Ahh, free speech!!

Once again, the hate-filled Coloradodog and the "Buddhaised", "living in a probability wave" Persiflage making one strange tag team.

Go AARPies!!!

CCNL, you're the Lanza-Berman guy, are you not?? Being quantum physicists, they're all about probability waves....you must not have read the whole book - you know, the one you've been pushing for the past year.

Get past the paranoia....you spend entirely too much time assaulting Islam, abortion supporters, Obama, homosexuals, fat people, smokers, folks who don't practice safe sex, and various suspected mystery posters with 'hidden' agendas. Who cares?

Brother, is this what retirement is all about??

And CCNL sticks with his usual self-absorbed holier-than-thou posture - some things never change.

Ahh, the hate-filled Coloradodog and the "Buddhaised", "living in a probability wave" Persiflage making one strange tag team.

Colorado Dog makes a good point......

Hmmm, "whistling" returns yet again as someone's strawman!!!

And of course how can we exist for a day without the hate-filled Coloradodog's greetings of "good tidings"!!!

'What? I didn't realize Jews were so angry
about Christmas. And so snotty about it..'

Why are antisemites always such misanthropic aholes?? You'd think racists and bigots would occasionally show a little Christmas spirit.....but no. True to form, they hate all year 'round.

The rabbi is right...wacky, over the top fundamentalist Christians ought to lighten up - Jesus was a Jew, no??

Hmmm, "ccnl1" appears yet again. Wishing he were the "moderator" so he could pass out his saltpeter pills to those he regards as unworthy of enjoying sex or breeding. It does shows that trail of arrogance that follows these types around.

What? I didn't realize Jews were so angry
about Christmas. And so snotty about it.

But then, neither do they seem to realize the extent of the anger about Wall Street and the bonuses and what is perceived as
the theft of American wealth from the middle class.

Or maybe they do...and this is front running. Interesting.

Hirschfield wishes for an "upgrade"...

a greeting most appropriate to those who are greeting. For example, not Merry Christmas to Jews.

The changing of names, so frequent, the changing of facial features, etc., the
lack of mention, etc. The rabbi asks a lot. How to KNOW what is the proper greeting.

The rabbi asks a lot. But then he complains a lot, too.

And to add a more cynical note, the tiresome war on Xmas is essentially fodder for Fox News to stoke a seasonal campaign amongst its "faithful."

Daniel Weiner
goodgodforus.com

Rabbi Hirschfield writes, "Why is failing to mention Christmas equated with a war against it? Because not only do these people resist acknowledging the legitimacy of any views other than their own, they demand that all others acknowledge theirs or face their wrath." These and many other comments in the column could be applied with even greater strength to radical Islam, a religion we are too politically correct to dare insult.

Rabbi Hirschfield writes, "Why is failing to mention Christmas equated with a war against it? Because not only do these people resist acknowledging the legitimacy of any views other than their own, they demand that all others acknowledge theirs or face their wrath." This and many other items from his column could be applied with even greater strength to radical Isalm.

Jesus aka a simple, preacher man indeed was born, lived, crucified and was buried. End of story!!! Just like the Christmas story, Easter is historically a non-event.

cadam72

You wrote:

"The Puritans refused to celebrate Christmas and actually made it a law.
"For preventing disorders, arising in several places within this jurisdiction by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other communities, to the great dishonor of God and offense of others: it is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county."

From the records of the General Court,
Massachusetts Bay Colony
May 11, 1659"

This, among other things, is why the founding fathers of this country put in the seperation of church and state and that a state religion was not to be allowed.

Some came here because they were not allowed to "practice their religion" and in short order, some of these did the exact same thing to others.

The exact date that Jesus was born is not known to us, month, day, or year, what is important is that He was born.

The time of year, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, was symbolically chosen.

It seems as if it is going to come as quite a surprize to both "believers" and "non-believers" alike is that God looks at the person and not the "label".

Some of the people that aren't "Christian" are more Christian than some of the people that are "Christian".

Wish you well.

Take care, be ready.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

I don't get offended when sales clerks don't wish me a "Happy Solstice". This whole "war on Christmas" is an obvious ratings-grab for Right-wing talk show hosts and TV preachers who love to claim that Christians are being "victimized" by the evil secular culture.

With two wars, rampant unemployment and homelesseness, don't you people have anything better to do than complain about a greeting from an underpaid retail drone? Having been one of those underpaid retail drones in the past, I can assure you that they're NOT wishing you happy anything - they're just wishing that their shift in retail he11 will be over soon.

Hmmm, "Carstonio" appears yet again. He/she even has the moderators fooled with his/her multiple IDs. It does shows that fake IDs on anonymous blogs are impossible to trace but there is still that trail of arrogance that follows these types around.

I think Gap should feature Jesus in every single commercial shamelessly pushing cardigans, jeans, pants, the works. Imagine JC up on the cross looking down and praising that fine leather belt on the centurion. Cue the dance number....
If he is the reason for the season, let him be the spokesperson.

AFA nearly p1$$ed themselves with joy over the Old Navy ad featuring ice-skating mannequins wishing each other a merry Christmas while exclaiming over the great deal they had just gotten on their fleece hoodies. According AFA, Old Navy is honoring Christian beliefs with their ad. Right - cuz we all know how much Jesus loved a bargain on a fleece hoodie.

It is odd that the Christians are up in arms about the "watering down" of Christmas when no one celebrated the birth of Jesus for at least three centuries after his death. When Emperor Constantine. he recognized Christianity, he wanted a celebration that coincided with existing festival the Sun God (saturnalia) around 25 December. The Western Church agreed and established the feast of Christmas. The Eastern Church did not celebrate Jesus' birth but focussed on the visit of the Magi which they believe to be in early January.

Salurnalia concides with the winter solstice or lengthening of the days "rebirth" as do many early religious holidays based on the cycles of the Earth and stars. It is not coincidental that almost all major religions have holy days near the winter solstice.

The Puritans refused to celebrate Christmas and actually made it a law.

"For preventing disorders, arising in several places within this jurisdiction by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other communities, to the great dishonor of God and offense of others: it is therefore ordered by this court and the authority thereof that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon any such account as aforesaid, every such person so offending shall pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county."

From the records of the General Court,
Massachusetts Bay Colony
May 11, 1659

Even the language of the Bible cast doubt on the time of year that Jesus was born. Opinions range from spring through fall dependng on if you are looking at a bibical author's acount based on the stars, follage, birth of animals, or King Herod's death. All are conflicting.

Our American Sense of "Christmas" has more to do with social gathering and the "Collier & Ives version of the holiday than the sanctity of the day for religious reasons. It is a seasonal time for family, togetherness and reflection.

Hmmm, again the holydays and holidays!!

Christmas, the embellished story of the birth of a simple, preacher man named Jesus. As per most contemporary NT exegetes, his parents were Mary and Joseph although some say Jesus was a mamzer, the result of a pre-marital relationship between Mary and a Roman soldier.

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/theories.html

Jesus was not born in Bethlehem at least the one we are familiar with and there were no pretty wingie thingies singing from on high, no slaughter of the innocents by the Herod, no visiting wise men and no escape to Egypt.

"John P. Meier - Professor at Notre Dame

Meier [Marginal Jew I,216-219] notes that the "affirmation of Jesus' descent from David might easily be placed alongside his birth at Bethlehem as a theologoumenon (a theological insight narrated as a historical event) if it were not for the fact that numerous and diverse streams of NT tradition also affirm Jesus' Davidic lineage."

"Meier suggests that the belief that Jesus was "son of David" may have been held by Jesus' followers prior to his death, with his resurrection then being understood as a form of enthronement. However, he notes that such messianic views, whatever their provenance, cannot prove Jesus was "literally, biologically of Davidic stock."

http://wiki.faithfutures.org/index.php?title=007_Of_Davids_Lineage

Conclusion: the holyday of Christmas is historically a non-event. Ditto for the Feast of the Magi and the solemnity of Mary aka New Years day.

Kwanza

"Kwanzaa, which will be celebrated for the 44th time in 2009, was established by Dr. Maulana Karenga. The seven-day festival (December 26 – January 1) is secular, not religious, and aims to strengthen African cultural identity and community values while providing a spiritual alternative to the commercialism of Christmas."

Chanukah (Hanukkah)

"Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is one of the most joyous times of the Jewish year. The reason for the celebration is twofold (both dating back to c. 165 BCE): the miraculous military victory of the small, ill-equipped Jewish army over the ruling Greek Syrians, who had banned the Jewish religion and desecrated the Temple; and the miracle of the small cruse of consecrated oil, which burned for eight days in the Temple's menorah instead of just one."

"Originally a minor holiday, it has become more lavishly celebrated as a result of its proximity to Christmas."

Some candles burn for weeks so the menorah "miracle" is hardly miraculous.

Rabbi Wolpe can probably give us his take on the historical validity of Hanukkah.

It's never bothered me to hear 'Merry Christmas,' until, really, it's turned into and been used as one of those 'culture war' wedges.

In the context of the 'culture war' it's too often turned into a *very* unfriendly thing to say, in people's tones, when a 'Happy Holidays' meant merely as a well-wishing whatever holidays one might be celebrating, is actually *rebuffed* with a sour 'Merry *Christ*mas...' or a 'Merry Christmas' is presented as a *challenge,* or a way to pry into one's own beliefs.

It's rather a matter of tone, but one can tell.

I'm sure a lot of those who've made this a culture war issue would consider it tantamount to a demand people renounce their Christianity if I wished them a happy Solstice, cause in a way, that's what they're demanding on their end.

The good news is, it seems many of them have gotten bored with trying to raise the yearly screaming fuss about it all (It could be because they've got so much else they like to scream about lately, but who knows, maybe some have even learned it's just silly and nasty, and they're the ones who suffer most if they turn the holiday season into another occasion for petty incivilities and divisiveness.)

So, I dunno, while they boycott the Gap for not referring to Christmas and only Christmas in the seasonal consumerism, I kind of had to smile when they came out with a commercial that seems to have mentioned about everyone. I don't know how many times I'd not noticed from my general tuning-out of commercials, and heard the Solstice actually mentioned. That may be a first. But it was kind of like, I dunno, finding someone sneaked a flower onto your desk.

Maybe they're on the right track, for what it's worth.

Happy Hannukah, merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a blessed Yule to all. :)

I agree with Hirschfield for the most part. The culture warriors apparently want American society to treat Christianity (or their version of it) as the default religion.

My only point of disagreement is with Hirschfield's straw man of "those who have insisted that any public celebration of Christmas runs afoul of either the Constitution's establishment clause and/or sensitivity to all non-Christians." He conflating two separate issues. I know of no one who claims that non-government celebrations of Christmas are unconstitutional.