It's about that time of year again... where I wax on about Christmas and it's meaning and how it upsets me sometimes. I have not been able to enjoy Christmas this year very much yet, I have been working waaaay to hard and seem to have not found any free time for myself. In the past I have gone off on the whole Happy Holidays thing... well it's looks like I was right! In a recent poll it turns out that more people are offended by the Happy Holidays saying than Merry Christmas(about 95%)! SCORE! I've been saying it for years(See my old blog post around xmas) a small minority ruin it for the majority! Since when did we start letting the odd person or two start dictating policy? Recently there was a case where a Jewish rabbi was upset that there was no Menorah in the airport where there was a Christmas tree. Instead of asking for a Menorah to be put up he hired a lawyer who treatened a strong lawsuit. This, in turn, got the airport investigating the repercussions of not respecting all of the holiday celebration which soon became overwhelming. The airport decided to take the path of least resistance and just remove everything. So what happens is the minority, and I will admit there are a lot of Jewish faith people out there, caused the majority to not have the displays.(I know it was one man not the whole of the Jewish people!) If he would have asked without a layer then it might have not happened that way but it did. In the end everything went back up and the Menorah was placed as well common sense prevails! Now I am not trying to dimish anyone's beliefs, I encourage you to celbrate your faith or tradition as these are the spices of life! These are the reasons for which we live!
Now having said all of that the Christmas tree is not what Christmas is about! I think back to better time when the politically correct cloud of oppression did not apply and good strong values where still in place in our society for an explanation on the meaning of Christmas. Just try and imagine Spongebob saying something like this today... you can't it won't happen... unless it's South Park whose goal is to offend as many people as it can in order to promote free thought and free speech.
From my childhood... I still get a tear in my eye everytime I see this.
Charlie Brown: "Is there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?"
Linus: "I can, Charlie Brown. Lights, please."
"And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them! And they were sore afraid ...
And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For, behold, I bring you tidings o great joy, which shall be to all my people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ, the Lord."
"And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the Heavenly Host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, and good will toward men."
"That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
:: 1/3/2007 5:56:32 AM
