Christmas vs. "Christmas"

[kenpo tiger]

Good post Loki!! Our Pastor was just talking about this in church on Sunday......how do you take Christ out of Christmas when it is in the name too? Are we supposed to change the name of the holiday so as to not offend anyone now? Come on!!

This is something I really liked that I received in my mail this week- it is from Paul Harvey and I thought you might enjoy it and find it relevant here in some way.

That said........MERRY CHRISTmas!!

:asian: :karate:

Paul Harvey says: - "I don't believe in Santa Claus, but I'm not going to sue somebody for singing a Ho-Ho-Ho song in December. I don't agree with Darwin, but I didn't go out and hire a lawyer when my high school teacher taught his theory of evolution.

Life, liberty or your pursuit of happiness will not be endangered because
someone says a 30-second prayer before a football game.

So what's the big deal? It's not like somebody is up there reading the
entire book of Acts. They're just talking to a God they believe in and
asking him to grant safety to the players on the field and the fans going
home from the game.

"But it's a Christian prayer," some will argue. Yes, and this is the
United States of America, a country founded on Christian principles.
According to our very own phone book, Christian churches outnumber all
others better than 200-to-1. So what would you expect-somebody chanting
Hare Krishna? If I went to a football game in Jerusalem, I would expect
to hear a Jewish prayer.

If I went to a soccer game in Baghdad, I would expect to hear a Muslim
prayer. If I went to a ping pong match in China, I would expect to hear
someone pray to Buddha. And I wouldn't be offended. It wouldn't bother me
one bit. When in Rome...

"But what about the atheists?" is another argument. What about them?
Nobody is asking them to be baptized.. We're not going to pass the
collection plate. Just humor us for 30 seconds.. If that's asking too
much, bring a Walkman or a pair of ear plugs. Go to the bathroom. Visit
the concession stand. Call your lawyer!

Unfortunately, one or two will make that call. One or two will tell
thousands what they can and cannot do. I don't think a short prayer at a
football game is going to shake the world's foundations.

Christians are just sick and tired of turning the other cheek while our
courts strip us of all our rights.

Our parents and grandparents taught us to pray before eating, to pray
before we go to sleep. Our Bible tells us to pray without ceasing. Now a
handful of people and their lawyers are telling us to cease praying. God,
help us. And if that last sentence offends you, well..........just sue
me.

The silent majority has been silent too long.. it's time we let that one
or two who scream loud enough to be heard know, that the vast majority
don't care what they want.. it is time the majority rules! It's time we
tell them, you don't have to pray.. you don't have to say the pledge of
allegiance, you don't have to believe in God or attend services that
honor Him.

That is your right, and we will honor your right.. but by golly, you are
no longer going to take our rights away ... we are fighting back.. and we
WILL WIN!

God bless us one and all, especially those who denounce Him... God bless
America, despite all her faults, she is still the greatest nation of
all.....

God bless our service men who are fighting to protect our right to pray
and worship God...

May 2004 be the year the silent majority is heard and we put God back as
the foundation of our families and institutions.

Keep looking up...... In God WE Trust.

I'd love to know why Mr. Harvey considers Jerusalem to be exclusive to my people. It isn't, you know.

Please tell me that most of this piece was written with humor in mind.

I am what I refer to as a secular Jew. I am observant in my own way. I love this time of year -- the non-commercial aspect of it, that is. I buy presents for my friends of all faiths and decorate my house with pretty ornaments in containers. Why no tree? One of my little guys at karate asked me that. His mother chimed in and said it was perfectly okay for *anyone* to have a tree, since Christmas trees are really pagan symbols (which I knew).

I don't have a tree because I am who and what I am. I don't condemn any other Jews who choose to have both Christmas and Chanukah. Their choice. The underlying concepts of Christmas - peace on earth, good will toward all -- appeal to me greatly. So do those of Chanukah -- that miracles do happen and that faith will see you through the darkest of times.

Whether you choose to celebrate the season with a tree or a menorah:

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all and your families!

Or should I say, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. KT

 

[Nightingale]

X-mas is not a secular term, nor is it an attempt to remove the first part of the word Christmas.

SYLLABICATION: X·mas
NOUN: Christmas.
ETYMOLOGY: From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrstos, Christ. See Christ.
USAGE NOTE: Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , “Christ.” In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, “Christian.” But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening. Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas.

 

[MisterMike]

X-mas is more used as a shorthand form of Christmas. I think it detracts from the meaning as most do not know Greek and the holiday is officially "Christmas."

 

[Darksoul]

-Paul Harvey is usually pretty funny, in a roundabout way. I'm sure that post was in good humor, but at the same time, to make a point. Not being a Christian, I have no problem with people saying God Bless You or anything else. Its the people that have a problem with you not being Christian and say something about it that annoy me.


A---)

 

[PeachMonkey]

Mike,

Does it detract from the meaning of your moniker if I instead shorten it to "MrMike"?

Queryingly,

PM