Nativity scene on Deerfield town square

[Dreepa]

Although I am an athiest, I love Christmas.

Ah!!!? So ... You rejoice at the birth of the Son of God, despite being atheist?? ???? ???? ???

Or are you referring to the secularized corruption of the holiday??

Caleb

Didn't the Catholics take it over and convert it to Christmas to win converts?

http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract3.html
http://www.origin-of-christmas.com/
http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm

[Kat Kanning]

Yeah, my mom doesn't do christmas cause she says it's pagan.

[Lloyd Danforth]

Probably just cheap.

[Kat Kanning]

LOL, no.  She doesn't even want to be given presents.  I send her stuff other times during the year so she can't object.

[mvpel]

It strikes me that if political signs are not allowed on public property, that privately owned religious displays shouldn't either.

[Kat Kanning]

Political signs are placed alongside the roads all the time.

[Russell Kanning]

Some fun at Christmas in NH:
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/travel/search/index.php?state=NH&travelregion=&city=&type=5&menulevel=2

for the future Berliners:
http://www.yankeemagazine.com/travel/search/onelisting.php?number=21350&clicksourcenumber=1&clicktypenumber=5&urlsearchcriteria=&startat=

[Eli]

So Russell.  Are those your true colors, State support of religion is acceptable, but state schools are forbidden?  I always say that I've never met a Christian who wasn't a statist.  I thought you were an exception... was I wrong?

[Kat Kanning]

Huh?  He just posted some christmas links....nothing to do with the government.

[Russell Kanning]

So Russell. Are those your true colors, State support of religion is acceptable, but state schools are forbidden? I always say that I've never met a Christian who wasn't a statist. I thought you were an exception... was I wrong?

Did you go to the links?

[Pat McCotter]

Only if he plays golf.

[mvpel]

Political signs are placed alongside the roads all the time.

According to the law, they're not allowed there unless on private property.

[Caleb]

Didn't the Catholics take it over and convert it to Christmas to win converts?

Mostly true ... although I would probably disagree that the "Catholics" did it, since Christmas was established long before the Catholic Church.

No one knows the date of Jesus' birth, although a lot of people have speculated using biblical clues, the fact is that the Bible doesn't say for certain when Jesus was born.  Winter is very unlikely, however, because Palestine is usually cold in December and flocks are kept in, whereas the Bible says that the shepherds were out with the sheep when Jesus was born. 

December 25 was chosen to coincide with a Roman holiday to honor Saturn, as part of the church's policy of presenting the gospel in terms that the people were already familiar with. 

That having been said ... since the date is unknown, and we have been celebrating Christ's birth on December 25 for the past 1700 years ... there doesn't seem to be much point in trying to change it to another day.  If we knew what day he was actually born, that would be a different matter.

But I don't do the whole "Santa Claus" or presents thing either.  For me, it is a day of reflection, in consideration of what Jesus actually meant to the world.

Caleb

[mvpel]

The Catholic Church styles itself as the "original" church, with the Pope in an unbroken line of succession from St. Peter.

[KBCraig]

The Catholic Church styles itself as the "original" church, with the Pope in an unbroken line of succession from St. Peter.

And of course, the line of succession has been broken, split, disputed, unfilled, fought over, forked, and has generally been everything except "unbroken". The Russians, Greeks, Serbs, etc., have equally "unbroken", yet parallel, lines of succession in the eastern Orthodox branches.

Kevin