Away "with" the Manger! & My Two Cents

This post is a companion to ("ACLU "legendary birth of Jesus") "Yes Virginia, There is no God" with a picture of Santa Claus and mistletoe is all over Seattle, Washington this holiday season creating controversy. They want Christmas with "Christ" removed from it. The message the ACLU and the foundations like "Freedom From Religion Foundation" is sending is alarming, no matter what you believe the day to represent, that Americans and believer and non-believers should no longer observe a (holiday) holy day that has been practiced for nearly 200 years. I'm not taking this to far either. Imagine if an American moved to Jerusalem, and started complaining of his rights being infringed upon by Hanukkah solely based on the fact that he is a Christian. Imagine him trying to get it dissolved. It makes no sense. Imagine trying to remove a article of religious relevance from a mosque belonging to any one of the Muslims 12 holy days because "the Christian religion is being excluded". Isn't that their own logic? Take your ACLU lawyer to the Gaza strip and try it! You will be killed for just being an American much less a Christian in certain parts of the world.

It is becoming increasingly more popular the hear these stories of attacks on a nationally recognized day in this nation. Reflecting on all of the above, do you know what I think the core of all of these trivial dispicable acts by lawyers, judges, and athiest are? They don't want to see a "baby Jesus", period! They don't want to be reminded of that name above all names. As a collective nation we receive and give gifts once a year on a chosen day, to celebrate “the baby in the manger” the birth of Jesus Christ. In their minds, they can remove the baby Jesus from their coinciousness and vision, and they don't have to deal with any authority. Jesus Christ is acceptable in December as long as he stays in the manger. If they can get rid of the baby in the manger, they don't have to deal with the fact that a man called Jesus physically walked the earth. Considering this is the ACLU who has spearheaded abortion advocacy for decades, it's no surprise they are going after the baby in the manger. They don't want the baby Jesus! He can't develop into a 33 year old man ripping through Jerusalem silencing any lawyer, judge, educator, philosopher, religious sect, and pharisee that he came in contact with. They don’t want to let him out of Nazareth to grow into a man that turned over the tables of the religious crowd of his day. They can't allow him to mature into the Christ who told the young rich ruler the he “lacked on thing” and was in love with his possessions. The world can't deal with that Christ, especially at Christmas time.They don’t want to look at that Christ. They don’t want to look upon the face of the “Lion of the Tribe of Judah”, the “judge of all the world”?

I'm not up in arms trying to put the Christ back in Christmas acting as if I am persecuted by the materialistic Santa Claus followers. I'm up in arms about American Christians having their "rights" trampled specifically because other religions don't recognize the day. Since my childhood, it's always been "Christ"mas in my family. He's always been the reason for our season as far back as I can remember to my great grandparents. I rather enjoy the classy lights and nice candles my wife has on the altar, oops I mean the mantle to celebrate this time of year. It's nice to sip some egg nog every now and then listening to Christmas hymns. I enjoy explaining to my children what Christmas means to me and mommy. It's wonderful to see my childrens eyes light up with joy, yes, in material things, but within the proper setting. I can thank God for these things. I am "fully persuaded in my own mind". I "regard the day to the Lord". I'm not violating the scriptures with these things, and neither is any other family who celebrates Christmas to the Lord. If you "regardeth not the day", do just that and "regard it not."

Christmas to most people, Christian or not, in this country is nothing more than a traditional time to get with family, and, eat drink and be merry! It's different customs have been passed down from family to family since the early 1800's. They aren't worshiping Baal, or sitting in their living rooms offering insence to the Christmas tree, and pagan god's. People need to find another hobby horse. It's only an idol if you worship it! Some worship Santa Claus, some worship Christ, some worship the parties, some worship material possessions. Why do YOU celebrate the day?

The ACLU doesn't care about intents or family traditions. It's now becoming offensive to all non-Christians and must be banished. Christ cannot be recognized. Why can every other nationality that migrates to America bring their holy days, language, cultures, and traditions to our nation, but we can't have ours that have been observed since the early 1800's in America. You can have a Koran and place it in the toilet and it's a hate crime and the offender can face charges of hate crimes of criminal mischief. Then you can take a bible and place it in a toilet and it is an artistic expression and must be protected under "freedom of expression"? Again, it's not about celebrating or not celebrating, but having the "right" to celebrate if you so chose!

This final section is written under the influence of seasonal shopping angst. "Merry Christmas to all who want to have a merry Christmas, and only those who desire to have a Christmas, whatever style of Christmas that may be, have a Merry one on that non-descriptive day in December, and a happy new year!" That, should be hanging outside of a store! Oh, and happy Festivus for the rest of us!