To Lurkers who are caught up in the "War Against Christmas" stuff

Imagine if Jesus came back today. He looks around and sees millions of starving children and adults, homeless children and adults freezing to death. He wonders where most of his followers are, as he sees only a few of them attending to the needy and downtrodden.

"They have forgotten what I requested of them." he says sadly.

He then turns his head and hears a great commotion. "People are expending their time and energy arguing about petty words on my birthday?" he exclaims, "I don't care what they call my Birthday! I have no concern over public displays! I asked them to take care of my children!" and tears fill his eyes.

Merry Christmas


--------
Put Christ in Christmas:

feed the poor
clothe the needy
shelter the homeless
visit those in prison
visit an elder who is alone
offer a kind word
love your enemies

peace

:thumbsup:

He'd be rolling in His tomb if He'd stayed in it.

I'm glad you found it worthwhile!

Judgment day will be very interesting.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.

32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

41"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.

42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

43I 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.'

44"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?'

45"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.'

46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

This world would be wonderful.

They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.

over Christmas, it is about obscuring what Jesus (demonstrated here and in other passages) obviously considered the bottom line of his message, love.

I honestly (not sarcastically but honestly) wonder why this scripture isn't as important as the scriptures from John about the importanced of being "born again". Maybe because it's too revolutionary.

I never hear this one on Christian radio. Rarely hear the beatitudes of the Eye of the Needle ones either....

I think "too revolutionary" is probably right.
Almost sounds like "Socialism" GASP!! :scared:

Many Christians prefer Paul over Jesus.

I can see a lot of the 'visit those in prison' happening in the next few months! :evilgrin:

maybe they'll learn something, maybe not.
:shrug:

Millions of people need to be reminded of this.

to refine it a bit. Though I don't realy consider myself a Christian (in the popular sense anyway).

The folks who are upset about this reject the New Testament anyway; they're much more comfortable with the 'eye for an eye' old testament. I had an idiot say that the hand of God was certainly involvled in destroying all the decadence in New orleans. I told him my reading of the Bible showed God getting the most upset at intolerance,social and economic injustice and war-mongering. He didn't have an answer.

But he would never get it. He sees Christianity as something to be used to divide and spread hatred.

don't cast your pearls before...

oh never mind :-)

Raptor Jesus say if he came back?

http://raptorjesusstory.ytmnd.com/

Thanks! Almost put me into the Christmas spirit. Somehow this whole 'putting the Christ back in Christmas at the mall' bs has really got me doing the bah humbug this year. It is just so pointless and counter to what I consider to be the Christmas spirit- joy, love your neighbor (even if they are not Christians), a celebration of family. Whether a RETAILER wishes me happy holidays or merry christmas seems meaningless. They don't really mean it anyway, they just want to sell stuff. Gawd, they have to find a way to be hateful and divisive about everything, don't they?

You are right, put the Christ back in Christmas, help the poor!

about the commercialism, but since it has become "patriotic" to shop....


Maybe I'm lucky I'm broke this year! :-)

thanks for your comments :-)

for Christ's sake!

I know that, it was chosen to be close to winter solstice when the sun begins to return.

subject for a different rant

Just have trouble believing all these so called xtains think there is an assault on the B-day of their messiah, when its not even the right f-ing day!!!!

my pagan friends celebrate Yule.
I think there are educated guesses about when the "historical Jesus" may have been born. I don't remember when that is.

I love Pagan holidays, don't you?

Christmas was decided much later, if memory serves. Also, if I remember correctly, it was decided first in the West, and the Eastern Church went along with it later. I'll ask our priest about it, as he'll know what our Church says happened.

I'm sorry, but I just get so tired of seeing St. Constantine (and no one ever mentions his mother, St. Helen) blamed for everything people don't like about Christianity when 99% of it is nowhere near his fault. I agree that making it a state religion wasn't a good idea in hindsight, but I can understand why people who had been so badly persecuted would jump at the chance.

Christ would be saddened by the world today - the Religious Right have used his name for greed, power and corruption.

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

And Jesus just might pay a visit to the 700 Club studios and start flipping a few tables into the air.

Date: Eternity

From: GOD

To: My Children on Earth

re: Idiotic religious rivalries

My Dear Children (and believe me, that's all of you),

I consider myself a pretty patient Guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And how about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell and gene by gene. I've even been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again.

But on this occasion of My Son's birthday, I want to let you know about some things that are starting to tick me off.

First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough already! Let's get one thing straight: These are your religions, not Mine. I'm the Whole Enchilada; I'm beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there's only one of Me (which, by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was written personally by me, and that all the other bibles are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense?

Okay, listen up now: I'm your Father and Mother, and I don't play favorites among My Children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a "doer" anyway. So all your books, including the bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living Heart.

You see, one Human Being to me -- even a Bum on the street -- is worth more than all the holy books in the world. That's just the kind of Guy I Am. My Spirit is not an historical thing, It's alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath.

Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of You. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me.

Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense: You act like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls" for My Sake. Please, don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite well on my own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, and I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other.

And another thing: I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I've never ever had a conversation with George Bush, Jim Bakker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart! Of course, come Judgement Day, I certainly intend to...

The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so that you can become more aware of Me, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what's in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up and enjoy Me. That's what religion is best for.

What you seem to forget is how mysterious I Am. You look at the petty little differences in your scriptures and say, "Well, if this is the Truth, then that can't be!" But instead of trying to figure out My Paradoxes and Unfathomable Nature -- which, by the way, you never will -- why not open your hearts to the simple common threads in every religion?

You know what I'm talking about: Love and respect everyone. Be kind. Even when life is scary or confusing, take courage and be of good cheer, for I Am always with you. Learn how to be quiet, so you can hear My Still, Small Voice (I don't like to shout). Leave the world a better place by living your life with dignity and gracefulness, for you are My Own Child. Hold back nothing from life, for the parts of you that can die will surely die, and the parts that can't, won't. So don't worry, be happy (I stole that last line from Bobby McFerrin, but he stole it from Meher Baba in the first place.)

Simple stuff. Why do you keep making it so complicated? It's like you're always looking for an excuse to be upset. And I'm very tired of being your main excuse. Do you think I care whether you call me Yahweh, Jehovah, Allah, Wakantonka, Brahma, Father, Mother, or even The Void or Nirvana? Do you think I care which of My Special Children you feel closest to -- Jesus, Mary, Buddha, Krishna, Mohammed or any of the others? You can call Me and My Special Ones any name you choose, if only you would go about My business of loving one another as I love you. How can you keep neglecting something so simple?

I'm not telling you to abandon your religions. Enjoy your religions, honor them, learn from them, just as you should enjoy, honor, and learn from your parents. But do you walk around telling everyone that your parents are better than theirs? Your religion, like your parents, may always have the most special place in your heart; I don't mind that at all. And I don't want you to combine all the Great Traditions into One Big Mess. Each religion is unique for a reason. Each has a unique style so that people can find the best path for themselves.

But My Special Children -- the ones your religions revolve around -- all live in the same place (My Heart) and they get along perfectly, I assure you. The clergy must stop creating a myth of sibling rivalry where there is none.

My Blessed Children of Earth, the world has grown too small for your pervasive religious bigotry and confusion. The whole planet is connected by air travel, satellite dishes, telephones, fax machines, rock concerts, diseases, and mutual needs and concerns. Get with the program! If you really want to help Me celebrate the birthday of My Son Jesus, then commit yourselves to figuring out how to feed your hungry, clothe your naked, protect your abused, and shelter your poor. And just as importantly, make your own everyday life a shining example of kindness and good humor. I've given you all the resources you need, if only you abandon your fear of each other and begin living, loving, and laughing together.

Finally, My Children everywhere, remember whose birth is honored on December 25th, and the fearlessness with which He chose to live and die. As I love Him, so do I love each one of you. I'm not really ticked off, I just wanted to grab your attention because I hate to see you suffer. But I gave you Free Will, so what can I do now other than to try to influence you through reason, persuasion, and a little old-fashioned guilt and manipulation? After all, I Am the original Jewish Mother. I just want you to be happy, and I'll sit in The Dark. I really Am, indeed, I swear, with you always. Always. Trust In Me.

Your One and Only,

GOD

I'll pass it on!

:applause:

Frederick (Max Von Sydow) in Woody Allen's Hannah and her Sisters:

"But the worst are the TV evangelists; third-rate con men who tell the poor suckers who tune in that they speak for Jeeeezus - and always, 'Send money! Money! Money! Money!' If Jesus Christ ever came back and saw what was going on in His name, He'd never stop throwing up."

mikey_the_rat

Report: Half of N.C. families with children don't make ends meet

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- Nearly half of the families with children in the state don't earn enough to pay for basic living expenses, according to a biennial report released Thursday by an advocacy group seeking economic assistance for the poor.

The report by the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center determined that 521,630 families with children, or 49.1 percent of the state, can't make ends meet based on "living income standards."

<snip>

The report determined that it would take $44,256 for a two-parent, two-child family to be self-sufficient in an urban area and $39,264 in a rural area. For a one-parent, one-child family, the living income standard is $33,072 in an urban area and $27,732 in the country.

On average, the statewide living standard for a family is $12.32 per hour for a full-time, year-round worker, or more than twice the current minimum wage of $5.15 per hour and the federal poverty level.

Housing and child care are among the largest expenses for families with children, the report found.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/N/NC_LIVING_INCOME_NCOL-?SITE=VARIT&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2005-12-08-19-12-46

unacceptable, inexcusable, disgusting, criminal, evil...

it's hard to find the words

I think Jesus would also be appalled to see the excessive shopping that occurs this time of year.