12/6/2018
What is it with this world’s idiocy about what is offensive? Somebody doesn’t like “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” and pretty soon it’s the talk of multi-media expecting the goose-step, politically correct effect and removing it from their playlists! (This is really a ridiculous issue taken-up by people who thrive on a little chaos, using it like a feeding tube.) If these same people would take up a cause to get rid of gutter language from “rap” music and some rock music, they would be summarily dismissed, called religious nuts, racist, homophobic, and banned from the industry! Here’s what to do with music you feel offended by: turn it off. And if you think it may be a danger to your children, tell them why. Suggestions in music seldom, if ever, are the cause of some offense taking place. Get over it and live your life without wasting your rant time!—that last part was to me, I shan’t waste anymore time. Rant over.
Every year during December I find myself smiling and saying things like “you, too!” and “have a great one!” to those who wish me a merry christmas. [Psst, I don’t care if you wish people a merry christmas.] I truly appreciate the friendliness of this season, but am curious every time as to why the person is doing it. Does the well-wisher mean “isn’t it a lovely or loving time of year?” or “can I tell you about my Savior?” or “I hope you’ve got plans like we’ve got plans” or “oh well, I guess I gotta say this” and on and on.
Here’s what I want to do: I want to say, “you know, we should set aside some time to talk about when Christ was really born” or “doesn’t it bother you to see the idolatrous practices become so prevalent that only us 1%ers even know the truth?”(sarcasm) or just be bluntly honest and say, “Happy Holidays! and may the Lord bless your new year!” I guess the latter, the blunt way is the most acceptable.
If it is a round-the-table discussion, I’ve learned by many stupid mistakes to frame the truth in an answer-to-a-question way. Obviously, then, the conversation just stops. But, that’s better than driving wedges into further discussions about things higher up on the importance list. If I were to actually have a list of top priority topics, talking about the paganistic practices of halloween, christmas and easter would be somewhere down around number 25, maybe as far down as 35th. I’ve had highly respected preachers argue the point that Christ gets named, at least, on christmas and easter. As far as I’m concerned it is a weak argument because it is least even among those families which have a solemn moment about it, or even the reading of Scripture about Christ’s birth, it’s just a few minutes and then back to the frivolity!
So, you ask, what do you do at the holidays? (You were about to ask that, right?) I just go along. As I said, it’s pretty far down the list. If we are invited to a party, we go and enjoy the fellowship. When the family gathers, we are just really happy to be with them. If we host the family or friends, we have “Winter” decorations up, just a few (haha) and we welcome everyone in with as little said about the day itself as possible. If you have a decorated tree, and you ask me to teach a bible class in your home, I will gladly stand right in front of it and teach a class. You can’t offend me in this, I am the oddball. But, I will not have a tree up in my house, I do not sing carols, and if I give you a gift, it probably will not be referenced as a “christmas present.”
As religion often does, it takes a biblical event and creates ritual practices out of it, presuming upon the grace of God in which we live. Because the Lord said certain things to certain people doesn’t cause those things to be made into the rule of practice for who we are and where we are in His plan. There are several things I could bring up concerning this, but an easy one is church membership and hierarchy. There is zero reason for either of those things to be used.
So, why do you suppose any church, let alone all organizations of churches practice these two non-biblical admonitions? (If a church is simply of the Lord, then the Lord must be depended upon to keep track of who are His, and keep track of who’s in charge, etc.) Man’s will is to keep track of what the Lord knows quite well, and maybe gain something for the organization through solicitation or expectation of duty exercised members. And the bigger a church gets, obviously it has to have more professional people, and more support to pay the “staff” and “faculty” and the “district office” and the “national agency” and the “international effort” ad infinitum. See, one thing does lead to another and apostasy sets in easily. The devil just smiles and goes on. Thank God for His matchless grace!
Oh, by the way: the SIMH was not “Baby It’s Cold Outside” (though that fits the day, brrr) it is “Don’t Rock the Boat, Baby”—The Hues. Ya know, that might be offensive, too!
Thanks for reading, the Elder
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