SOLSTICE SOLITUDE

From My Perspective - - -

For many of us, Christmas has always meant (1) a time for Santa Claus, decorated trees, gifts, family gatherings, reading of “Twas The Night Before Christmas…”, or (2) A Designated time for the Celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ – Choir Cantatas, Candlelight Services, Pageants, Manger Scenes, Caroling, etc. There has always been much tradition and ritual as December 25^th approaches.

The past several years has seen a movement away from the Traditional Observances to a more Commercial and Secular one. Santa is still tolerated; gift giving is greatly encouraged; popular seasonal songs have replaced the Christmas Carols, the Christmas Tree is now called the Holiday Tree, Merchants wish you Happy Holidays rather than Merry Christmas, etc. There has been a serious effort to change Christmas observances from a religious orientation to a secular observance. On the American Atheists Webpage, the following is stated: “Atheism is a doctrine stating that nothing exists but natural phenomena (matter), that thought is a property or function of matter, and that death irreversibly and totally terminates individual organic units. This definition means that there are no forces, phenomena, or entities which exist outside of or apart from physical nature, or which transcend nature, or are “super” natural, nor can there be. Humankind is on its own.” With that in mind, they totally disavow the observance of any date (December 25^th or other) that would celebrate the Birth of a Supernatural Being called the Son of God.

The Traditional Date for Celebrating the Birth of Christ – December 25^th – is challenged as being nothing more that the occasion of Winter Solstice. They deem it an astronomical and/or cultural event. Their approach to a December Celebration is debunked and their argument states: “There are two occasions each year when the position of the sun at a given time of day does not seem to change direction. In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs around June 21 and is the longest day of the year. The sun stops getting higher in the sky, and the days begin to grow shorter. The winter solstice, which occurs around December 21, is the shortest day. The sun stops getting lower in the sky, and the days begin to grow longer. The winter solstice occurs at the instant when the Sun's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the observer. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the event of the winter solstice occurs some time between December 20 and December 23 each year in the northern hemisphere, and between June 20 and June 23 in the southern hemisphere, during either the shortest day or the longest night of the year.

The American Atheists in Olympia, Washington are demanding their right to post a sign near to or opposite the public Nativity Scene. KiroTv in Washington is reporting that an atheistic sign will be included in the state Capitol’s holiday display that includes a holiday tree and a Christian nativity scene. The sign, a new addition this year, is sponsored by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, and states: “There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven, no hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but a myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds!”

Consider these things with me - - At the time of the Birth of Jesus Christ, there was much political pressure upon people. Everyone had to travel to the town of origin for a national census. This occasioned Mary and Joseph having to travel to Bethlehem. King Herod feared a rival king emerging. Matthew 2:13-15 records, “…an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. Get up, he said, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: Out of Egypt I called my son.” Herod was unsuccessful in his efforts and the American Atheists will be unsuccessful in there’s as well. The Celebration of the Birth of Jesus Christ is not secular anyway. Let the Church do what it should do – join with the Angels of old and Herald the Birth of Jesus Christ and His Gospel message!