Tuesday, December 14, 2010

That Wasn't Ferry Nice!

*Rated U-PC (Un-Politically Correct): Reader Discretion is Advised. Liberals, most news agencies, most college professors, and the politically correct WILL be offended.

A Staten Island Ferry removed the baby Jesus from their holiday display but left the "holiday" tree and the menorah. One official said the baby Jesus was "a religious symbol and they didn't want to offend anyone," so they removed him. What an intolerable toddler! Isn't it ironic that a baby can strike such fear in the pc police?

There are only a few thousand problems with the logic of those who booted the baby from the display, but let me focus on three. First, the menorah is a Jewish "religious symbol" dating way back to the days of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25). But let's not let faulty logic stand in the way of an official statement. Surely, we have learned THAT from our government by now.

Second, the "holiday" tree is, and always has been, a Christmas tree. Only recently have some hypocrites, who want to celebrate Christmas without Christ, come up with the whole "holiday" replacement word. I'm not saying you have to be a Christian to enjoy Christmas. I'm just asking you to stop butchering reality with lunacy.

I don't like asparagus, but I would not disparage you from enjoying it nor would I attempt to make up another name for it simply because of my personal preference. And if thereis ever a date on the calendar that celebrates Asparagus Day where lovers of asparagus exchange gifts or decorate their homes, I'm not going to take what I want from their celebration, strip it of it's meaning, and call it Chocolate Chip Cookie Day!

If Christmas offends you this much, George Costanza from Seinfeld has come up with an alternative for you called Festivus. You can get together with your family and friends, stare at your silver pole, try to pin one another with feats of strength, and air your grievances with everything you hate about Christmas. It's the perfect alternative.

Third, Christians in this country are not considered to be "anyone" by the politically correct. They "did not want to offend anyone," so they adiosed Jesus. When was the last time someone punted Buddha off a stage? Ever hear of Mohammed being yanked from the public's eye? No one else is fair game. Christians are the only ones untolerated by those who scream from their arrogant platforms of tolerance.

It is a most unusual form of persecution. It pales significantly and substantially from the persecution our brothers and sisters face in China and other parts of the world. But since I have "freedom of speech" and "freedom of religion" (at least in document form) in this country, I'm fixin' to use it.

There is an ongoing blatant hypocrisy that poisons political correctness. For example, the department stores all want us (especially Christians) to go shopping to buy gifts that will be exchanged on December 25th. They want and beg us to buy the latest toys, gadgets, cars, computers, lights, tinsel, bows, food and candy for the 25th. They cannot survive without our dollars.

It's all for the same date: December 25th. None of this stuff is for Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. It's all for Christmas. But each and every one of their employees (Christian or not) and each and every sign on their windows and ads in their papers all say, "Happy Holidays" instead of the horrifying sound of "Merry Christmas!"

They smile as they swipe our cards. They grin as they stuff their "Happy Holiday" stamped plastic bags with our purchases. They are swiping more than our cards, folks. They are essentially trying to rob Christians and Christmas of Christ. And we let them...even though they could not survive without us. And if we question this unbelievable treatment of intolerance, the same people whose own survival depends on our shopping sprees release public statements offensive to no one but us. It's incredible!

They want to take Christ out of Christmas but could not survive if we took Christmas out of the calendar.

They are so hungry and greedy for our money that they even begin decorating and advertising long before November. Thanksgiving has become a speed bump they hurdle. They can't wait for the third Friday of November so they can gorge themselves on our credit cards.

Now, as to the big question: Why? Why is a manger scene offensive and a sacrificial atoning Savior so repulsive? Again, there are a few thousand reasons, but most of them boil down to one --- pride. Man is so full of pride that he will even shake his finger in the face of God if God tells him he's a sinner.

The same pride that fell Satan from heaven stirs bad tidings on earth. If anyone were to take an honest look at the whole issue, they would find this very situation to be compelling evidence in favor of Christianity. There must be something sinister and evil behind a movement that wants to hush the singing of "Silent Night" or toss into a dumpster the display of a tiny baby resting in a feeding trough.

Mohammed can call for infidels (non-Muslims) to be killed and is met with toleration and acceptance. Statues and temples made of pure gold adorn Buddhist communities while the worshippers of Buddha starve in poverty. Not a voice is raised in protest from the pc. Name a religion and you'll find a fault, an injustice, an inconsistency, but you won't find anyone in this government trying to wipe it out or remove it from the public's eye (with the occasional exception of Judaism, which is the root system of Christianity).

Tax-funded schools are not allowed to pray to the God of Christianity while accomodations are made for Islamic prayer times in tax-funded schools in predominately Islamic communities. The point is: One is persecuted in this country while the rest are tolerated and accomodated. Why? Because there is one true God and He has an enemy.

The enemy only wishes to keep ONE message silent. That message is this: "For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

Think about it. And while you are thinking about it, dwell on the irony of the name of the Staten Island Ferry that tossed Jesus overboard. The ferry with the baby Jesus phobia is named the St. George!

Who is St. George? A Christian officer in the Roman military who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods after the Roman Emperor Diocletian, in AD 302, ordered every Christian soldier in the army arrested and every other soldier to offer a pagan sacrifice. George objected and, with the courage of his faith, approached the Emperor.

George loudly renounced the Emperor's edict, and in front of his fellow soldiers he declared his worship of Jesus Christ. Diocletian attempted to convert George with bribes of land, money and slaves if he would make a sacrifice to the Pagan gods. George would not cooperate with the attempts to renounce Christ, so Diocletian had George decapitated on April 23, 303.

George's witness and martyrdom were so powerful that the Empress and one of the pagan priests converted to Christianity and were martyred as well.

George's body was returned to Lydda for burial, where he can currently be found rolling over in it.

Merry CHRISTmas,
Perry Crisp