Reflections From a Murky Pond

Christmas, Yule, or Chanukah – no matter your holiday – are not the problem in America but how most “celebrate” these holidays is certainly a major symptom of the pathology that is plaguing American society and, resultantly, politics.

Buy All The Things!

The disease or syndrome in question is, of course, rampant materialism and consumerism. It’s the root cause of almost every ill that torments America and it is a progressive illness.

Simply and sadly put, American society has not only forgotten what is important but has seemingly deprecated the importance and value of that which is immaterial. Worse, this disease’s symptoms become even more pronounced during the ever-expanding holiday season, which is now better- and more often described as the holiday shopping season, which accounts annually for 20% – 40% of the average American retailers’ total annual sales.

To put this is horrific perspective, The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects retail sales during the 2013 holiday shopping season to marginally increase 3.9% to $602.1 billion which is greater than the total GDP of 167 of the 188 nations tracked my the International Monetary Fund (IMF). So, in 33 days, Americans spend more on purchases than 166 countries make in a year. Only 20, other than the US, make more en toto per year than we spend during this time.

If this isn’t a symptom of a chronic and eventually lethal societal pathology I don’t know what is.

I bet you never knew that “Merry Christmas” was a battle cry and a verbal threat that strikes fear into what passes for the hearts of Liberals and Progressives. It is though these days.

Duck And Cover, Class! It’s An American!

The Liberals and Progressives have allied themselves with- and filled their ranks with the Godless. And in recent years have been waging a war on Christmas and on Christianity in general, the normative religion of Americans and the one, singular religion that they fear and hate more than any other. And nowhere’s is their war more stringently and virulently prosecuted than in America’s schools.

Conversely, they’ll teach Muslim holidays along with the occasional Hindu one and they don’t, as of yet, even understand the Pagan ones, so this is a problem for the Christians to correct.

So, if your child does say, “Merry Christmas,” he or she will be treated as someone who is threatening their class. And, in the minds of the Godless Left, they are doing so.

There Are Many Levels Of Martyrdom

So, whether your child chooses to make a declarative stand for religious freedom or they just innocently express their joy of the season, you can expect them to be martyred for it.

And the Gods forbid that they hand out Christmas cards or wear any form of Christmas themed clothing…

Living in a latitude of four distinct seasons has its upside and its downside.

Hot Coco On A Cold Day

The leaves have fallen. The weather here in the Northeast is cold. The best way to combat the sadness, frustration, and general malaise the weather can case is a bit of hot coco. 😉

Perhaps my favorite Christmas carol and certainly my favorite Christmas story – even if it’s modern in origin…

Pentatonix’s Little Drummer Boy

H/T to Moe for sharing this modern, a capella version by Pentatonix.

“The Little Drummer Boy,” originally known as “Carol of the Drum” is quite modern as well. It was originally written in 1941 by Katherine Kennicott Davis, though the story it tells seems to based upon the 13th century legend of Le Jongleur de Notre Dame created or recorded by by Gautier de Coincy.

I have written before about my disgust for many prayers people make to their God(s) begging or demanding that They provide some intercession in their worshipers’ lives. To me it seems wrong to treat one’s God(s) as They serve us when it is we who must serve Them.

This to me seems the only right request to make of the God(s)…

Lord, Grant Me The Strength

We are our God(s)’ hands and it’s our duty to serve Their will, not Their duty to ours. When one prays for more than help in finding the strength to carry on, you’re overstepping the bounds in Pride.

Side Notes

I get some significant enjoyment from thinking about how much and how viscerally the Liberals and Progressives would hate the image above, showing as it does and American soldier praying. The intersection of faith and our nation’s military has always been something that the Left feared and loathed.

Conversely, I can’t help shaking my head over the simple fact that very few normal, American Christians will be offended by the image. I would think they would be as it shows a soldier kneeling in prayer before an American flag in a setting that makes it look like the flag and, by proxy, the nation is being deified and place before- or in replacement of God.