Merry Little Podcast Christmas is Religious and That’s Okay

[Jeff Westover]

Celebrating the religious Christmas is not a new idea. But it is hardly in fashion.

Statistics show that the America public — especially those under the age of 35 — have left religion in droves. As they do so, the celebration of Christmas turns from a season of peace to a season with few limits. The history of Christmas has demonstrated this time and again for the past 2000 years.

But what if we live in a world where the religious Christmas wasn’t just unpopular but also illegal?

Think it won’t happen?

Think again. This episode of the Merry Little Podcast takes a long look at the latest rant from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and what it means.

You should consider their actions very carefully and, if you are a person of faith, maybe think of ways you can make your religious celebration of Christmas more accepted.

This isn’t about causing offense where offense is not intended. It is about standing up for what you believe and insisting on your right to believe it.

This is pretty serious food for thought as this Christmas season comes upon us. Will you celebrate a religious Christmas this year?

Continue reading...

 

[ChantelleJoy]

It's happened before! In the mid-1600s (during the English Reformation) celebrating Christmas at all was banned. Since Oliver Cromwell and the new governments considered any Catholic Symbols to be Sacrilege! Overseas, Puritans who had colonised America were radically against Christmas celebrations, too!

Read more: http://www.allthingschristmas.com/history-of-christmas/the-origin-and-history-of-christmas/

 

[MerryCarey]

It's happened before! In the mid-1600s (during the English Reformation) celebrating Christmas at all was banned. Since Oliver Cromwell and the new governments considered any Catholic Symbols to be Sacrilege! Overseas, Puritans who had colonised America were radically against Christmas celebrations, too!

Read more: http://www.allthingschristmas.com/history-of-christmas/the-origin-and-history-of-christmas/

That was the original "banned in Boston" ...

 

[Holiday]

It's a scary thought. I can't wait to listen.

 

[Jeff Westover]

It's happened before! In the mid-1600s (during the English Reformation) celebrating Christmas at all was banned. Since Oliver Cromwell and the new governments considered any Catholic Symbols to be Sacrilege! Overseas, Puritans who had colonised America were radically against Christmas celebrations, too!

Read more: http://www.allthingschristmas.com/history-of-christmas/the-origin-and-history-of-christmas/

I actually disagree with this assessment somewhat. The royals were most certainly leaders in secular excess of the season and that fueled a lot of anti-Christmas sentiment -- as did pagan celebrations of the season that saw wild partying, role reversal, even wife-swapping along with the usual drunken and disorderly conduct. To many THAT was Christmas but it was THAT behavior that was banned, not the sacred celebration of Christmas, which by that point in time had become a genuine thing.

The Puritans STILL celebrated Christmas -- they just didn't celebrate THAT Christmas. Even in Boston.

 

[ChantelleJoy]

You're right, it's actually sort of the opposite of your presupposition in the post. Banning the non-religious aspects (wild partying etc) VS banning the religious aspects (non-religious Christmas).

To be fair, I haven't yet listened to the podcast, so maybe I'll have more of an opinion afterwards.

 

[NcGunny]

Celebrating the religious Christmas is not a new idea. But it is hardly in fashion.

Statistics show that the America public — especially those under the age of 35 — have left religion in droves. As they do so, the celebration of Christmas turns from a season of peace to a season with few limits. The history of Christmas has demonstrated this time and again for the past 2000 years.

But what if we live in a world where the religious Christmas wasn’t just unpopular but also illegal?

Think it won’t happen?

Think again. This episode of the Merry Little Podcast takes a long look at the latest rant from the Freedom From Religion Foundation and what it means.

You should consider their actions very carefully and, if you are a person of faith, maybe think of ways you can make your religious celebration of Christmas more accepted.

This isn’t about causing offense where offense is not intended. It is about standing up for what you believe and insisting on your right to believe it.

This is pretty serious food for thought as this Christmas season comes upon us. Will you celebrate a religious Christmas this year?

Continue reading...

I dont know that they have abandon religion en masse as much as maybe they have just found it to hard to believe. I wasnt always a Gunnery Sgt. when I retired I was a 1st Sgt but due to being a Gunny so long I held onto the name online. Most of my troops didnt go to mass because they didnt believe, it was hard to cajole em into it when I didnt go myself. I just told em they were to young to not believe yet..lol. They would hound me to go and I just refused even when I knew they would follow. Of all the reasons I can tell you they gave me..sadly it seemed to boil down to:
1. Religion is out of date
2. They want proof they can see with their eyes
3. They have no time in their lives for it.
I think I might be different if I wouldnt have spent over a year on U.N. duty in Bosnia during the war. Read up on Bosnia and I can say it was 3x worse than what they candy coat in the books. If I put a number on the believers it would be like 15 out of 100.

 

[Jeff Westover]

I dont know that they have abandon religion en masse as much as maybe they have just found it to hard to believe. I wasnt always a Gunnery Sgt. when I retired I was a 1st Sgt but due to being a Gunny so long I held onto the name online. Most of my troops didnt go to mass because they didnt believe, it was hard to cajole em into it when I didnt go myself. I just told em they were to young to not believe yet..lol. They would hound me to go and I just refused even when I knew they would follow. Of all the reasons I can tell you they gave me..sadly it seemed to boil down to:
1. Religion is out of date
2. They want proof they can see with their eyes
3. They have no time in their lives for it.
I think I might be different if I wouldnt have spent over a year on U.N. duty in Bosnia during the war. Read up on Bosnia and I can say it was 3x worse than what they candy coat in the books. If I put a number on the believers it would be like 15 out of 100.

Wow. I would hope that you would leave your eye witness account down in writing so that it survives you. In my ongoing explorations of Christmas I've had it *up to here* with historians who bend, distort and just get wrong the details of history. I find I trust more and more the eyes, like yours, that were there.

 

[NcGunny]

Wow. I would hope that you would leave your eye witness account down in writing so that it survives you. In my ongoing explorations of Christmas I've had it *up to here* with historians who bend, distort and just get wrong the details of history. I find I trust more and more the eyes, like yours, that were th

It seems most historians always have a agenda i.e. selling books,academic enhancement, peer acolades etc. Others bend history to fit their views on the subject or discredit others because it might make them look like fools. (The political side) History is taught one sided in the school system now (politically correct side). Like I have said, just because I dont "Believe" doesnt mean that I wont fight for whatever the next person might believe in. I am not sure what catagory I fall into?!..lol whatever the name might be should probably have 'nutjob' after it..lol