posted on December 8, 2002 05:43:32 PM new
The desire not to offend has stripped "the reason for the season" of all meaning. Advertisers and store employees have substituted the joyful and heartfelt wishes of "Merry Christmas " and "Happy Hanukkah" with the diluted and mushy greeting "Happy Holidays."
The stripping away of America's heritage continues as certain legal and cultural relativists pursue their goal of transforming us into moral and spiritual "Stepford Wives" when we will see all ideas as mattering, or not mattering, and it not mattering whether that matters.
Constitutional attorney John Whitehead brings to my attention a situation in New Jersey that is emblematic of the gutting of our symbols. Officials at South Orange Middle School canceled a field trip to a performance of Charles Dickens' classic, "A Christmas Carol," because some students (or parents) might find the play "offensive." One news story attributed the cancellation to a single Jewish parent who was offended by the play's "Christian theme."
I've seen "A Christmas Carol" on many occasions and have yet to discover a "Christian" theme in it, unless you consider the "conversion" of Scrooge by the "ghosts" of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come a religious act. It is a story about charity, kindness and good will which, the last I checked, was a theme not only in all religions but also among humanists and other nontheists.
The school principal told the local newspaper the cancellation had more to do with concerns that the play didn't fit in with the class curriculum and "there is a great sensitivity to putting students in awkward situations." Want to know what was substituted for "A Christmas Carol"? It was "The Great Railroad Race," which recounts the dangers faced and the sacrifices made by an Irish immigrant, a Chinese immigrant and a runaway slave in the building of the transcontinental railroad. Understanding racial diversity apparently is more important than learning about charity.
In a fanatical and often blind devotion to tolerance and diversity, we have forgotten to teach the concepts behind why we should be tolerant of people who believe differently than we do. Does it teach tolerance if we melt down Christmas and Hanukkah into a single meaningless "holiday"?
Schools especially — but culture in general — seem unwilling to talk about anything that matters, other than sex, which seems to be promoted with an evangelical zeal reminiscent of circuit-riding preachers of a bygone era. And so books, such as "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," about which there has been controversy in the past, are simply removed from assigned reading lists because teachers and administrators seek an absence of conflict rather than a vibrant intellectual debate and an engagement with conflicting ideas. This robs children of a decent education just as it would rob them of physical fitness if the schools did away with athletic contests because some might feel bad if they lost.
As Mr. Whitehead said in a radio commentary: "We face an immense threat in our society — and I'm not talking about terrorism. It is the increasing tendency to obliterate our history and traditions in order to erect a saccharine view of reality — one that is not true and will never be true. In the process, we are creating a schizophrenic world for our children to grow up in. And it is neither healthy, nor will it produce the kind of people who will be able to face the challenges of a frightening tomorrow."
Some might respond to such a statement by saying Amen. But today we would have to say "A-person," so as not to offend. What's next? Will church hymns be turned into "hermns"?
posted on December 8, 2002 06:45:45 PM new"I've seen "A Christmas Carol" on many occasions and have yet to discover a "Christian" theme in it, unless you consider the "conversion" of Scrooge by the "ghosts" of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come a religious act. It isa story about charity, kindness and good will which, the last I checked, was a theme not only in all religions but also among humanists and other nontheists."
While I adamantly agree with this article that we need to focus on the Christian celebration of the Birth of Jesus instead of all of this tag-along 'Good Cheer'; however, I disagree that charity to the poor and compassion and happiness is not Christian. Christ taught these values. Just becaue they are not soley a Christian thing does not make it non-Christian in practice. It is sheerist nonsense to even concider that there is anything whasoever "original" in Christianity! No, not one thing is pure and truely Christian. All of the practices and beliefs were around for hundreds and even thousands of years, long before the birth of Christ.
posted on December 9, 2002 06:32:35 AM new
Jesus IS NOT the reason for the season!
Jesus was actually born during a different time of the year. I forget exactly, but it is a couple of months difference.
Christmas ACTUALLY was celebration of the Winter Solitice, a pagan druid holiday. It was hijacked by the Catholic Church to lure more "members" into the church. The Christmas tree is the "Christian" adaption of the pagan tradition of the Yule Log.
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We call them our heroes...but we pay them like chumps
posted on December 9, 2002 10:48:22 AM new
Actually, December 25th is the date that Pagan religions of old would claim as the birthdate for their gods. Amazingly, this date was very popular for being the birthdate of the gods throughout ancient times, no matter where in the middle or western world that you were. When the Catholic Church was first trying to get steam going, their message wasn't enough. They had to make every attempt to diefy Jesus; that is, raising him up to the status of a God. One way to do it in the pagan lands was to "drop" Jesus' birthdate onto the same date that pagan gods are worshipped the borthdates of their gods (and they still do, LOL!) in the attempt to raise his status in the eyes of pagans followers.
Christmas is, mlecher, as any Christain will tell you quite corectly is that it is litterally Christ's Mass; e.g. the day that you go to perform Mass for the birth of Christ. New Year's Day has been the focus of the Pagan celebration of Winter, where one eats, drinks, and is merry until sick or they pass out; a day of excess celebrations.
As far as Pagans go, statistically Oregon State actually has MORE pagans than California does! I do know know a great deal of people and thosze that I do, surprizingly, a good number of them are devout pagans (and Muslims, as well as Christians). It's hard to meet folks here and not run into them.
