Merry Christmas!

[huckelberry]

Merry Christmas to one and all.

star of wonder star of night....
Of course you cannot fallow a star, they move across the sky as the earth rotates. As a youngster I figured must have been a light located in the atmosphere, angels? I find it a bit more likely now to think of it as an imaginative image representing what people hope at Christmas.

[MG 2.0]

I wish you and all our fellow residents on this board a Merry Christmas also.



(These divisions by belief only seem to matter to mg2, based on last night's conversation, as he apparently needs them in order to determine how to treat people. Let's not let him divide us.)

Very true, Marcus. Merry Christmas!

My concern was that we recognize this season as a commemoration of the birth and mission of Jesus Christ rather than any man, including the founding prophet of the LDS faith. Latter-day Saints along with rest of our Christian brothers and sisters recognize the birth and mission of the Savior as being paramount to the birth of any of the other characters/figures from history.

Yes, Jesus along with others in the ancient world, and even in more modern times, was considered to be a savior/god. But within the Christian faith we believe Him to stand supreme as the creator of worlds without number and the exemplar and redeemer of all mankind. Through His resurrection we will all be resurrected and receive everlasting life.

He is the Way, the Truth, the Life of the world. No other can, will, or has ever taken his place in the annals of human history.

Thanks, Kishkumen, for starting this thread in addition to the other. Joseph Smith, important? Yes. But Jesus stands alone in His majesty and grace. The Eternal One. The Only Begotten Son of God in the Flesh. The revealer of eternal truth.

Jesus was no ordinary man.

Thanks for the opportunity to offer up our individual expressions of faith/belief in this thread.

Merry Christmas to all!

Regards,
MG

[Kishkumen]

Merry Christmas to one and all.

star of wonder star of night....
Of course you cannot fallow a star, they move across the sky as the earth rotates. As a youngster I figured must have been a light located in the atmosphere, angels? I find it a bit more likely now to think of it as an imaginative image representing what people hope at Christmas.

That’s a lovely thought, huckelberry. I like to think of it as an interesting twist on Hellenic catasterism. Just as Hellenes and Romans connected the appearance of a new star with the apotheosis of a great person such as Caesar, Jesus’ star appears in connection with his birth because he is already divine. Angels were also connected to heavenly bodies, so perhaps it represents the Great Angel Jesus come to earth to incarnate as a mortal.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

And a Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating the Winter solstice, the symbolic end of death. May we all look forward to the rebirth of the world as the days grow longer and life wakes from its slumber.



- Doc

[Gadianton]

As a Mormon in good standing and an atheist, I wish the Rev. and all else a Merry Christmas.

There is no God, and no, Jesus didn't die for anyone's sins.

Gemli observed this year that there is no Christmas tree large enough to put all the contradicting deities beneath, but I think that's a good thing. "Christmas" doesn't mean any one thing because "Christ" isn't any one thing. The same is true of many other things. Consider the Ford Mustang. If I say the word "Mustang", then the hearer will extract from that word what the hearer needs. For a lot of people, a particular brand of car registers to mind, but for some, a very special car registers, along with a great deal of particulars about the car.

It doesn't really matter who claimed December 25th first, obviously it wasn't Jesus, but cultures have evolved to find meaning on this day near solstice and the year end, and if we presently call it "Christmas" as a cultural artifact, I see no issues here. I'm happy that I can say "Merry Christmas" to just about anyone and the hearer does the needed translation.

For many, Christmas is about a tree and presents, for some, it's about a deity, for others, it's about great food or even a much needed extra day off work. And that's only a sample.

[IHAQ]

All, may the magic of this season fill your home with joy and peace, no matter your leaning. Eat, drink, be merry. Feel loved. Love. We’re not here for a long time, we’re here for a good time!

IHAQ

[drumdude]

Merry Christmas to all, no matter what you’re currently believing in.

[Marcus]

…Thanks for the opportunity to offer up our individual expressions of faith/belief in this thread.

…among a bunch of godless disbelievers with some blasphemers thrown in to boot....

there’s the #2 we know and love! : D

…It doesn't really matter who claimed December 25th first, obviously it wasn't Jesus, but cultures have evolved to find meaning on this day near solstice and the year end, and if we presently call it "Christmas" as a cultural artifact, I see no issues here. I'm happy that I can say "Merry Christmas" to just about anyone and the hearer does the needed translation.

Same. Most people are generous in this respect, IME.

Merry Christmas!

[Kishkumen]

As a Mormon in good standing and an atheist, I wish the Rev. and all else a Merry Christmas.

There is no God, and no, Jesus didn't die for anyone's sins.

Gemli observed this year that there is no Christmas tree large enough to put all the contradicting deities beneath, but I think that's a good thing. "Christmas" doesn't mean any one thing because "Christ" isn't any one thing. The same is true of many other things. Consider the Ford Mustang. If I say the word "Mustang", then the hearer will extract from that word what the hearer needs. For a lot of people, a particular brand of car registers to mind, but for some, a very special car registers, along with a great deal of particulars about the car.

It doesn't really matter who claimed December 25th first, obviously it wasn't Jesus, but cultures have evolved to find meaning on this day near solstice and the year end, and if we presently call it "Christmas" as a cultural artifact, I see no issues here. I'm happy that I can say "Merry Christmas" to just about anyone and the hearer does the needed translation.

For many, Christmas is about a tree and presents, for some, it's about a deity, for others, it's about great food or even a much needed extra day off work. And that's only a sample.

Merry Christmas, Dean Robbers! Thank you for the inspiring message!

[huckelberry]

Kishkumen, Tiridates, I confess I had to look that up. An interesting addition to my awareness, Thankyou for for your historical information and pointer. Wikapedia provides simple addition of Zoroastrian belief influence on Mithraism expansion. pointers to cultural confluence including the invincible sun you point out and then add that new movement from Judea.