tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post3641041730935926693..comments2024-03-17T14:55:33.289-06:00Comments on American Creation: Mercer, O'Reilly and ChristmasBrad Harthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17669677047039491864noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-44921479928759182592008-12-20T18:32:00.000-07:002008-12-20T18:32:00.000-07:00Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug at Xma...<I>Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug at Xmas. Pluralism also permits taking Jesus' word as divine or divinely inspired. Or not.</I><BR/><BR/>And BTW Tom, if you listen carefully to my discussion with Babka and Titus, you'll see Herb initiated a "Merry Christmas" to which Babka and I both reciprocated.<BR/><BR/>Though, the radio station has a big hard right evangelical-fundamentalist listenership so I think it would be rude to do otherwise.<BR/><BR/>I think much of this "War on Christmas" stuff can be solved with simple common sense and politeness.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-7837429392433242602008-12-20T18:26:00.000-07:002008-12-20T18:26:00.000-07:00Tom,I love it when we can publicly access disserta...Tom,<BR/><BR/>I love it when we can publicly access dissertations like these.<BR/><BR/>By the way, Sandoz, with whom I've met and spoken over email, is one of the key men of Voegelin studies. And he edited the Founding era sermons to which I've often linked via the Liberty Fund.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-12195649684392203202008-12-20T09:47:00.000-07:002008-12-20T09:47:00.000-07:00TVD: "Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug ...TVD: "Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug at Xmas. Pluralism also permits taking Jesus' word as divine or divinely inspired. Or not."<BR/><BR/>Personally, I favor celebrating in a manner that embodies the example of Jesus ... to behave in a manner consistent to Jesus' example (more 'walk", less "talk").<BR/><BR/>I tire of the number who incessantly point our the short comings of others and contrast them against the merits of Jesus' example. All the while, never bothering to give any thought to aspiring to embody Jesus' example themselves.<BR/><BR/>Ideology tends to be divide, good works tend to unite. In the spirit of the season, I think the latter is a preferred over the former.<BR/><BR/>Tom, my intent is not to critique. It is just that your perspective inspired my thoughts above.bpabbotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17047791198702983998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-73125958916365746622008-12-20T09:06:00.000-07:002008-12-20T09:06:00.000-07:00."Christmas is a legal holiday, celebrating the bi....<BR/><I>"Christmas is a legal holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus-..."</I><BR/>.<BR/>Christmas has come to be a flying buttress for consumerism.<BR/>.<BR/>Christmas is a time of celebration for the gift of life.<BR/>.<BR/>Christmas is a little something for everyone.<BR/>.<BR/>It's a time to give up on being a cynic--at least for a season.<BR/>.<BR/>Bill O'reilly is a bad case of B.O.<BR/>.Phil Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06756814849309388483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-83749841732950529322008-12-19T18:29:00.000-07:002008-12-19T18:29:00.000-07:00Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug at Xma...Mostly I'm talking about not being a humbug at Xmas. Pluralism also permits taking Jesus' word as divine or divinely inspired. Or not.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-57945031778540185952008-12-19T18:24:00.000-07:002008-12-19T18:24:00.000-07:00I don't care about Bill O'Reilly's bad arguments, ...<I>I don't care about Bill O'Reilly's bad arguments, meself. Christmas is a legal holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus---savior, God Incarnate, <B>or just cool moral teacher.</B></I> [Bold mine.]<BR/><BR/>Heh. THIS is what I want Christians to accept re America's public principles. You can. But let's see how far we can build this consensus.Jonathan Rowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04079637406589278386noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1237087217187172116.post-60216826252537959862008-12-19T17:56:00.000-07:002008-12-19T17:56:00.000-07:00"Whatever one thinks of Christianity, it cannot be..."Whatever one thinks of Christianity, it cannot be treated as negligible."---Eric Voegelin<BR/><BR/>I don't care about Bill O'Reilly's bad arguments, meself. Christmas is a legal holiday, celebrating the birth of Jesus---savior, God Incarnate, or just cool moral teacher. Celebrate it or don't; just don't be a humbug. That's pluralism in a nutshell.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://209.85.173.132/search?q=cache:vQgCJx1FgLUJ:etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-0128103-124914/unrestricted/Herndon_dis.pdf+voegelin+christianity&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=8&gl=us" REL="nofollow">More Voegelin.</A> I like the quote and I like the arguments. I don't really care what Adams or Jefferson believed either. Neither I nor Voegelin are ready to consign the Christian influence on the Founding to "none of the above" or give Athens and Rome equal standing.Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.com