For some reason, I received in the mail today this week's edition of The Long Island Catholic, which is the newspaper for the Diocese of Rockville Centre.
I browsed through it looking for anything that might make for some good material for the blog. The best I found was a Letter to the Editor by one Judy C. of Smithtown.
After decrying the commercialization of Christmas, she further writes, with my own commentary interspersed in parentheses:
"This year, I tried to make a point of saying Merry Christmas to just about every person I came in contact with, even sales people. (It's my fucking holiday dammit, and you better fucking acknowledge it!) I celebrated at Mass too, trying for a brief moment to forget all the other things that take up so much room in my life.
There are some in my family who don't celebrate Christmas. They don't make room for the Baby Jesus. (Sorry lady, but I already had two babies. I fed them, bathed them, and changed their soiled diapers. Baby Jesus is going to have to go somewhere else. I heard tell that there's a manger in Bethlehem that might have some room for the brat.) For some, he's kind of a joke... and the baby that shepherds and kings looked for and longed for is just a little plastic statue that people put under their trees. (Wait a second lady, first you're complaining that nobody wants to make room for Jesus, but when they do make room for him by putting his little plastic statue under their tree, you're still not happy!) The baby has no place in their busy lives. It saddens me that they don't know Christmas... the REAL Christmas. So, I made it a point to read the Nativity narrative in Luke's Gospel this Christmas. I sat by the tree and played some Christmas carols softly while I read out loud. Who was I reading to? Why Jesus, of course! (And I'm sure he was really listening too.)
One thing that has always irked me is when Christians put the adjective "baby" in front of Jesus. It's like they are purposefully trying to make the Jesus of the Bible out to be some cute, harmless little infant. "H-h-how can you be against Jesus? Why he's just a baby!" I noticed Bill O'Reilly often uses this tactic on his Fox News program. He declares "they're afraid of the Baby Jesus." No asshole, we're not afraid of a baby Jesus. We're afraid of the damage that some of his followers will inflict on this nation if they get their hands on the levers of power.
14 comments:
here in the philippines, there are separate devotions for the "holy infant" and the crucified christ. as if these two are different persons. most pinoy catholics really think that jesus, the baby is separate from the grownup jesus. it is even very ridiculous to see charlatans on tv claiming that the spirit of the "santo nino" (infant jesus)is in them, giving them the power to heal. they even imitate a child voice when being interviewed. the "infant jesus" is a year-round nuisance here in my country and not only during christmas. but i must admit that christmas always brings back fond memories of my childhood.
Whenever someone does something stupid/wrong/silly/annoying I'll say "don't do that, you'll make the baby Jesus cry" because it sounds so ridiculous.
Greetings from Hauppauge! I know what you mean, if I have to hear about the War on Christmas one more time I just might start one. That, and the line about how Christians are being so discriminated against in this country. Are you kidding me? Everywhere you look all you see are crosses on the parkways, churches, Jeezus fish on car bumpers and 24 hours of faux news avoiding anything potentially serious going on in the world.
Me too Homar. The thrill of waking up in the morning to see what toys I had under the tree. Unfortunately in the Philippines, you also have to deal with those knuckleheads who have themselves crucified every Good Friday so that they can go through what Jesus endured. I thought the whole point of Jesus sacrifice was that he was doing it on behalf of humanity. In other words, these cretins are doing something that their own religion tells them that Jesus would not have wanted them to endure.
Hey Stew! That would make a good bumpersticker. "EVERY TIME YOU SAY THE "F" WORD, BABY JESUS CRIES."
Hi Kevin from Hauppauge! Good to hear from a fellow Lawnguylander! I tell those Christians here in America who claim they are being persecuted to look at what is happening to the Christians of Iraq since we toppled Saddam Hussein. They are fleeing the country in droves because it is no longer safe for them there. And Iraq has one of the oldest continuous Christian communities in the world. If a Christian here thinks that "Happy Holidays" is persecution, try walking around Baghdad with a crucifix prominently displayed and see what happens. NOW THAT'S PERSECUTION!
Man, you sure seem obsessed with Jesus, for a person who doesn't believe in Him.
If I saw a person who loved and worshipped a turnip, well, I'd find that interesting, maybe be perplexed, but I certainly wouldn't be painfully mean spirited and hateful toward that person for believing such a thing.
Even if I saw a bunch of turnips all around town, and people all around me were having a turnip fest.
But, I guess, that's just me.
Drifter, by your definition, because I have a lot of posts critical of Islam, I must be obsessed with Islam too.
Ridicule and criticism does not equal obsession.
Are people who debunk UFO claims obsessed with UFOs?
Tommy- Maybe. It depends on how much time and devotion they spend on the subject.
Drifter, you need to remember that we in the rational community of the U.S. have our lives (against our will) deeply influenced by the silly superstition of Christianity - as if it were some tangible reality! Drifter, I'm pretty sure if you had to say, "one nation, under Turnips", or if none of the candidates you preferred for President could win unless they acknowledged the Turnip, you'd see your argument a whole new way. Trust me, we ain't 1/3 as "obsessed" with Christianity as Christians are.
@ Tommy - you should check out my friends Spanish Inquisitor and Lifeguard... a couple of like-thinking fellow attorneys.
Hey John! Thanks for stopping by and providing a good response to Drifter.
Spanish Inquisitor is one of my buddies. He's on my blogroll "Brothers and Sisters in Disbelief".
Thanks for bringing Lifeguard to my attention. Will check it out.
Cheers,
Tom
Tommy - yes, I've probably seen you over at SI's blog before, but only remember you from Brian's! I think you'll enjoy the Meme Pool. See you around and have a good weekend.
"No asshole, we're not afraid of a baby Jesus. We're afraid of the damage that some of his followers will inflict on this nation if they get their hands on the levers of power."
awesome.
the anonymous comment is awful :( Christianity ruined my life, why would it not be okay to challenge what it teaches? I wish someone would have done that in front of me when I was being brainwashed.
Stew... I do that same thing. Irritates the crap out of theists to hear an atheist call them out on their baby jesus nonsense.
Wow, got a little anger thing going on there, don't you?
"They don't make room for the Baby Jesus. For some, he's kind of a joke..."
Ha, ha! Baby Jesus had a small penis!
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