Swami: People are always saying we should put Christ back into Christmas, but instead of seeking to put Christ into Christmas, we must acknowledge that He was never there in the first place! Instead of borrowing from the world around us, we ought to take our religious customs and practices directly from the Bible. Then we will be worshiping our Creator in spirit and truth Signed: Ms. Black Ice.
Dear Ice.
Ah, yes, Swami always loves the celebration of the Little Lord Jesus's birth and how it provokes his dearest disciples into arguing about doctrinal differences. If you don't have the right doctrine, you don't make it to heaven because Goid is very big on the little details.
Ms. Black Ice continues: “ … The New Testament makes certain dates plain; for example, it tell us that Jesus Christ died on the day of Passover. Yet Scripture does not mention the date of Jesus' birth, and does not recount any Christians celebrating His birthday. In fact, the Bible associates the celebration of birthdays with the practices of heathen kings, and never mentions such celebrations in a positive light. … From Scripture, it becomes obvious that winter is the one season in which Jesus could not have been born. Luke tells us that on the night of Jesus' birth, the shepherds were still keeping watch over their flocks (Luke 2:8). The rainy season began after the Feast of Tabernacles (which generally occurs in early October). By November, when the weather was turning cool and wet, the shepherds had already brought their flock in from the pasture and were keeping them in winter quarters. Shepherds would have no longer spent their nights in the fields with the sheep, as they had done from the beginning of spring, through the early fall season. Ms. Black Ice"
Swami always gets these letters and email missives that usually conclude with a phrase like: WHAT PART OF ILLEGAL DON’T THE ILLEGAL ALIENS GET??!!!...and then usually “WAKE UP, AMERICA” followed by many exclamation points.
Oh, Ms. Black Ice, please give us all a break and put a sock in it.
Swami even fines sympathy when a congressman, in a moment of irony recognition, voted against a congressional resolution http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=19455 to honor Christmas.
What some people mean when they offer that retort of returning Christmas to Jesus is that one of these years (Oh, please, one of these years) we would remember, maybe even for more than one day, that the message of Christmas is a devine call to remember our better selves: gentility, grace, love of those who need it, forbearance, devotion to giving and the spirit that only asks how it can help and not proof of why you deserve it.
Religion seems to make so many people so angry. Swami has wondered about these people most of his life. They are so determined never to let anyone imperfect get a break, all the while screeching about their religious fervor, that it makes us wonder how much we have forgotten as a generous people. Even a Christian people.
Not what Swami would be the one to make the determination, but we certainly don’t sound very Christian.
Of all the people most angrily, determinedly and intrusively religious in their Christian view of the universe, they somewhat miss the real thing. A pity.
The Swami does not have great hope for us as a nation.
We have forgotten too much.
Swami: Don't dispair, there are many of us, who like you, are practising Faith, Hope and Charity. Merry Christmas.