Friday, December 23, 2005

The War Against Christmas

Just finished reading John Gibson's terrific book, "The War on Christmas" and what blew me away was not all of the stories that he related but a couple of lines in the beginning of the book.
"Some institutional backers of the war on Christmas are Christian Churches, such as the Unitarians (Personal note, I would not consider Unitarians Christians and they would not either) and the United Church of Christ who celebrate Jesus Christ's humanity and leave the room when the discussion turns to his divinity. These are the churches that marry gays and turn their backs on preborn babies"
Whoa Nelly!
As we are about to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who was born to save the world and bring all to a perfect relationship with God, this is a sad truth but not limited to the above mentioned denominations.
My own denomination, The Episcopal Church, celebrates and elevates such outright heretics as Bishop John Shelby Spong. Bishop Spong has written books one such subjects as deny the Virgin Mary and the virgin birth of Christ. Another is why Christianity must adapt or die. How should Christianity adapt? By throwing out the traditions and essentially adopting a secular humanist agenda.
But that does not mean all of us who love our church agree with such outright heresy.
Those, such as myself, actually believe that what traditional Anglicanism has taught all these many centuries. Scripture, tradition, reason. I believe
that the Holy Bible is the inspired word of God. From genesis to Revelation. Tradition is what guides how we look at the Holy Bible. Reason is how people of disparate views at least agree on the basics.
Ah, but there are people like Bishop Spong, who clearly must be a shill of the Democratic Party, who hate being a Christian so much that they and people of his ilk will actually believe that the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior would offend people. That is part of this War against Christmas is about.
Those of us who fight back in little and big ways are what will save us from people like Bishop Spong, the leadership of most of the Mainline Protestant denominations that keep getting it wrong.
I love everything about Christmas and am not ashamed of it. The celebration of the birth of Christ, the Christmas Trees, the bright lights that decorate everywhere and then general feeling of goodwill that, infact, transcends the fact it is a Christian holiday and celebration.
I am also positive that we will win this war. We are right and when you talk to many people you will realize that there is good will.
So, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

No comments: