It’s that time of the year. Where do we draw the line between “Christian” and “pagan” customs, such as Halloween, Christmas, and Easter? These three more popular special days all have a connection to some “pagan holiday” in terms of time of the year and the kind of celebration. The only holy day (holiday) that is nearly pure in its Christian origin is Pentecost (A Jewish Holy Day), which celebrates the birth of the first church.
So what should I do about these pagan slanted days and my own faith? Should I support them, boycott them vigorously, ignore them, or keep them in perspective with my faith and ethics?
In my youth I understood from my particular church that they were against a or any special day for celebrating Christmas, and if I recall, it also felt the same about Easter. I don’t recall anything big about Halloween. Our town always had a great big Halloween party on Front Street with awards for best kinds of costumes, vats to dunk for apples, cider and powdery donuts, and lots of pumpkin jack-o-lanterns.
But even though our church didn’t celebrate Christmas and Easter, almost all of the members did. We just looked upon it as a cultural holiday. As I have matured, I have seen how that distinction has greatly expanded. Christmas and Easter are Special Marketing seasons for American retailers. Their coffers have benefitted from these celebrations. Our economy depends upon them.
When was Jesus born? Exactly what happened at Easter? Neither question is of concern to the retailers celebration. That is why in most Churches we take a special evening and a special morning to celebrate these events within the walls of our church. That is my major separation.
Paul taught the followers of Christ that they are in the world, but not of it. So my special religious events are celebrated with my own people, and I don’t impose them on others.
In turn I can pick and choose within my own society or culture which special days I want to celebrate and which ones I don’t. It is the same option I had when I lived in or visited other countries. I found some of the Greek, Mexican, German, and Israeli holidays to be great fun! I enjoyed getting to know the people in the places where I traveled. I never once took on their celebrations as my own.
The same is true in my own country. When I walk around and feel surrounded by the retail Christmas, which starts in early October, I don’t take them on as my own. They are popular, so somebody must like them.
I don’t believe there can ever be a culture totally based on one set of religious standards. Ever where I look, I see “religious based countries” with deep religious divisions within themselves. Unfortunately the religious bullies try to reign over the others, and ruin it for all. I see this today in the major Muslim movements throughout the world. They don’t care to share their space with anyone different.
So where do I draw the line between religious and cultural celebrations? I keep the religious ones within my religious body, and pick and chose which cultural ones I will celebrate. Let’s see I love chocolate bunnies, powdered donuts, and cider. I hate the loneliness and stress I see in people around our retail orientated Christmas, because suicides increase and people go deep in debt to satisfy children seduced by clever marketing tools. It is a season of depressions of all kinds.
In my life there is no line needed between pagan and Christian, because they are two separate worlds. In my spiritual world a man’s word is honored. It ain’t so in the one where I now live.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Religious Freedom or A Religious Dictator
Reflecting on the past few weeks - November 19, anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; November 21, date of signing the Mayflower Compact. The 26 remembers the first nationally proclaimed Thanksgiving Day. Seven days of celebrating our heritage in freedom. Each of these milestones includes a reference to God. But whose God?
Some would have us believe it was God as they define God. This thinking would frighten our Founding Fathers. This nation was created by people from many segments of planet Earth. They came to establish and reside in a free society that practiced the separation of church and state.
Today some organizations in the far right and the far left want citizens of this nation to return to a state that no longer tolerates people with different beliefs. Our Founding Fathers would be against these groups left or right. They were devout men. None were enemies of God. All were of the Enlightenment or Age of Reason.
Benjamin Franklin strongly affirmed God's existence; the freedom for individual choice; and the potential value of institutional religion as an enforcer of moral codes. But he rejected churches that focused exclusively on dogma and neglected moral reasoning. Asked his belief, he said, "Here is my creed. I believe in one God, Creator of the universe: that he governs the world by his providence. That he ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable service we can render him is to do good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be fundamental principles of all sound religion, and I regard them as you do, in whatever sect I meet them."
Washington had the least to say about religion. As an baptized Anglican he kept his beliefs private and declared his religious tenets to few and simple. He studiously avoided referring to the person and ministry of Jesus. When some Presbyterian leaders complained of the lack of any Constitutional reference to "the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent," he calmly replied, "The path of true piety is so plain as to require but little political direction."
The congregationalist, John Adams joined the crusade for liberal Unitarianism that grew out of his own denomination. In France he had been exposed to the Enlightenment and was definite a free thinker. He hailed the sovereignty of God with deepest feelings. For him it was enough to be answerable for your own actions. He was not overly concerned with acts from the beliefs of others.
As a member of the Virginia legislature and US Congress, plus as Secretary of State and President, James Madison held long and hard for separation of church and state. In fact he argued vigorously against Patrick Henry's tax bill that would support "the Christian religion." Madison strongly advocated leaving all laws pertaining to religion to the only true qualified authority in this area: "the Supreme Lawgiver of the universe."
Thomas Jefferson the primary author of our documents that emphatically defend religious freedom was the strangest of all the five Founding Fathers. Instrumental in bringing about the First Amendment, he very much admired legislation that "had the courage to declare that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinions." In 1803 he stated, "I am a real Christian ... sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others." Yet he rejected the divinity of Jesus (as he believed Jesus did). He felt the idea of the Trinity was "mere abracadabra." In 1819 he he declared, "I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know."
The Founding Fathers wanted a land where people were able to explore and define God in their own way. A place where the evidence of faith and not the law of the land will bring people to God. My God as I believe is my business and your God is your business. Can we not build a bridge to the future with a keystone of freedom AND tolerance? It is what built the first bridge of a freedom for so many pilgrims from so many lands.
Please allow us all the privilege of the basics of religious freedom established so long ago? Huh, could we?
Some would have us believe it was God as they define God. This thinking would frighten our Founding Fathers. This nation was created by people from many segments of planet Earth. They came to establish and reside in a free society that practiced the separation of church and state.
Today some organizations in the far right and the far left want citizens of this nation to return to a state that no longer tolerates people with different beliefs. Our Founding Fathers would be against these groups left or right. They were devout men. None were enemies of God. All were of the Enlightenment or Age of Reason.
Benjamin Franklin strongly affirmed God's existence; the freedom for individual choice; and the potential value of institutional religion as an enforcer of moral codes. But he rejected churches that focused exclusively on dogma and neglected moral reasoning. Asked his belief, he said, "Here is my creed. I believe in one God, Creator of the universe: that he governs the world by his providence. That he ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable service we can render him is to do good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. These I take to be fundamental principles of all sound religion, and I regard them as you do, in whatever sect I meet them."
Washington had the least to say about religion. As an baptized Anglican he kept his beliefs private and declared his religious tenets to few and simple. He studiously avoided referring to the person and ministry of Jesus. When some Presbyterian leaders complained of the lack of any Constitutional reference to "the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent," he calmly replied, "The path of true piety is so plain as to require but little political direction."
The congregationalist, John Adams joined the crusade for liberal Unitarianism that grew out of his own denomination. In France he had been exposed to the Enlightenment and was definite a free thinker. He hailed the sovereignty of God with deepest feelings. For him it was enough to be answerable for your own actions. He was not overly concerned with acts from the beliefs of others.
As a member of the Virginia legislature and US Congress, plus as Secretary of State and President, James Madison held long and hard for separation of church and state. In fact he argued vigorously against Patrick Henry's tax bill that would support "the Christian religion." Madison strongly advocated leaving all laws pertaining to religion to the only true qualified authority in this area: "the Supreme Lawgiver of the universe."
Thomas Jefferson the primary author of our documents that emphatically defend religious freedom was the strangest of all the five Founding Fathers. Instrumental in bringing about the First Amendment, he very much admired legislation that "had the courage to declare that the reason of man may be trusted with the formation of his own opinions." In 1803 he stated, "I am a real Christian ... sincerely attached to his doctrines, in preference to all others." Yet he rejected the divinity of Jesus (as he believed Jesus did). He felt the idea of the Trinity was "mere abracadabra." In 1819 he he declared, "I am of a sect by myself, as far as I know."
The Founding Fathers wanted a land where people were able to explore and define God in their own way. A place where the evidence of faith and not the law of the land will bring people to God. My God as I believe is my business and your God is your business. Can we not build a bridge to the future with a keystone of freedom AND tolerance? It is what built the first bridge of a freedom for so many pilgrims from so many lands.
Please allow us all the privilege of the basics of religious freedom established so long ago? Huh, could we?
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Goofy or Deadly? Watch what you buy for children at Christmas
“Goofy String” scared me Straight! Not the string itself, but what I read on the can.
Let me start from the beginning. My eight year old grandson is visiting us for “Camp Meemaw” and he had five dollars burning a hole in his pocket. Meemaw took him to a local Dollar Store. He bought an assortment of kid things from the children’s section of the store.
The next morning while we were all on the deck watching the birds, he decided to surprise meemaw and papa. He sprayed us with “Goofy String” as we laughed aloud. With great vigor and merriment he covered us from head to toe. It all seemed like great harmless fun.
As we laughed and brushed off the “Goofy String,” I picked up the can and read the label. As fast as it started, the laughter stopped. I read the label aloud as my left eye began to sting a bit. Here is what I read in small print on the can of “Goofy String” found in the toy department of a local store, “Caution. Contents under pressure. Do not puncture or incinerate container. Do not use near open flame or heat sources. Do not store at temperatures above 120 F. Keep out of reach of children. Test before use. May stain fabrics and other surfaces. Do not spray at eyes or faces. Do not ingest.” And on the side it says, “Non-flamable”
This caution label was on a can sold to a lone eight year old boy, who found it on the shelves in the toy department at that store in our own community! I am trying to remember if at eight years of age did I know what incinerate or ingest meant.
Now my ire and curiosity were up. My attention turned to what were the ingredients of this spray can that should be kept out of the reach of children. Guess what? The ingredients are listed. The only other information are the simple directions for use by the prohibitive child; the weight at 3 oz.; and that it was Made in China and distributed by Greenbrier International, I.nc., in Chesapeake, VA. 23320.
Let me capsulize the above. A company in China sells something, who knows what, in a spray can. It has many safety potentials and by all means it must be kept out of the reach of children.
A company in Virginia in the USA distributes it in this country without any further information. Then a company puts it on the shelves of the toy or children’s department for any unsuspecting innocent child to purchase with their birthday money. Have I got it correct so far?
Let me clarify even further. Business people could careless if something is harmful as long as no one notices. Guess what? I noticed.
And Mr. Businessman, it does take a genius to know that things that are labeled “Keep out of reach of children” don’t belong on the shelves where children can reach them, or worse yet buy them.
One of the very first things I learned at New York University’s Safety School of Certification is that labels should be red by the distributer BEFORE it is distributed. Buyer Beware is not for children When it comes to children it is Seller Beware, because we consumers depend upon your honesty.
My grandson has learned a lot from this experience. In fact, he is taking this article back to New York with him for discussion in class when school starts next week or so. I only hope our local merchants are astute. And young customers, Read the Label before you buy.
My left eye still stings. Be careful what Santa brings this year!
Let me start from the beginning. My eight year old grandson is visiting us for “Camp Meemaw” and he had five dollars burning a hole in his pocket. Meemaw took him to a local Dollar Store. He bought an assortment of kid things from the children’s section of the store.
The next morning while we were all on the deck watching the birds, he decided to surprise meemaw and papa. He sprayed us with “Goofy String” as we laughed aloud. With great vigor and merriment he covered us from head to toe. It all seemed like great harmless fun.
As we laughed and brushed off the “Goofy String,” I picked up the can and read the label. As fast as it started, the laughter stopped. I read the label aloud as my left eye began to sting a bit. Here is what I read in small print on the can of “Goofy String” found in the toy department of a local store, “Caution. Contents under pressure. Do not puncture or incinerate container. Do not use near open flame or heat sources. Do not store at temperatures above 120 F. Keep out of reach of children. Test before use. May stain fabrics and other surfaces. Do not spray at eyes or faces. Do not ingest.” And on the side it says, “Non-flamable”
This caution label was on a can sold to a lone eight year old boy, who found it on the shelves in the toy department at that store in our own community! I am trying to remember if at eight years of age did I know what incinerate or ingest meant.
Now my ire and curiosity were up. My attention turned to what were the ingredients of this spray can that should be kept out of the reach of children. Guess what? The ingredients are listed. The only other information are the simple directions for use by the prohibitive child; the weight at 3 oz.; and that it was Made in China and distributed by Greenbrier International, I.nc., in Chesapeake, VA. 23320.
Let me capsulize the above. A company in China sells something, who knows what, in a spray can. It has many safety potentials and by all means it must be kept out of the reach of children.
A company in Virginia in the USA distributes it in this country without any further information. Then a company puts it on the shelves of the toy or children’s department for any unsuspecting innocent child to purchase with their birthday money. Have I got it correct so far?
Let me clarify even further. Business people could careless if something is harmful as long as no one notices. Guess what? I noticed.
And Mr. Businessman, it does take a genius to know that things that are labeled “Keep out of reach of children” don’t belong on the shelves where children can reach them, or worse yet buy them.
One of the very first things I learned at New York University’s Safety School of Certification is that labels should be red by the distributer BEFORE it is distributed. Buyer Beware is not for children When it comes to children it is Seller Beware, because we consumers depend upon your honesty.
My grandson has learned a lot from this experience. In fact, he is taking this article back to New York with him for discussion in class when school starts next week or so. I only hope our local merchants are astute. And young customers, Read the Label before you buy.
My left eye still stings. Be careful what Santa brings this year!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Christmas and Defcon 5
Recently a poll indicated that while 87% of Americans claim to be Christians only 36% focus on the birth or coming of the Christ child. Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!!
Every Christmas focuses on the coming of the Christ. Advent means arrival or coming and we celebrate the first and second coming of Christ. While Jesus, the babe in the manger is the image of our celebration, the real issue is who he was, is and will be that inspires believers to annually celebrate .
When will he come? Two thousand years ago, this was the question on the lips of a few Jewish believers. The vast majority had begun to focus on the celebrations and traditions. Ever since the fall of Jerusalem they had been told by their leaders, the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One would be coming soon. Their annual disappointment had caused them to push it into the back of their minds. Not to worry. When and if he comes, he comes! Not a thing we do can help it happen.
Years ago I was up on a high mountain in Greece looking out on the Aegean Sea toward Sparta in the southwest. I asked my friend Yani, a captain in Greek Air Force how far away was the huge island that held Sparta and Patriae. He asked me how far I believed it looked to be. I replied about twenty or thirty miles. He chuckled and said it is over one hundred US miles. Many things in life seem closer than they are in reality. We just need to look with an educated eye.
In the military we had five levels of alert status. Defcon 1 thru 5. Number One was total let your guard down time. Number Five was: we are being attacked or about to be attacked any minute. Twice in my military career I experienced Defcon 5. Both involved President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The first time was the Cuban missile crises. The second was in Turkey when he was senselessly assassinated. The first seemed like an exercise and few of us cadets took it seriously. Why? Because our lives had been sheltered from reality.
The second was total experience of living on the edge. We were on total alert with every listen devise we had cranked up and pointed north over the Black Sea. The ears and eyes of Trabizon where fully focused on the Soviet Bear.
Was the bear ready to come out of his cave and ravish the free world? Was JFK the start of Armageddon? If so they would be moving through Turkey to the valley of the Jordan River. To the last man, we were thinking, "My God this is it!" Its not an exercise or movie script. The Evil empire has started their move. A move that will lead to the most horrible war we could imagine. I recalled the many times in school during air raid drills, we climbed under our seats to avoid the shattered glass. At first we were all scared, but by the seventh grade it had become a joke. But there in Turkey on November 24, 1963 it was no joke. We soon expected to hear the roar of Soviet bombers or missiles overhead any moment. Armageddon was about to begin and we were ready! And nothing happened!
That was 48 years ago in another life. I no longer worry about Armageddon or major catastrophe. Life every day keeps me busy enough.
Yet, we are told to always be alert and keep watch. Every Advent and Christmas season so far has been an exercise. Yes, it has become extremely routine. It is hard to imagine that Christ will be coming to usher in a new era of existence and end life for many. But then after marching in JFK's inaugural parade, I thought he would live forever and freedom would triumph over the evil empire. That assassin's bullet in Dallas yanked me back into reality. We must always be alert for the advent of the Christ and the Day of the Lord. It is just part of life.
How do you maintain a state of readiness? Believe it will happen and have the essentials ready. Christ will come whether we see it as the first or second time. Those, who are about his business in life are deemed ready. God’s business? Loving others with all our hearts as we love ourselves. Simple straight forward. In 1963, we knew it could happen. When it did we did exactly what we had practiced over and over in other exercises. When the Lord comes we are to do what we have been practicing Advent after Advent; Christmas after Christmas: showing our love for God and others. The world is in Defcon 5. Are you ready?
Every Christmas focuses on the coming of the Christ. Advent means arrival or coming and we celebrate the first and second coming of Christ. While Jesus, the babe in the manger is the image of our celebration, the real issue is who he was, is and will be that inspires believers to annually celebrate .
When will he come? Two thousand years ago, this was the question on the lips of a few Jewish believers. The vast majority had begun to focus on the celebrations and traditions. Ever since the fall of Jerusalem they had been told by their leaders, the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One would be coming soon. Their annual disappointment had caused them to push it into the back of their minds. Not to worry. When and if he comes, he comes! Not a thing we do can help it happen.
Years ago I was up on a high mountain in Greece looking out on the Aegean Sea toward Sparta in the southwest. I asked my friend Yani, a captain in Greek Air Force how far away was the huge island that held Sparta and Patriae. He asked me how far I believed it looked to be. I replied about twenty or thirty miles. He chuckled and said it is over one hundred US miles. Many things in life seem closer than they are in reality. We just need to look with an educated eye.
In the military we had five levels of alert status. Defcon 1 thru 5. Number One was total let your guard down time. Number Five was: we are being attacked or about to be attacked any minute. Twice in my military career I experienced Defcon 5. Both involved President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The first time was the Cuban missile crises. The second was in Turkey when he was senselessly assassinated. The first seemed like an exercise and few of us cadets took it seriously. Why? Because our lives had been sheltered from reality.
The second was total experience of living on the edge. We were on total alert with every listen devise we had cranked up and pointed north over the Black Sea. The ears and eyes of Trabizon where fully focused on the Soviet Bear.
Was the bear ready to come out of his cave and ravish the free world? Was JFK the start of Armageddon? If so they would be moving through Turkey to the valley of the Jordan River. To the last man, we were thinking, "My God this is it!" Its not an exercise or movie script. The Evil empire has started their move. A move that will lead to the most horrible war we could imagine. I recalled the many times in school during air raid drills, we climbed under our seats to avoid the shattered glass. At first we were all scared, but by the seventh grade it had become a joke. But there in Turkey on November 24, 1963 it was no joke. We soon expected to hear the roar of Soviet bombers or missiles overhead any moment. Armageddon was about to begin and we were ready! And nothing happened!
That was 48 years ago in another life. I no longer worry about Armageddon or major catastrophe. Life every day keeps me busy enough.
Yet, we are told to always be alert and keep watch. Every Advent and Christmas season so far has been an exercise. Yes, it has become extremely routine. It is hard to imagine that Christ will be coming to usher in a new era of existence and end life for many. But then after marching in JFK's inaugural parade, I thought he would live forever and freedom would triumph over the evil empire. That assassin's bullet in Dallas yanked me back into reality. We must always be alert for the advent of the Christ and the Day of the Lord. It is just part of life.
How do you maintain a state of readiness? Believe it will happen and have the essentials ready. Christ will come whether we see it as the first or second time. Those, who are about his business in life are deemed ready. God’s business? Loving others with all our hearts as we love ourselves. Simple straight forward. In 1963, we knew it could happen. When it did we did exactly what we had practiced over and over in other exercises. When the Lord comes we are to do what we have been practicing Advent after Advent; Christmas after Christmas: showing our love for God and others. The world is in Defcon 5. Are you ready?
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