A very Merry and blessed Christmas to all my readers and their families.
Here is J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. It’s over two hours long but the whole thing is well worth listening to. I am firmly convinced that Bach’s music is one of the pinnacles of Western civilisation – the very best that Christendom has to offer.
Who better, then, to celebrate the Incarnation, the Word made flesh, God among us: the most significant event in human history.
Ashu Solo is a professional whiner or, to use the euphemism currently in vogue, “activist”. He complained about the saying of grace at a volunteer appreciation night and now he is complaining that the City of Saskatoon is wishing everyone Merry Christmas on its buses.
It violates his right to freedom from religion.
From here:
The city of Saskatoon is facing the possibility of a human rights complaint after it refused to yank the “Merry Christmas” message from the top of its buses despite allegations of discrimination.
On Monday, local activist Ashu Solo vowed to take the matter to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, claiming the Christmas greetings violate his right to be free from religion.
He said the salutation also favours Christianity over other religions, which is particularly problematic for Saskatoon’s immigrant community, many of whom rely on bus service.
“Christmas messages on Saskatoon Transit buses make them feel like they need to convert to Christianity to be first-class citizens,” he wrote in a complaint.
There is only one thing I can think of to say to Mr. Solo:
When something becomes a fad – and placing anything and everything in the category of bullying is a fad – then people normally regarded as sane are prone fall for the most extreme and ridiculous manifestations of the fad. Hence we have reached the point where carols about baby Jesus are a form of bullying.
Be warned: I will subdue any hint of disagreement with a rousing chorus of:
Bully, lullay, Thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, bully, lullay.
Lullay, thou little tiny Child,
Bye, bye, bully, lullay.
From here:
A group of parents in Missoula, Mont. are upset over the religious nature of Christmas songs performed at a local elementary school – alleging the songs about the Baby Jesus is unconstitutional and a “form of bullying.”
According to the clergy lady in the video below, the Metal Culture has a lot in common with Christianity. Who knew?
Using what people are familiar with to introduce them to Christ seems to me to be a good idea – after all, St. Paul did it.
I’m not sure that that is what is going on here, though; it could be just be a measure of the church’s desperation to lure people into its sanctuaries – and once they are there, not know what to do with them.
Is, as the event organiser Simon Cross says, the Incarnation really about having “a bit of a laugh for Christmas”?
From here:
The Very Heavy Christmas Carol Service was first held last year and is claimed by its organisers to be the only one in the UK.
As well as carols, the service on Saturday evening will include specially written “Punk Poetry” lessons.Event organiser Simon Cross said the service was a “a bit of a laugh for Christmas”.
Here is last year’s production:
The Virgin Birth stretches the imagination of many western Anglican clergy beyond the breaking point.
The problem has been solved by a homosexual Columbian couple who have concocted a nativity scene with two gay Josephs and no Virgin Mary.
From here:
A gay couple has sparked outrage for displaying a ‘homosexual nativity scene’ in their Colombian home.
Andrés Vásquez and Felipe Cárdenas have come under fire for their all-male manger – where the baby Jesus has two father Josephs and the Virgin Mary is nowhere to be seen.
The country’s Catholic Church has labelled the display, in the northern city of Cartagena, as ‘sacrilege’.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Stephen Harper’s Christmas message didn’t mention the miraculous appearance of God in history or Mary or Joseph or the shepherds or the wise men or the angels or the star… well, you get the idea.
Instead, he sputtered on about jobs, growth, “gathering” while looking backwards and forwards, Canada’s economy and the government. At least he wished us “Merry Christmas.”
Next year he should try this:
First of all, though, here are a couple – selected from thousands – of Christian charities that flourish at Christmas:
Angel Tree:
Angel Tree is a ministry of Prison Fellowship, delivering love in the form of Christmas gifts and a message of hope to children of prisoners. Angel Tree Christmas connects the parents in prison with their children through the delivery of Christmas gifts by local church volunteers who purchase and deliver these gifts and the gospel to children.
Operation Christmas Child:
Operation Christmas Child invites you to pack a shoe box with small toys, school supplies, other gifts, and a personal note to introduce a hurting child to God’s love. The small gifts of love and messages of hope through Jesus Christ are delivered to needy children overseas.
Here are a couple of examples of the good works over which atheists have laboured for Christmas:
Atheist Nativity sign:
The [atheist] group wants to place a sign that reads:
“At this season of the Winter Solstice, let reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”Atheists Attempt to Ruin Christmas:
For the first time in the history of Christmas at Palisades Park there were 13 individuals that entered the race for the 21 spaces available rather than the usual three. The unusually high demand for spots, especially by atheists, has sparked Santa Monica’s City Hall to implement a random lottery system to determine who would have access to the spots.That process left the Santa Monica Nativity Committee with only two spaces on which they can put up only three of the usual 14 scenes. The lottery system that was used gave atheists a majority of the available spaces.
Notice any difference?
