The True Meaning of Xmas

This time of year, enter any Protestant Christian Church, and one will often hear how Christ has been taken out of Christmas. We look at the commercialism, and Santa, and how Christmas is abbreviated to Xmas. The problem is, we are looking at the situation all wrong. Christmas is, at it's roots, a pagan holiday. Cultures all around the world have celebrations for the winter solstice, where the days can now gradually become longer again.

In the days of the early Christian church, it wasn't exactly the coolest, or even safest thing to be a Christian. One had to be very careful and not be seen as dramatically different. This, of course, is where we get the fish symbol, an underground symbol of the time. We also, however, find the initial X or the Greek letter "chi" combined with the letter R (Greek "rho"), as a major symbol for Christians. These two Greek letters were the first two letters in Christos (Christ). As time went on, the symbol become just an X and was a specific abbreviation for Christ, Christian, Christmas, etc. Since this symbol became part of Constantine's official standard, we know that it was not a lazy or even obvious effort to remove Christ. Instead, like the fish, it was a symbol that Christians were proud to display.

I find it interesting that saying, "Merry Xmas" or "Happy Holidays" is a problem however, when we are not practicing what we preach. If we are celebrating Christ's first coming and all that He has done for us, then shouldn't we be reaching out through our churches on this special holiday? Why then, are so many churches deciding to close their doors this weekend?

American society claims to be predominantly Christian, but I so often think it is only a costumed secular heart. Whatever will make the biggest dollar or draw the biggest crowd or gain the most fame, is what makes the highest priority. If one thinks it will increase his standing, he will even steal a helpless baby penguin. (GIVE TOGA BACK!)

I, for one, am excited to celebrate Xmas. I love the beautiful lights, the fresh pine smell, and the crisp air. I'm glad for a loving family, a warm home, good health for the weekend, and yummy food to celebrate with. I'm excited to be able to share with others rather than just think of myself. And, mostly, I am thankful to praise God for sharing His Son with us.

Yes, Christmas is a pagan holiday, but that doesn't matter. I am proud to be a Xian, and I am happy to celebrate that every day of the year.

Merry Christmas, I Mean, Happy Holidays

I'm am so tired of hearing about Holiday Trees, arguments of how movies will do because they are supposedly Christian, and what Bush or Condi or a supreme court nominee will do because they are Christians as well. If you take any piece of American money out and look at it long enough, you will find the words, "In God We Trust." It doesn't say, "In Our Higher Power We Trust," or "In Ourselves We Trust," or even "In Whatever We Trust." It says, "In God We Trust," because that's the way our country was founded.

Let's begin with a little history lesson. In 1620, the Pilgrims took their voyage on the Mayflower to escape religious persecution by the Church of England. The Pilgrim's Puritan beliefs did not agree with Anglican beliefs, so they fled to a New World that would give them the religious freedom to worship God as they were convicted.

America's Declaration of Independance begins with, "We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." And, it ends with, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of the divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."

America was founded by Christians who felt it was important to preserve the importance of God being at the very center of our morality, our law, and our lives. Yet, our founding fathers also realized that as humans, we do not interpret the Bible nor are we always convicted in the same way. The very first Right we have as Americans is, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Those who established this country saw the importance of preventing what those first Pilgrims went through.

America in its very design is welcoming: of culture, of thought, and of religious belief. As long as one agrees to live peaceably and pay his taxes, he can follow the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Torah, the Koran, or even the Book of Satan. He has the right to follow whatever cultural and religious practices he is convicted of, as long as they don't hurt others, but he must recognize that right in every other American as well.

As a Christian American, I have the right to have a Christmas tree. I don't have to call it a Holiday Tree, and why would I? As far as I know, neither Hanukkah nor Kwanza nor any other modern winter holiday celebrates with a tree, although it is derived from pagan Roman roots. Because of that, why should any store call it a holiday tree either. If one is going to use Christmas traditions, then one should call it what it is. Last week Jay Leno compared it like this on The Tonight Show, "We still celebrate Halloween. It's a very big American holiday. So, apparently it's okay to celebrate Satan and Dracula, but it's not okay to celebrate Jesus."

Speaking of the occult influence versus Christian influence, why is there so much argument about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe? Just like The Passion of the Christ, there is a ton of excitement about it's Christian influence and it's place in the theater. Churches are gathering together witnessing packets and encouraging their Youth to go. Journalists are arguing about whether it will make much money and if it should even be in the theater at all. Well, why not? First, everywhere I go and talk to real people who are so excited that the books they loved as kids are now going to be in the theater. Second, no one is forcing anyone to see (or read for that manner) the story. Each person is free to chose what they allow in their minds. Third, unlike The Passion of the Christ, there is no obvious Christian reference. The story is a fantasy story first and foremost, it's theme is Christian, but not with the immediate purpose of a salvation experience. The December 2 edition of USA Today quotes Jacobs, author of The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C. S. Lewis. "Lewis wrote a story about redemptive sacrifice, but he didn't set out to write that. He set out to write a children's book that would be exciting and adventurous. He was not trying to win anyone to Christianity with this story. And I think you can tell that by the way so many people can read it and love it without having any idea of the biblical connection." And finally, Fourth, both the Harry Potter movies (which hint at occultism) and The Lord of the Rings movies (which is also a Christian parable) grossed millions of dollars at the box office and won academy awards. (For that matter, so did The Passion of the Christ.) But, there wasn't near the excitement about either Harry Potter's or The Lord of the Rings religious influences. Why should The Chronicles of Narnia be any different?

As far as the decisions our administrative leaders might make, well, we voted for them. I totally agree in the importance of the separation of church and state, but how can a human make any decision not based on his moral convictions? And why would those moral convictions be bad on the whole when those same moral convictions were written into the U S Constitution? I don't think I could say it better than Marilyn vos Savant, columnist for Parade Magazine (December 4), "Americans prefer to elect Presidents whose value systems grow from their religious beliefs. (That's why an atheist--whose values are chosen, not established--has never been elected.) We expect the President to act on his values."

America is fundamentally a Christian nation. Its foundations, its laws, and its culture are deeply based in Christianity. While it does not prevent others from practicing or even sharing their religious beliefs, others should not be offended when Christian Americans share theirs. If the modern American philosophy is that everything and anything is okay, then Christianity should be included as well. Why should the Christian majority be repressed?

We Can Always Be Thankful

I know, I know... It's been a very long time since I have posted my thoughts. Life has been interesting as of late, especially the last two months. My illness has taken it's toll, but I have come to realize once again that I have much to be thankful for. So, although it is the week after Thanksgiving, I will share my list of things I am thankful for this season.

1. Chiquita and Shadow, my cuddly kitties, who share my bed and always keep me entertained.
2. My dear husband, David, who works so hard, yet manages to keep things going at the house and take care of me when I'm feeling bad.
3. The opportunity to have a nice marriage encounter weekend and a Thanksgiving stay in Oklahoma between hospital visits.
4. Better health insurance than anyone I know.
5. A good team of doctors that (usually) actually listens to me and don't believe that they are God.
6. A very supportive family who prays for us, feeds our cats, maintains our car, and many other assorted things.
7. Google and it's subdivisions including blogger, gmail, froogle, google local, and google news... :)
8. Netflix, LOST, and the remaking of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. (It actually is possible to have TV for the intelligent...;)
   
9. A good bloodwork report today. Which should mean...
10. A Very Merry Christmas

Extraordinarily Fascinating News Items

Today a woman in Atlanta who was charged with murdering her baby was sentenced to be sterilized by tubal ligation. What a smart idea! Now if we did that with all the guilty sex offenders in this country, we wouldn't have overcrowding in prisons, nor would we need to worry about them committing that crime again. History shows that kings with harem have no problems with the eunuchs that tend them.

Also this week, a man with hobby of collecting snakes was bitten by one of his more poisonous and rare breeds. Fortunately, he was saved by an antidote from a zoo that was not very local. Apparently, this man is well known in the medical community. Now, unlike a lot of girls, I like snakes, and wouldn't mind owning one. But, unless one is raising certain snakes for the purpose of anti-venom, is there really a reason for careless ownership of any highly poisonous creature? Coming from someone who is also well known in the medical community, I wouldn't recommend it.

Of course Bush's plan for this new term and this year's new budget is on everyone's minds. For the most part, it seems to me that while they don't think so, both Republicans and Democrats want basically the same things. I know that no one is going to be happy with that statement, and I know there are some differences, but really folks.... Can't we all just get along? Please, let's get done what needs to get done, no adding stupid little things in bills that have nothing to do with anything. If we were more focused and less argumentative, perhaps we could really get some things done.

And, finally, as we near Valentine's Day, research has discovered that we truly can die of a broken heart. (especially women) So men, remember your true love not just February 14, but every day. You wouldn't want to be responsible for anything...

The Reasons Behind Charity

It is hardly the beginning of a new year, and yet so many strange things are already happening. Those near the Indian Ocean have experienced a tsunami beyond imagining. Here at home we see the West experiencing disasters of a near similar kind. The West is either being washed away by mud and water, or covered by more snow than they have ever seen.

While all that is going on, here in Tennessee with near record warmth for January, I ponder the imponderable of how terrible it would be to experience that kind of devastation. How would it be to have your loved ones swept away from your grasp, to never be seen again? Or perhaps, not quite as bad, my house . . . And as I watch the pictures on the news of those strong people, both here and abroad, I ponder about what the differences are between them.

You see, I am not the kind to look at our misfortune and forget about others. Yet, somehow it bothers me how I hear about all the aid we are delivering to Taiwan, Sri Lanka, and India; and I don't hear about much aid being given to those in California and Nevada. Should we help where we can? Yes! Should we help because it's the political thing to do? Not really. Should we help when others are suffering at home and we're already in debt? I'm not quite sure about that.

I just hope that when all is said and done, there will not be families overlooked just because they are Californian and not from another country that would look good politically to help. I also hope however, that we as individuals will take it upon ourselves to give and to help where we can . . . to everyone who needs it.

Evolution or Deevolution...

A couple of days ago, NBC ran a news clip noting how the animals all headed for higher ground some time before the tragic hit of the tsunami. The intro was something to the effect of, how did they know when the people did not? This brings up some interesting facts about animals. Animals just seem to know that an earthquake, tornado, or even excess carbon monoxide is present way before we humans figure it out. Many people tuned into their pets extreme restlessness have been saved because they then looked for what was wrong. How is it that people think we have evolved into superior beings? Wouldn't we retain those attributes that would help keep us around longer?

I get so tired of people thinking of evolution as a law of science. When one thinks about it, there's really not that many laws of science. (Think: For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction.) In school I learned that for a scientific theory to become a law, it had to become completely proven with no argument. Evolution is a theory, just as Creation is a theory. Until one is disproved and the other proven to the WHOLE of science, they are still that way.

Now, back to the animals... If one adds the belief of the Bible to science, he could never believe in macroevolution. (I often think it's pretty hard to believe in it even without the Bible included.) And, just looking at a more modern history . . . have we evolved or deevolved? I suppose it depends on how you look at that question. Just something to think about. You be the judge.