Atheists and Christmas

What a ruckus!

Washington State has become the center of attention because of Christmas in Olympia. Reaction! Demonstrations! Public speaking! Anguish and wringing of hands! Does anyone really care? Obviously the atheists do.

When I first saw the report on TV, my initial reaction was that an atheistic display near the Nativity scene is going to be inevitable given the present age of political correctness, fairness, and a lethargic acceptance on the part of the general public, who just accept anything they are told by the media and politicians. After all, they ask, isn’t this a democracy? Doesn’t the constitution provide for free speech? If Christians are allowed a Nativity scene, why can’t anybody have their own display as well?

Let’s examine that approach. For me it seemed to start with the reaction of that “fair and balanced” TV personality: Bill O’Reilly. He seems to be outraged by the sign next to the Nativity scene in the Rotunda of the State Capital Building in Olympia. I’m glad. Despite his faults (see note), he has shown courage and has correctly led an impassioned reaction to a bigoted atheistic sign placed right next to the Nativity scene. Of course O’Reilly, yet again, takes the middle road by wining that this detracts from the dignity and decorum of the capitol building. This was followed by demonstrations and letters to Governor “Grinch” Gregoire, culminating in the theft of the unwelcome sign. That might not have been a wise thing to do, but I had a good laugh about it. The fuss actually took me by surprise, though, because of the present atmosphere of acceptance in the guise of tolerance.

Original meaning of Christmas

Most Christians readily inform us that Christmas is the season in which we remember the birth of Jesus, Son of God, who was born as a mortal human child. He lived the perfect life, resisted temptations, taught us how to live, and then died on our behalf with the blame for our sins placed upon Him. He rose again to conquer death and ascended into Heaven after revealing Himself to His disciples. We exchange gifts as a symbol of the great gift of salvation that He offers to those who repent and accept Him as their Lord.

Traditional American Christmas

We have to ask ourselves how such a profound holiday became such a trivial season of overindulgence and merriment. Everybody (well – we know that’s an exaggeration) loves to celebrate Christmas, but instead of carols on the media we hear about Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. We sing Jingle Bells, and dream of a white Christmas. Instead of decking the halls . . ., we deck the malls! Children remember the season as all about Santa Clause. They learn how an angel gets its wings, from watching “It’s a wonderful life”. We decorate a large tree (now called a “holiday tree”), and instead of going to church, we watch “Elf” on TV. We don’t wish people a “happy Christmas”, but “happy holidays”. (I never liked “merry” Christmas anyway, because that word implies inebriation). We experience traffic jams, get trampled in the rush for bargains, and we overeat, overspend and over-indulge. Then it’s all over, and we have to dismantle the tired decorations and get on with life.

Christmas has long been a heathen festival in which Christ has been kept very much in the background. Ask the average American what Christmas is about, and you will get something about good will and peace. It’s the kind of deception that Satan loves! I am really surprised that atheists don’t support this festival! It takes our minds off religion. It’s right up their alley!

The onslaught against religion

While we Christians have been lulled into lethargy, the world has not been idle. Based on what appears to be compassionate principles, we have been persuaded to exercise tolerance towards our neighbor (doesn’t the Bible say “love one another”?). So as not to rock the boat, we have succumbed to politically correct terminology, which sometimes means that we support a lie. Many words have come to mean something else; a euphemism for what originally would have been shunned or condemned. Standards slide because some might otherwise be offended.

So as not to offend others we have allowed “Christmas” to become “Holiday”. Christmas becomes confused with other festivals, religions and communities. This trend has not stopped at Christmas. It is reaching into other festivals, practices, ethical and moral standards, and fundamental western culture and religion. We rejoice because this is so “diverse”.

We have established a democracy so that the majority in any voting will carry the day. But we compromise the will of the people with an argument favoring the minority because “it isn’t fair”; thus the will of the people is overruled. Let’s see what happens to Prop. Eight in California. The Ten Commandments have been banned in public places despite the First Amendment, which stipulates: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof”.

While Christians avoid conflict, the Church avoids its responsibility to teach and evangelize. Like the Church in Ephesus (Rev 2:4), the principle denominations have lost their first love. They have abandoned the very beliefs for which the martyrs died. In an attempt to reconcile differences, many have abandoned their message for the sake of union and ecumenism. Others have sought popularity with the congregants and seek large attendances. To do this, standards of worship and teaching must be compromised so as to attract numbers. Brief, topical sermons make everyone feel reassured or sanctimonious. Prayer, repentance and supplication are ignored or played down. Then there are the modernist and liberal theologians who regard the fundamental teachings of the Bible to be symbolic, inadequate and outdated. All mankind, to them, is basically good, and our lives should be meritorious. Heresies creep in. They always do. The warning is clear: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place-unless you repent”. Rev 2:5

Read the history of the church – you’ll see what I mean. Study the Old Testament troubles of the Children of Israel who suffered whenever they drifted from God. To avoid disaster, Christians must make a stand. It’s not easy, and it will get harder.

The Message of Christmas today

Thank God that the decline in America is not total. There are more true believers here than there were in Sodom and Gomorrah when Abraham pleaded with God on their behalf. However, it is time to stand up for our beliefs. We as Christians must not be lulled by the humanistic rhetoric that appears so sensible and compassionate. That would not happen if we studied our Bibles thoroughly and prayed.

Here’s something to think about: It is true that we are taught to love one another. Does that include ignoring their wrongdoings and allowing them to face God’s retribution? Does loving one another allow us to tolerate their misdeeds, immorality and unbelief? Surely we must love the person; but not necessarily their actions or morals.

We must not stand idly by. Those atheists won’t stop at Christmas! I fear that living a Christian life in this world will become ever more difficult. We must either make a stand or we will fall by the wayside. Christians must be as persistent and true to God’s message as the detractors of Christian standards have been to theirs. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven”. Matt 10:32

I gladly wish you all a very happy and blessed Christmas, and a prosperous new year.

Note

I have been disappointed by Bill O’Reilly. He had me hanging onto every word in his early days on Fox News, but slowly I realized that his urge to be “fair and balanced” left him largely without a message, in spite of his very convincing act as a force to be reckoned with. Somebody once wrote “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything”. In my opinion, that has proved to be very true in O’Reilly’s case. For that reason he seems to me to have annoyed many who initially relied on him as a leader in the fight for truth. My own support for him was finally lost on the night he displayed such a dismal lack of preparation for his interview with Michael Moore. During that interview, he let some ridiculous statements by Moore to go unchallenged, and led me to feel that he was out of his depth. Now he has sunk so far that, although he claims to be a Roman Catholic, was talking about “Karma” the other night, with respect to OJ. I wonder if he knows anything about the difference between Christianity and Buddhism.

He and Van Susteren should exchange time slots. I guess he’ll call me a pinhead! I deserve that!

Hanukkah and Christmas

The connection between the Jewish festival of lights (Hanukkah) and the message of the Christian Gospel – hence the connection with Christmas.

Return of the exiled Jews to Jerusalem
The Old Testament records how Judah was taken into exile by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar, and how they then fell under Persian rule after the conquest of Babylon.

After the return of the Jews by decree of the Persian king Cyrus the Great, the Jews started to return to the Promised Land. Although many of the exiled Jews stayed in Mesopotamia because they had known no other home for generations, those who returned to the land of Judah were free to manage their own affairs, and to worship their God in the temple which they had been permitted to rebuild in Jerusalem.

This freedom under Persian rule was enjoyed by the Jews until Darius III was defeated in 333 BC by Alexander the great, and the whole Middle East was absorbed into the Greek empire. It is interesting to note that before the rise of this great empire, Greek influence had steadily been spreading into the world around them. Included with middle-eastern sciences in astronomy and mathematics (many stars still have Arabic names), Greek philosophy, mathematics, science, and culture had long preceded the advancing army of Alexander.

Greek occupation
Since their return from Mesopotamia, the Jews had been true to their Faith, and remained separate from those cultures and religions that surrounded them. The premature death of Alexander led to civil war between Alexander’s Generals. This led to the split-up of the empire under separate rulers. Judah came under the dominion of the Hellenistic Egyptian ruler Ptolemy who had declared himself to be Pharaoh, and encouraged the continuation of Egyptian culture and political structure. A liberal approach to other cultures and religions prevailed throughout the Egyptian influence.

It was during this period that the city of Alexandria was developed while Hellenistic learning and culture flourished. Eratosthenes studied there, and was the first to calculate the circumference of the Earth (with remarkable accuracy). Ptolemy wrote the Almagest and established the first Prime Meridian. The Library at Alexandria gained such fame throughout the world that its reputation still remains, more than two millennia after the Romans destroyed it by fire (perhaps unintentionally) when they torched the Egyptian navy. The economy boomed, ships passed by the huge Pharos (light house) that Ptolemy II ordered built at the entrance to the harbor; and Alexandria became the seat of learning for the region.

Ptolemy II wanted books from everywhere. He requested a copy of the Hebrew writings of Moses and the Prophets. The High Priest in Jerusalem responded by sending the Talmud and seventy-two of his best scribes to Alexandria to translate all these writings into Greek for the library. This work (known as the ‘Septuagint’) has formed the basis of subsequent translations of the Old Testament.

Antiochus Epiphanes
It was in this setting that the Seleucids brought forces from Antioch and invaded the Egyptians now under Ptolemy V. Judah then came under the rule of Antiochus III.

Unfortunately the times of religious and cultural liberalism were weakening the religious fervor of many Jews. Hellenistic culture permeated every facet of life, clothing styles became universal throughout the Greek empire, and athletics (involving the adulation of the gods and Olympus, and the practice of public nudity) led to a decline in religious practices and the lowering of standards.

A great despot and hater of religion, Antiochus IV Epiphanes had desecrated many heathen temples, and now turned his attention on the Temple in Jerusalem. In an action that came to be known as the “Abomination of Desolation” he plundered the riches of that temple and established a shrine to the heathen god Zeus. He imposed Greek lifestyles, philosophy, religions and culture. In an atmosphere of appeasement, the already declining Jewish culture and religion fell away in general, and Judah descended into a state of apostasy and heathenism.

Maccabeean revolt
There were those who steadfastly remained faithful in spite of the pressures they faced. Groups began to organize that later led to the Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and others. It all came to a head when an old priest, Mattathias, became indignant one day and killed a fellow countryman who he saw offering a heathen sacrifice. He also killed the king’s Commissioner, and pulled down the altar. This incident lent courage to others who had been concerned about the decline in their religious observance. A general condition of unrest erupted into a full revolt that led to a great awakening both of the Jewish national identity and their faith in God. Led initially by the son of Mattathias, Judas Maccabeus, the revolt was formally organized and came to be known as the revolt of the Maccabees. They liberated Jerusalem in 164 BC.

Although the revolution did not initially achieve political independence for the Jews (they won that in 142 BC), Antiochus V Eupator did make changes that led once more to a freedom to worship, and the temple was once again consecrated. The leaders of the religious groups including the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Zealots earned high respect for their perseverance and faithfulness. The Pharisees, in particular, became the great authorities and theologians of the day.

The Miracle of Hanukkah
Reportedly, although the olive harvest is in November, it took eight days to press olives and process the olive oil needed to light the candles. When the priests returned to the temple to resume worship and consecrate the temple, they found only one container of olive oil that had not been desecrated, and was therefore suitable for service in the temple. They were anxious that the oil would not last long enough. (The Feast of Tabernacles lasts eight days). Nevertheless, in faith, they lit the menorah. The oil lasted for the required eight days. The Jews honored God for this and named it the “Miracle of Hanukkah”.

The festival of lights, Hanukkah, has been observed since that time in order to commemorate, not only the miracle of Hanukkah, but also the return of the Jews to their faith, and a resumption of their worship at the temple in Jerusalem.

Christianity and Hanukkah
Up till now, this paper has read more like a history review than anything to do with the holiday season. The reader might be asking at this stage: “What has this all got to do with Christmas?”

Here is the link: God provided a unique window in time for the Advent of Our Lord. It was not long after the Macabeean Revolt and the Miracle of Hanukkah that the Romans arrived in 63 BC to make Judea a province of Rome. This set the scene for what we might call: “New Testament” times. Think about it. Travel and trade had become international. The known world spoke a common language. Jews could be found all over the world – particularly in Mesopotamia, Asia Minor, and Egypt. Judea had a limited autonomy in affairs of religious observance and domestic concerns. The temple in Jerusalem (a new one, built by King Herod the Great) had once again become the focus of Jewry, and during Passover (Pesach), Jews traveled from all over the known world to worship at the temple. The Pharisees were the recognized theological leaders, although it appears that by the time of Jesus, they seem to have become somewhat arrogant and hypocritical. Fortunately, not all were like that.

One of these Pharisees, Nicodemus by name, came to Jesus during the hours of darkness. It was probably a secret meeting. This conversation is reported in John’s Gospel, Chapter three, and leaves us with the most quoted bible verse: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. John 3:16. The verse, taken out of context, permits misconception as though mankind can achieve his own salvation merely by believing - an act of works.

One really needs to read the whole passage to appreciate the general focus of what Nicodemus and Jesus were discussing.

Nicodemus asks “. . . How can these things be?” and Jesus asserts that with man it is impossible, and explains the helplessness of mankind, and that Salvation cannot be achieved unless God miraculously intervenes. The direction of attention is from God to mankind, and not the other way round.

This is the message of Christmas:
As predicted by Old Testament prophecy, Jesus was born of a virgin, of the line of David, in the City of David (Bethlehem). This Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. John chapter one informs us that He IS God, and without Him was not anything made that was made. This perfect Being made Himself mortal so that He could be a substitute for those that believe in Him, and accept the blame and banishment of a perfect and just God. He then conquered death when He rose again and ascended into Heaven.

God did everything. That is why Jesus was born. That is what we celebrate at Christmas. You might disparage Santa Claus, Christmas trees, and presents, but God’s Word is forever, and His gift is for eternity.

Hanukkah celebrates a renewed faith in God. Christmas celebrates the coming of the Messiah that had been promised to those Jews for centuries. The Miracle of Hanukkah marked the beginning of the era in which that messiah was to come.

About seventy years after the Death of Jesus, the Temple was destroyed, the Jews dispersed, the new Christian church suffered persecution but grew throughout the known world, and Jerusalem now awaits another advent of Christ.


An Observation
It has been claimed that History repeats itself. This is probably not true. What happens is that mankind keeps making the same mistakes. The liberal environment in which the Jews lost their freedom to worship can be compared with the times of the Judges. God had settled the Israelites into Canaan, but they disobeyed Him by allowing the Philistines to live among them. Soon they were beholden to the Philistines. Appeasement doesn’t work. The bloody Maccabeean revolt was the only way that they could regain their freedom from Antioch. That would not have been necessary had they never lost that freedom in the first place.

Will the decline of the meaning of Christmas in the twenty-first century become a similar sacrifice of religious freedom?

PS
The date for Hanukkah is frequently confused with Christmas. This is because the two festivals occur around the same time of year. However, the date for Hanukkah is not set by the Gregorian Calendar, and so moves around somewhat. In 2008 the eight day celebration begins at sundown on December 21st. Christmas itself is an arbitrary date (some say an old heathen festival) because the actual birthday of Jesus cannot be established with any confidence.

The Sovereign Creator's Plan

The Kingdom of God is not a democracy (continued)

A few months ago the general media were all over Rev. John Hagee, the evangelical preacher from San Antonio, about his comments regarding the Holocaust. Obviously the media's reaction was the result of his endorsement of Senator McCain, and provided a really good opportunity for attacking the Republican candidate on the simplistic implication that the preacher supported the actions of Hitler and the Holocaust. If a diligent study is made, one is left to consider whether the perpetrators of these media reports are dismally ignorant, or are deliberately misleading the public. I leave that decision to the reader.

I'm sure that Rev. Hagee's reputation is unsullied by these scurrilous reports. His history of support for Israel and God's chosen people has long been acclaimed. However, the incident does reveal a point that should be recognized by believing Christians.

When Jesus wept over Jerusalem as he predicted the destruction of that city and the temple, did He imply hatred for Israel? Was He implying His support for the Romans? History repeatedly highlights dramatic changes of direction in this world as the result of the actions of dictators or nations. Where would today's Western civilization be without the rapid expansion of the Hellenistic influence by Alexander the Great and his successors; then after that, the Romans? The prophecies in scripture are not crystal balls for us to predict the future. They are there primarily to prove the unerring foreknowledge and intentions of a Sovereign God as He carries out His great plan for this corrupt and lost world. When we read these prophecies, we are comforted by the evidence that God is in control, and that the Scriptures can readily be trusted as the Word of God.

This brings me to the crux of this whole matter. God is the Sovereign God. He created this universe, and continues to be in control. “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee”. (Nehemiah 9:6). Believers refer to this as the doctrine of Divine Providence. He created mankind with the full knowledge of our pending downfall, but already had a plan for us. God is not bound by mere physical dimensions, including time. He knows what has happened, is happening, and what will happen – everywhere! God can and does intervene and control the world – even when it doesn’t seem to be so. God is all powerful and all-knowing (omnipotent and omniscient). His plan is perfect because He has already witnessed the outcome.

When Adam first fell, God gave us a glimpse of the plan already in place. Addressing the serpent He proclaimed: “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Gen 3:15). Our heel surely is being bruised by sin. Millennia later, the Son of Man conquered sin and death on the cross; thereby bruising the head of the evil serpent.

So then. Is that all? God’s plan was not a simple solving of a puzzling problem caused by the unexpected stumbling of mankind. The overall plan is the very reason for the existence of the universe, the world and mankind in the first place. Everything happens because of what God has planned, whether by our positive actions or those of evil motivation. “But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth . . . ”. (Deut. 8:18) and “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure”. (Phil. 2:13). How else could we as Christians believe that “ . . all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose”. (Rom 8:28) unless we can have confidence in God’s planning and continuous control.

As we revue the history of the world, the believing Christian can trace the hand of God in the progression of events that support the outcome of God’s purpose and prove His effective control towards that end. Did the Romans consider themselves to be a part of God’s plan when they destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews? Since Jesus is now our high priest, was there any lingering need for the temple? Were Nero and the Romans aware that their persecution of the Church on Earth would strengthen and unite Christendom, thus ensuring its survival for centuries?

Did Martin Luther, when he nailed his 95 theses to the chapel door at Wittenberg, consider that those student assignments would lead to a new Protestant movement? Was King Henry VIII aware that his divorce problems would lead to a split with the Pope and bring about the Reformation in England? Hitler thought to usher in the Third Reich and exterminate God’s chosen people, but God had another plan, and used those evil deeds to facilitate the prophesied return of the Jews to Israel.

In spite of our democratic form of Government, or those of dictators and tyrants, any wise national leader should consider this: They are in place at the will of God. “By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth”. (Proverbs 3:15,16). What a fearful and awesome accountability! Everything that happens, whether physical, social or political, occurs only because God makes it happen, or allows it to happen as part of His whole plan of the universe.

When sin came into the world, it affected not only humans, but the entire universe (Gen. 3:15 -19) where suffering, corruption and decay became a part of nature. A major part of God's plan is to deal with this as well with a new creation "where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt" (Matt 6:19). Once everything has been accomplished according to His will, God will bring about the New Heaven and the New Earth (2 Peter 3:13, Rev. 21:1) for those who responded to God’s command to repent and turn to Him as their Lord and Master.

“Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”. (Hebrews 1:3).

The Kingdom of God is not a democracy. Thank God for that.

The Kingdom of God is not a democracy

The Sovereignty of God

Oprah is on record as saying that she cannot accept the concept of a “jealous” God (Ex 20:5). She has expanded this to claiming that God is love, so punishment cannot be a consideration, and that there are many ways to achieve whatever it is she is trying to achieve with whoever she considers to be her god. She can believe whatever she likes. This is a democracy. Believing in a green sky, though, does not turn the sky green. We are not at liberty to invent our own god.

Arguably, the greatest aspiration in politics is the achievement of democracy as a style of government. The word and concept invokes emotions associated with liberty and the voice of the people. This style of government is not unique to the last few centuries, but harks back to the ancient Greeks. The Romans developed a representative form of government that we emulate in the form of a republic. Democracy has been the best so far. Dictatorships and military juntas are despised, feared and condemned by democracies. So much emphasis is placed by us (especially in the West) upon freedom and democracy, that we tend to associate this with a Christian way of thinking; especially when considering the motives and beliefs of those who made history in developing the government and constitution of the United States. One result of this way of thinking has been to assume that democracy is the Christian way of doing things. We can continue on this thread by believing that God would not be anything but love and compassion, and that such a loving God could never punish sinners. Really?

In this series, I will use the Bible (with the help of the writings of great evangelicals Louis Berkhof[i], Matthew Henry and others) to conduct a study of God’s Word in order to establish why one cannot claim that God’s Kingdom can ever be a regarded as a democracy.

The God of the Bible has many names. Handel, in his anthem “The Messiah”, repeats that Jesus is the “King of Kings” and “Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15, Rev 17:14, Rev 19:16), and He shall reign for ever and ever! The Old testament refers to God as “Elohim”, “Elyon” and “Adonai” – all of which are names that stress God’s exalted nature – the possesser and ruler of all men (Berkhof, 1962:27). In the New Testament the name “Kurios” perpetuates the Old Testament qualities of our Lord.

Fundamentalist Christians worship God as the Creator, Lord and Ruler of all things. This mighty Creator effortlessly used His Word (The Word) to bring about His Creation[ii]. This God did not just create the universe and set it in motion. On the contrary, He rules and controls the universe in perpetuum (Luke 12:6). This God has a plan for the universe, and everything is conducted according to His will and His control for the good of those who love God; to those who are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). Ultimately the Bible leaves no alternative view for us but to accept that God is the undisputed Creator and Ruler of the Universe. This teaching from Scripture has been titled: “The Sovereignty of God”.

The God we worship as Sovereign is self-existent, unchanging, and infinite in all things, including outside of time and space. He is omnipotent, all-knowing, all-wise, and perfect (Berkhof, p32). God is loving, gracious, merciful and patient. But if we accept that, then we must also accept that the Bible teaches us that He is also holy, righteous and just (Ps 89:14). There are things that God cannot do. He cannot lie, sin or deny Himself (Berkhof, p34). God cannot look upon sin. He made it clear to Moses that His very presence consumes all that is not perfect (Ex 33:20).

This is why we cannot regard the Kingdom of God as a democracy. Believing Christians serve a God who is the ultimate sovereign of all. Only the perfect can enter into the presence of God. In His plan is the demonstration of His Love, in that He provided a perfect way out of our fallen state – the substitution of a perfect Being, the Word made flesh, Jesus, in our place (Rom 5:8). By this sacrifice, His righteousness is placed upon repentant, believing sinners. It was the only way by which the justice and perfection of our Sovereign God could be reconciled by His love for a fallen race.

The only alternative would have us thrust away eternally from this supreme and righteous God. When Jesus claimed to be the only way, he was not being boastful nor demanding. He was merely stating the truth of God’s great plan for His people. There is no alternative. Only on His terms can we worship this Great Sovereign, our King and Lord.

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[i] Berkhof, 1962. A Summary of Christian Doctrine. London. The banner of Truth Trust.

[ii] John’s Gospel starts by describing the Word. The Word of God is mighty. The Study of Creation and the Word are deep and exhaustive. The subject is outside the purpose of this blog for the time being