Pat Sullivan Blog

More War on Christmas

The following are a few clips about this year's battle for Christmas that were emailed to me.  I thought you might enjoy reading more about this.  It really is quite silly but groups like the ACLU have chosen this battle ground, and so it must be defended for the sake of our heritage, tradition, and intellectual honesty.  Enjoy.  And Merry Christmas!

First person: Merry Christmas – its OK to say it
Commentary by Alan Sears
SBC Baptist Press

It’s that joyous season once again. And nothing so warms a wintry heart like singing “O Mid-Year Break Tree,” “We Wish You a Merry Solstice,” or that more recent favorite, “A Whiskered White Male Is Coming to Town.”

Never heard of these carols? Well, despite the American Civil Liberties Union and its allies’ claims to the contrary, that is how the event formerly called Christmas will be celebrated if they have their way. You better watch out, you better not say the wrong words or display a nativity scene; otherwise, you may hear “Hark! The Herald Lawyers Sing” at your doorstep next December.

On a Christmas Crusade
South Bend Tribune

Mike Johnson, senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization Vickie Metzger cited when she approached the P-H-M school board this week, said diversity isn't the heart of the issue.

Johnson said his group, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., respects religious differences. His legal opponents, often represented by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union or Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, respect all religions except Christianity, he said.

The ACLU recently conveyed its disapproval of a vote in North Carolina, in which a city council agreed to allow a holiday display featuring a Nativity scene, a Menorah, Santa Claus and other cultural icons.

"That was multicultural," Johnson said. "It respected everyone's beliefs and yet it offended the ACLU. Instead of seeing tolerance for all faiths, what we've seen is outright hostility toward the Christian faith."

A-caroling they will go: School program revised to include unedited version of Christmas song
RealityCheck.org

Officials at a suburban Chicago elementary school have changed their minds about their decision to revise the Christmas song "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" to "We Wish You a Happy Holiday" as part of an upcoming student concert after a letter from an attorney with the Alliance Defense Fund clarified the law.  The song joins tunes related to other holidays that were reportedly already part of the program.

"It's silly that we even have to discuss whether it's okay to sing genuine Christmas carols in an elementary school Christmas program," said ADF attorney David Hacker.  "Many schools are simply not aware of what the law truly says about public religious expression at Christmastime.  We're very happy that, after receiving our informational letter, the school decided to change its policy."

"This resolution is a perfect example of how easy it is for parents and others to make a difference in their schools and communities simply deciding not to accept the status quo," Hacker added.

Schools simply misinformed on Christmas observances
Agape Press

Mike Johnson, an attorney with the Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund, says similar "government censorship" is occurring all across the country. And that censorship, he says, is largely based on people being misinformed about the law.

"What we see, rather than a tolerance for all religions, [is] really an outright hostility towards one particular faith; and that, typically, is Christianity," Johnson states.
"There's no reason to censor [representations of] the Baby Jesus from Christmas celebrations, even on school campuses -- and we all need to remember that."

Many area merchants still wishing customers a ‘Merry Christmas’
Rolla Daily News Online

National chains including Wal-Mart and Target say they do not mandate which greeting is used. That is also the case at JC Penney.

“There’s no company policy on the addressing of whether we use ‘Happy Holidays’ or ‘Merry Christmas,’” Rolla JC Penney Manager Gary Grice said. “Associates can say whatever they’re comfortable with.”

The battle is on to save Christmas
WEBCommentary

Who is fighting on behalf of the majority of Americans who treasure Christmas and look forward to celebrating this special day? Until recently, there was no organized opposition to the anti-Christmas brigade. But thanks to the Alliance Defense Fund and to the Rev. Jerry Fallwell, there is a wealth of information available on the topic. Go to www.saychristmas.org or to American Defense Fund’s Web site at www.alliancedefensefund.org or to The Liberty Alliance Web site at www.fallwell.com to learn more about joining the battle to save Christmas.

Even political leaders are developing a backbone when it comes to defending Christmas. Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert presided over the lighting of the Capitol Christmas Tree last week in Washington, D.C. It had been known as a holiday tree since the start of Clinton administration.

Analysis: Stores explain censoring ‘Merry Christmas’
Waynesville Daily Guide

On a Dec. 1 broadcast, Focus founder Dr. James Dobson introduced the Alliance Defense Fund president Alan Sears who discussed the “issue of the public use of Christian symbols and sayings at Christmastime.” In an article on the Alliance Defense Fund ‘Save our Christmas’ Web site the following was announced:

“Alan Sears, president of ADF, said his group’s goal is to inform, educate and help protect the rights of Americans who celebrate Christmas. According to a 2003 Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, 96 percent of Americans do just that.

“An overwhelming majority of Americans of all faiths agree that we should celebrate Christmas,” Sears wrote. “This is a time for goodness, giving and hope — not a time for fear, intimidation and the disinformation of agenda-driven, anti-Christmas legal entities.”

According to a 2000 Gallup poll, 90 percent of people in the U.S. recognize Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ. And the Fox poll showed 87 percent believe nativity scenes should be allowed on public property.

Boycotts bloom as religious conservatives wage battle over Christmas
Forward newspaper

Another Reform movement official, Mark Pelavin, said that the Christmas campaigns were triggered by the renewed aggressiveness of the religious right.

"One of the characteristics of this political moment is a new assertiveness in some quarters of the religious right," said Pelavin, associate director of the Reform movement's Religious Action Center.

The American Family Association launched a boycott of Target stores. The Alliance Defense Fund brought together 850 attorneys from across the nation to "help defend traditional Christmas."

Technorati Tags: Christmas

It is OK to say Merry Christmas

Over the last decade we have watched Christmas be attacked incessantly by the ACLU and other so called "tolerant" organizations.  The War on Christmas has reached new heights this year. It will probably continue to accelerate over the coming years.  But this year, the backlash has begun in earnest and will also continue to accelerate in opposition.

The continued commercialization of Christmas has caused the holiday to lose much of it's original meaning.  I think those who want a totally secular society (and really hate anything Judeo-Christian)are actually doing the majority of Christian Americans a favor.  By their efforts to exorcise society of our obvious Judeo-Christian heritage, the secularlists are beginning to make people really think about what Christmas really is.  A celebration of the birth of the most amazing person to be born -- Jesus of Nazareth. 

Regardless of what you may personally think of Jesus, it is hard not to be totally amazed that 2,000 years after He lived, billions of people in virtually every nation and tongue seek to follow His teaching.  Billions actually believe that He was who He said He was.  Why? 

Hopefully many people who have taken for granted their "faith" in Jesus will think a little more about why they believe what they believe.  Often, it is not until we are challenged to think about something until we actually do.  "Do I really believe this thing that some people want to destroy?"

Stores that have decided to avoid offending anyone by saying "Merry Christmas" are now offending Christians by saying "Happy Holidays."  Those Christians who are offended are deciding to boycott these stores, or just not buy anything for Christmas anymore. 

As a Christian, I'm honestly not offended by a greeting of "Happy Holidays."  But I do think that most of us -- Christians included -- too easily forget the true meaning of Christmas.  The Christmas season is not about Target or Kmart meeting their sales numbers.  It is not about keeping our economy booming.  It really is about simply remembering the celebrated birth of the most amazing person who ever lived!

Technorati Tags: Christmas, Jesus

Pat Robertson vs. George Stephanopoulus... Media Bias?

I wrote a post about two days ago about Pat Robertson's assassination comments.  I joined virtually everyone else blasting Robertson for his outrageous comments.  I still think he was way off base for what he said.

However, I came across this NewsMax article which pointed out that George Stephanopoulus (pronounced "step-on-all-of-us"), the former Clinton top advisor turned media pundit, publicly stated the very same thing in 1997 in a Newsweek Magazine feature article.  He gave a long and reasoned explanation about why Clinton should assassinate Saddam Hussein.  The headline read, "Why We Should Kill Saddam."   Wow!!!

There was no media outcry from anywhere.  It was not talked about on every TV station.  No editorials condemning him and what he said.

The article closes with, "The one-time top Clinton aide said that, far from violating international principles, assassinating Saddam would be the moral thing to do, arguing, "What's unlawful - and unpopular with the allies - is not necessarily immoral." 

I wonder how George's same comments would play today?  Wonder if he is saying the same things today?

And really, what is the difference between what Robertson said and what Stephanopoulus wrote?  Stephanopoulus was MUCH more explicit than Robertson and yet NO ONE said a thing that I know of.  Why?

First off, blogging did not exist then!  Today, George would be blasted by the conservative half of the blogosphere for writing that same article. 

Second, George was part of the politically acceptable club and his assasination idea was considered reasoned and intelligent.  Could it be that it was OK for him to say what he said because he was a liberal democrat, fresh out of the administration of the media-beloved President Clinton? 

But since Pat Robertson is a "Wacko Conservative Ultra Right Wing Christian Fundamentalist," he's lambasted!  Say it ain't so.

But of course, it is so...We all know that the majority of the mainstream media has a liberal bias.  This is just one more clear cut example.   And one of the most clear that I know of.

Now, I do want to make sure that my position is understood: I thought, and still think, Robertson's comments were crazy for him to say.  But to be fair, Stephanopoulus HAS to be considered just as crazy as Robertson!

UPDATE: Pardon My English, Hugs, Kisses, and Bombs, and Memento Moron are just a few of the other bloggers that see the same irony I do.

UPDATE: NewsMax also reports that CIA, Military Men Agree with Pat Robertson.  Not that anyone would be surprised at this because this is what the CIA and special ops actually do.  (At least, we think this is what they do!)

Pat Robertson, what were you thinking?

I am a Christian and I am embarrassed by Pat Robertson's call to assasinate the President of Venezuala.  I can't find an example anywhere of Jesus calling for the assasination of anyone.  Neither did any of his followers like Paul who wrote most of the New Testament.  There is a definite view of politics as important but something less than the transcendent "Kingdom of God."  Jesus said that His Kingdom is not of this realm! 

So what in the world is Robertson doing calling for the assasination of a head of state?  It is embarrasing because he is viewed by many mainstream mediatypes as speaking for a large part of the Christian world.  I don't think he actually does.  He certainly does not speak for me.  I think he is way off base!

Having said that, I think Christians have a responsibility to be involved citizens just like Jesus made sure he paid his own taxes.  I am certain that Jesus was VERY aware of the political climate and happenings during His day.  But that was NOT what motivated Him at all.  He was totally motivated by His mission -- the redemption of mankind! 

Pat Robertson would do well to follow His example!

UPDATE: I just heard a report that Pat Robertson is now saying he didn't mean "kill him," he only meant that Hugo Chavez should be kid-napped, or something like that.  That's not much better.

UPDATE: Of course, the blogosphere is just blistering Pat today.  People just LOVE IT when Christians mess up!

Tristan Abbey Replies

Tristan Abbey sent me the following email in reference to my previous blog entry, A Better "What are Darwinists Afraid Of?" 

Mr. Sullivan,

Many thanks for the favorable review. For the record, I haven't actually updated my bio in a while - I'll be a sophomore at Stanford this fall, not a freshman. Mea culpa!

I think your suspicion that the younger generation is more open to ID is definitely right. Lots of the students in our group are high schoolers and young undergrads. There are many, many more affiliated with the IDEA Center (www.ideacenter.org) and many others who are keeping their support for ID a secret until they get their degrees and positions. Luckily, I'm majoring in poli sci or history, so my involvement won't damage my professional career.

Tristan Abbey

The younger generation is a great encouragement to me.  Shame that many of them have to stay in the closet!  Universities are certainly not bastions of free speech are they!

A Response To Ed.

My post titled "What are Darwinists Afraid Of?" has had more comments than any other post I have done.  One commentator, Ed Darrell, has posted a few interesting "Pro Darwin" comments.  See the article and comments here.

I liked my reply so much I thought I would re post it.  That is one benefit of being the Blogger!

Repy to Ed: Many thanks to Ed for his well written reply to my comments in reply to his comments. Did you follow that?

I won't reply to each of his statements as I agree with much of what he writes. Sort of! The problem I have is that I totally agree that evolution can and has been observed often in nature. But there are TWO TYPES of EVOLUTION. There is micro evolution - change within species - and there is macro evolution - one species becoming another species.

The first has been observed. The first has been utilized in medicine and agriculture as he says. My problem is not with micro evolution at all. It makes perfect sense and is readily proven that it happened and still happens today! My problem is logically taking that observation and making the jump to MACRO EVOLUTION. I am not aware of any evidence or observation showing that has happened or is happening. The total lack of "intermediate" species in the fossil record are very telling. Also, the sudden appearance of species in the fossil record is totally unpredicted by evolution. Smarter people than I could go on and on about the huge holes in the theory of Macro Evolution.

I think that this is the main problem in a discussion about "evolution". One needs to make sure we know which type of evolution we are talking about! Id'ers, get accused of being stupid because they supposedly don't accept the concept of micro evolution when they readily do.

As to the lack of "published" work from ID'ers, scientific publications are controlled by Darwinists and they are not going to allow anything written by an ID'er to be published so that can continue to use the argument that ID is not scientific because they have never been published! That circular argument works in medicine too!

I also fail to follow Ed's argument that somehow it is anti-God to believe in ID and not in evolution. Clearly the basis of belief for every athiest I have ever talked to has been Evolution and not Creation! It seems rare to find Christians (or any other faith for that matter) who believe in a Creator but also believe that creation happened from NOTHING and totally randomly by chance.

I also don't like the tendency for evolutionists to attack ID'ers personally. I have read things written by people like Dembski and Behe and it is hard for me to believe that they are stupid people with an evil agenda. They seem extremely smart and their arguments compelling.

One could argue as Ed does, that this is because I am simply ignorant and have not been properly taught what evolution really is. The fact is, I have read things from evolutionists and I have gone through the obligatory evolution classes both in High School and College. In those classes I found myself saying, "that is all there is?" "That is what evolution is?" I wanted to know where the beef was.

I don't think the reason that only 22% of Americans believe in Evolution is that 78% of them are just too stupid or ignorant! I think that evolutionists have to do a better job explaining how what is observed, happened totally from NOTHING and totally randomly. That is the huge problem that they have it seems to me.

What is observed appears to be extraordinarily well designed! Nothing that we use or work with in everyday experience came into being from nothing or by chance. Our experience readily teaches us that everything worthwhile has been designed by someone.

Email reply to a new friend

The following is the text of an email that I wrote to a new friend who emailed me about things he found useful in my book, WELLNESS PIECE BY PIECE, and the Jigsaw Health website.  As I re-read my reply to him I realized it could be a good post as it covers so many issues from several angles.  My new friend is a deeply devoted Christian.  I think you will get the gist of his email to me as you read it.

My email reply:

I understand completely about doing two things at the same time and getting better, but then being afraid to stop one of the things you are doing for fear that it was the reason you got better! I have done that MANY times! Uncovering hidden underlying causes of health issues is VERY difficult. That is where I feel I have had so many answers to prayer! I would think that I really understood why I felt a certain way, only to have the Lord somehow reveal something out of the blue that would cause me to realize that what I thought was not accurate.

Lexapro is likely the best of the SSRI's I think. I have never used it but it is highly rated here www.remedyfind.com/rm-3743-Lexapro.asp. I like this site because it is users who rate the various things that they take.

Depression IS an awful thing. Especially if you combine it with an unhealthy sense of "God is punishing me" or "If you just believed right, or thought right, you would not be depressed brother" type of advice/condemnation from well-meaning but ill-informed Christians! Been there, done that!

For some reason I never have used an anti-depressant though at times longed for one. Once a doc did talk me into trying Wellbutrin but that was short lived because it was AWFUL. Total insomnia was NOT a good side effect!

Instead, I have worked hard at trying to understand the underlying cause. I am not totally there yet but feel I am very close. Instead of taking something to re-use serotonin over and over, as in an SSRI, I have focused on helping my body make more serotonin. I figured I did not have a deficiency of Prozac!

Usually depression is one of two things, or both! A deficiency of one or many nutrients needed to make neurotransmitters, or a toxin (like mercury or something else) that prevents the body from making what it needs.

Mercury's number one effect is depression. Dentist's have the highest rate of suicide of any profession!

Really, that is the theme of my book: To discover the things that the body is missing and provide those, AND help it to get rid of the toxins that our generation has been exposed to in ever-increasing amounts!

From my way of looking at it, the Church is oblivious to the physical assaults upon the bodies of its members. We too easily ascribe physical issues with spiritual causes. We pray about our health and that is good, but then we expect God to somehow protect us when we eat like fools and are regularly exposed to highly toxic chemicals and metals in ever-increasing amounts.

I have often wondered if the attack on our bodies were not totally orchestrated by the one who seeks to destroy us. Does he know somehow that because we are looking at spiritual things we won't suspect a direct assault on our bodies which ultimately can effect our spirits?

Christians have had a false idea, it seems to me, as to the importance of the physical body and our responsibility to be stewards of it as well as we are of our hearts!

The body is the "temple of the Holy Spirit" and yet we treat it as though it is this awful thing of "flesh" that we can't wait to get rid of!

We get cancer or diabetes or depression and we say to God, "Why are you doing this to me?" I think He says, "Duh!"

Hosea, says "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." I fear this is our condition today as it relates to the body. We are deceived into thinking that somehow our physical bodies will be protected by our faith. Like walking off a ten story building believing that our faith will override the law of gravity. At certain times it will, as in Jesus' and Peter's case in walking on the water. But in normal, everyday life, gravity wins!

I am glad our website was useful to you for your circadian cycle. Sunlight is extremely powerful! I expect getting early morning exposure to the sun will help you a lot!! The GoLite product that we sell is a great product as well if you find that sunlight does not do the trick totally.

Well, sorry for the diatribe here, but I had too much time on my hands on a Sat morning!  I look forward to getting to know you better!

Pat

Jesus is not *IN* the way!

So enough for now about mercury and disease and politics.  I also want to occasionally write about my ideas on Faith.

I recently finished reading two books that my daughter Colleen gave to me.  They were written by Brian McClaren, a leader of what is known as the "post modern movement."  It is not really a movement per se, but rather a realization that we are moving past what has been known as the modern view of religion to a "post modern" view.  It is a very interesting topic and quite relevant if you have kids who are having trouble relating to the "old" modern church view.  They are part of the post modern world and probably are not even aware of it.

I enjoyed both books that I read.  "A New Kind of Christian," and the sequel, "The Story We Find Ourselves In,"  are written as novels and tell the story of a pastor who is thinking about leaving the ministry because of things he struggles with intellectually regarding what he is teaching and the seeming irrelevancy of it all.  He meets one of his children's teachers, Neo, who eventually helps him begin to understand the transition from modernism to post modernism.  Neo is a High School science teacher from Jamaica who gets in trouble regularly for sharing his different views of evolution (he sort of believes in a variant of creation and evolution) at church youth groups.  It turns out that Neo also used to be a pastor himself.

The books will definitely make you think and you will find yourself agreeing and disagreeing with many things but they are a great read!

One of the things that struck me was a conversation that Neo was having with the pastor where they touched on the controversial statement that Jesus made when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man comes to the Father except though me" (John 14:6). This one statement has stopped many seekers in their tracks because it seems so exclusionary!  I have had many discussions with people who struggled over this statement.  I have struggled with it as well.

Neo simply says, "yes, but Jesus is NOT standing in the way to the Father!"  I thought that was very insightful and put a very different slant on this statement.  Jesus is not an obstacle preventing anyone from coming to God.  He is saying of Himself that He is the best, easiest, most efficient way to come to the truth about Father God.

It stands to reason that if Jesus is who He said He was - the unique Son of the Father - that He would in fact be the authority on coming to know the Father.  Interestingly, in just a few verses later Jesus says to his disciples, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father... I and the Father are one" (John 14:9-10).  In this context, if you believe what He says, Jesus is not saying anything that should be anymore controversial than anything else he said and did!

It is also important to realize that Jesus said these things in a very intimate, private meeting with his few disciples the night that his path to His crucifixion began.  In so many other places Jesus openly declares to the multitude a totally open invitation that was NOT at all exclusive. 

For instance, Jesus says, "Whoever asks receives. Whoever seeks, finds. Whoever knocks, the door is opened to them" (Matthew 7:8, Luke 11:10).  "Whoever" is VERY inclusive!!  There are multitudes of stories where simple people cried out in ignorance to God and He did something to reveal Himself to them.

The key point I want to make here though is that Jesus is not standing in anyone's way of coming to know and believe in God.  Quite simply, He is the best and easiest way to do that.  I have found it so.

Are there other "paths" to come to know God?  Probably.  But personally after being exposed to some of those paths through various people and books I have read, nothing even comes close to the simplicity of getting to know Jesus.  I don't know another "way/path" I could point someone to that would be as sure and certain. 

I am NOT saying the "church" is the way!  I am not saying trying to be good is the way!  Those have often failed me.  But the more I get to know Jesus, the more deeply I internally sense that when I see Him and learn of Him, I do in fact, see and learn of God. 

A long road

Jigsaw launched today!  A long effort of a team of talented people.  Check it out!

I had mixed feelings driving into work today shortly before it went live.  I was very excited that all the hard work that had gone into this launch would finally be realized.  However, I was also very aware that all my health issues that I have quietly struggled with were going to be made public!  The thing about people who suffer with a chronic condition is that, usually, they look fine and can hide how they really feel!  So most people who know me simply did not know when I was sick or when I felt well.

Fitting that I was listening to Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life" as I drove to work this morning.  He was on the chapter dealing with how God uses our weaknesses to help others.  How appropriate was the timing for me to listen to that particular chapter then. 

That was the original purpose behind writing a book and then later deciding to do Jigsaw Health.  To help people!  My physical weaknesses, for which I have sought answers—and in most cases have found the puzzle pieces—were now going to be out there for all to see, but also to help people find their puzzle pieces.  Hopefully, a whole lot faster than it has taken me.

I feel it has been such a long road getting here.  Often in the past 31 years since I first got really sick—and especially over the past 19 years as I really began to find the true puzzle pieces—I would feel such deep empathy for all the millions of others that I knew were suffering and yet often did not know why.  I frequently thought about how I could help them. 

A couple of times, I seriously analyzed starting a network of clinics, but every time I went down that path, it just would not come together in a way that I felt would be a successful new venture.  There was always just "too much hair on it" as I like to say in describing a proposed new venture that has issues which are not clean and focused.

Jigsaw Health, I think, is very clean and very focused.  We want to help people with chronic health conditions!  People who are healthy are not our focus at all.  Certainly, we have products that even healthy people could benefit from, but they are not who we are trying to help. 

I am so proud of the team, our employees, and our vendors who worked so hard to pull this off.  Naturally, I am very proud of my son Patrick for really leading the entire effort to make Jigsaw happen.  And his wife Lindsay is an amazing organizer of all things marketing!  Jigsaw simply would not have happened without the two of them making it happen.

So what you see at Jigsaw is a great beginning, but there is so much more we have planned that will happen over the coming months.  Stay tuned!