Right Truth

Christmas

Christmas

Frederick William Dame

Christmas Nativity Scene

Source:  nagygl at http://morguefile.com/archive/?display=192318& 

 

Origins

The customs and traditions of Christmas have developed from heathen beginnings to the present day.  Christmas as we know it to be the Birthday of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior has been celebrated by Christians only since the fourth century.  Before that time Easter was the more important of the two religious celebrations.  Christmas, if observed took a second place to Easter, the time to remember and celebrate the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection into eternal life.

The etymology of the word Christmas is made up of the Old English Christes messe, meaning Christ's feast day, mass.  This occurred about in the first half of the twelfth century. In Middle High German (c. 1150) there is the phrase Ze den wihen nahten, which means that in the holy night, which signifies when Christ was born.  Wihen nahten is the source of the German word for Christmas:  Weihnachten.

There are many explanations concerning why December 25 was chosen as the day to observe the celebration of Christ's birth.  Traditionally speaking, March 25 was celebrated as the beginning of spring, the day of creation, and the day of conceiving.  Therefore, it was logical that nine months later Christ would be born.  Another explanation is that December 25 was the cult celebration of the Feast of the Sun-god – the winter solstice – in Rome.  This day was extremely important for other cultures that were part of the Roman Empire.  In 217 Hyppolitus of Rome (170-235), considered by Church historians to be the first anti-pope, attempted to replace the cult-oriented Sun-god celebration with the celebration of the Birth of Christ.  The symbolic behind the attempt was that Christ is the Light of the World, and after the winter solstice the days in the northern hemisphere become longer, forcing the defeat of darkness.  Furthermore, in the Old Testament Jesus is referred to as the Sun of Justice. (Malachi 3:20.)

What Christmas Means For The World

By R.J. Godlewski

© December 22, 2012, All Rights Reserved.

“At present many signs point to a great victory for Christianity. Do not our enemies have a presentiment of it? Does not a secret instinct warn them that the days of their power are numbered, and that the time when it is given to them to prevail cannot be of long duration? This is why they enlist in the war they wage against the Church all the hateful  corruption, all the hypocrisies anxious to drop their masks, all the hostile sciences, all the shady and godless politics. The revolution boldly raises its standard against religion, property, and the family; saps the foundations of the social structure; and mounts its attacks against us simultaneously, and on every front. The press, freed from every restraint, disseminates the most subversive doctrines and the deadliest poisons in a thousand organs.” FR. CHARLES ARMINJON, 1881[1]

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            No religions are the same. Judaism, for instance, witnessed the birth and life of the most spectacular individual person ever to walk the surface of the earth and, yet, for reasons never fully revealed refuse to accept the presence of God within their midst. Later, during the Battle of Jerusalem in 66-70 A.D., the Jewish people often resorted to atrocities against their own neighbors that disgusted even hardened Roman commanders.[2]Islam, the other great monotheistic faith, literally came upon the world as if a thief in the night, stealing whatever it could from preexisting Jewish and heretical Christian cultures.  Should the “iffy facts” of Islam’s early history and the “violent conquest and slaughter, mass slavery of the conquered, and radical discrimination against women and non-Muslims” of later years ever be scrutinized as closely as the Roman Catholic Church has been, then the religion of Muhammad would surely die out underneath the burdening weight of its own transgressions.[3]Like an elegant bride, the Christian Church has withstood excesses and challenges that devour rivals.

            For over three centuries – approximately thirty times as long as the Holocaust in Nazi Germany – Christians were brutalized within the Roman Empire, being fed to hungry lions and set ablaze as “living” garden torches amongst other inhuman atrocities. Unlike within most religions, however, the Christian lives under the edict that “the individual Christian is to expect persecution and suffering.”[4]And what, precisely, remains the cause of this millennial persecution of Christians in general, and Roman Catholics in particular? That our God so loved the world that He came down to earth as fully human in order to die for the vastness of our sins.[5]The Jews remain steadfast in their arrogance, believing that they would understand beyond a doubt when their messiah would appear, effectively ignoring Him when He did dwell amongst them. The Muslims, for their role, remain so bitter as to not seek the truth about the faith they plagiarized and emerged as a people whose Allah remains so impotent as to not bear the power to visit earth in human form whether he chose to or not.

            The Christian God remains both infinitely powerful and eternally loving. Christmas remains His Gift that “keeps on giving” for the entire existence of the physical universe – several trillion trillion years yet to come, perhaps[6]-- remains but a brief blink in the eye of anyone viewing Creation from the perspective of eternity. From the first microbe appearing on the shores of earth on through the eventual colonization of the stars, all will be as forgotten as last night’s dreams as we awake into the heavenly realm of our destiny in life. We will never be able to behold the majesty of God, however, for God never ceases to amaze. Nor are there limits upon His Power or His Love. No mere human author could conceive of an omnipotent being coming to earth as fully human and suffering both poverty (birth in a stable!) and human death (abandoned by even His best friends!). Nor would Hollywood imagine such an infinite power choosing a human creature – the Virgin Mary – as the perfect vessel from which to emerge upon this fragile and chaotic world of His own creations.

Christmas Shopping Suggestions

Here are some fine books hot off the press from R. J. Godlewski and available at Amazon.com.  Buy one of each for yourself and buy some to give as gifts to family and friends.  Click the links to purchase.

Skills of the Assassin:: Understanding the Tactics of the Professional Killer [Paperback].

Mini-Manual of The Independent Counterterrorist Second Edition [Paperback]

 

For the children in your family:

Bogdan Back Flies and the Children of Desperation [Paperback]

See inside the book at Amazon.com.

See more books by R. J. Godlewski at Amazon.com here.

 

About the Author

R.J. Godlewski (GOD LESS KEY) is an independent counterterrorism consultant, the director of the private International Nuclear Emergency Response Team [INERT], and the author of several novels, commentaries, and professional articles. He is the author and architect of the Web-based Independent Counterterrorist training program. He is currently a graduate student at American Military University completing his M.A. in Military Studies, Asymmetrical Warfare concentration, and graduate certificate in Security Management. Mr. Godlewski holds a B.A. in Intelligence Studies, Terrorism Studies concentration with a minor degree in Area Studies – Middle East with honors from American Military University. He further holds an undergraduate certificate in Explosive Ordnance Disposal and is a veteran of both the United States Navy and Navy Reserve. His most recent article is “Financial Counterintelligence: Fractioning the Lifeblood of Asymmetrical Warfare” American Intelligence Journal 29 no. 2 (2011): 24-33.

R.J. Godlewski is also a contributor here at Right Truth, see his articles here.

 

Happy Hanukkah

A Happy and Blessed Hanukkah to all our Jewish friends.

The events that inspired the Hanukkah holiday took place during a particularly turbulent phase of Jewish history. Around 200 B.C., Judea—also known as the Land of Israel—came under the control of Antiochus III, the Seleucid king of Syria, who allowed the Jews who lived there to continue practicing their religion. His son, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, proved less benevolent: Ancient sources recount that he outlawed the Jewish religion and ordered the Jews to worship Greek gods. In 168 B.C., his soldiers descended upon Jerusalem, massacring thousands of people and desecrating the city’s holy Second Temple by erecting an altar to Zeus and sacrificing pigs within its sacred walls.

Led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his five sons, a large-scale rebellion broke out against Antiochus and the Seleucid monarchy. When Matthathias died in 166 B.C., his son Judah, known as Judah Maccabee (“the Hammer”), took the helm; within two years the Jews had successfully driven the Syrians out of Jerusalem, relying largely on guerilla warfare tactics. Judah called on his followers to cleanse the Second Temple, rebuild its altar and light its menorah—the gold candelabrum whose seven branches represented knowledge and creation and were meant to be kept burning every night.

Obama omits God from Thanksgiving address for 4th year

No surprise.  And what does Obama's comments on the election have to do with Thanksgiving???

Via Daily Caller:

During his fourth Thanksgiving presidential address, President Barack Obama referenced the recent, long and bruising campaign season, urged the country to unite behind his administration and, for the fourth year running, neglected to offer verbal thanks to God.

“As a nation, we’ve just emerged from a campaign season that was passionate, noisy, and vital to our democracy,” Obama said. “But it also required us to make choices – and sometimes those choices led us to focus on what sets us apart instead of what ties us together; on what candidate we support instead of what country we belong to.”

“Thanksgiving,” he continued, “is a chance to put it all in perspective – to remember that, despite our differences, we are, and always will be, Americans first and foremost.”

Keep reading…

 

 

GIVE THANKS

Frederick William Dame

Give Thanks

 

Lift your head toward Heaven and do not forget to say thanks for the givings from God as they come through Nature.

Even if you have to scavenge for food and scraps, even if the All-You-Can-Eat buffets, the hors-d'oeuvres, the cheese refreshment bars, or the free coffee in the hotel are the best you have ever had, give thanks!  If you have to eat your bread in the sweat of your face like Adam and Eve once had to do after their being expelled from the Garden of Eden, lift your head towards Heaven and give thanks to God.

As Christians we still live in heavenly times in spite of the suffocating politics we are enduring.  Nevertheless, give thanks to God.

Whoever has bread, count your blessings and share it.

Thank Almighty God for His blessings that come to us in special ways:  for keeping the family healthy, for making you able to work, for the work that you have, for your being able to move your hands, arms, and feet, for your being able to see, and hear, and think logically.

Thank God for the butcher, the baker, the doctor, the educator, the responsible pro-America civil servant, the minister, and the priest, and the rabbi.

Thank God for your secure life.

Thank God for the small, yet large happenings which make life enjoyable:  the colorful, falling leaves in the autumn, the snowflakes in the winter, the budding spring flowers, and the radiant sunrises and sunsets in the summer.

Thank God for protecting you from evil in every-day life.

Thank God for your husband or wife who is your personal protective Angel.

Thank God for people who have meaning for you and to whom your presence gives meaning.

Give thanks to God omnipotent, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, Who has made the universe an order of natural law that we experience and admire, Who has given us the Earth for our harvests, our uses, and our protection.

Give thanks to God for your productive year and pray for those who have not been able to reap any productivity.

Draw a deep breath and raise your head toward Heaven and give thanks to God's givings.

Because they do not know what they do, forgive the parasites who outnumber the producers and pray for their redemption.

Thank God that you are an American Patriot.

Regardless of our age, we are Children of God.  We can feel and see God every day in our lives.  Take the time to place yourself tightly in God's arms and put yourself snugly in God's soul.  Take the time to place God in your hands.

This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and our Savior.  Amen!

Source:  http://fabandfru.com/2011/11/are-you-really-thankful/.

 

Frederick William Dame

Patriotic, Steadfast, and True

November 19, 2012.

Honor Veterans Today and Every Day

This day has been set aside to honor our military Veterans.  This nation is so blessed to have so many men and women willing to volunteer to serve and protect this nation.  Those veterans deserve to be treated with honor, to be cared for when they return from battle, to have their wounds cared for and their future safe.

I am pleased that there are so many businesses offering special discounts and even free meals, car washes, hair cuts, etc. to Veterans.  Just one small way to acknowldge them.  The website  Veterans Day Meals and Deals lists places like Applebees, Dennys, Long Horn Steakhouse, and Chilis offering free meals.

If you see a Vet today, tell him/her how much you appreciate what he is doing for this country, offer to pay for their drink, meal.  Let them know that we understand they fight an enemy that has no home country, that wears no uniform, that does not fight by the same rules as we do.

Veterans need to know what they are fighting for, they need a purpose when they get home, a new job and goal in life.

Be sure to read What Is A Veteran? by Frederick William Dame here.

 

 

Halloween

Happy Halloween from Right Truth.  Eat some candy corn for me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obama’s Columbus Day Proclamation: “We Reflect On The Tragic Burdens Tribal Communities Bore”

What the heck?

When the explorers laid anchor in the Bahamas, they met indigenous peoples who had inhabited the Western hemisphere for millennia. As we reflect on the tragic burdens tribal communities bore in the years that followed, let us commemorate the many contributions they have made to the American experience, and let us continue to strengthen the ties that bind us today.

(Todd Starnes, Fox News Radio, full text proclamation here, hat tip Weasel Zippers)

 

 

40th Wedding Anniversary

The sweet Grouch and I will be married 40 years this coming weekend.  Being the sweet hubby that he is, he planned a wonderful vacation for us, celebrating our 40 years together.  I briefly mentioned the trip here and posted a few pictures, but hubby has detailed every day of the trip in pictures at the following links.  If you want to see some wonderful parts of the United States, great food, and a couple who still love each other as much as they did when they met 40 years ago, visit the following links:

Our Anniversay Gulf Coast Trip - Part 1, Huntsville.

Our Anniversary Gulf Coast Trip - Part 2 - The Battleship Alabama.

Our Anniversary Gulf Coast Trip - Part 3 - Born to Ride!.

Our Anniversary Gulf Coast Trip - Part 4 - Bourbon Street.

Our Anniversary Gulf Coast Trip - Part 5 - Alligators and the 9th Ward.

Our Anniversary Gulf Coast Trip - Part 6 - Hoofing it in New Orleans.

 

Thanks for a wonderful trip sweet hubby, but more important -

Thanks for a wonderful life, a wonderful 40 years together.  I love you more every day.