follow up on my Chanukah post
12.27.06 (2:43 am) [edit]
I got to thinking about these holidays. I thought about the Christmas trees that were taken down and then put back up, because the mall or the town or whatever decided they'd almost rather not have a Christmas display if it meant having to have a Chanukah display. I thought about the disgusting way Bill O'Reilly freaks out over "Happy Holidays", and how he turned around his insensitivity to the fact that other holidays are celebrated by other people, and feigns indignation when others acknowledge this diversity. He almost has me stopping my saying of "Merry Christmas".
Anyway, I don't get what he has against Chanukah. OK, I'm being facetious. I know he is just a jerk only "Christian" enough to use it to bully minority religions in this country. But the war on Christmas crowd loves Leviticus and Judges and Deuteronomy as much as any Gospel. The go running to the old testament when ever they faced with having to "love" or seek peace or any of the good "bleeding-heart" ; Christian things they don't want to do. Slavery, anti-race-mixing, Sodom and Gomorrah, Samson, capital punishment, all good Christian positions for those that seek refuge in the old testament when the Gospel might lead them down a hippie liberalism.
What better way to embrace this than celebrating Chanukah and Christmas. See, I always seek to unite and not divide. Here, I'll be dividing myself away from my kid's favorite holiday. If one thinks Christianity is an extension of Judaism, and see the old testament as God's word well, what better way to express this than celebrating the Jewish holidays too.
Now for me-- who is starting to suspect that Christianity has its roots in Platonism and Pythagorism, as well as seeing Judaism's texts as an amalgamation of "near east" religious thought, legends and superstitions, getting a coherent theology only after the influence of Zoroastrianism-- well I'd be out of luck.
I'd feel like the guy that recognizes "under God" in the pledge of allegiance was put there not by the authors, but by congress: not as an act of faith but as a way to find communists during the MCcarthy era. As much as I find it distasteful, It was using God as a prop to make an empty statement about communism than it was to respect the constitution and the separation between church and state. In a way it is like forcing "Merry Christmas" down everyone's throat in total disregard that there are other holidays going on at the same time.
Anyway, I don't get what he has against Chanukah. OK, I'm being facetious. I know he is just a jerk only "Christian" enough to use it to bully minority religions in this country. But the war on Christmas crowd loves Leviticus and Judges and Deuteronomy as much as any Gospel. The go running to the old testament when ever they faced with having to "love" or seek peace or any of the good "bleeding-heart" ; Christian things they don't want to do. Slavery, anti-race-mixing, Sodom and Gomorrah, Samson, capital punishment, all good Christian positions for those that seek refuge in the old testament when the Gospel might lead them down a hippie liberalism.
What better way to embrace this than celebrating Chanukah and Christmas. See, I always seek to unite and not divide. Here, I'll be dividing myself away from my kid's favorite holiday. If one thinks Christianity is an extension of Judaism, and see the old testament as God's word well, what better way to express this than celebrating the Jewish holidays too.
Now for me-- who is starting to suspect that Christianity has its roots in Platonism and Pythagorism, as well as seeing Judaism's texts as an amalgamation of "near east" religious thought, legends and superstitions, getting a coherent theology only after the influence of Zoroastrianism-- well I'd be out of luck.
I'd feel like the guy that recognizes "under God" in the pledge of allegiance was put there not by the authors, but by congress: not as an act of faith but as a way to find communists during the MCcarthy era. As much as I find it distasteful, It was using God as a prop to make an empty statement about communism than it was to respect the constitution and the separation between church and state. In a way it is like forcing "Merry Christmas" down everyone's throat in total disregard that there are other holidays going on at the same time.
posted by: sebastianjoshua (reply)
post date: 12.27.06 (1:07 am)
what is Chanukah?
Happy holiday..
posted by: musicalhair (reply)
post date: 12.27.06 (12:52 pm)
Reply to: sebastianjoshua
It is a Jewish holiday where candles are lit for eight days and they exchange gifts. The candle holder is called an menorah.
posted by: doeeyed (reply)
post date: 12.27.06 (5:02 pm)
Ya know, it's a shame that such a fuss is even made about such
lovely things as Christmas and other religious holidays. I wish
people could just live and let live.
I doubt I'll ever quit saying Merry Christmas, because I firmly believe in the real meaning (and even if I'm wrong, it's still a lovely thought) but, I understand where you're coming from.
What irritates me is that so many celebs give *real* Christians a bad name and then it is held against all Christians.
I tend to ignore the Falwell's of the world and maybe that's not the best thing I could do. What I'd like to do is throttle them and that wouldn't be very Christian like, now would it?
posted by: musicalhair (reply)
post date: 12.28.06 (4:33 pm)
Reply to: doeeyed
I'm a Christian, and I just think it is about time Christians made it clear that the demagogues don't speak for Christianity.
I think you are right on all counts in your comment. Thanks for posting.
posted by: doeeyed (reply)
post date: 12.28.06 (5:55 pm)
"I just think it is about time Christians made it clear that the demagogues don't speak for Christianity."
I wonder how we go about doing that?
Just day to day interaction?
Thanks musicalhair :)
posted by: musicalhair (reply)
post date: 12.28.06 (8:34 pm)
Reply to: doeeyed
I don't know. I've never been fully comfortable around bible thumpers, and I'm not one to take the fight to "them".
Just before this past election I was listening to my Sirius radio, flipping around and I put on the Christian talk station. The subject that hour essentially was why they need to still go out and vote for the republicans in spite of the scandals and problems. I was seriously shocked. The host and his side kick were making the case that it was actually important and tying it to their Christian values. I don't call in to shows because I mostly listen to the radio while driving, but I guess I should have.
My biggest problem with religious conservatives is two-fold: 1) I'm very conservative in my own life, but I don't pretend that is a perscription for how I should view the rest of the world, only my own actions; and 2) how can they not see that the politicians that pander to them essentially mock their "values".
One of the most obvious things to me is the absolute failure of the "fundamentalist" world view. Everywhere they take over the place gets uglier and uglier. Muslim fundamentalists are some scarey people, we see it everywhere. We may have our suspicions about Christians fundamentalists too, but the kicker for me is Hindu fundamentalists. Did you even know there was such a thing? Do you know that their big deal is? Killing Muslims. What Hindu fundamentalists do to Muslims is sickening. They fight back and forth not just killing but mass-murdering each other. I'm fully convinced our fundamentalists would join in if they had the chance, all they need is the confidence that numbers and power give these other brands of fundamentalists.
I'm reading Joseph Campbell right now and he has some observations about it. When I finish I'll see if I've got something to write.
I dont' even like man overtly Christian services, I attend Unitarian services when I can as they are my perference.
