As I begin, I have a simple, yet profound question for you: “What is Christmas?”
Everyone has an opinion on this subject, and most believe that they are right. After all, this is only a three worded question that should be easy, if not of child-like skill to answer. Yet, factually speaking most Americans today either have a generic interjection to this question that has been drilled into their heads from childbirth or simply do not have a clear, intelligible answer.
To examine for a moment, many would say that Christmas is all about “family.” But upon critical thought, it must be said that truly this is a very lame answer. The reason? Because, shouldn’t it be about “family” the other 364 days of the year? To say that Christmas is all about “family” is to discount, if not neglect; all of the other special and worthy moments throughout the year. In this mixed-up world, because it is only about “family” in many people’s hearts a few days out of the year; sadly that is why prisons and divorce courts are filled daily.
Still others would say that Christmas is about “gifts” and “giving of one’s self.” This too, is of very cheap phrasing and prose. This is truly because very few people in this world today actually give anything, without the expectation of something in return.
For example, Among many Christian believers it is found that they only “give of their selves” for the returned hope of heaven or some sort of blessing from on high. Not to interrupt people’s theology, but I never read where Jesus fought in the bazaar on Black Shabbat to snag a deal, or fought with his relatives for his presents, under a lighted fig tree. Jesus taught to “deny yourselves and take up your cross,” Not “give of yourselves to receive what I think I deserve.” (OUCH!)
To the more secular world, the common gift-giver expects some sort of token or acknowledgement for their generosity. If they do not receive such, they feel cheated and contemplate not giving them a gift next year. For example, have you ever played “dirty Santa” and then get the “ugly” gift? Did you feel blessed or grateful to even be receiving something, or was a gripe found upon your lips afterwards?
Exactly! I proved my point.
There are many more examples that I could use, and I know that this kind of thinking, if not accusation; is usually met with either extreme denial or rage. Most do not wish to think that they could be lacking in something, especially at Christmas time. People like to think of themselves as goodly, nice, and charitable, and to a great extent they usually are.
But to truly gage this question of “What is Christmas?” one must look at it in a different light.
What if this was your last Christmas, the last one you will ever celebrate or see?
How would you act?
What would you do?
If you knew you were going to die before the end of next year, how much more would you celebrate this Christmas? How many more carols would you sing? How many more parties and gatherings would you attend? How many more gifts would you give? How much more charitable would you be? I know that these questions seem like ones made by pushy insurance salesmen or funeral home directors, but seriously… what if?
Christmas takes on a much different importance and meaning upon the horrid thought that it could be taken away. Would it then actually matter if you didn’t get the gift you wanted? Would it then be of any real importance if you didn’t get the bonus check or vacation time that you feel that you deserve? Traditionally, this is known around the world as the “Time of giving” and the “Time of sharing,” yet in 2012 for far too many it is only the time of “ungratefulness and complaint.”
To answer the question, “What is Christmas?” Christmas is love. The love that a Savior would leave his throne in glory to ultimately degrade himself, first in a feeding trough called a manger; and then upon a bloody cross, so that people throughout the generations might know true love, peace, and joy through the gift of his sacrifice.
Truly, that word “sacrifice” is seldom spoken in 2012.
People have lost their jobs throughout this land, yet where is YOUR sacrifice of Christmas? Children are found starving, without proper clothing or shoes, without suitable shelter or warmth in America. Yes… IN AMERICA! Yet, where is YOUR Christmas? You might live another 70 years, yet there are children as well as seniors, that will die this year without knowing the love of Christmas! The self-same Christmas Spirit that many boastfully claim they have in their hearts. It should truly be said of Christmas that actions speak louder than words and gifts.
Now wait a minute!!!
It factually must be said that there is plenty of help and benevolence throughout our land, especially this time of year. As Scrooge rightly observed, “Are there no workhouses? Are there no prisons?” However, Ebenezer’s true yet seemingly vile words in today’s world would sound more like, “Are there no fruit baskets? Are there no toy drives? Are there no charities? After all, why should it matter what happens to anyone else as long as I get my Ipad?” The true meaning of Christmas is seemingly always someone else’s responsibility in 2012.
In closing, simply put: Go love, show love, and give love: for this is the meaning of Christmas. Not just to your “family” and “that you might receive” but to the hurting and the thankless and to the stranger. Give, expecting nothing. Love, expecting miracles. Boxes and bows with tinsel and holly are nice, Trees all a glitter and lights shining at night are seemingly magical at Christmastime, but they are meaningless without showing the love of Christ.
John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Jeremy M. Thayer
My Newest book “The 5 Core Truths to All Self-Destructive Behavior: Fresh Ideas in a Rigid World” is available at Amazon.com and worldwide at many fine booksellers.
If you know of anyone who is bound by harmful addictions, depression, as well as their horrible “pain of past,”
Please buy them a copy TODAY!
YOU CAN OVERCOME!
December 14th, 2012 at 8:55 am
A fine definition of Christmas, to love one another thru good works as Christ taught us. That is the message of his life which we can celebrate on his birthday and all other days.
December 14th, 2012 at 9:08 am
Thank you Patrick! …and Merry Christmas!
December 14th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
To give thanks for a man that died in hopes it would keep us all from killing each other.
To give thanks to God. For instead of giving up on us due to our lack of faith he sent his only son in the form of flesh, the only thing us ungrateful simpletons would understand,to teach us how it works. Then died to eliminate all our sins so we could begin with those lessons on a clean slate.
If mick seems a little sappy its because us ass holes just arent getting Christs teachings fast enough when 20 little kids were blown away by some deranged piece of sht that God would of wanted us to be closer to long ago.
Yes, this persons birth was a mistake, Gods creation. God put us here and Jesus to guide us. But because of our narcissitic need to create a world we think would be better than the one given, because of our prevailing wisdom which our egos have bestowed upon us,because we think treating evil like a character defect will rid us of it…
20 little kids with nothing but joyous anticipation of whats under the tree on Dec 25th have been shot down in cold blood.
Christmas is the time for all of us as a country to let these parents know we will always be there for them til their last day.
My mother loosing her daughter at 5 years old is the most pain I’ve ever seen in any one person.
That pain never left, and she denounced God.
Christmas is the day we need to to use as a vessel to rebirth of those in doubt.
I can take a lot.
But today,this sht has crippled my mind
December 14th, 2012 at 5:57 pm
As a single young RN in California-I worked “3 on a Tree”–meaning I worked all 3 holidays. Thanksgiving was the worst. Everyone ate too much and then proceeded to have heart attacks.
There were many times,the nurses scrubbed the rooms in order to have a faster flow of patients in CCU. (SEIU would not allow this now).Working ICU on New Year’s Eve was the worst “draw” of all. The drunken accidents and the brain dead were enough to make you wonder why you chose nursing.
Then my son arrived and suddenly the holidays took on a different meaning. I no longer had to work the major holidays but continued to work Thanksgiving. He made ornaments in art class and they hang in my house 365 days a year.The ceramic angels and the paper mache Santa are certainly treasured.
Just spent 3 months with my son.That was my gift to him. Celebrated his 25th birthday.Went duck hunting.Watched him sell his art and cash his paycheck.I am blessed.
Christmas to me is giving and having thanks. Every restaurant I have been in for the last 90 days–I have doubled the tip.Donated a truck load of food to a homeless shelter.Volunteered myself and my son @ a day care center so the staff could have the afternoon off.Worked one weekend @ Hospice as a volunteer.(Did my Hospice training in Texas)
Today sitting in the sunshine after hearing the horror of Sandy Hook—I wondered what are the parents going to do this holiday? The grief will be deadly and silently loud.
There is no excuse for this irrational tragedy.
December 14th, 2012 at 6:18 pm
As early as I could remember (3,4 years old), I always wondered why the “christmas spirit” wasn’t the way things always were.
Just people being friendly and caring.
December 14th, 2012 at 7:39 pm
‘As early as I could remember (3,4 years old), I always wondered why the “christmas spirit” wasn’t the way things always were.”
Meathead asked Edith why earth couldnt be like heaven.
Why all the pain, war, disease and crime ?
Edith in her infinite wisdom explained that life on earth is what makes heaven special.
Christmas is one of the days of the year we get to make the day special.
If every day were Christmas Dec 25th would mean nothing
December 14th, 2012 at 8:00 pm
“Edith in her infinite wisdom….”
You do realize that Morman Mailer created her “Edith” character as a characterization of an idiotic submissive to an idiotic “Archie Bunker” right winger.
Or did you miss that?
We can get back to Christmas?
December 14th, 2012 at 8:16 pm
Hey ass hole, I wasnt picking a fight, I was making a point, answering your question.
Edith was a scatterbrain, but moralistic to counter Archies and Meatheads ignorance.
Meathead and Archie were the extremists.
Its Edith who always found the compromise.
You can get back to Christmas when its Christmas.
Hopefully after you got past 4 you stopped asking such juvenile questions.
Its a time to give thanks for a mans birth and teachings.
Life goes on, God wants us to settle our differences, but stop on Easter and Christmas to reflect.
Acting like its Christmas all year long, pretending nothings wrong wont get that done.
Sadly enough, Christmas is the time of year when the good majority are actually the most stressed, selfish, rude, materialistic and suicidal.
Or did you miss that ?
December 14th, 2012 at 9:21 pm
Micky, that is brilliant. Meathead is really the ideal liberal man, one who would be esteemed and emulated by young liberals for supporting crackpot liberal theories and sticking it to the old white guy. And yet as you mentioned, Meathead was equally an extremist who only conservatives recognize as such. And yet everyone recognizes that Archie Bunker was the extremist at the other end. Go figure.
December 14th, 2012 at 9:56 pm
To clarify: This is a piece to cast a light on people’s hypocrisy and idol-like commercialism.
The true Spirit of Christmas is about helping others and giving of ourselves without hope of gain, not “helping ourselves” and “getting” what we want.
The entire teachings of Jesus Christ are about humility and “denying yourself” not “gimme! gimme! gimme!”
Truly, if Jesus was in the flesh, walking upon the Earth today… he would have greatly despised the spirit of America’s entitlement culture.
December 14th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Hey ass hole, Micky.
Can we get back to Christmas?
DO you ALWAYS have do be what you are.
Merry Christmas…..:-)
December 14th, 2012 at 10:37 pm
Patrick McCain….
Merry Christmas…..:-)
December 14th, 2012 at 11:07 pm
he would have greatly despised the spirit of America’s entitlement culture.
Oh, you speak for Jesus? Personally I think he would have been quite the opposite, and a bit of an anti-capitalist. After-all, he did say:
“Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24
(just FYI, it’s impossible for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle).
Or, how about Mark 10:21:
“Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
Or how about Matthew 25:41-46:
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life”.
Or, how about James 2:1-7
My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have insulted the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong?
Supposed Christians are often the least Christian people, which is why they will only apply the bible’s teachings where it’s relevant to their delusions. Christians will ignore passages like this because it doesn’t fit their narrative, or they will find a way to twist Jesus’s own words to fit their agenda, when it’s pretty clear what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was in favor of helping the poor, very much so, so I don’t think he would have much of a problem if society assisted the poor through programs like socialized healthcare as well as other assistance programs.
My aunt is about to drop another $6,000, just so she can have another shot in her back, so she can walk like a normal person. This is for a single shot. Her insurance dropped her like a sack of flower when she started becoming sick. Now she can barely walk and she has worked very hard for her entire life, raising my cousin after his father died when he was just a little boy. Do you think Jesus would say she deserves this?
December 14th, 2012 at 11:13 pm
Oh, btw, that shot will only last her 8 months where she will either have to choose to drop another $6,000 (which she doesn’t have), or suffer through crippling back pain.
WWJD
December 15th, 2012 at 12:02 am
“WWJD”
He would ask his father to heal your Aunt, and not the government.
———————————
Why dont you get a decent job and cough up the 6 Gs yourself ?
If your Aunts plan cant fork out a 1000 a month then you better hope she never gets cancer.
If the fed had to give us all a thousand a month in care, it could not survive because it simply is the most inefficient operation on earth.
And thats what you want to take care of your Aunt ?
Are you sure you love her or just using her misfortune to make a political argument, as wrong as it is ?
December 15th, 2012 at 12:19 am
Are you sure you love her or just using her misfortune to make a political argument, as wrong as it is ?
I’m making a point. Of course I love her, I give her $500/month. She has way more issues than just her back, I just happen to think it’s absurd that she has to pay 6-large for a shot.
If your Aunts plan cant fork out a 1000 a month then you better hope she never gets cancer.
WHAT PLAN?
There are MANY people who can’t afford $1K a month for heath care alone, many of which are hard working Americans. If you make $40K a year NET then that’s over 20% of your income, just for health!
But back to my previous point. How could I forget Acts 4:32-35
“All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”
December 15th, 2012 at 12:19 am
“Do you think Jesus would say she deserves this?”
Jesus gave her you.
We certainly dont deserve you.
From a different perspective, (and no way do I wish your Aunt the same)
http://micky2.wordpress.com/2007/09/10/thoughts-from-a-recovering-addict-2/#comments
My father died in my arms Christmas eve after a battle with cancer.
Did him or I deserve that ?
Yes.
The peace we both finally had was the best gift I ever had.
His insurance covered everything, but could not give him the one thing he wanted most.
And that was to die with his whole family around him.
He did not believe in God, but everyone around him, my family, did.
I did everything in my power to get my family together that night because even though he was not a believer Christmas was still his favorite day of the year.
As it turned out, he ate his last bite from my hands, said “I’m tired”, I said “well then get some rest” he put his head in my lap, and took his last breath.
My point…
get off your ass Snow and stop expecting everyone to do what is ultimately your responsibility.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:26 am
There you go again.
I want to empathize but cant when you lie.
“There are MANY people who can’t afford $1K a month for heath care alone, many of which are hard working Americans. If you make $40K a year NET then that’s over 20% of your income, just for health”
I never said she had to pay the 1000.
And your hatred for religion sure as hell wont help her.
You really need to grow up dude
December 15th, 2012 at 12:28 am
BTW, if you were me you’d find better dope for your Aunt on the street even cheaper
December 15th, 2012 at 12:29 am
Mick, I don’t make a whole lot of money, but I do everything I can for her, I assure you. In fact, I’m at her apartment right now here for when she needs someone to talk to and I’ll be here all weekend. I’m VERY close to her, and I’m her to try and help ease all her worries because she has many. Just tonight she was telling me about a new symptom she is developing, which is that her hands have been going tingly and numb. She also learned very recently that she has a spot on her lung (unfortunately she has been a smoker her whole life).
She is very trapped and there is only so much I can do, but I do what I can.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:31 am
BTW, if you were me you’d find better dope for your Aunt on the street even cheaper
I’ve been trying to get her to take a hit of pot, but she says it makes her too paranoid (she has only done it a few times in the past, many years ago). She’s your typical upstanding Christian person who is aligned well morally. She has considered trying marijuana tinctures (it’s easy to get anything MJ related here in CO).
December 15th, 2012 at 12:36 am
I want to empathize but cant when you lie.
Well maybe I misunderstood you, which is not the same as lying.
And as for my disregard for religion, I’m not very open about that with my family. I certainly don’t debate religion with her and will always be supportive of her beliefs.
You may think I’m some sick whacko, and I can respect that, like you I talk a lot of sh*t here, but that’s left here. The last thing I would do to my aunt while she’s experiencing what she has been experiencing is exclaim my rejection for what she believes in. I might be an ass-hole, especially here, but I’m not that sick dood.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:50 am
Every Saturday morning I bring food to St. Marks pantry/Seventh Day Adventist for the homeless/hungry.
I’m going to print this out, take it there, and have the whole church pray for your Aunt.
I will also ask for input on how you two can get some sort of assistance,
I’m assuming you’ve tried all avenues but if I’m wrong I’ll also assume you are resourceful enough to hustle up some bucks from the hundreds of private and/or faith based programs that will contribute to a truly dire situation.
Me, myself, in your shoes, would not depend on anyone but myself, and certainly not a government thats broke.
My med bills due to addiction were phenomenal.
I could not pay them because like most junkies were broke when the need truly arises.
I wrote the hospital (Seventh Day Adventist) a letter of blatant blunt truth and gratitude while asking if they could somehow renegotiate the 24,000.00 they wanted.(after insurance)
I’m obviously good at this.
They forgave the entire bill
December 15th, 2012 at 1:01 am
If shes not opiate intolerant discuss her taking some MS-Contin, time released morphine or quality pharmaceuticals.
It can sometimes actually be cheaper getting them illegally than going thru doctor bills and ins premiums.
Risky, but I’d do it for any family member.
If Aunties faith conflicts with this or shes concerned for your safety/freedom I’ll suggest you lie your ass off just to help her.
But, thats just me and my two cents
December 15th, 2012 at 1:03 am
We are making due, it’s not easy. My biggest worry now is the spot on her lung. It has not been confirmed as cancer, but we are still scared. We can make due with her back problem because I do give her $6K/year, but cancer would obviously be incredibly devastating, as you know first-hand. Lung cancer is particularly rough.
I really do appreciate your thoughts and prayers and you bringing it to others to pray for her. Yes, I’m atheist (more agnostic really), but those acts certainly will not be shot down by me because prayer is a positive thing.
It’s almost 2:00A here now and today has been especially rough so I’m signing out. Thanks again for the gratitude.
December 15th, 2012 at 1:19 am
Stop the presses! Jeremy, your article about the birth of Christ has succeeded in the impossible, which is bringing Micky and Snow Crash together as if fire and ice could coexist. Really this is a miracle.
Snow, I send Catholic prayers (even better prayers than Micky) for your auntie.
December 15th, 2012 at 4:16 am
Getting back to the thread, “What is Christmas”, we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, reminding ourselves that we all share a common, humble beginning. We enter the world naked, innocent and defenseless. By the grace of God, through faith, hope and yes, charity, we grow up as part of a loving family in a peaceful community.
The Baby Jesus is part of the covenant between God and Man. That link to our destiny and salvation. That God sends Man His only son, in flesh and blood, to live among us. To love Jesus is to love God and all things, including ourselves.
December 15th, 2012 at 5:33 am
“we celebrate the birth of the Baby Jesus, reminding ourselves that we all share a common, humble beginning. We enter the world naked, innocent and defenseless. ”
That reminds me.
I saw a Christmas card at a specialty card shop.
A dumpster out back a Planned Parenthood with a halo over it.
=============
At least once in a lifetime we should sht can all the retail mania, the self indulgence,maybe just give the kid some underwear in a tube,and go work a shelter or see whos hiding under bridges.
Bring kleenex, and pepper spray
I promise you, every Christmas after that will never be the same, for you.
The teens especially. My boy nearly went into a Coma at the sound of no I-Tunes gift card.
I said “do what I did at 17. Listen to the radio and when your favorite song gets played hold the mic from your reel to reel up to the speaker and tape the song yourself”.
He turns 18 in Jan. Hes getting luggage for Christmas.
December 15th, 2012 at 6:37 am
I meant “entitlement culture” as able-bodied people sitting on their butt to get a gubment check, not deserving seniors or the sick or children.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
Something that people throughout this land need to remember.
December 15th, 2012 at 7:11 am
““All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.”
You need to remember.
These acts were voluntary, not forced socialist mandates
December 15th, 2012 at 7:51 am
“These acts were voluntary, not forced socialist mandates” AMEN! Done from the heart
December 15th, 2012 at 8:04 am
Merry Christmas to all, and to all good debate!
December 15th, 2012 at 9:25 am
To me, Christmas is about being with your friends and family, setting at least one day aside to get together, set differences aside, and loving one another.
I think a lot of the message has been lost over the years due to commercialism and consumerism. I think presents are great, but sometimes it seems that togetherness takes a bit of a backseat. Oftentimes when you ask a kid how good their Christmas was, their response will depend on if they got what they wanted.
Events like Black Friday (and now Black Thursday/Friday along with Cyber Monday) are compounding the consumerism problem.
When I grew up Christmas was always the same. My siblings and I would wake up early, one of us would sneak upstairs to wake the parents, they’d finally wake up and with some disappointment we would be forced to wait until after breakfast to open gifts. Finally we would open them and we would play with those gifts all day long – which is awesome as a kid, but I never really ‘got it’. It seems that this is a fairly common Christmas. It’s not uncommon to see kids cry because they didn’t get what they wanted.
Most of my family is having money issues the last few years, so it’s very hard for most of us to afford awesome gifts, so now we just do the thing where we each buy one gift for one other person (rather than each person buying a gift for everyone else) and to me it has helped rekindle the spirit. It feels more like a holiday and less like a giant debt, which is great.
I do really enjoy Christmas though, and I’m a sucker for the music. I just wish more of society would get back to the roots of the holiday, rather than drown in the consumerist aspects starting a month before the holiday.
December 15th, 2012 at 9:37 am
These acts were voluntary, not forced socialist mandates
This is true, however, he was also for paying taxes.
One thing is for sure, Jesus was not a big fan of the rich (proof by passages such as the one where he exclaims that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter heaven). There are quite a few anti-rich passages throughout the New Testament, but it seems like we bend over backwards for the rich in this country. In fact, the driving force behind capitalism is to become rich, to make it ‘big’. But with riches comes greed, that’s just human nature. It’s why we haven’t seen a reasonable increase in minimum wage for years, but many companies continue to show record profits.
I meant “entitlement culture” as able-bodied people sitting on their butt to get a gubment check, not deserving seniors or the sick or children.
I don’t think this is as big of a problem as Republicans often state. It’s just damn hard to find a job anymore. My dad has been unemployed for a year now and he is trying to find any sort of work to no avail. Also, he is aging now so it’s becoming harder to find work – he doesn’t have enough money saved to retire thanks to his continuous heart problems (has had multiple heart attacks).
Yes, there are welfare queens, but that’s a small fraction of the people and to hack down the safety net for all because of a few is a bit screwed up in my opinion.
December 15th, 2012 at 10:48 am
Jeremy M. Thayer – If Jesus were alive today, he would be reviled as a socialist community organizer, without the “balls” to be successful (rich).
A tree-hugging weakling pacifist, lazy non-industrious deadbeat without any wealth to show for himself. A failure.
At least that’s how a conservative would see him.
December 15th, 2012 at 11:55 am
“This is true, however, he was also for paying taxes.”
Yeah, that would be a flat tax, 10%.
And he wouldnt throw your ass in jail if you didnt want to give it to idiots who pi$$ it away.
“Yes, there are welfare queens, but that’s a small fraction of the people and to hack down the safety net for all because of a few is a bit screwed up in my opinion.”
“All” ?
“One thing is for sure, Jesus was not a big fan of the rich (proof by passages such as the one where he exclaims that it’s easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for the rich to enter heaven).”
BS, his point was that money cant buy you heaven or happiness.
He had no problem with a man prospering to take as good care of his family and friends as possible.
Sin is not exclusive to wealth.
Where do you guys dig this sht up ?
Ron…shut up.
Thou shalt not covet…
That means getcher own sht, learn how to fish, and stop begging
December 15th, 2012 at 12:13 pm
“At least that’s how a conservative would see him.”
Right, thats why the majority of conservatives are Christians.
It was an over reaching government that felt his threat of free will prophecy and worship would destroy their tyrannical hold on its people.
It was a liberal who snitched him out.
Couldnt make a buck to save his life and sold a mans life for a pittance.
Stop using Jesus and the celebration of his birth to make your half assed political polarization’s.
December 15th, 2012 at 12:49 pm
Where do you guys dig this sht up ?
The Bible.
December 15th, 2012 at 3:03 pm
Snow;
“The Bible”
Oh dear, I must be missing some pages.
Where the hell does it say…
“A tree-hugging weakling pacifist, lazy non-industrious deadbeat without any wealth to show for himself. A failure.
At least that’s how a conservative would see him.” ?????????
December 15th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
We only give the kids presents.
Instead the whole family gets together for thee most outrageous gourmet potluck anyones ever seen.
December 15th, 2012 at 3:34 pm
Ron said that. I’m just saying that the anti-rich passages that I posted are directly from the Bible.
December 15th, 2012 at 4:15 pm
Yeah I know who said it.
But we also need to look at your interpreted context of scripture as your words.
The sharing you quoted out of the bible were literally voluntary acts and nothing else.
December 15th, 2012 at 9:19 pm
To rebut RonM’s quip about Jesus -”A tree-hugging weakling pacifist, lazy non-industrious deadbeat without any wealth to show for himself. A failure.”
Jesus had a job and worked for a living. He was a carpenter. They didn’t have Lowes or Home Depot in 1st century A.D. No power tools. No running water. No chainsaws or heavy equipment. An ancient carpenter was hardly lazy, weak, and certainly not a deadbeat, without any wealth.
Secondly, A true “pacifist” would never take a whip and hit people and kick over the money changer’s table, driving everyone out of the temple of the LORD. A True pacifist would never stand up to the high priest and call the religious leaders of the day “hypocrites” and “children of hell”
In any instance if he was a “pacifist” he would have just folded his arms and let the world pass him by.
December 16th, 2012 at 12:48 am
No kidding. Lefties, in their infinite void, attempting to usurp a Christian prophet while despising him at the same time, is truly an amazing accomplishment. The capability of supporting two contrasting thoughts at the same time is wondrous.
As stupid as saying that Marx was a business leader, which yes he was, but it is a rather nonsensical connection to claim him as a champion of capitalism.
December 16th, 2012 at 6:16 am
Well Patrick, as we now know, Marxism is serious “business” these days.