The Christmas Story

[Mando]

What a wonderful time of the year! A time of fellowship, family gatherings, a time to give thanks for the blessings about us, and a time to pray for those in need of care and protection.

The Christmas Story (source: http://www.holidays.net/christmas/story2.htm)

"Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever."
Isaiah 9: 6,7.

When Rome was a great Empire ruled by Caesar Augustus and Israel was governed by King Herod, in the village of Nazareth lived Joseph and Mary. Joseph was a carpenter and Mary was a young virgin who would become his wife. Mary told Joseph of a dream in which she was visited by an angel who told her she had been chosen to bear the Son of God and his name was to be Jesus.

One day the emperor sent notice that all persons were to register for a new tax. They were instructed to return to the towns of their birth. Joseph and Mary left Nazareth for Bethlehem. Mary who was with child, and close to the birth, rode on a donkey while Joseph walked beside her. They traveled for many days and only rested at night.

When they reached Bethlehem it was night. They looked for a place to rest but there were no empty rooms when they reached the inn. As they were being turned away Joseph mentioned his wife was with child and close to birth. The inn keeper took pity on them and told them of some caves in the nearby hills that shepherds would stay with their cows and sheep.



So Joseph and Mary went up into the hills and found the caves. In one cave was a stable room. Joseph cleaned it and made beds of fresh hay. He found a feeding trough which he cleaned and filled with hay to use as a crib. The next night Mary gave birth to a son and they named him Jesus, as the angel had said.
When the child was born a great star appeared over Bethlehem that could be seen for miles around. In the fields nearby shepherds were tending their flocks. An angel appeared to them surrounded by bright light. The shepherds were frightened and tried to run.

"Fear Not," said the angel, "For I bring you tidings of great joy. For unto you is born this day in Bethlehem - a Saviour who is Christ the Lord."

"And this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger."

Suddenly the sky was filled with angels, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men."



Yes, the Son of God did arrive…and we celebrate His birth during the Christmas holidays. A time to praise God for His mercy and the gift of salvation offered only through the sacrifice of Christ.



Please take the time during the holidays to think of your standing before an Almighty God.

[Sable]

I love this fairytale !! Even we know that its all a lie like the virgin part

[Canada Joe]

Jesus is Back

John says, "The good news is Christ is risen."

Peter says, "That's great! But, what's the bad news?"

John, looking around, says, "He's pretty pissed about last Friday."

[..Ñøßߥ..]

I had the misfortune of watching the early attempts by Christianity to brainwash kids from an early age, in the form of the ever snooze worthy School nativity play. Thankfully, my son is already well aware Jesus is in the same fairy tale story bracket as Santa and the Easter bunny, plus ofc, he spent the whole play yawning with boredom, smart kid, bored the shit outta most the parents too. Sad thing is, you can almost spot the future christians as the less switched on kids accept the fable as real.

I really wish we could push this damn religious bs out the class room where it doesn't belong. The kids would have more "fun" doing a classic fairy tale rather than the warped story line of the nativity story.

[Sable]

In the most schools in my country, they talk about other things than christians. In the religion lesson they talk about how to deal with other people, about pregnancy (the be careful part, like how to use condoms and what to do if you become pregnant and the law about abortions if the girls are too young...) At christmas they talk a little bit about the fairytale but not much. Thank God my country isn´t that religious.
and with 12 or 14 years (not sure now) the kids can make their own decision if they want this lesson at school (mostly 1 hour per week) or not.

[..Ñøßߥ..]

I have no issue with kids being taught ABOUT religion, this is very different from kids being forced to participate in hyms, prayers, etc

[Mando]

You gotta really love the plethora of demeaning, insulting assumptions in Nobby’s former post

Let me list them for you…

….early attempts by Christianity to brainwash kids
….Jesus is in the same fairy tale story bracket as Santa and the Easter bunny
….you can almost spot the future christians as the less switched on kids
.…damn religious bs
.…kids would have more "fun" doing a classic fairy tale
.…warped story line of the nativity story.

Confusing Christ with Santa Claus is a position of rebellion, as I give Nobby credit for knowing the difference, and that his assumptions come not from ignorance. Obviously, Nobby is up-to-date on mainstream New Testament or Jesus scholarship. Bottom line: if God is true, then Nobby is skrewed…so best to bolster up the unbelief with some Santa Claus comparisons.”

To in any way, other than a global covering with a web of myths, compare Christ to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, is funny only to those misinformed of the history and essence of Christianty, and likely a further perpetuation of the “Santa in the Sky” type of mentality.

The gospel tells us that Christ did not come to add to our comforts or promise us a rose garden in this life. Christ came to save sinners. Santa gives gifts. The Easter Bunny leaves chocolate eggs. The early Christians suffered. The early church hid from persecution and the church grew despite odds against it. Amazingly, Jesus came in a way that was not expected from the Jews…a disturbing deal. He came as a Messiah of far different proportions that they expected, yet the church survived. Jesus came to pay our debt of sin. Santa didn't die and resurrect from death on a cross. The Easter Bunny didn't create the world or exist outside of it from all eternity. Jesus came for those who knew that their best wasn’t good enough for salvation. Jesus came to suffer in order to be our Savior. If this sounds like Santa and the Easter Bunny, then you have deeper issues than this post will resolve.

For the Christian, there is no confusion between Santa, Easter Bunny and Christ. For the Christian, we worship the true Christ who was incarnate, crucified, risen, glorified and will return to complete the task of salvation and judgment. When Santa and the Easter Bunny have the power of creation, judging sin, damning folks to hell and saving them from the firey pit, and justifying us before a Holy God, then I’ll give your posts more time in the future.

Over the holidays, give some time to read up on the supposed myths you appear to believe, and maybe show the grace to re-educate your son so he can be a proper freethinker.

http://www.godandscience.org
http://www.tektonics.org/jesusexist/jesusexisthub.html
http://www.tektonics.org/shattering.html
http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/Shat ... stMyth.htm

Romans 1:24-32 (American Standard Version)
24 Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts unto uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves:
25 for that they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile passions: for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature:
27 and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working unseemliness, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was due.
28 And even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up unto a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;
29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
30 backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unmerciful:
32 who, knowing the ordinance of God, that they that practise such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also consent with them that practise them.

1 John 5:20 (American Standard Version)
20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

DON'T LET IT BE TOO LATE

[..Ñøßߥ..]

You gotta really love the plethora of demeaning, insulting assumptions in Nobby’s former post

Let me list them for you…

….early attempts by Christianity to brainwash kids
….Jesus is in the same fairy tale story bracket as Santa and the Easter bunny
….you can almost spot the future christians as the less switched on kids
.…damn religious bs
.…kids would have more "fun" doing a classic fairy tale
.…warped story line of the nativity story.

Confusing Christ with Santa Claus is a position of rebellion, as I give Nobby credit for knowing the difference, and that his assumptions come not from ignorance. Obviously, Nobby is up-to-date on mainstream New Testament or Jesus scholarship. Bottom line: if God is true, then Nobby is skrewed…so best to bolster up the unbelief with some Santa Claus comparisons.”

To in any way, other than a global covering with a web of myths, compare Christ to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny, is funny only to those misinformed of the history and essence of Christianty, and likely a further perpetuation of the “Santa in the Sky” type of mentality.

As usual Mando you miss the point, and continue to cling to the gospel as some sort of factual reference, my comparison was between a set of stories, created as works fiction, or a fairly tale if you prefer:

fairytale - noun - an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse

The dictionary sums the fairytale of christianity rather well, it is interesting, interesting enough to spark all the debait, but at the end of the day, as we have found out on many threads on this forum alone, its highly implausible. I'm guessing the excuse part comes down to so peoples empty lives, christianity is a great excuse for something to do on a Sunday morning.

There is only one major difference between the myth of santa and the myth of christ and that is simply that christianity was created in more detail to fool & control adults, not just children, and hats off to those folks, they have taken billions of people for one hell of a sucker ride.

The compulsory nature of the spreading of christianity in schools is exactly comparable to brain washing, with kids being pushed into singing songs of praise and devotion to a God, aswell as pledging their lives to a god via prayer. It's right outta chapter one of the brain washers handbook, only this is way more sinister as its regularly and globablly practised on our children.

Thanks for the compliment on my insults, i aim to please.

[Sable]

Well said nobby