Sunday, December 21, 2003
Mothers ARE NOT better parents than fathers!
Laura and I have been attending church occasionally, and we went yesterday. The minister spoke of their need to call Christmas by its name, and not allow it to be stripped of its identity and meaning, and simply called "the holidays". I could have run up there and hugged the man............
We aren't church goers, but occasionally go there. The minister referred to people such as we as "members of Churchianity", because we are Christians who only go to church occasionally. We have a basic belief in the underlying goodness of Christianity, but no clear understanding of what it means, because it has been interpreted so differently by so many denominations, sects, and other groups......each claiming the divine mandate. At this point........I'm simply amazed that I'm willingly going to church at all, and listening and thinking instead of scratching and fidgeting. It seems that when we go, we always sit one pew in front of a 50 - 60 year old woman whose past included some kind of voice training, or whose voice simply has an uncontrollable tremolo. I can't concentrate on anything but her quivering, wavering, loud voice. The one yesterday had lost the sweetness from her voice, and her singing reminded me of when Grandma would shriek "FLINCH!!!!"
I have been searching online for pretty little bits of art work that symbolized the sweet things I remember about Christmas. I have a fierce need to defend the name of Christmas in the face of the Jewish onslaught against the use of the name of Christ, and Christmas. I have the same passionate need to tell people who use "Xmas" instead of "Christmas" that they are offending me by their voluntary disrespect of the name of Christ. They usually have some half-assed defense ready, but when I suggest that "David" should be called"Yid", and "Hanukah" should be called "Xkah", they bristle and suggest that I'm being deliberately anti-semitic. They seem astonished when I agree that I AM being anti semitic, but only in the same way that they are being anti-Christian. That always confuses them. Their culture has taught them that it's acceptable to mock Christians, Muslims, and anyone else who is not of the Jewish faith.
Laura and I were in Von's the day before yesterday, and I noticed Mylar balloons at every cash register, each proclaiming "Happy Hanukah", and saw lots of displays for food, gifts, and wrapping paper which also said "Happy Hanukah" Except for a few magazine covers, there was NOT ONE THING in that whole store which used the word "Christmas" much less wished anyone a Merry Christmas. There were lots of things with red and green on them, the word HOLIDAY was over-used, but somehow...............all of the manufacturers of all of the products, and all of the advertisers managed to omit the word "Christmas", and though they managed to wish the Jews a "Happy Hannuka", they thought so little of the rest of us (the majority), that they didn't think it was important enough to wish us a "Merry Christmas"
I know that it is considered bad form to speak ill of the Jews, and I'm sure that not all of them have such dislike, disrespect, and hate for for Christmas, but someone has to take a stance, and I've decided that I will be one of those who stands up in defense of Christmas.
today!
Laura and I have been attending church occasionally, and we went yesterday. The minister spoke of their need to call Christmas by its name, and not allow it to be stripped of its identity and meaning, and simply called "the holidays". I could have run up there and hugged the man............
We aren't church goers, but occasionally go there. The minister referred to people such as we as "members of Churchianity", because we are Christians who only go to church occasionally. We have a basic belief in the underlying goodness of Christianity, but no clear understanding of what it means, because it has been interpreted so differently by so many denominations, sects, and other groups......each claiming the divine mandate. At this point........I'm simply amazed that I'm willingly going to church at all, and listening and thinking instead of scratching and fidgeting. It seems that when we go, we always sit one pew in front of a 50 - 60 year old woman whose past included some kind of voice training, or whose voice simply has an uncontrollable tremolo. I can't concentrate on anything but her quivering, wavering, loud voice. The one yesterday had lost the sweetness from her voice, and her singing reminded me of when Grandma would shriek "FLINCH!!!!"
I have been searching online for pretty little bits of art work that symbolized the sweet things I remember about Christmas. I have a fierce need to defend the name of Christmas in the face of the Jewish onslaught against the use of the name of Christ, and Christmas. I have the same passionate need to tell people who use "Xmas" instead of "Christmas" that they are offending me by their voluntary disrespect of the name of Christ. They usually have some half-assed defense ready, but when I suggest that "David" should be called"Yid", and "Hanukah" should be called "Xkah", they bristle and suggest that I'm being deliberately anti-semitic. They seem astonished when I agree that I AM being anti semitic, but only in the same way that they are being anti-Christian. That always confuses them. Their culture has taught them that it's acceptable to mock Christians, Muslims, and anyone else who is not of the Jewish faith.
Laura and I were in Von's the day before yesterday, and I noticed Mylar balloons at every cash register, each proclaiming "Happy Hanukah", and saw lots of displays for food, gifts, and wrapping paper which also said "Happy Hanukah" Except for a few magazine covers, there was NOT ONE THING in that whole store which used the word "Christmas" much less wished anyone a Merry Christmas. There were lots of things with red and green on them, the word HOLIDAY was over-used, but somehow...............all of the manufacturers of all of the products, and all of the advertisers managed to omit the word "Christmas", and though they managed to wish the Jews a "Happy Hannuka", they thought so little of the rest of us (the majority), that they didn't think it was important enough to wish us a "Merry Christmas"
I know that it is considered bad form to speak ill of the Jews, and I'm sure that not all of them have such dislike, disrespect, and hate for for Christmas, but someone has to take a stance, and I've decided that I will be one of those who stands up in defense of Christmas.
today!
