From Luke 2: 8-18 (NIV):

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them,

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good new of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,

"Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

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Have you noticed? Some stores are actually using the word, CHRISTMAS, in their advertising this year. It is nice to see. After all, Christmas is the reason people go out in the cold, spend money they don't have, and brave the crowds!

Our family pretty much gave up exchanging gifts some years ago. Outside of gifts for my son (we're not total Grinches), it is pretty much "teensies" for the rest of the family. I realized I am still short a few teensies, so out to the stores I must go today.

Which ones? The ones that advertise they are celebrating Christmas! I'm hoping Target or Kohl's will have what I need since  both stores are using the word Christmas.  

Some stores make a point of ignoring Christmas in their advertising and displays or go to ridiculous lengths to avoid it. Last year, I think it was Lowe's called their Christmas trees "Family" trees!

The American Family Association has been following this issue for years now. They recently reported a new victory with Costco stores. Costco had ignored Christmas in their stores, websites and emails, but "One unnamed store manager said, 'The company has received so many e-mails and complaints that they are changing all their holiday cakes to say Merry Christmas and will be saying it in the stores.' " 

So you see, your input does matter! If you want to check out which stores celebrate Christmas and which don't, check out their  “Naughty and Nice” list.

If this issue is important to you, please let the stores know. I'm emailing Kohl's (Customer.Service@Kohls.com) and Target to thank them for recognizing the importance of including Christmas in their advertising. Even though we don't have Costco stores in our area, you may wish to contact them too to say thanks.

Don't be afraid to say it: Merry Christmas! 

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Our state capitol in Madison has a Christmas tree (I am using last year's term), a menorah for Hanukkah, and I think something for Kwanza too. I am fine with that. They are holidays celebrated in December by people of various religions and cultures in our state.

Last year I heard they also included a Winter Solstice plaque. They have it this year too.

The Winter Solstice is Dec. 22. It is marks the point in earth's orbit that we have the longest period of night time hours and shortest period of daylight hours in our year (because of the earth's tilt on its axis.) It is a fact in our astronomical calendar. (Southern hemisphere has the summer solstice at this same time.)

It is also the day for many ancient pagan celebrations. The Romans would celebrate Saturnalia during the solstice. The Druids and Celts also had celebrations; many groups did and still do. Today, those in the earth goddess movement or atheists often acknowledge or celebrate the solstice.

OK, put up a display at the Capitol. But does it have to be this?

At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail.  There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell.  There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.

I could go along with the 1st and 3rd sentence. It is their opinion and they have the right to it. That doesn't mean I believe it is true, but we still do have the right to free speech.

But that 2nd and last statement? That to me is negative and hate speech. There is no reason to insult those of other beliefs. I don't think this should be allowed--certainly not in a display of holiday celebration. Holiday displays should be positive.

This is a classical example of the bias against Christianity and religion in government and the media. Have you heard anything about this? I only heard about it last year and this because of talk show host Vicki McKenna. She describes herself as not particularly religious, but this hateful statement must have violated her sensibilities too.

Christians could post a Bible verse stating how those who reject God are destined for eternal separation from Him (and I believe it is true), but this would not be appropriate for a holiday celebration display. They might even post a positive verse about Jesus' birth, that He would save the people from their sins. 

But posting anything from the Bible would probably not be allowed. Why, we cannot even call what is obviously a Christmas tree a Christmas tree, and there is nothing religious about it except its adjective!

Yet the atheists can post this? "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Christians, in case you haven't been paying attention, your rights are quickly slipping away. If you don't bother to start speaking up for yourselves, expect to see more of this blatant bias against your beliefs.

Contact page for Gov. Doyle  (I asked the Governor to restore the term, "Christmas tree" and remove the Solstice plaque until a more positive statement was crafted.)

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Last year, the State Assembly had to fight to get the Capitol Christmas tree called just that, a CHRISTMAS tree. In our culture, if it were not for Christmas, whether you celebrate it as religious holiday or secular, why else would you cut down a tree and bring it indoors?

This year? We are again calling that indoor tree something other than what it is. This year, it is The CAPITOL tree:

Yes, that silly, contrived, and seemingly interminable argument over the nomenclature of the conifer that’s erected in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda every December looked to be settled last year, at least for awhile, with the official legislative relabeling of the garlanded Tannenbaum as the Wisconsin Christmas Tree.

On Monday, though, the office of Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle issued a press release dubbing it the "Capitol Tree.

This is sickening. Calling it a Christmas Tree does not violate separation of church and state in any way. Separation of church and state is one of THE most misunderstood* concepts we have. As it is interpreted today, there is nothing in our Declaration of Independence, Constitution, or Bill or Rights that would prohibit any government agency from calling a tree decked out in lights and ornaments what it is, A CHRISTMAS TREE! But that is another subject for another day.

Today, it is just the absurdity of calling an this object a Capitol tree rather than what it is. But then again, it is Madison. 

So, do I wish you a Merry Capitol?

 
*The question about the separation of church and state's origin was missed by most on that Civics Test.

Fellow Blogger Tom Gehl wrote about the Church and State issue last year: Church and State - part 1 and  Church and State - part 2

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Most people are not aware that the Pilgrims arrived in the new world in November of 1620--one year before the day we commemorate as the first Thanksgiving.

The Pilgrims had endured a 9 week ocean journey for one reason only, freedom. Freedom to worship God in their own way.

They contracted with the Virginia Company and were to have established a colony in northern Virginia. But when land was sighted, they found themselves in a wilderness "many leagues to the north" at a place we call today, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At last, their journey come to an end. The Pilgrims knelt on the deck of the Mayflower during their morning prayer time and thanked God for their safe arrival.

Now what? 

Some of the "strangers" (non pilgrims) quickly saw this as an opportunity to be a law unto themselves. "They would not be bound by the Virginia patent." Elder Brewster, the Pilgrim's religious leader, saw this as unacceptable and so the Mayflower Compact came to be.

"If the Mayflower passengers were not under the laws of Virginia, then they would make their own law, and agree to abide strictly by it."* The Compact:

In the Name of God, Amen. We, whose names are underwritten, the loyal; subjects of our dread sovereign Lord King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britain...having undertaken, for the glory of God, and advancement of the Christian faith, and the colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do, solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which we promise all due submission and obedience... In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod the 11 of November...1620.

From this simple mutual agreement, took form the first American Commonwealth, the beginning "of government of the people, by the people, for the people."

...It had been a difficult journey. Bradford tells us that, of the 103 Mayflower Pilgrim disembarking passengers, 51 of these died during the first New England winter. However, this stalwart band of settlers who had braved the dangerous seas and inhospitable New England shores, to live their lives in harmony with God's Holy Scriptures, preserved in prayer, obedience and praise to Almighty God.** 

The Pilgrims lived aboard the Mayflower during that first winter as there was little opportunity to build individual houses. The able men went ashore to explore and build a common house to be used to store their goods.

By Christmas the large house was about finished. "...provisions and ammunition were brought ashore and stored in it. In the remaining space the sick beds lay end to end."

At times there were few well enough to tend to the sick, but tend them they did. Be they their Christian brothers and sisters or the Mayflower crew members, who were not at all kind to the Pilgrims, they were all treated with tender mercies by the Pilgrim people. William Bradford writes:

[They] spared no pains, night or day, but with abundance of toyle and hazard of their owne health, fetched them woode, made them fires, drest them meat, made their beads, washed their lothsome cloaths, cloathed and unclothed them; in a word did all ye homly and necessarie offices for them which dainty & quesie stomacks can not endure to hear named; & all this willingly and cherefully, without any grudging in ye least, whewing herein their true love unto their friends...

In the fires and ice of that first winter, their spirits were steel-tempered to build a nation of men and women who would never turn back in quest of freedom and justice and brotherhood.*

The Pilgrims had a rough first year. Is it any wonder they celebrated with a feast of Thanksgiving to the Almighty to mark their first harvest and first year in their new land?

A blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours. We have much to be thankful for. In addition to the material blessings I have, I thank God for these strong, "steel-tempered" godly men and women who had the grit to survive. They set our country on the path of liberty and for that, I am grateful.

* The Landing of the Pilgrims, by James Daugherty, a Landmark Book 

**The Rewriting of America's History, by Cahterine Millard 

George Washington's Thanksgiving  Proclamation

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It is true; I don't get out much. But even I notice that the retail world goes directly from Halloween to Christmas decorations, totally ignoring Thanksgiving. Every year, the Christmas decor comes out earlier and earlier.

This year I observed Mayfair Mall donned its Christmas decor BEFORE Halloween! I had gone there on Oct. 24th to get my monthly 5# bag of Sumatra whole bean coffee. The mall was decked in reds and greens.

Last Saturday I went to Mayfair again. (Yup, for coffee.) While I did not shop the entire mall, I did walk past many stores and breezed in a few just to look.

Only one store that I saw on the main floor featured an autumn or Thanksgiving theme. That store was Williams-Sonoma, a.k.a. a cooks heaven. Ah, great! A store that acknowledges the season of Thanksgiving.

As I walked through the store it came to me. People cook for Thanksgiving. It is probably one of the major cooking holidays of the year. Of course the store would be pushing Thanksgiving--it is one of the few times a year people cook! Thanksgiving is a BIG day in the culinary retail world. None the less, it was nice to see the displays.

I think it is a sad commentary that Thanksgiving gets squeezed out as a holiday, and more importantly the reason we are celebrating ignored. The day set aside to thank God for His provision has devolved into Turkey Day, football, shopping (I thought I heard a radio ad say Gander Mountain was open Thanksgiving day) and preparing a strategy for Black Friday sales.

Yesterday I saw a Christmas wreath lit on a home. I understand people wanting to put up the decorations while the weather is still nice. But please, can we just hold off lighting them until after Thanksgiving?

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