Birth of the Christ Remembrance Day! (Updated from 12/10/2014)

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

-- Dr. Seuss

I wish I could wish you all a merry Christmas when the day grows nigh, but, even though Christ is in the word, it is now politically incorrect to think of it in the religious context, so the best I've come up with will be, "Happy Birth of the Christ Remembrance Day, and may God bless us, everyone!"

We should, seriously, consider changing the name to something more... universal.  We should petition Pope Francis to do this while he is head of the Catholic Church.  He's a forward-thinking guy who likes to shake things up a bit.  Christmas is, after all, a Catholic invention. Therefore they should be able to do with it what they will.  

It is my understanding that "Mass" literally means "death sacrifice," which makes wishing anyone a "merry" Christmas kind of weird, and Christ was actually born in the fall, not the middle of winter.  The pagans will be upset because we make use of many pagan traditions, but this will be short-lived as whatever they deem proper to call the day will continue to be celebrated "religiously" on the same day it has always been.  Christians just need to bond.  They need to come up with a better plan, a unified Christian plan, that no one will take issue with.

Nice thought?  Maybe, but somebody will always be offended. It is what some folks live for - to make otherwise happy people miserable.  If the offended have to make themselves miserable, it only seems right that the rest of us should wallow in the same pit.  This is the offended idea of "equal treatment."

Well, those poor people.  May God bless their little hearts. Someone has to.

Oh, I'll be wishing everyone a merry Christmas this year, as always.  Why should I start bowing to PC now?  Heck, I might even go for the real gusto... and mention Jesus.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com