Why I will celebrate Christmas Tomorrow

[AllentownJake]

I really dig this Jesus fellow. He was kind to the lower level of society, ate and drank with them, never really was harsh and offered them advice on how to live better lives. He was never really that pleased with the upper echelon. He didn't seem to get a long well with the Temple Priest or Money Changers who were making money off of Religion off the backs of the poor.

He was good to his friends, even to the point of forgiving one who was going to stab him in the back right before he did it.

He told people to love one another and to forgive each other for the things we do.

He said those Temple priest have no more knowledge of the divine than you do, and I can give you a personal relationship. Revolutionary idea 2000 years ago.

He stood up to the most powerful empire of his time, and let them kill him. He didn't run and hide, he didn't fight or resist with physical violence, he went willingly to face a horrible death to prove a point.

I'm not a fan of some of the people who claim him as their Lord, but of the actual person as presented in the New Testament. I really like that guy.

So tomorrow I'll celebrate Christmas, and as I always tell my more ardent Christian friends. The miracles in that book never really impressed me as much as the human actions and words that had nothing to do with anything that appears magical. I'm more impressed with the scene in the Temple with the money changers than I'll ever be with the Nativity. But that is where the story starts, so I'll be celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth tomorrow, a guy who had a heart for the little guy.

Merry Christmas DU

[Ron Green]

1. Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Although it was really in August or September or some other time, and we've hijacked the Solstice and Saturnalia, but there's got to be some fun and feasting and lights in the cold winter night.

So... Happy Birthday Jesus, and Merry Christmas to all!!

[roguevalley]

21. allentown jake, what a great post. I am with you. :)

[BbeltAtheist]

2. It's the message

To give and to appreciate what one has.

The story of Jesus has some uplifting things about it, but interpretation is the key and yours is for the good.

Santa will visit our house tonight and I'll enjoy watching the kids open presents, but any discussion in my household of a Jesus figure and his birthday will be done in the context of a nice "story" :)

[Goldstein1984]

3. An Atheist for Jesus

Like Jefferson, I don't believe in the divinity of Jesus, but the man was on the side of the people.

Merry Christmas.

[cherokeeprogressive]

4. Bravo. Well said Jake. Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Be well.

[AllentownJake]

7. Merry Christmas to you Cherokee nt.

[H2O Man]

5. Yep.

Take him off the stained-glass window, and place him in the context of humanity, and you can recognize the real strength of his message.

[AllentownJake]

6. Amen nt.

[Gregorian]

8. Love your enemy. Imagine that!

We wouldn't be in Iraq. We wouldn't even be hunting Bin Laden. I said right after 9/11 that we should forgive him. Man, that's about as far out a thought as one can have these days.

I see him as more than just a man. But I'm not going to push it on anyone. And I'm certainly not sure of it. And all that really matters is what is in front of me on this planet. And I haven't met too many people who believed in Jesus who were Christians. A couple maybe. That speaks volumes about religion.

The guy was pretty cool. :)

[FLPanhandle]

9. I'm an atheist, but if Jesus were to show up tomorrow, 90% of today's Christians would hate him.

Long hair, ethnic, hippy, liberal, do-gooder.

Republicans would nail him back up.

[G_j]

10. one those dreaded bleeding hearts!

get a job!

[Dappleganger]

15. Truer words were never spoken.

[Berry Cool]

11. Merry Christmas to you too, AllentownJake.

Because you get it.

[G_j]

12. those are the liberal values I was brought up with

Christmas in my family was a time to remember things like forgiveness and kindness.

thanks for your post!
:-)

[depakid]

13. It's already Christmas morning down under!

Hope yours will be s fine as ours has been....

[blondeatlast]

14. Cheers! You don't have to be Christian to live in His spirit. I call myself a

Christian, but like you, the man is what impresses me.

[Nikki Stone1]

16. Dammit, Jake. Nobody makes me fucking cry.

:cry:

Merry Fucking Christmas!

[Blue_In_AK]

17. A shame the Gnostics didn't win out

in those early disputes about what Christianity should "be." Too many Christians today place all the emphasis on the "accept Jesus Christ as your savior; he died for your sins" as opposed to what he actually taught. The Apostle Paul did Jesus no favors, in my opinion.

[roguevalley]

22. faith instead of works. sad isn''t it. I agree. Happy Christmas, Blue!

[Little Star]

18. K&R Merry Christmas!!!!

[me b zola]

19. Merry Christmas to you

[marmar]

20. Peace on Earth.....And Goodwill Toward Humankind

[mia]

23. You captured the spirit of Christ for me. Merry Christmas!

Thanks for your post.

[eridani]

24. No longer a Christian myself, but I like the guy too

Of course to get technical, he wasn't a Christian either.

[shireen]

25. Yeah, Jesus was a really good person.

it's sad that so many people on the right aren't listening to him.