NN. Kovacs

8/12/2019 NN. Kovacs

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Friday, January 16, 2009

FAITH UNDER FIRE

Christmas in America becomes battlegroundAs holiday traditions draw national controversy, believers, pagans grapple over Jesusinclusion

!osted" #ecember 1$, 20021"00 am %astern

&y Joe 'ovacs

(orld)et#aily*com

%very #ecember, a call goes out +rom the nation s pulpits to put Christ bac- into Christmas, but growing numbers o+ Americans . including +undamentalist Christians . are claiming JesusChrist had nothing to do with the holiday, and news items +rom across the country this wee-indicate that the /* * has become the new battleground +or Christmas*

Cases in point"

A +irst grade teacher in acramento Co*, Cali+*, says her principal has prohibitedinstructors +rom uttering the word Christmas in class or in written materials

A school superintendent in 3on-ers, )*3*, banned, then unbanned, holiday decorations that contained religious themes more than the generic season s greetings

)ew 3or- City schools are being sued +or alleged discrimination against Christians

and atheists reposted their vandali4ed winter solstice sign in the (isconsin Capitol, asthey declare Christians stole Christmas +rom ancient pagans*

All this comes on the heels o+ a national survey indicating 5ust over a tenth o+ Americans today believe Jesus Christ o+ )a4areth is the +ocus o+ Christmas, with almost nine out o+ ten peoplesaying the holiday has become less religious*

Get the book that stands up for Bible truth, not ancient fables -- "Shocked by the Bible: The Most Astonishing Facts ou! e #e er Been Told" personally autographed by the author$

Are atheists correct that the very day set aside by hundreds o+ millions across the world to honorthe birth o+ their avior is merely a relic o+ sun worship And i+ it is, why would some schools

ban it And even i+ today s holiday traditions have their roots in heathen practices, shouldChristians who wish to be true to their +aith ta-e part

Sign of the times
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29977http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29977http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/121002/B110noholiday.htmlhttp://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/121002/B110noholiday.htmlhttp://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29942http://www.ffrf.org/news/2002/solsticesign.htmlhttp://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=XMAS-POLL-12-09-02&cat=ANhttp://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2453http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2453http://www.nyjournalnews.com/newsroom/121002/B110noholiday.htmlhttp://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29942http://www.ffrf.org/news/2002/solsticesign.htmlhttp://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=XMAS-POLL-12-09-02&cat=ANhttp://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2453http://shop.wnd.com/store/item.asp?ITEM_ID=2453http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29977http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29977


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7he real reason +or the season is winter solstice, proclaims Annie 8aurie aylor, co +ounder o+the :adison, (is* based Freedom From ;eligion Foundation which re erected its atheisticmessage :onday in the rotunda o+ the state seat o+ government*

A+ter si< years on display, her placard had been damaged last #ecember by an un-nownassailant, and has since been repaired*

7he +ront o+ the sign states" At this season o+ the winter solstice may reason prevail* 7here areno gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell* 7here is only our natural world* ;eligion is butmyth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds*

7he bac- reads" tate=Church" 'eep them separate, and carries a little caveat, advising 7houshalt not steal*

7he 2> by >0 inch billboard was ?' d as part o+ (isconsin s seasonal display which also+eatures menorahs, angels, and what appears to be a giant Christmas tree more than two storiestall*

(e call it a holiday tree, said &rian @ayes, deputy secretary +or (isconsin s department o+administration* (e re trying to be sensitive to the publicB*

7hat politically correct terminology comes despite the dismissal o+ a lawsuit last year where the

Atheists' winter solstice sign at WisconsinCapitol
http://www.ffrf.org/http://www.ffrf.org/


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message content o+ items adorning the state tree had been challenged, yet it s indicative o+ thethought conscious age o+ the 21st century*

Banned in the USA

7he +act that atheists view Christmas with disdain is not astonishing, since they ve attempted toremove the phrase under od +rom the !ledge o+ Allegiance and n od we trust +rom /* *currency, as well as 7en Commandments displays +rom numerous publicly owned places*

(hat may be surprising, though, is that some devout Christians, many dating all the way bac- tothe days o+ Jesus, never celebrated the birth o+ Christ, nor sought to* America s early colonists

banned observance o+ Christmas, and still today, there are many Christians abstaining +rom whatmillions more o+ their brethren 5oy+ully celebrate as od s coming in human +orm*

7he Catholic %ncyclopedia states, the word +or Christmas in late ?ld %nglish is Cristes :aesse,

the :ass o+ Christ, +irst +ound in 10>D, and Cristes messe, in 11>1*

t e


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advent o+ Christianity* 7he !uritans were correct when they pointed out . and they pointed it outo+ten . that Christmas was nothing but a pagan +estival covered with a Christian veneer*

Christmas in America saw huge growth during the 19th century, starting with (ashington

rving s 1D20 boo- 7he 'eeping o+ Christmas at &racebridge @all* A wee- be+ore Christmas in1D>$, Charles #ic-ens published A Christmas Carol, and in 1D60, American illustrator7homas )ast created Father Christmas, also -nown as anta Claus, based on %uropean stories o+

t* )icholas, the patron saint o+ children*

Spirit of the rising sun

7oday, +ollowers o+ ancient paganism strive to remind the public about the heathen origins o+traditions that many may never have Euestioned* 7hey ve published boo-s, given speeches, andcreated websites pro++ering a heathen history o+ modern customs*

Circle anctuary*org is among the nternet addresses run by natureworshipping pagans* (iccan high priestess elena Fo< discusses the stateo+ being pagan and celebrating the lengthening o+ days during the

)orthern @emisphere s dar-est time o+ year*

3ule, the winter solstice, is a +estival o+ peace and a celebration o+ wa


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sun child, such as sis with @orus

@onor the new solar year with light . light candles, burn a yule log and save a portion +orthe +ollowing year, put colored lights outside your home, and with the popularity o+ +ive

pointed stars, consider displaying a blue or white pentagram*

The greatest story never told?

7he pagan connections to Christmas are not news to the li-es o+ arner 7ed Armstrong , aChristian evangelist and political commentator based in 7yler, 7eH television and >60 radiostations, stating it is impossible to put Christ bac- in Christmas, since @e was never inChristmas in the +irst placeI

)one o+ the apostles o+ Christ ever heard o+ the term not one o+ them ever celebrated Christ s birthday, writes Armstrong in his boo-let Christmas *** 7he /ntold

tory * 7he words Christmas, holly wreath, mistletoe, ;udolph, antaClaus and Christmas tree do not appear anywhere in the &ible*

Armstrong is among Christians who believe od s plan o+ salvation +or man-ind is moreaccurately depicted through holidays which are +reEuently mentioned in cripture, such as!assover and the #ay o+ Atonement* + anything, he thin-s #ec* 2H would most li-ely be Jesusconception day, thus placing his birth in the autumn, possibly during the Feast o+ 7abernacles,symboli4ing od s tabernacling . that is to say, dwelling . with man-ind*

8i-e minded preachers say the &ible warns e


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(hile Armstrong teaches against the observance o+ Christmas, he adds that most people whocelebrate it are doing so with good intentions, simply unaware o+ the +acts regarding its origins,and they should neither be 5udged nor condemned by +ellow believers in Jesus* @e encourages

people to type words li-e origins o+ Christmas into nternet search engines to +ind out +or

themselves the bac-ground on the customs*

Angels in the outfield

For millions o+ Christians, the story o+ Christmas in the &ible is among the most beloved, and isone o+ their +oundations o+ +aith . that od came to dwell as a man and o++er eternal li+e toman-ind* t is both simple enough to be understood by young children, and has ma5estic meaningto provide adults with inspiration and awe*

7he events surrounding the birth o+ Christ are recorded in the ospels o+ :atthew and 8u-e,which give an almost play by play description"

And there &ere in the sa'e country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping &atch o er their flock by night) And, lo, the angel of the %ord ca'e upon the', and the glory of the %ord shoneround about the': and they &ere sore afraid) And the angel said unto the', Fear not: for,behold, + bring you good tidings of great oy, &hich shall be to all people) For unto you is bornthis day in the city of a id a Sa iour, &hich is .hrist the %ord) And this shall be a sign unto

you( e shall find the babe &rapped in s&addling clothes, lying in a 'anger) And suddenly there&as &ith the angel a 'ultitude of the hea enly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God inthe highest, and on earth peace, good &ill to&ard 'en) 8u-e 2"D 1$G

7he shepherds subseEuently +ound the child in the manger, but unli-e depictions on many

modern holiday cards and )ativity scenes, there were no wise men present at the birth* 7heospel o+ :atthew says the :agi arrived at a house, not the manger* And as +or the tradition o+three wise men, the &ible never mentions their number . only the three gi+ts o+ gold,+ran-incense and myrrh* 7hose gi+ts were presented to Jesus, not e


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Falwell ac-nowledges that many o+ the customs associated with the observance are not +ound inthe &ible, but he doesn t have a problem with that*

7he Christmas tree and anta Claus don t bother me, he said* + we can use anything to get

people under the sound o+ the gospel, without violating cripture, it s a good thing*

(hile there are some un-nowns such as the e$ year oldChristian minister at the tonehouse Church to the )ations in 7oano, a* %ven without the tree,he still plans to celebrate Christmas*

grew up in America* t s an historical constant, )egron said*

ndeed, trees and their decoration have played a role in American history, even in the nation sdar-est hours* n 19$2, 5ust a year a+ter the Japanese attac- on !earl@arbor, &ritish !rime :inister (inston Churchill came to (ashingtonto 5oin !resident Fran-lin ;oosevelt in lighting the )ational Christmas 7ree, a tradition started

by Calvin Coolidge in 192>*

Against enemies who preach the principles o+ hate and practice them, we set our +aith in humanlove and in od s care +or us all men everywhere, said ;oosevelt*

7housands o+ citi4ens turned out +or the event, which was broadcast nationwide on radio in the

grips o+ (orld (ar *

8et the children have their night o+ +un and laughter, proclaimed Churchill* 8et the gi+ts o+Father Christmas delight their play* 8et us grown ups share to the +ull in their unstinted pleasures

be+ore we turn again to the stern tas- and +ormidable years that lie be+ore us, resolved that, byour sacri+ice and daring, these same children shall not be robbed o+ their inheritance or deniedthe right to live in a +ree and decent world*
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7he tree lighting ceremonies continue to this day, with !resident eorge (* &ush having twodedications under his belt*

7he history o+ man-ind s +ascination with trees long antedates (orld (ar , the +ounding o+

America, and even the :iddle Ages* @istorians have +ound evidence o+ tree decoration and treeworship in places such as ancient ;ome and %gypt* 7he ?ld 7estament also records od sdispleasure with his own people +or +ollowing pagan practices involving trees"

"And the children of +srael did e il in the sight of the %ord, and forgat the %ord their God, and ser ed Baali' and the gro es)" Judges >"KG

"For the %ord shall s'ite +srael ))) because they ha e 'ade their gro es, pro oking the %ord toanger)" 1 'ings 1$"1HG

"For they also built the' high places, and i'ages, and gro es, on e ery high hill, and under

e ery green tree)" 1 'ings 1$"2>G

n the 1D00s, Ale


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origins lying to small children about anta Claus tal-ing about having peace on earth whileignoring od s instructions on how to achieve it saying it is biblical, while 99 percent o+ it is allabout commerce and other sel+ish ob5ectives* :yths and traditions do not please the od o+ the&ible, a right way o+ living does* #eception is at the top o+ the list o+ what @e hates*

7hat anti Christmas view is echoed by 7om :oni4 o+ @obe ound, Fla* &eing a od +earingman, cannot honor a lie, nor do thin- adopting a pagan holiday and calling it his birthday doesany honor to him*

:ost o+ these people are -ill5oys, says ;ev* Falwell regarding those who attac- the celebrationo+ Christmas* :ost o+ these tightwads 5ust don t want to spendB cash* *** don t ta-e mychildren or grandchildren near them*

7o many Christians, Christmastime is among the most sacred times o+ the year, and they loo- to-eep it that way*

t s thereason +or being a Christian, because we believe Jesus is od, says 8ouis iovino,director o+ communications +or the )ew 3or- based Catholic 8eague , the nation s largestCatholic civil rights organi4ation*

(ith recent controversies surrounding Christmas in the public arena, the league has issued a listo+ guidelines to help people understand what -ind o+ religious e


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right, &ucher told (orld)et#aily, but a lot o+ arguments they re ma-ing are 5ust not sound*7hey end up placing guilt on Christians celebrating Christmas and do a real disservice*

?n his church website , &ucher addresses e

NN. Kovacs

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