Christmas Musings

I had a tough time this morning deciding where to post my blog and what it should be about.  I have two blogs here at blogger. One is political in nature, while one is more based on my faith, or at least, I'd like to think it is.

It's almost Christmas.  For some people, Christmas is about a jolly old fat white dude who squeezes down your Chimney on December 24th and leaves presents under a decorated conifer.  For some people it's about family and friends.  For some it's a meaningless holiday.  Maybe it's the Winter Solstice holiday for you (which was Saturday, if you didn't know.)  

For me, it's the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus, God in human form, who loved us so much that he walked on this miserable, war-torn, disease-ridden,  tract of land, and later died, so that we might have salvation.  

If that's not what you believe, okay.  There isn't a country in this world that would force you to believe it.  God Himself has no interest in forcing you to believe it.  So, why is it that some people have such a problem with people believing it?  

It's become a war to combat the "War on Christmas". This year an Atheist group ran billboards in New York City to combat the idea that Christmas is a Christian Holiday.  Okay.  They have every right to proselytize their own beliefs.  If I can tell the story of Jesus birth, they can talk about how it's all a myth.  However, they don't stop there.  Nativity scenes are not to be displayed on any public property.  We shouldn't use the term Christmas (because, by God, "Christ" is in the word).  And in some cases, they have fought the singing of traditional Christmas Carols, like Joy to the World and O Come All Ye Faithful.  They don't just not believe it, they have a problem with ANYONE believing it, and you better not mention that you do, because it's violating someone else's rights.

I don't care that you don't believe it, so why do you care so much that I do?

Why do you find it necessary to stick a fork in my beliefs any chance you get?

As a Christian I am called to be a light in the world, to spread the gospel of Jesus.  I can do that without infringing on anyone else's rights.  But why does a certain subset of people feel that they have to completely eradicate my belief from a holiday?  

No, Jesus wasn't born on December 25th.  It just happens to be the date we celebrate it.  I can go into the reasons as to why that is, but does it really matter?  For as long as anyone reading this has been alive it's always been Christmas.  Hanukkah doesn't fall on December 25th every year.  The Winter Solstice never falls on December 25th. But Christmas is on December 25th every single year.  It's Christmas.  

(If you have small children you might want to send them away right now.)

The Atheists are intent on convincing us that God is a myth.  And as such, our holiday, or the reason for it, is a myth.  Yet, many of them will put up a tree, sing some type of Christmas carol (even if it's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree), give gifts, have a family dinner.  If that's the case why are they celebrating Christmas?  Is it Santa Claus (who, while not a myth, per se, doesn't live in the north pole, doesn't have a factory full of elves building iphones, and there are no such things as FLYING REINDEER!)?  Are they simply caught up in the over abundant consumerism and greed of the day?  Why do they celebrate Christmas, and is it possible that their reason for celebrating might not just be a myth?  Would it offend them for me to say so?  It offends them tremendously for me to contradict their lack of belief in God.

Faith, is the substance of things hoped for the, the evidence of things not seen.

You can hope there isn't a God, but just like I can't prove He exists (although I think there is a mountain of evidence to point to His existence), you can't prove He doesn't exist. 

We have a battle of two faiths. Atheism is a faith, and it's your right to believe it.  I would say, despite the irony, that it's your God-given right to not believe in God.  It's your right to plaster billboards declaring your non-belief.  But it is NOT your right to have such a pervading, illogical, hatred of the fact that I do believe. A hatred so deep that just the idea that someone puts up a nativity offends you.  No one is forcing you to believe in the Man represented by the plastic doll in the manger.  Seeing it does not damage your psyche.  Just like seeing your billboard claiming my religion is a myth, doesn't damage mine.  I look at it, shrug my shoulders, and move on.

Maybe believing in something more than myself gives me less cause to be offended by someone's differing beliefs.

So, here's my Christmas/Winter Solstice/Santa Claus gift to you.  Ponder on this December 25th, why it bothers you so much that I believe.  Get philosophical on this day when we say "Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men".  I think it might be the best gift you receive.