“This is the lesson we should be teaching our kids; Grinches and Scrooges live in our lives. They can tear down our Christmas trees and replace “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” but they can’t take away the warmth the season brings to those who celebrate it.”
Easily the best article in the series “The War on Christmas” I wrote. We worry too much about what other people do, think and believe when we should be focusing on the joy of the holidays.
Is the “War on Christmas” a “vast Right-Wing conspiracy” or a “Liberal attempt to secularize America”? Actually, it seems ripe to be much ado about nothing. We love to make mountains out of ant hills these days (see “War on Christmas: People Love War”).
The “War on Christmas” is the perceived battle between Christians and non-believers on the significance the Christmas holiday gets this time of year. Sited evidence that Christmas is being attacked includes the replacement of “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays,” some government agencies calling them “holiday trees” instead of “Christmas trees” and this year, Atheists billboards calling for a “season for reason.” Christmas observers state that political correctness has simply gone too far.
Examiner.com asked that all religion writers focus on the “War on Christmas” during this month. I’m committed to three articles. One article appears today titled “Let’s Face It People Love War”. It’s about how as humans we seem to crave this need for conflict. I think that’s what’s at the heart of this ‘War on Christmas” between those who celebrate Christmas and those don’t. Two more articles will appear next week to complete my assignment. One is titled “The War on Christmas: Much Ado About Nothing” and the other is “The War on Christmas: Lessons from Dr. Seuss”.
I came across this quote when working on an exercise for a class I am taking. While it was written in 1862, the quote applies very much to today. No matter if it’s a newspaper article, newscast, radiocast, podcast or blog, there is an agenda being broadcast at you. When matters of the press are concerned, there is no true “fair and balanced” representation in the media today. So don’t be fooled. Whether from right or left wing, there is a slant to all publications, broadcasts and even in art like movies and music. Some may be ever so slight – but it’s still there.
When it comes to your major media outlets, there’s a definite agenda being pushed from those puppet masters at the top controlling the strings. Whether its Rubert Murdoch’s Fox News or the influence of liberal billionaire George Soros, money has influence and those with it wield it to get their personal agendas across. So reader, viewer, listener beware.
The influence of money in the press and politics was never so clearly displayed then in the 1939 Jimmy Stewart movie “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”. In the film, wealthy Jim Taylor (played by Edward Arnold) uses his influence in the press and with politicians, like corrupt Senator Paine (played by Claude Rains), to crush the wide-eyed freshmen Senator Jefferson Smith (played by Stewart). In the film, Jean Arthur inspires Stewart to fight on with “All the good that ever came to this world were because of fools with faith (in their cause).”
In this scene, Jim Taylor has sent thousands of phony letters to the Senate urging Smith to stop. Smith was holding a filibuster on the Senate floor until word from his constituents arrived. If you want to know how it turns out. Go & rent it!
Yesterday, this article was published on Examiner.com and some other sites that support my column. Whenever you discuss solo scriptura there is bound to be controversy. The basic principle of solo scriptura (or by scripture alone) has been the Protestant charge against the Catholic faith. Yet, Protestants including Martin Luther continued to celebrate Christmas on December 25th – a date picked by the early Roman Catholic Church which “married” it to the pagan “Feast of the Unconquered Sun” in ancient Rome. I describe it as married because its united two things together that are separate but equal. This concept of “marriage” is played out in the article. Click here to read the article about Christmas & Solo Scriptura
Whether Christian or Muslim, Hindu or Athiests, you have plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving as an American.
On friendlyatheist.com, the author references a quote by a fellow atheist about what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving. The respondent is quoted as saying, “I give thanks to the turkey that gave its life, the plants on our table, to the Earth itself for being abundant,” in his quote in the Salt Lake Tribune. Whether you believe a creator created those things may not matter during this very American holiday. While the Puritan pilgrims, who celebrated the first feast that we honor with this day of thanks, did it for religious reasons, there really is not too much religion left in a day focused on stuffing oneself full, watching football and shopping.
“This is the lesson we should be teaching our kids; Grinches and Scrooges live in our lives. They can tear down our Christmas trees and replace “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” but they can’t take away the warmth the season brings to those who celebrate it.”
B. K. Bergman 