I could write something about the joy of seeing George W kicked in the butt by his Republican friends twice this week. First they disallowed the ability to torture at will that he wanted. Then they wouldn't extend the Patriot Act so he could continue to snoop into anyone's affairs that he also wanted. Suck it up Georgie boy. The chickens are coming home to roost.
But no... being the season that it is, I thought I'd write about Xmas. Opps... I'm supposed to say Christmas, aren't I? You have to excuse me, I'm having a problem trying to figure out just who it is that's taking the Christ OUT of Xmas since He never really was IN Xmas to begin with. (No Virginia, the Bible does not exhort us to celebrate the birth of Christ on December 25th or any other day for that matter.)
The entire left wing of the political world is being blamed for conducting a War on Christmas, although this makes no sense at all since most liberals love Xmas, including the Christ, who's supposed to be the "reason for the season." But then it's easy to blame the liberals for everything. It's the only reason Faux News exists.
It used to be that all this anti-Christmas stuff was blamed on the Jews. But since that's right up there with calling them "Christ Killers," that's been softened up a bit now. The past few years it's only certain stores that want to get rid of Christmas by renaming it the "Holiday Season" that are continuing the great war on Christmas. This makes even less sense than blaming the liberals. Owners of the mega-stores that promote gift giving embrace Christmas as the goose that lays the golden egg on a yearly basis. They would be the LAST people that would make a war on Christmas.
You see, this is where it gets a bit confusing. The pot calling the kettle black and all. For so many years, these people have been sounding off about how Christmas was becoming so secular. The aforementioned quote about Jesus being the reason for the season was their motto, if I remember correctly. So here they are now quabbling and sniveling because store owners took them seriously and have been trying to give unto Christ that which is Christ's and to the pagan celebrators among us that which was originally the Saturnalia. Happy Holidays and go figure.
And if you think THAT's confusing, try this on for size. Here in Arizona and most other parts of the United States, churches are closing for Christmas; even if it happens to fall on a Sunday, like this year. Odd that Christmas is the only thing that could close a church on Sunday.
So why are services being moved from Christmas day to Christmas eve around the country? Because people weren't showing up on Christmas day. Churches found that more people would show up for Christmas eve services- so they decided to make the change this year. No sense being open when people (read yearly collection plate stuffers) don't come. You see, Christmas isn't just the time of year that stores make out well. The churches rake in a decent haul during the holidays too.
Jason Hamrock of Central Christian Church in Mesa says his church will hand out devotional guides at its seven Christmas Eve services (beginning Thursday and ending Saturday night) and urge people to utilize them sometime on Christmas day. Fat chance, eh? Hamrock said:
"We don't fall into tradition around here. That's not what Christ would have us do. He doesn't want us to go through the motions and carry on the routine."
In a remarkable side-step, Reverend Kieran Kleczewski, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Avondale said, "the Church generally has moved toward the Jewish tradition of the Sabbath beginning at sunset on the day before."
Even the Mormons are jumping on the bandwagon. Don Evans, LDS church spokesman here in the Valley said, "To me, Christmas is the celebration of Christ's birthday. What better day to do it." Which more or less states that the 25th holds no more importance to the Church than the 24th; neither, of course, being the actual date of Christ's birth, on which the Bible is mum and most Bible authorities agree did not occur in December.
It took Neil Pitchel, pastor of administration at East Valley Bible Church, to tell the truth of the matter:
"It's a consumer-oriented society. We are just trying to do both this Christmas. On Saturday, we worship and serve and give praise, and on Sunday we focus on our families."
So you see - it's the Church that is now taking Christ out of Christmas; or at least pushing Him back a day or three so their people can celebrate the rights of the Saturnalia and other pagan rituals of the season without the interference of having to pack up the family to go worship for a couple of hours. Why interfere with the gift giving, tummy stuffing, beer drinking, football watching, greed, revelry and selfishness that is the secular holiday of Xmas?
Famed Puritan leader Reverend Increase Mather, father of the Reverend Cotton Mather of Salem Witch Trial notoriety, put it this way in 1687:
"The generality of Christmas-keepers observe that festival after such a manner as is highly dishonourable to the name of Christ. How few are there comparatively that spend those holidays (as they are called) after an holy manner. But they are consumed in compotations, in interludes, in playing at cards, in revelings, in excess of wine, in mad mirth..."
It seems that modern Xtians have found a way to not only have their cake and eat it to, but to blame it on the Liberals as well. In the full spirit of the times, I suggest that on the evening of December 25th we all meet at Wal-Mart, throw open the doors, gather round the empty shelves and sing in loud, slightly off-key voices, "What a Friend We Have In Jesus." That should appeal to Xtians everywhere!
