silveradept | (Reply)

From:

[insert lapsed Catholic joke here].

The celebration itself of a kingmaker and son of a god's birth has been around before, but the way a story is told is always unique. Many similarities, but differences here and there to make it one's own. Nothing wrong with that.

I guess that unless I'm celebrating the specific festival in its approved way, I don't use the words or names associated with it. And given my syncretic sort of nature (medievalist in degree, religious studies major and librarian at heart), I'm celebrating several Vague Early Winter Possibly Religious Festivals all at once. So it's not just Christmas, celebrated as a prayer and joyous noise to YHWH, but Sol Invinctus, the return of the Sun, Mithras, Osiris, all those who descend into the Underworld, apparently dead, only to return to life later. Amaterasu pokes her head outside of her cave, sees a beautiful woman in the mirror, and comes out to investigate.

So light the hearth fire, make appropriate sacrifices to the gods of home and family, give gifts to those who need them, receive good cheer and gifts from others, and have a bit of a Bacchanalia next Monday, ya? If the Divine Principle exists, I think we will find himher to be far more transcendent than our minds, our myths, and our religions can ever imagine. Why limit oneself to one philosopher or writer when so many of them say the same thing, emphasizing different parts of the tune in their work?

Regarding the Christmas story, it is written from a outside and potentially cynical position. All the nitpicks you have are true, from the perspective of someone who believes. His parents can be "enemy combatants" for hiding a threat to Roman power, the show trial was still a show trial, no matter who conducted it, and Pilate was a man who wanted to make sure he kept his job and didn't spark an insurrection on his watch. Even if he denied wanting anything to do with politics, the way he gathered followers meant he could have political things happening in his name, including rebellions and acts of terror against Roman rule. By killing the source of inspiration for such things, the Roman might have hoped to head off a problem. Later on, they sacked the Temple, too, but that didn't dissuade either Jews or Christians from continuing their worship.

What I have said is true, if you look at it in the right light. What you have said is true, if you look in a different light. Neither of us is necessarily correct, but we both have spoken something true.