Bonnie Alba
Ho hum! December is atheists' favorite month
By Bonnie Alba
This is the annual season of Anti-Christmas sentiment. The naysayers feel they shouldn't have to put up with this traditional nonsense, so they intimidate by threatening law suits (school boards, administrators, as well as civic groups, shake in their boots at the thought).
Guess they feel they've done their job if the public schools no longer celebrate "Christmas." Now it's "Winter" versus "Christmas" concerts or programs. Many school districts have moved to disallow traditional music-songs such as Silent Night or Oh Come All ye Faithful. Just give us Frosty, Rudolph and All I want for Christmas. Let's hear it for "Politically Correct." Heaven forbid that "Christmas Pageants" be held enacting the birth of Baby Jesus.
Last year was the year of bus advertisements. One in New York city: "You don't have to believe in God to be a moral or ethical person" www.NYC-atheists.org. This year, it's Billboards (Bigger must be better.)
The newest billboards depict the three wise men on camels headed to the traditional manger scene, but one billboard depicted men on camels headed to no destination. Their message as stated: "You KNOW it's a Myth; This Season, Celebrate REASON!"
I kind of like the "no destination" billboard. The message is then three camel-riding men who depend on man's "Reasoning" instead of the "Myth" and have no specific destination in mind. And, I might add, no hope.
Of course anti-Christmas is anti-Christian. Christians celebrate the birth of Christ who represents Hope. Since around 80 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, that means a very small crowd don't believe the "myth" or in any god and are attempting to educate the rest of us to a celebration of "man's reasoning."
As for American capitalism and the tradition of buying Christmas gifts, many retailers learned a hard lesson over the last few years when they chose the politically correct route. By disallowing signs or employees expressing "Merry Christmas" and the traditional, inspirational Christmas music in the ears of shoppers, they saw their profits decline.
Since then, some retailers have chosen to return to the more traditional "Merry Christmas" route. Maybe some will report the improvement in sales when they include Christmas in their advertising.
Men have always used their God-given reasoning. But that doesn't mean they're always right. All we have to do is watch the nightly news talk on politics, Wall Street or any of a myriad of topics to see man's reasoning. Pundits and news reporters reason but still arrive at totally different views. There is much more to take into account than just the way we think. People tend to believe anything when said often enough.
Let's go a little further in this reasoning that the humanists/atheists use. Let's say we celebrate "Reason" — whose reasoning should we celebrate? Should we celebrate man's achievements in Science? in Capitalism? Communism? Hitler? Wars? in Education indoctrination? — the list could go on and on. Reason by itself says nothing. Yes, as the bus sign said, "You don't have to believe in God to be a moral or ethical person" — Christians already know that. We are all born with a "conscience" whether developed or under-developed during our brief life spans.
Now we come to what is called circular reasoning or a tautology in some intellectual and law circles. As I understand it, when you reason from one basic premise and end up right back at the original premise, it's circular reasoning with no bedrock, no foundation.
The atheist celebrators of man's "Reason" would have us believe that man's origin and all life arose from nothing. Or, that the seeds of mankind were planted by other beings from far out in space. No historical evidence — that's pretty shaky ground to be standing on for hope.
Christians believe in God as the Creator and Sovereign over his creation. They believe and have faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, as the Hope of all mankind. Their belief in an intelligent being who created and still has a purpose and a plan for mankind is a Hope borne out by God's Written Word.
Thank you atheists. You have done a greater service than you can imagine. Your billboard advertisements attacking what you call a "myth" has only served to cement the Faith of millions who know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you do not.
We hold you up in prayer.
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
December 16, 2010
This is the annual season of Anti-Christmas sentiment. The naysayers feel they shouldn't have to put up with this traditional nonsense, so they intimidate by threatening law suits (school boards, administrators, as well as civic groups, shake in their boots at the thought).
Guess they feel they've done their job if the public schools no longer celebrate "Christmas." Now it's "Winter" versus "Christmas" concerts or programs. Many school districts have moved to disallow traditional music-songs such as Silent Night or Oh Come All ye Faithful. Just give us Frosty, Rudolph and All I want for Christmas. Let's hear it for "Politically Correct." Heaven forbid that "Christmas Pageants" be held enacting the birth of Baby Jesus.
Last year was the year of bus advertisements. One in New York city: "You don't have to believe in God to be a moral or ethical person" www.NYC-atheists.org. This year, it's Billboards (Bigger must be better.)
The newest billboards depict the three wise men on camels headed to the traditional manger scene, but one billboard depicted men on camels headed to no destination. Their message as stated: "You KNOW it's a Myth; This Season, Celebrate REASON!"
I kind of like the "no destination" billboard. The message is then three camel-riding men who depend on man's "Reasoning" instead of the "Myth" and have no specific destination in mind. And, I might add, no hope.
Of course anti-Christmas is anti-Christian. Christians celebrate the birth of Christ who represents Hope. Since around 80 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians, that means a very small crowd don't believe the "myth" or in any god and are attempting to educate the rest of us to a celebration of "man's reasoning."
As for American capitalism and the tradition of buying Christmas gifts, many retailers learned a hard lesson over the last few years when they chose the politically correct route. By disallowing signs or employees expressing "Merry Christmas" and the traditional, inspirational Christmas music in the ears of shoppers, they saw their profits decline.
Since then, some retailers have chosen to return to the more traditional "Merry Christmas" route. Maybe some will report the improvement in sales when they include Christmas in their advertising.
Men have always used their God-given reasoning. But that doesn't mean they're always right. All we have to do is watch the nightly news talk on politics, Wall Street or any of a myriad of topics to see man's reasoning. Pundits and news reporters reason but still arrive at totally different views. There is much more to take into account than just the way we think. People tend to believe anything when said often enough.
Let's go a little further in this reasoning that the humanists/atheists use. Let's say we celebrate "Reason" — whose reasoning should we celebrate? Should we celebrate man's achievements in Science? in Capitalism? Communism? Hitler? Wars? in Education indoctrination? — the list could go on and on. Reason by itself says nothing. Yes, as the bus sign said, "You don't have to believe in God to be a moral or ethical person" — Christians already know that. We are all born with a "conscience" whether developed or under-developed during our brief life spans.
Now we come to what is called circular reasoning or a tautology in some intellectual and law circles. As I understand it, when you reason from one basic premise and end up right back at the original premise, it's circular reasoning with no bedrock, no foundation.
The atheist celebrators of man's "Reason" would have us believe that man's origin and all life arose from nothing. Or, that the seeds of mankind were planted by other beings from far out in space. No historical evidence — that's pretty shaky ground to be standing on for hope.
Christians believe in God as the Creator and Sovereign over his creation. They believe and have faith in his Son, Jesus Christ, as the Hope of all mankind. Their belief in an intelligent being who created and still has a purpose and a plan for mankind is a Hope borne out by God's Written Word.
Thank you atheists. You have done a greater service than you can imagine. Your billboard advertisements attacking what you call a "myth" has only served to cement the Faith of millions who know beyond a shadow of a doubt what you do not.
We hold you up in prayer.
Merry Christmas!
© Bonnie Alba
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