And a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too:)

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As you may know, the date chosen in the 3rd or 4th century for Christmas is based on a pagan day of celebtating the Roman observance of Winter.

Various pagan faiths have celebrated winter in various ways, many involving the life-affirming evergreen plants to remind believers that the winter will, in fact, end. The most direct decendant of this tradition (to my knowledge) is the Wiccan Sabbat "Yule" held on the winter solstice. Hanukkah, which isn't a major holiday on the Jewish calendar, just happens to fall around the same time of the solar year. Christmas was intentionally placed near Yule and Hanukkah as part of a long-running campaign to win converts by incorporating the surface features of indigenous faiths (for example, many churches were build on pagan holy sites). Although the Christmas Story is incompatible with a December birth, this doesn't make the commemoration any less valid for the faithful.

What many fail to notice is that New Year's Day is also a Christian holiday... it is the day that, under prevailing custom of the time, the Christ child would receive his Bris. This placement was part of the long, drawn out battle over which month should be the first of the Christian calendar year.

So, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all, no matter what your religious beliefs may be.

And to you, too.

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No animals were harmed in the making of the above post... much.

I'm not a Christian, but the widespread observance of the holiday does not bother me at all. In fact, for many, this season has become rather secular. Blacks can observe Kwanzaa, Jews have Hanukkah, and even many agnostics will visit with friends and family, sometimes exchanging gifts (which to me, never seemed related to the birth of Christ anyway, but I accept any gifts that may be sent my way).

For those who wish to do so, churches offer Christmas Services, but non-Christians are not required to participate. In fact, there is very little that connects the common customs connected with the holiday with the somewhat distant religious basis for it. As you may know, the date chosen in the 3rd or 4th century for Christmas is based on a pagan day of celebrating the Roman observance of Winter.

So, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all, no matter what your religious beliefs may be.

Ah shucks, Happy Yak Shaving Day (to Ren & Stimpy fans). Anyone remember Mr. Hankey?

Wasn't December 25th Horus' birthday?

Jesus was born in April, but it is very close to his death. So Early Christians moved it to be near other holidays of other religions to help bring about unity, peace, etc for one day or week or month or whatever so we could quit slapping each other and arguing over which religion is best.

Christmas Trees and Santa Claus are not found in The Bible, in fact they were created as Pagan or Secular symbols for the holidays in efforts to commercialize Christmas. Coca Coca is credited with first coming up with Santa Claus to sell soda, some other group got the idea of putting ornaments and candles on a pine tree and putting gifts under it. Now Coca Cola uses Polar Bears, and I guess in a hundred years or so (maybe less?), someone will object to Polar Bears once they are used to represent Christmas.

I don't think Jesus really apreciates the commercialization of Christmas, or that Santa Claus gets all of his glory and worship by children this time of year. Santa is a false idol, so is the Christmas tree. Yet I guess we got "special permission" to use them or something?

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I am from District 268 in the Deneb Sector of Vilani Space.

I'm a big Christmas fan cause that's always the best time of year for folks to get drunk and stupid.
Drunk and stupid goes together like a horse and carriage.
At Christmas lots of people act like they never get out of the house.
And at jingle bells time folks outdo themselves flinging money around.-
Usually enough to keep me flush till Easter Week,
The next astro/religio event that makes folks forget their troubles- C'mon get happy
It's Spring and Jesus done riz.
Three cheers for Christmas-
And remember the three rules:
Drink alot of water
Walk slow
And get somebody else to drive

Let the good times roll-!!
...cc

I'm a big Christmas fan cause that's always the best time of year for folks to get drunk and stupid.
Drunk and stupid goes together like a horse and carriage.
At Christmas lots of people act like they never get out of the house.
And at jingle bells time folks outdo themselves flinging money around.-
Usually enough to keep me flush till Easter Week,
The next astro/religio event that makes folks forget their troubles- C'mon get happy
It's Spring and Jesus done riz.
Three cheers for Christmas-
And remember the three rules:
Drink alot of water
Walk slow
And get somebody else to drive

Let the good times roll-!!
...cc

And Merry Christmass to you, Carl! :-)

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

A ti igual - Fuzzy !!

A day at the race track; God always wins...

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Account frozen...

Judge rules against 'intelligent design' in science class

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

I couldn't agree more with this decision. ;)

The modern day Evangelists, who claim to be 'experts' on the subject, can't even seem to get it right... How much more damage do you think teachers with Biblical 'book smarts' would do?


Hebrews 8:

    10
    But this is the new covenant I will make
       with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord:
    I will put my laws in their minds
       so they will understand them,
    and I will write them on their hearts
       so they will obey them.
    I will be their God,
       and they will be my people.

    11
    And they will not need to teach their neighbors,
       nor will they need to teach their family,
       saying, `You should know the Lord.'
    For everyone, from the least to the greatest,
       will already know me.

The Pope has, on the occasion of Christmass, put on a new hat, a 'Camauro'







.oO( )

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

[quote]The Pope has, on the occasion of Christmass, put on a new hat,

Jeezum he looks like Uncle Fester or Tom.....

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Add a bobble to the hat, and you're done :o)

Regards Hans

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El Papa es aleman pero Dios es ARGENTINO

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I can feel the heat already...

Don't worry, you'll be in good company there!

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"I'm trying to maintain a shred of dignity in this world." - Me

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger accepted a gift from Rabbi Boruch S. Cunin, director of the West Coast Chabad, as he participated in an early Hanukkah celebration at the state Capitol in Sacramento yesterday.

I can feel the heat already...

Don't worry, you'll be in good company there!

You all forgot the ruby slippers and the matching Gucci handbag, as well.

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Account frozen...

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Account frozen...

Now that Xmas is over, back to business as usual...

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Account frozen...

Satan's Meeting

This is quite thought provoking! Satan's Meeting (read even if you're busy)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said:

"We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered Dish dinners,
but steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do", said the devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, and borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work
6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.
Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work! Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive.....to keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that
union with Christ. Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards.
Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly! Go give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas. Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death. Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.....have them return from their recreation
exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy! And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, leave with troubled consciences. Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work!"

It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing
Christians everywhere to having little time for their God or their families; having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful at his scheme?
You be the judge!
Does "busy" mean:


B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke?

Author Unknown

Satan's Meeting

This is quite thought provoking! Satan's Meeting (read even if you're busy)

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said:

"We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

[snip]

B-eing
U-nder
S-atan's
Y-oke?

Author Unknown

I can understand why the author of this would want to remain unknown, it's a load of horse hockey. Clearly, this is directed at American culture in general, though there are many others in the world, including non-Christians, who prosper under a strong work ethic without sacrificing their relationship with God.

What a bleak picture this article paints of a Godly life. No church dinners . . . hoarding your money . . . never buying pleasant things . . . working just the minimum to get by and keep from being fired . . . no radio, TV, IPOD, or other entertainment . . . OK, I could do without junkmail, but I don't believe it's the work of Satan. Nor are Santa Claus, skinny models, the Easter Bunny or amusement parks.

And what kind of rubbish is this: "Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."? Does the author really mean not to do good works? Surely Jesus would have a problem with that!

I would laugh, if this were not so sad.