Coptic Christmas, what a compromise

In the Coptic (east) tradition, Christmas was the 6th of January (yesterday), not the 25th of December. This shows the compromise or decision by the Roman Catholic Church (west) and all related traditions to celebrate the birth of the Christ close to the winter solstice, a Pagan celebration (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/12/ok-25th-what-compromise.html).

Maybe we've adopted the date of the Coptic Christmas in the western interpretation of Christianity when we celebrate or at least remember the arrival of the Magi (a minor important date in our Christian calendar) also on the 6th of January.

All things considered, we -- insignificant earthlings -- might never really know the exact date when the Christ came to us. Nonetheless we continue to celebrate the coming of God incarnate on these two dates.

This brings us to wonder which branch of the Church is truer to the early Church or better yet to the traditions and practices of Jesus, the Christ. Once again, we might never know or bother to know -- at the same time that some might decide to hide such knowledge (further corruption in the Church, control of masses, etc).

John 1:1-14

This is one part of the Gospels that the pastors at church repeated through out the different Christmas services (http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/12/going-to-church-in-rotten-mood.html).

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth."
- John 1:1-14

I guess that, if someone repeats it many times, you'll think about its meaning.

1. At the beginning, we only had the Word of God, his teachings and prophesies.
2. The Word became flesh in the body of Jesus, the Christ, to fulfill the prophesies.
3. John the Baptist came to teach about the Word, the Light and the coming of God.
4. Jesus presented himself as God incarnate. He was accepted by some and rejected by the rest.

The coming of God to earth in the flesh of man (Jesus) is the true meaning of Christmas, which we often forget or avoid to remember.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Through out eons, it's become the socially correct thing to do, but how much do people really mean it? It might be a true feeling for many to wish friends to have a good Christmas day (Pagan celebration most likely, including gifts and such) and good fortune the following year (future).

I haven't wished either to many in the past several years since I really don't mean it. Maybe I just want to feel or become Godly righteous. Then again, I merely be an idiot, a hypocrite, a worthless sham.

At least, I know and feel good about myself for telling my oldest child that Christmas isn't about gifts, but rather about celebrating the coming of God incarnate in the body of Jesus. Well it was the same message I sent his girlfriend who might have felt awkward having me (from all people) preach.

ok the 25th, what a compromise

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
by the way, any cake?

http://project05952381.blogspot.com/2010/12/if-not-25th-then-when.html

if not the 25th, then when?

If Jesus wasn't born on December 25th, when was he born? Honestly the date doesn't matter. What solely matters is that God came to earth incarnate in the flesh of Jesus, the Christ.

I do believe all the various studies and historical data indicating that MAYBE the Christ didn't come to us on December 25th. I do believe the date was adopted from the Pagan custom celebrating the winter solstice and the re-birth of the earth.

Said all this, the actual birthday of the Christ could be any day of the year. We've compromised on December 25th and it really doesn't matter as long as we celebrate the coming of the Lord.

Jupiter, the star of Bethlehem

very interesting, well what if?

The Star of Bethlehem: Was it Jupiter?
http://news.discovery.com/space/the-star-of-bethlehem-was-it-jupiter.html

"Between Sept. 3 B.C. and May 2 B.C. there were three conjunctions (on Sept. 14, 3 B.C., Feb. 17, 2 B.C. and May 8, 2 B.C.) where Jupiter passed close to the star Regulus (the brightest star in the constellation Leo). This rare sequence of events would have looked very strange to those familiar with the night sky. [...]

The Three Wise Men, thought by many to have been zoroastrianist priests (who were also renowned astrologers) might have noticed this strange motion and considered it to be a 'sign.'"

http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/jupiter_worldbook.html

a quick reflection of faith: the Holy Trinity

We, Christians, are taught to believe in the Holy Trinity -- God Father (Jehovah), God Son (Jesus) and God Holy Spirit. I think that the belief of the Trinity is a bit too literal and slightly misinterpreted.

Maybe the three persons (entities) in the Trinity are not really three different persons, but rather three different yet related states of God. It might simply be similar to the relation between liquid, ice and vapor where water is still H2O in all three states. This simple explanation makes much more sense and might just be truer than having God in three separate entities yet being only one divine entity.

Using the belief of three persons in God, our limited human minds could understand the possibility of God be in Heaven (God Father), on earth (God Son) and inside us (God Holy Spirit) at the same time.

Regardless of our limited understanding and whatever the truer concept of the Trinity really is, we remain firm believers that there are three persons in God and that God is everywhere at the same time.

God vs the crucifix

Many people have items to identify themselves as part of a group or society. In the case of Christians, some use the Bible or a crucifix or other objects. The question now is if faith and symbolism can exist hand in hand.

The Bible can easily be considered an item that identifies ourselves as Christians. The Bible is the WORD of God and only the SACRED WORD of God. At the end of the day, the Bible is merely a book.

An object like a crucifix is a symbol, which should only be a reminder and/or representation of the death and resurrection of the incarnation of God (Jesus, the Christ). In other words, an object can have a meaning and/or idea related to them (in our case, faith in God), but is NOT the meaning and/or the idea (not God). Nonetheless some treat symbols as if they were God and/or image/personification of God. This is a practice and/or belief that many groups of Christians criticize and condemn.

Going back to my question, faith and symbolism can exist together within Christianity. A person can wear a shirt saying, "God is love," as a symbol of his/her faith. Of course, that same person won't pray to the shirt. That person would pray to God -- while wearing the "God is love" shirt or not.

a joke as such...

I normally write here and promote what I write on Twitter (http://twitter.com/project05952381). This time I did it backwards (in chronological order).

"so uptight for nothing, JC (#Jesus #Christ) on @ComedyCentral, good idea http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1850 @CatholicLeague"

"how about the #Jesus #Christ character in Tripping the Rift http://www.trippingtherift.tv/ @Syfy"

"#Jesus #Christ as a cartoon merely a way to remind people of the Son of #Jesus #God with some humor -- thanks for understanding @CatholicLeague"

So take a joke as such. Laughing is good for you.