Tag Archive for: Merry Christmas

Is it Christmas or Xmas? Keeping things in perspective in 2024…

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This is an updated version of what I wrote last year, as the situation has not improved.

If you like short videos, then please watch this 3-minute spot-on musical video. It is musically conveying the same message that I’m trying to do here, verbally…

As a minimum, Christmas is a remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ. (Note the “Christ” part of the word Christmas.) As a historical event, it is something that anyone of any faith (or even atheists) can choose to acknowledge and/or celebrate — just as anyone can acknowledge and appreciate the historical event Hanukkah is based on

Why Christians would give such emphasis to that birth, is due to what Jesus Christ stood for. (Carefully read the New Testament for specifics.) The bottom line is that His message was one of love, acceptance, and forgiveness. Shouldn’t we all support that?

Centuries later, various related secondary religious traditions evolved in parallel with the birth of Jesus Christ’s remembrance. One is Saint Nicholas — now translated to what we Americans call Santa Claus… Another is the Christmas Tree, which also has some religious connotations (here is one explanation).

Regretfully, we live in times where secularization is all the rage, and Religion (and the Bible) are out of vogue — is it any wonder that we can no longer even have respectful discussions about our different perspectives? What happens now is that one party will bludgeon the other with the moral superiority card (SEL, CRT, DEI, Woke, etc.). Other responses that fall into this category are phony virtue signaling and absurd relativism.

Humans instinctively need a moral code, so the reason that all these happen every day is that we are abandoning what was a widely shared value system: Judeo-Christianity. But since the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, the Bible, etc. are old-fashioned, here are three questions to critically think about:

  1. Where is this new set of “moral standards” and “virtues” publicly posted?
  2. Who has the credentials to create such an official list?
  3. Where does the authority come from to enforce adherence to such standards?

One excuse for this secularization is the assertion that some people espousing Religions have a long history of going off the rails.

We need to be clear that when there are bad events associated with a Religion, it is the people involved who are the problem, not the Religion. For example, when some early Catholic Popes were evil men, that was not a reflection on Jesus Christ or His Church, but on those individuals. (Similarly, when the US has Presidents who are self-serving, it is not a reflection on the Constitution, but on those people.)

An experience I recently had is one of many that puts this secularization of our society, including Christmas, into focus… Every year my wife and I snail mail Christmas cards to select friends and family. Every year we choose a Christmas card with a clear traditional birth of Jesus Christ theme. (We then add some updates about the last year, on the reverse.)

This year I again went to where we have been buying such cards: Vista-Print (which is a large purveyor of a wide variety of products from business cards to wedding gifts). I started like I always do and selected: 4×8 cards —> Christmas —> religious. Hmmm: all of the “religious cards” were just photos of family members, Christmas trees, etc.

What struck me was that there was not a single religious card (i.e., about the birth of Jesus Christ), a star over Bethlehem, the three wise men, etc. In the past, Vista-Print had multiple options for these. I then did several searches and nothing came up.

I decided to call the company and see if I was doing something wrong. I chatted with a pleasant customer service person. After much looking on her part she confirmed that Vista-Print had no 4×8 Christmas cards with any Christ-related scene!!

As polite as I could be (not my forte), I strongly objected to this startling and unacceptable degradation of Christmas. She agreed and politely volunteered to look through their past files to see if she could find an appropriate one for me.

I waited patiently (again not a strong point) while she searched. She then came up with a Christmas card with a religious scene on it. She emailed me what she was proposing to see if it was OK. It was. Success and no charge for this “custom” card.

IMO it’s mind-boggling that I would have to do this. I’m sure in Vista-Print’s files that they have over a hundred nativity, etc. scenes to use on 4×8 Christmas cards, but that they chose zero in 2024 is disturbing.

As a scientist, I’m a curious person (take that any way you like), so I decided to see if Vista-Print was an aberration or the norm. For comparison, I decided to check out Walmart’s 4×8 card options, since they are another major seller of Christmas cards. I looked through their online site to see how many nativity scene Christmas cards they were offering, and again I found none… Same for Shutterfly and Snapfish.

My closing Christmas thought is this…

Since we are experiencing unprecedented threats to our personal freedoms and lives, maybe we ought to re-think our commitment to God. As Americans’ participation in Religion has steadily gone downhill, the evil and incompetence we are seeing on a daily basis has steadily increased. Draw your own Critical Thinking conclusions, but IMO that correlation is not a coincidence.

In summary: Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

I hope that you and your family have a happy, holy Christmas and holiday season!

PS: I also found no religious versions when I searched for “Christmas emoji.” They were Santa Claus, etc.). However, when I switched to “Nativity emoji” lots of options came up, like… this, this and this.

©2924 All rights reserved.

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The True Meaning of the 12 Days of Christmas

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During Christmas season many listen to the song the “12 Days of Christmas” but they do not truly understand the meaning of each of the gifts given to each and everyone of us during those 12 days.

The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Church.

Christianity.com explains that, “The 12 days of Christmas in Christian tradition signifies the time between the birth of Christ and the arrival of the three wise men, also known as the Magi. It starts on December 25, which is celebrated as Christmas Day, and lasts until January 6, which is the Epiphany, also referred to as Three Kings’ Day.”

Twelve Days of Christmas Carol with Lyrics & They’re Meaning

Here are the 12 Gifts from God depicted in the 12 Days of Christmas:

1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree

The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose birthday we celebrate on the first day of Christmas. Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge, the only bird that will die to protect its young.

2. Two Turtledoves

These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So, in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of the Christian faith and God’s plan for the world. The doves are the biblical roadmap that is available to everyone.

3. Three French Hens

These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter written by the Apostle Paul. It also represents the Holy Trinity: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

4. Four Calling Birds

One of the easiest facets of the song’s code to figure out these fowl are the four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

5. Five Gold Rings

The gift of the rings represents the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch.

  1. Genesis
  2. Exodus
  3. Leviticus
  4. Numbers
  5. Deuteronomy

6. Six Geese a-Laying

These lyrics can be traced back to the first story found in the Bible. Each egg is a day in creation when God “hatched” or formed the world.

  1. God created the heavens and the earth
  2. God created the sky and seas
  3. God created the land and plants
  4. God created the sun, moon, and stars
  5. God created fish and birds
  6. God created land animals and man

7. Seven Swans a-Swimming

It would take someone quite familiar with the Bible to identify this gift. Hidden in the code are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit:

  1. Prophecy
  2. Ministry
  3. Teaching
  4. Exhortation
  5. Giving
  6. Leading
  7. Compassion

As swans are one of the most beautiful and graceful creatures on earth, they would seem to be a perfect symbol for spiritual gifts.

8. Eight Maids-a-Milking

As Christ came to save even the lowest of the low, this gift represents the ones who would receive his word and accept his grace. Being a milkmaid was about the worst job one could have in England during this period; this code conveyed that Jesus cared as much about servants as he did those of royal blood. The Eight Maids represent the 8 Beatitudes, from Matthew 5:3-10:

Blessed are…

  1. the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Those who mourn:  for they shall be comforted.
  3. The meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
  4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness:  for they shall be filled.
  5. The merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. The pure in heart: for they shall see God.
  7. The peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God.
  8. They which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

9. Nine Ladies Dancing

These nine dancers were really the gifts known as the fruit of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit include:

  1. Love
  2. Joy
  3. Peace
  4. Patience
  5. Kindness
  6. Goodness
  7. Faithfulness
  8. Gentleness
  9. Self-control

10. Ten Lords a-leaping

This is probably the easiest gift to understand. As lords were judges and in charge of the law, this code for the Ten Commandments was fairly straightforward to Christians.

  1. Thou shall have no other gods before me
  2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image
  3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain
  4. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy
  5. Honor thy father and mother
  6. Thou shalt not kill
  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery
  8. Thou shalt not steal
  9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor
  10. Thou shalt not covet

11. Eleven Pipers Piping

This is almost a trick question, as most think of the disciples in terms of the dozen. But when Judas betrayed Jesus and committed suicide, only eleven men carried out the gospel message. Therefore, the Eleven Pipers Piping signify the 11 Faithful Disciples:

  1. Simon (whom He named Peter)
  2. Andrew
  3. James
  4. John
  5. Philip
  6. Bartholomew
  7. Matthew
  8. Thomas
  9. James, son of Alphaeus
  10. Simon, who was called the Zealot
  11. Judas, son of James
  12. Judas Iscariot was later replaced with faithful Matthias.

12. Twelve Drummers Drumming

The final gift is tied directly to the Catholic Church. The drummers are the 12 points of doctrine in the Apostles’ Creed.

  1. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
  2. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
  3. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  4. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  5. He descended into hell. On the third day, He rose again.
  6. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
  7. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
  8. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  9. the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints,
  10. the forgiveness of sins,
  11. the resurrection of the body,
  12. and the life everlasting.

©2023. Christianity.com. All rights reserved.

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You will NEVER guess what one Sheriff has done To Combat Political Correctness!

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The age of Political Correctness is coming to an end. At least that is what the vast majority of Americans and even Europeans are hoping because the recent spat on American college and university campuses has many Americans shouting, enough is enough. People are seeing that Political Correctness is anti-Constitutional and anti-American.

We have heard about a number of Sheriffs across the nation standing up for Gun Rights and the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution. But now we are starting to see these same lawmen (that includes women who are sheriffs as well – I’m not PC) across the nation standing up against this vocal Political Correctness garbage.

One, in particular, is causing quite a stir and he only began his “campaign” a few days ago. This Georgia county sheriff decided to put up a sign that puts Political Correctness in its place. In an effort to “stir people’s belief and patriotism,” Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley posted a new sign Tuesday morning outside of his department that says his county is politically incorrect, and if you have a problem with that, you can leave.

Paid for by Jolley, the sign reads: “WARNING: Harris County is politically incorrect. We say Merry Christmas, God Bless America, and In God We Trust. We salute our troops and our flag. If this offends you… LEAVE!” Jolly said Tuesday he was tired of the silent majority becoming “more silent.”

The sheriff paid for the sign out of his own pocket and then erected it at his county line. What the sheriff has found out is that many within his jurisdiction have similar sentiments and some have even asked how they could place similar signs on their own properties.

The sheriff did not ask for donations to help defray the cost of the sign, but he says he has gotten checks from citizens that helped pay for the sign. He has received overwhelming support for the sign that cost him $553, he said. He purchased it from D&S Sign Company on Linwood Boulevard in Columbus. Jolley said several citizens have wanted to post one on their property. Some have even sent checks. “The sign has been purchased double,” he said.

Sheriff Jolley is not trying to offend anyone who does not believe as he does. In fact, the sheriff says that folks can worship whomever they wish but as for him and his house they worship Jesus Christ and he does not feel that he has to be quiet about it while others who worship other gods do not have to be silent.

In fact, Sheriff Jolley says it’s time for the silent majority to be a lot more vocal. His office has about 75 employees total and he does not interfere with the worship habits of his staff. The sheriff only wants to tell Americans they have a right to stand up for what they believe and that they have the freedom to express those beliefs.

Let’s hope this trend grows all across the nation and Christians and Jews begin to once again feel they can be out in the open about their faith and not be silent simply because someone else says they are offended.

Now if that offends you, I would suggest you do not read this.