polemic against the Trump administration and its immigration law enforcement. Here in Dallas and elsewhere, individuals have been motivated by these narratives to attempt to kill ICE agents. Despite the virtues signaled by many Christian pastors across the United States, the demonization of law enforcement is not consistent with the teaching and praxis of Jesus. In fact, Mary and Joseph conformed to difficult imperial mandates compelling them to move and register in the hometown of Joseph. Herod is the dark evil figure of the Christmas story, and the...