Well we had a few “colorful” comments on that last story, didn’t we? Was she typing in tongues or was that some type of technical Tourette’s syndrome? Now, I am not going to cast any stones. In fact this holiday I am going to do my level best to be respectful of all my new friends out there. And I am encouraging you to do the same… if only for the holiday. But some of you out there need to understand that while you are celebrating the birth of Christ, your neighbors may be spinning a Dradle or worshipping a cow. And somehow, we’re all going to have to learn to be OK with that.
Jesus is the reason for the season unless you practice Islam, Hinduism, Chinese Traditionalism, Buddhism, Animist, Spiritism, Sikhism, Juche, Judaism, or any other of the two dozen or so major world religions. And let’s not forget about the citizens of the world who are non-religious because there are over 1 billion of them. In the United States today, over 75 million Americans are not Christian.
And while I am on the subject of not being Christian, it might interest some of you out there to know that God isn’t a Christian. Think about it. He’s God. Now I am going to stop there for a second because I am sure a few of my Christian friends just exploded.
(pause)
OK. For everyone still able to focus: This is the single most important issue facing the world. It is the cause of more war, poverty, disease, and just plain old hatred than anything else. Nothing else is even close except maybe Sarah Palin but she’s young so the jury is still out.
No matter what you believe, over four billion people believe differently than you do. Four billion. That is almost half of what George Bush and Dick Cheney spend on the war in Iraq each month. For those pro-war Republicans who don’t have an issue with that number, think of it this way: If you started counting right now, you would reach 4 billion in 126 years, 276 days, 1 hour, 6 minutes, and 12 seconds – give or take a few hours. And if you’re Joe the Plumber and that number is still just too big for your brain… well just imagine billions and billions of McDonald’s hamburgers. Trust me. It’s a lot.
And when it gets right down to it, the only way to make sense out of all of this is to just have faith. But faith is personal. And personal means it’s OK if others don’t share in your joy because they’ve got some things that are personal too.
There are many reasons for the season. One of them is peace on earth, good will toward men. How ’bout we work on that one? It’s a tall order, and should keep us busy for quite a while.
I think I’ll go have some pie now. Come back soon. You’re beginning to grow on me. I mean it. Really.
My all time favourite as well! Let’s look forawrd to some madness we all need some! Looking forawrd to seeing what you make of Mab’s Welsh Dragon!
By: Jessica on December 16, 2012
at 2:17 PM
Maybe the term “Gee Whiz” and “Gee” should cease to exist in usage, I hope before the Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler’s bloodline will peter out. Some people says worst name than that. One gunman said an F-word to Jeremiah Alvin Neitz, and Neitz told to shoot him and the gunman said F— off and he died by his own hand. Jeremiah’s brother Mike should have said, “he doesn’t believe in God,” while Jeremiah should have said, “Well, Mike, he does now.” Just like my brother said it to me about that.
By: V.E.G. on November 23, 2010
at 6:42 PM
Great column and here’s my reason for the season.
http://www.cafepress.com/crimsonnose
By: Shannon on November 19, 2009
at 9:52 AM
Chalk – was the movie “Dogma”?
By: Δ hole on January 16, 2009
at 12:05 PM
I believe the current Santa is a creation of the Coca Cola Bottling Company
By: catfish on December 23, 2008
at 11:16 AM
P.S. To the Anglo-centric poster: Since when did Jesus Christ speak English? There is historical documentation which would lead us to reasonably conclude that he spoke Aramaic, as well as Hebrew, and possibly Greek, Arabic and/or Latin, but English? Get real.
By: Paige on December 23, 2008
at 3:02 AM
Sorry to be so late responding, but I must tell you that I soooooooo agree with your analysis of this alleged “war on Christmas”. I fail to understand how acknowledging that there are people who believe differently than I do somehow diminishes my faith. Our civic center has displays to recognize the diversity of our citizens. We have a Christmas tree, a Menorah, Kwanzaa decorations, Santa’s house and numerous other religious, ethnic and cultural symbols. Not only does allowing other traditions to be represented not threaten me, it makes me secure in the knowledge that I have the right to practice whatever faith (or lack thereof) that I choose without fear of reprisals. If EVERYONE does not have religious freedom, then NOONE has religious freedom.
By: Paige on December 23, 2008
at 2:50 AM
Colorful says: “But He is even more unhappy that you have made it your mission to mock his day. A day that should be made holy by all who walk his great earth. There is but one God and he gave us his ONLY son and we are all called to spread his gospel.”
Is that what you think you’re doing, Colorful? ‘Cause to all the rest of us it just looks like you enjoy spreading your hateful attitude around.
And get a clue, chickadee . . . you DO NOT speak for the Christ.
Seriously, think about it:
Spredding the Gospel . . . Ur Doin It Rong.
By: Leigh Williams on December 21, 2008
at 12:32 AM
This is probably your most important post. Love your blog!
http://homespunphilosophy.blogspot.com/
By: Jeanne Rhea on December 20, 2008
at 8:10 PM
http://souledout.org/healing/healingdeities/ganesh/ganesh.html
By: Charles on December 19, 2008
at 12:51 AM
“”"”…….Four billion schmillion, if English was good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for the US !”
ah ! ah! ah! regi : (
today, he’s joe whitehorse walking on turtle island and he speaks tsalagi, ojibwe, lakota, dine. choctaw, hopi………
By: gramma rock on December 18, 2008
at 11:05 PM
I agree!
By: Ilene Grady on December 18, 2008
at 1:42 PM
Four billion schmillion, if English was good enough for Jesus it’s good enough for the US !
By: Regi on December 18, 2008
at 11:02 AM
Amen, sisters! About “God is not a Christian.” I have so many objections that I could state if I were as courageous as you. I am a wimp when it comes to speaking my mind, so I enjoy reading your blog. So many Christians claim that America is supposed to be Christian but don’t realize that most of the Founding Fathers believed in God but were NOT Christians. Even Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration of Independence was a Deist. He believed in God, but not in Jesus or the Trinity!
So, what is so all-fired wrong with the whole world accepting God (or Goddess) as the Creator of All??? Except, of course, Atheists, but they are allowed to UNaccept, if they want. I truly believe, in this day and age, as well as in history, it is the Christians who are the worst about forcing others to believe. “You worship MY God or HE will send you to MY hell!”
Enough, already! Let’s make America a Creator worshiping country for everyone of every faith.
“And that’s all I have to say about that!”
Except, you ladies ROCK! When I’m 83, will I have the courage you have?
By: Connie Peterson on December 18, 2008
at 8:42 AM
For anyone interested, today’s NYTimes online has a very nice op-ed piece by Laura Miller
http://tinyurl.com/3jn6nl
By: Greytdog Δ on December 18, 2008
at 6:25 AM
Wow! NAMASTE to you, whoever you are, you are making people healthier. Keep it up please……
By: Mani on December 18, 2008
at 1:37 AM
Back when I was a young sprite, peace was a goal I thought everyone – or most everyone – shared. How wrong I was. Naive. What’s the point of saying, “Peace on earth, good will toward men,” if no one means it?
It becomes another empty homage to vaporous sentimentality. Where’s the substance?
We are the most immature bunch of adolescents (as a nationall group, many people here being exceptions to that) who engage in playground politics instead of maturely agreeing to disagree, instead of asking each other genuinely interested questions about our differences.
I am sick to death of it. And it’s pretty hard to set another tone against the rabble.
By: betsy on December 18, 2008
at 1:00 AM
gramma rock said
“he was embarassed by the disrespect that people calling themselves christian were showing for the sacred ceremonies of the indigenous people (the people of the land).”
I am glad you came back to tell your story gramma rock. I saw you pop up a couple times and derailed before asking you .
The story of my mother’s people, Aluutiq, is different and the same. I asked my mother once how it is that we must live with no stories from her people that were not someone else’s stories. ( the Russian Orthodox church pretty effectively erased most of Aleut culture- there have been great strides in recent years to keep the last of the knowing alive)
Ma told me to look at the seaward side of the islands in the chain and note they were well populated with grasses and trees were few and stunted. She said ” We are the grasses, a small people, and bend easily in the winds, the trees are big people and suffer so. When the storm is over, we will stand again and hold our faces to the sun”
My grammy told of the full scale exodus via water by her village when Mount Katmai blew in the early 1900s- she said people had forgotten why they should do it but remembered they must. The story was gone that told people WHY… volcanic ash could bury villages in that terribly active area. Grammy hoped that because “our hands and feet remembered , our heads and hearts may follow”
By: Alaska Pi Δ on December 17, 2008
at 7:55 PM
Take the entire context…it also states that those following Jesus will do greater works than Jesus…and it talks about how God is within Jesus. He also speaks about those that love god will keep Jesus’ words…then should also take a look at the Gospel of John itself and place it within the context of the rest of the gospels.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08438a.htm
Oh, and it was very common at this time, not just with the Christian faith, to use the known name of a figure and use it as the ‘author’ of a work to legitimize it…
John 14
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
5Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
8Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?
10Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.
12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
20At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
22Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
23Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
24He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
25These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
27Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
29And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.
30Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
31But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
By: Charles on December 17, 2008
at 7:20 PM
I know it’s not popular, so instead of my words, Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth and the Life, and that none can come to the Father (God) but by Him….
Sounds to me like that way to God is not as broad as some would think…but it is a very narrow and straight way. Of course the way to my heart is up my butt, so what do I know.
By: ctoddrobbins on December 17, 2008
at 6:30 PM
Along with so many I enjoy Margaret and Helen’s wonderful expressions and thoughts and their willingness to share that with all of us!
Tara, it’s really too bad that those who believe a certain way have to defend that. I believe everyone has the right to celebrate, or not, in their own way and should not have to defend that to anyone. I see the problem as being the way many Christians try so hard to have people believe their way is the real and right way to celebrate and believe. As many have stated in these comments that seems to be the issue here.
I am a recovering catholic and I celebrate in my own way, and believe that others have that right. I honor and respect each and every person’s celebration simply because that is the right thing to do, I don’t have to agree with it, just honor them and respect them.
Having said that I would love a piece of pie and a cup of tea! Thank you, and a very happy holiday season and a much better new year ahead.
By: Klee on December 17, 2008
at 6:05 PM
Yep Gramma Rock,
We had those schools here in Minnesota too.
Kids taken away from parents and forced into religious schools, punished for anything that seemed “indian”, loss of family, tradition, etc.
I am sorry. It is that same old “man’s inhumanity towards men” thing that destroys so many people.
By: troutay on December 17, 2008
at 4:39 PM
slight correction ~~ the first ammendment did not guarantee freedom from religion for the indigenous people of this side of the world. our ancestors were forced to become christians.
By: gramma rock on December 17, 2008
at 4:21 PM
K2inSR: I’ve already apologized for coming across in a harsh or offensive way. I meant it. I understand that you have different beliefs and I respect that.
Enjoy the holidays with your family!!
By: Tara on December 17, 2008
at 3:42 PM