Merry Christmas

(Reposted from last year.)

A few millenia ago, Adam and Eve (our great-great-great-great-great … uhh …you get the idea! … -grandparents) used to walk around in the Garden of Eden chatting with God. I have no idea what this looked like, but I do know that it has to have been good. Think about it … God, the Creator of the universe, is right there, hanging out with the man and woman that He made.

Then, of course, Adam and Eve messed it up. Before we get to be too hard on them, though, let’s bear in mind that the only reason they were the first sinners is because they were the first people.

Still, because of their sin we all have had to live with the curse from the Fall, and the separation from God. However, He didn’t just curse mankind. He also cursed the serpent, and it is that curse that deserves particular attention today (Genesis 3:15, NIV, courtesy of BibleGateway.com):

“And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring ^[a] and hers;
he will crush ^[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.”

With this is foretold the events we commemorate today — there is hope despite the Fall of mankind. Satan will be crushed.

For millenia thereafter, mankind lived with a separation from God. We didn’t get to walk with Him, hang out with Him in the fields, or any other such thing … until about 2000 years ago.

A woman in Bethlehem, still a virgin, gave birth to the Son of God and named Him Jesus. For a little more than thirty years, some of mankind could again know a part of the experience Adam and Eve had known long before. It’s not clear how many people really knew what they were experiencing — some knew better than others, of course.

For about thirty years, Jesus walked among us. It was by no means the same as in Eden, but once again God walked with mankind. For a time, God was right there, bodily, among the human race.

Can you fathom what that must have meant?

God came back. Not because we deserved Him, but because of His absolutely mind-blowing grace. (By the way, if His grace doesn’t blow your mind, you might want to spend some more time thinking about it!)

He gave us a taste of what eternity can be. A few people knew Him, and got to touch Him and be His friends.

Then, of course, came the end of that phase. In order to seal the deal, Jesus had to atone for our wrongdoing. He suffered in a way that no one else had or could. Not only was He beaten and crucified (not unique events, I’m afraid), He was afflicted for every sin. Every sin, so that His punishment would atone for them.

We now have the opportunity to live that life, forever in the presence of God. We can’t earn it. We can’t deserve it. We can be given it, if we remember Who that baby in a manger is and why it mattered.

By all means, enjoy your festivities and your family. I don’t think for a moment that there’s anything inherently wrong in that. My family had ours yesterday, and I’m quite content with it.

Please, though, don’t leave that baby in the manger. He’s far more than can ever fit in a manger, a stable, or any other man-made construct.

I am going to walk with Him on the other side of eternity. I hope that you are, too. It neither began nor ended with that first Christmas … but it is a noteworthy waypoint. God came back to earth, bodily, to be among us after what we’d done, betraying Him before. Wow.

Merry Christmas.

The game I want for Christmas

Perhaps you were wondering how to celebrate a world in which Ben Bernanke could actually be recommended for another term as Federal Reserve Chairman. Perhaps you were wondering what to think of the fact that anyone cares what Henry Paulsen thought of the confirmation.

Well, inventor Tim Hunkin has made the perfect game: Whack-a-Banker!

It makes sense, after all. What has a mole ever done to you or your country’s economy?

The problem seems to be that the mallets are wearing out.

Yes, Joe, really …

The other day, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) was reading a statement before the Senate, and his time ran out. Here’s a quick video of it:

Sen. Lieberman’s request for additional time is pretty routine. For the most part, Senators ask for additional time and get it, because no one cares.

Sen. Franken objected. Sen. Lieberman couldn’t believe it. Later, Sen. John McCain whines about it (I’ll stick that video at the end).

Really, this is very simple … Joe Lieberman has been dancing between the liberal, moderate, and conservative wings of the Democratic party. Although he endorsed the Republican candidate for President, he wanted the Democrats to give him a committee chairmanship, which they did. In return, he’s bounced back and forth on various bills. Right now, he’s jerking the Democrats around on the health care bill. Whether he’ll wind up supporting it in the end probably depends on what he thinks will get him the most headlines.

He’s ticked off the liberals. Al Franken is certainly among those.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of Al Franken. Prior to his Senate run, the only things I knew of him doing were two books — Rush Limbaugh is a Big, Fat Idiot and Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them. Based on their titles, neither sounds like they’re written for people who discuss politics above the level of second grade schoolyard banter. I also saw his spectacle at the book club luncheon presenting Liars as Bill O’Reilly was presenting one of his books (Who’s Looking Out for You, I think). He acted like a jerk. Ask me some other time why I was watching that … it’s a funny story.

Having said that … I don’t blame him in this case. It’s not a very meaningful thing, but what Sen. Franken did was let Sen. Lieberman know that he isn’t that well loved. He might not be entitled to the same treatment as everyone else.

Ah, yes … This would be the video that goes on to show Sen. McCain objecting. You will note that after he waxes indignant about how this has never happened before, Sen. Levin points out that it happened a little earlier that day …

Infanticide in Virginia (Updated hat tip and link)

Hat tip to Rogue Angel (via Facebook, and later blogged about it … and I highly recommend her blog!).

I’m not using any exaggerations to refer to abortion, either. This is genuine infanticide by any rational definition.

According to NBC12 in Virginia:

CAMPBELL COUNTY, VA (WSLS) – Police in Campbell County, Virginia say the child was killed by its mother moments after she gave birth, but they can’t charge the mother because of a loophole in a state law.

What kind of loophole, might you ask, would allow something like this?

“In the state of Virginia as long as the umbilical cord is attached and the placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive the mother can do whatever she wants to with that baby to kill it. And in the state of Virginia, it’s no crime,” said Emerson. “She could shoot the baby, stab the baby as long as it’s still attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something and it’s no crime in the state of Virginia.”

This child was born, and then killed. There is no euphemism that anyone can use to try to moderate this. No verbal trick can make it less evil.

Do I think that most pro-choicers would support what happened here? No.

However, there is an extent to which the pro-choice movement bears responsibility for the fact that this cannot be prosecuted. I’m not willing to let them off the hook for it.

If there were any way to charge this mother and put her in jail, investigators say they would. In fact, they work to try to get the state law changed after another similar incident in Campbell County. Talking to two delegates and one state senator, asking them to take this issue up with the General Assembly, but they say those three refused because it’s too close to the abortion issue.

The Legislature won’t pick up the issue because it is too close to abortion. They’re afraid of being beat up by the pro-choice lobby and activists. For that reason, this is the fruit of NARAL’s efforts. Any right-thinking person (which means, by the way, person who’s sane, not as in political Right) looks at this and sees evil. Only a blind political activist could see a reason to keep this loophole open.

Only a politician would rather leave that loophole open rather than face political activists.

If you didn’t get the utter contempt with which I said “political activist” and “politician,” read those sentences again and try spitting the words.

A woman has murdered her child. The story didn’t identify whether the child was a son or daughter, and I regret that. Referring to the baby as “it” is flagrantly wrong. Even so, I don’t think that anyone reads this story and shrugs, thinking that that’s okay.

While we’re at it, it might be time to rethink some of those ethics of abortion in general …

“A Christmas Carol” by Tom Lehrer

In between taking care of two little ones and experimenting with new recipes for no-bake cookies (it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it), I am not writing a post today. Not to be confused with yesterday, when I didn’t because I was just lazy.

Still, here’s a Christmas? classic from the great Tom Lehrer:

Happy Hanukkah!

This evening is the beginning of Hanukkah, and I think a way to note that is with this, a song written by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Yes, a Mormon wrote a Hanukkah song. I don’t pretend to understand, but if the Jewish Kenny G can make a Christmas album, then why not? It’s kind of catchy, too!

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas … or Else!

Following up on my previous post, perhaps this guy should get on staff for the AFA and such groups:

This is from a strategy board game called Shadowlord. One of the warriors available to the teams is Kaare, here, who looks to me an awful lot like Santa Claus with a scimitar. So, sing with me!

You’d better not pout, or he’ll make you cry

If you’re gonna shout, get ready to die

Santa Claus is coming to town!

AFA’s got a list, checking it twice

He’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He knows what you’ve been saying

You cashiers and you clerks!

He’s going to smite you with his sword

If you don’t pay lip service!

Well, that’s what Christmas is all about …

I was looking in an old e-mail account and found an interesting message from the American Family Association. You might see why I didn’t bothering to update the AFA to my new address:

November 30, 2009

Dear Friend,

Gap has heard you loud and clear. After thousands of phone calls, emails and petitions, Gap has just released a very “Merry Christmas” television commercial.

On November 28, Gap’s Old Navy division broadcast a television commercial featuring its “Supermodelquins” proudly cheering “Merry Christmas,” along with Christmas trees, lights and ornaments. View the commercial here.

As a result of Gap’s efforts, AFA is ending the Christmas boycott of the company and its Old Navy and Banana Republic stores. Thank you for getting involved!

Even FoxNews has recognized your efforts, saying you and your AFA have been very effective against retailers who won’t recognize Christmas in their advertising. See the video.

Again, thanks to your involvement, retailers are listening – and they are changing the way they do business!

In our ongoing effort to encourage other companies to recognize Christmas, your AFA has sent certified letters to Best Buy and Dick’s Sporting Goods, asking them to include “Christmas” in their advertising. You will find these two companies listed on AFA’s “Naughty or Nice” listing of retailers. We will let you know how they respond.

It is very important that you forward this alert to your friends and family members.

Isn’t that great! The Gap has its “Supermodelquins” (whatever the heck those are) cheering, “Merry Christmas!” What could be more about the real meaning of Christmas, after all, than that?

Every year, we go through this same stupid exercise. A bunch of people get up in arms because retailers might not adequately pay lip service to Christmas in the midst of indulging our gluttony and materialism.

Really, who cares what the mannequins say? In what way does this celebrate Christmas in any real, meaningful, and Christ-centered way?

The whole thing strikes me as Pharisaical. The AFA is putting all of this effort into making sure that people, whether they’re Christians or not, say something sort-of Christian-sounding. This does … what, exactly? … for the Kingdom?

Frankly, it might be more honoring to Christ if He was left out of the advertising.

A lot of these non-church ministries focus on making mountains out of molehills for the purpose of raising lots of money to fight a boogeyman.

Is it silly to rename Christmas trees as “family trees”? Of course it is.

But does Christ’s Kingdom really get advanced so much as a step just because some store puts the word “Christmas” in its sales flyers?

This is a great way for Christians to waste a lot of time and effort each year, fighting a battle that absolutely doesn’t matter.

107 Slaves Freed in Mexico City

Here’s the story at CNN.

Yes, slavery still exists in the world. It’s probably closer to most of us than we think. Those cheap shoes, shirts, even produce and meat might well have been handled by workers without a choice.

The conditions in this Mexico City operation are somewhat unusual, in that they hearken back to the way we tend to think of slavery, with chains and bars. Often, slavery doesn’t look like that, though it is no less evil and cruel.

Not surprisingly, most of the victims in this Mexico City case were indigenous people, and were suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. In the story, it’s reported that workers are often turned loose after six months, when they are no longer able to work because of illness, exhaustion, and malnutrition.

This is something to consider as we look out into the world … how do we see our role in stopping modern-day slavery, and how deep do we want to look into who’s making those cheap goods you buy in the department store?

Pearl Harbor Day + 68

Sixty-eight years ago was the day that, according to President Franklin Roosevelt, would live in infamy. Early on that Sunday morning, six Imperial Japanese Navy carriers launched their fighters and bombers to attack the United States Navy base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Caught off-guard, unprepared, and unaware that they were a target, nearly three thousand US servicemen were killed that morning.

I’m starting this post at about 7:30 local … if not for the time zone difference, that is just a few minutes before the first wave of Japanese planes hit the Navy base and the Army forces at Hickam and Wheeler Fields. Very few of those Army planes ever got into the sky to challenge the more than 400 Japanese planes.

By the end of the attack, four battleships and several smaller warships had been sunk and four more damaged. Two of those sunk would be raised and take part in the Second World War, though. Thousands of men were killed, many of them trapped in ships that went down.

These first shots of full-scale US involvement in World War II bear remembering. The tremendous loss of life deserves honor.

In that spirit, I’d like you to check out the current drive to raise funds to upgrade the Pearl Harbor Museum. Its stated purpose:

Since its dedication in 1980 as the shoreside support facility to the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Arizona Memorial Museum and Visitor Center has experienced tremendous usage and high demand. Larger than expected visitation, structural deterioration due to water intrusion, inadequate climatic controls for museum artifacts, and insufficient education and curatorial space all contribute to the need to replace and expand the current museum and visitor center.

I would encourage you to check out the site linked above, and if you’re so moved, please consider making a donation.