Hello Readers!
A lot of us have been disappointed about the agenda some have of getting others to keep their Christmas enthusiasm under wraps, so to speak. Well, for an excellent article on the subject, go to http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/KarlaAkins/53881/ and read what Debbie Daniel wrote on the subject. It'll fire you up to not be shut up this Christmas season!!! If for some reason you can't access it that way, just Google the name Debbie Daniel, and then scroll until you find her article called "My Christmas Mission." It is SUPER!!!!

Pastor Bruce Oyen
Fellowship Baptist Church in Miles City

And Merry Christmas to you who like Christmas

I agree, the Christmas 'censorship' is a WAY out of hand, and I might add.... " Merry Christmas " to you Paster Oyen. I heard on Paul Harvey years ago a comment regarding the abbreviation of the word Christmas...X-Mas...I can't do it, It IS taking 'Christ' out of Christmas, so everytime I write,email or whatever, I take the extra 1.75 seconds to spell the name CHRISTMAS to its extent.

X-Mas was used before Christmas was. The original Christians considered Christ's name too holy to be write out so used the Greek chi-ro to represent Christ's name.Chr-ro looked like an X hence X-Mas.

Who doesn't like Christmas? It's the most awesome pagan holiday ever!

Oh wait. Was I not supposed to mention that?

Anyways, isn't it a little early for xmas-flogging? Aren't we supposed to wait until the Friday after Thanksgiving before we nail santa to the cross?

I agree... we should wait at least until after Reformation Day.


The history of the Christmas celebration is interesting. It is like most things in life, a swinging pendulum. Back about the time that Dickens wrote a Christmas Carol, Christians were actually persecuted if the celebrated the day.

Jesus was actually born in September.

[This message has been edited by Richard Bonine, Jr (edited 9/22/2006).]

I personally can not wait for the holiday season, as it means that I once again get to dust off my copy of James Brown "Funky Christmas." Let's have a black baby Jesus on the court house lawn this year.

I do like Christmas, it is what Christmas has become that I don't like. People seem to have forgotten the true meaning of it. Now days it is all about decorating and buying gifts. It is to commercialized.

Celebrating Christmas without hesitation is certainly your right, just as it's someone else's right to call it December 25. Funny how our Constitution works. Excessively early seasons greetings to those of any or no faith!

Ironically enough, Baptists were at one time among the most ardent supporters the concept of separation of church and state, much like the American Civil Liberties Union (Gasp! Oh no, not them!) is now.

Of course, that was before the greatest persecution of Christians in history. At least I think that's how I heard it. If only they had a voice somewhere. Anywhere...

After we get through Halloween (close your eyes and cover your ears if this frightens you) and Thanksgiving, I'll extend my wishes for a happy Christmahanukkwanzaaka to everyone.

Let's get our facts straight here:

This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.

In other words:

SYLLABICATION: Xmas
PRONUNCIATION: krsms, ksms
NOUN: Christmas.
ETYMOLOGY: From X, the Greek letter chi, first letter of Greek Khrstos, Christ. See Christ.
USAGE NOTE: Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , "Christ." In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas. understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.

Source: The American Heritager Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000


[This message has been edited by GVC (edited 9/22/2006).]

Wow..welcome back Brian. Now if we can just get Amorette to start posting again (hope she is doing well) all will be right with MC.com.

Yeah, I know I'll kick myself for coming back later.