Sunday, December 17, 2006
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...........
Well, here we are, not many days until Christmas. What I want to write about here, I've been thinking of longer than that. A few weeks ago the idea began to grow, when signs of it began showing up along with Christmas decorations,in the market places, and especially at the mall.
When a quote of the week about how we celebrate Christmas surfaced, I became even more interested in posting about this.
This isn't just about how Christmas has become a commercialized gift giving mania. What should be the focal point of it, Christ's birth, is not only pretty much ignored, now a days there seems to be a nation wide effort to suppress how we even speak of it.
A long time ago, it became socially correct to be politically correct. What comes to mind here is something I've often heard: that we shouldn't bring up politics or religion in social settings. But about this holiday that's almost here, we are, are we not, celebrating Jesus birth.
Consider, if you will, what we call December 25, and where the word, Christmas came from.
Some may wonder why I'm so adamant about this. I'm concerned about it because I think the way it's being dealt with goes further than just urging us to be socially proper, so as to not offend, or tread on anybody's rights.
A hallmark of Christianity is that we should have compassion for the needy and poor. A year or so ago, when Christmas drew near, a big shopping giant announced it would no longer allow Salvation Army Bell Ringers at entrances to their stores.
Because, they said, their presence might offend someone. The Salvation Army feeds hungry people, and gives clothes to those who need them, and these are provided by donations.
I understand they also help needy people in other ways. Whatever is tossed in the bell ringer's kettle, all of it is always voluntary. When you walk by one, have you noticed they never ask for anything.
While we're being encouraged to not say much about Christmas being Christmas, the media, especially the entertainment media, would also affect our thinking. While I was at the mall this week, I checked to see what movies are playing. Of three, one's caption read "What If you Could Live Forever?" It said nothing about the advertizement having anything to do with religion, just what if you could make yourself immortal. Another of the three movies showing was titled simply: "Babel".
In recent time, the public was informed to overflowing about a movie called the da Vinci Code. Not only was the movie hyped most everywhere, It's available in book form, too.
Long ago, there were movies about Bible stories. The parting of the Red Sea, and the chariot races especially stand out for me. But what's being made today pushes the limits, asks if Christianity's really real. It does this in a seemingly innocuous way. Presents a theme to catch the public's attention, and theme after theme follows, until it's considered usual to feed one's mind with these concepts, as if they were historical facts, instead of only subtle advertising.
Today, in the Denver Post's Arts and Entertainment section there's an article called "Putting Faith In Showbiz". It takes up at least a half a page of the paper. It describes a stand-up comedy tour available on DVD called "Thou Shalt Laugh".
At one point in the article, it is pointed out that "the Christian entertainment industry has boomed into a more than a $3 billion-a-year-industry."
One seasonal movie I read about just yesterday is called, I believe, "The Nativity", and the catchy short and to the point advertizement for it simply says something like: "it will put Christ back in Christmas". As I read this I felt we have come full circle here. Isn't that how this matter became a topic for discussion this time of year.
I'm not saying it's not alright to enjoy entertainment, like "A Charlie Brown Christmas", It's author taught us many humane principles. The difference though, is that he didn't present them as anything other than what they were, lovely thoughts to laugh about and consider.
What's important to remember, I think, is that we have the same right, given us by God and Country, to decide how much or how little we care to be influenced by Hollywood's latest theme.
When a quote of the week about how we celebrate Christmas surfaced, I became even more interested in posting about this.
This isn't just about how Christmas has become a commercialized gift giving mania. What should be the focal point of it, Christ's birth, is not only pretty much ignored, now a days there seems to be a nation wide effort to suppress how we even speak of it.
A long time ago, it became socially correct to be politically correct. What comes to mind here is something I've often heard: that we shouldn't bring up politics or religion in social settings. But about this holiday that's almost here, we are, are we not, celebrating Jesus birth.
Consider, if you will, what we call December 25, and where the word, Christmas came from.
Some may wonder why I'm so adamant about this. I'm concerned about it because I think the way it's being dealt with goes further than just urging us to be socially proper, so as to not offend, or tread on anybody's rights.
A hallmark of Christianity is that we should have compassion for the needy and poor. A year or so ago, when Christmas drew near, a big shopping giant announced it would no longer allow Salvation Army Bell Ringers at entrances to their stores.
Because, they said, their presence might offend someone. The Salvation Army feeds hungry people, and gives clothes to those who need them, and these are provided by donations.
I understand they also help needy people in other ways. Whatever is tossed in the bell ringer's kettle, all of it is always voluntary. When you walk by one, have you noticed they never ask for anything.
While we're being encouraged to not say much about Christmas being Christmas, the media, especially the entertainment media, would also affect our thinking. While I was at the mall this week, I checked to see what movies are playing. Of three, one's caption read "What If you Could Live Forever?" It said nothing about the advertizement having anything to do with religion, just what if you could make yourself immortal. Another of the three movies showing was titled simply: "Babel".
In recent time, the public was informed to overflowing about a movie called the da Vinci Code. Not only was the movie hyped most everywhere, It's available in book form, too.
Long ago, there were movies about Bible stories. The parting of the Red Sea, and the chariot races especially stand out for me. But what's being made today pushes the limits, asks if Christianity's really real. It does this in a seemingly innocuous way. Presents a theme to catch the public's attention, and theme after theme follows, until it's considered usual to feed one's mind with these concepts, as if they were historical facts, instead of only subtle advertising.
Today, in the Denver Post's Arts and Entertainment section there's an article called "Putting Faith In Showbiz". It takes up at least a half a page of the paper. It describes a stand-up comedy tour available on DVD called "Thou Shalt Laugh".
At one point in the article, it is pointed out that "the Christian entertainment industry has boomed into a more than a $3 billion-a-year-industry."
One seasonal movie I read about just yesterday is called, I believe, "The Nativity", and the catchy short and to the point advertizement for it simply says something like: "it will put Christ back in Christmas". As I read this I felt we have come full circle here. Isn't that how this matter became a topic for discussion this time of year.
I'm not saying it's not alright to enjoy entertainment, like "A Charlie Brown Christmas", It's author taught us many humane principles. The difference though, is that he didn't present them as anything other than what they were, lovely thoughts to laugh about and consider.
What's important to remember, I think, is that we have the same right, given us by God and Country, to decide how much or how little we care to be influenced by Hollywood's latest theme.
