S
super64
Guest
This e-mail was sent to me and I passed it along it is not a Hanukkah bush,
it is not an Allah plant,
it is not a Holiday Hedge,or a Kwanza Branch.
It is a Christmas tree.
"Some Christians object to their Christian holiday traditions no longer being given prime or exclusive status.
Some followers of non-Christian religions object to having their faith group’s religious celebrations ignored and swamped by the attention given to Christmas.
The basic question here is whether Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) is the reason for the season, or a reason for the season.
Here are a few of the holidays celebrated by Americans in December:
Christians celebrate Christmas on DEC-25 as Jesus’ birthday.
Wiccans and many other Neopagans, celebrate Yule, about DEC-21.
Jews observe Hanukkah, an eight day Feast of Lights, commemorating a fight for religious freedom.
Muslims observed the holy lunar month of Ramadan in the early years of this century which commemorated the gift of the Qur’an to humanity. Between 2006 and 2008, it will be Id al-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice).
Many secularists, Agnostics, and Atheists, etc. celebrate the Winter Solstice, about DEC-21.
Buddhists observe Bodhi Day
Nova Romans celebrate Saturnalia. These are Neopagans who worship the ancient Gods of Rome and who celebrate the ancient Roman holy days.
Winter Solstice by some Native Americans and Aboriginals in the rest of the world.
Festivus, a celebration “for the rest of us”. This was popularized on a 1997 Seinfeld TV episode, and is growing in support as a simple, rather humorous family alternative to Christmas with a minimum of commercialization. It is held on DEC-23, approximately midway between the Winter Solstice and Christmas.
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration recognizing African-American history and culture.
Shabe-Yalda is an Iranian inter-faith celebration in honor of the sun’s rebirth.
Some food for thought:
The percentage of adults who identify themselves as Christians is steadily dropping, by just under 1 percentage point per year in both countries.
The percentage of adults who follow other religions, or who are non-religious, is increasing at the same rate.
If the rate of decline of Christian affiliation in the U.S. continues at its present rate, Christians themselves will become a minority by the 2030s
This is the direction the world is heading. We as catholics and christians most stand up for our faith before our quietism and complaisance quiets us into such a whisper we are no longer heard. (This is her personal opinion on the matter) My two cents:
Perhaps all of you Christians that insist on “merry christmas” because you are the majority, will feel differently when you are a minority and “merry christmas” has been replaced with Pagan “happy yule” or Muslim “kull sana wa anta bi-khayr.” Because unless we promote tolerance of and respect for ALL religions now, you may find yourselves with the shoe on the other foot – and the victims of your own intolerance.
Happy Yule from one very tolerant Wiccan. And Merry Christmas to all you Christians. OKAY NOW WHAT DO WE CATHOLICS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
it is not an Allah plant,
it is not a Holiday Hedge,or a Kwanza Branch.
It is a Christmas tree.
Code:
Say it... CHRISTmas
Yes. CHRISTmas - celebrating the Birth of Jesus
Here is the reply I received from a "new age" wiccan relative quoting from [www.religioustolerance.com](www.religioustolerance.com)Some followers of non-Christian religions object to having their faith group’s religious celebrations ignored and swamped by the attention given to Christmas.
The basic question here is whether Yeshua of Nazareth (a.k.a. Jesus Christ) is the reason for the season, or a reason for the season.
Here are a few of the holidays celebrated by Americans in December:
Christians celebrate Christmas on DEC-25 as Jesus’ birthday.
Wiccans and many other Neopagans, celebrate Yule, about DEC-21.
Jews observe Hanukkah, an eight day Feast of Lights, commemorating a fight for religious freedom.
Muslims observed the holy lunar month of Ramadan in the early years of this century which commemorated the gift of the Qur’an to humanity. Between 2006 and 2008, it will be Id al-Adha (a.k.a. the Feast of Sacrifice or Day of Sacrifice).
Many secularists, Agnostics, and Atheists, etc. celebrate the Winter Solstice, about DEC-21.
Buddhists observe Bodhi Day
Nova Romans celebrate Saturnalia. These are Neopagans who worship the ancient Gods of Rome and who celebrate the ancient Roman holy days.
Winter Solstice by some Native Americans and Aboriginals in the rest of the world.
Festivus, a celebration “for the rest of us”. This was popularized on a 1997 Seinfeld TV episode, and is growing in support as a simple, rather humorous family alternative to Christmas with a minimum of commercialization. It is held on DEC-23, approximately midway between the Winter Solstice and Christmas.
Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration recognizing African-American history and culture.
Shabe-Yalda is an Iranian inter-faith celebration in honor of the sun’s rebirth.
Some food for thought:
The percentage of adults who identify themselves as Christians is steadily dropping, by just under 1 percentage point per year in both countries.
The percentage of adults who follow other religions, or who are non-religious, is increasing at the same rate.
If the rate of decline of Christian affiliation in the U.S. continues at its present rate, Christians themselves will become a minority by the 2030s
This is the direction the world is heading. We as catholics and christians most stand up for our faith before our quietism and complaisance quiets us into such a whisper we are no longer heard. (This is her personal opinion on the matter) My two cents:
Perhaps all of you Christians that insist on “merry christmas” because you are the majority, will feel differently when you are a minority and “merry christmas” has been replaced with Pagan “happy yule” or Muslim “kull sana wa anta bi-khayr.” Because unless we promote tolerance of and respect for ALL religions now, you may find yourselves with the shoe on the other foot – and the victims of your own intolerance.
Happy Yule from one very tolerant Wiccan. And Merry Christmas to all you Christians. OKAY NOW WHAT DO WE CATHOLICS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT?
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