A PAGAN NATION! - PROFITS ARE OUR GODS! - Poll: Most Say Americans Have Forgotten the Real Meaning of Christmas

 

 THE REALITY OF THE RULING CLASS!

National Buffoons Christmas Inflation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M30pFMvVhw

ISN'T THIS LIVING CHRISTIANITY??? 

WATCH: Mom and Son’s Dessert Business Employs People with Special Needs Who ‘Bring Out the Best in Everyone’

https://www.breitbart.com/education/2022/12/24/watch-mom-sons-dessert-business-employs-people-special-needs-who-bring-out-best-everyone/

‘Everlasting Light’ — King Charles’ First Christmas Address Pays Tribute to Late Queen and Christ’s Message of Selfless Service

KURT ZINDULKA

25 Dec 20220

4:16

In his first Christmas address to the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth as Monarch, King Charles III recalled the deep faith in Jesus Christ held by his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, and the virtue of service to our fellow man in order to fulfil the promise of the “everlasting light”.

In a speech delivered from the chapel of St. George at Windsor Castle nearby where the late Queen is laid to rest, King Charles, 74, paid tribute to his mother, who reigned for 70 years and 214 days, the longest of any British Monarch.

“Christmas is a particularly poignant time for all of us who have lost loved ones. We feel their absence at every familiar turn of the season, and remember them in each cherished tradition,” the King said.

“In the much-loved carol ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem,’ we sing of how, ‘in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light.’ My mother’s belief in the power of that light was an essential part of her faith in God, but also have faith in people, and it is one which I share with my whole heart. It is a belief in the extraordinary ability of each person to touch with goodness and compassion the lives of others and to shine a light in the world around them.”

The speech not only marked the King’s first since ascending to the British throne in September, but also the first instance of a King of the United Kingdom delivering a Christmas message on television. His late mother, Queen Elizabeth II was the first British Monarch to deliver a televised Christmas broadcast in 1957, some 25 years after her father, George V became the first King to have his Christmas message sent out over the radio.

The central theme of the message was the Christian message of selfless service to others, which is perhaps the most defining feature of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The King said that this is the very “foundation of our society,” saying: “We see it in the selfless dedication of our armed forces and emergency services, who work tirelessly to keep us all safe, and who perform so magnificently as we mourn the passing of our late Queen. We see it in our health and social care professionals, our teachers, and indeed all those working in public service whose skill and commitment are at the heart of our communities.

“And at this time of great anxiety and hardship, be it for those around the world facing conflict, famine or natural disaster, or for those at home finding ways to pay their bills to keep their families fed and warm, we see it in the humanity of people throughout our nations and the Commonwealth, who so readily respond to the plight of others.”

“I particularly want to pay tribute to all those wonderfully kind people who so generously give food or donations, or that most precious commodity of all, their time, to support those around them in greatest need. Together with the many charitable organizations, which do such extraordinary work in the most difficult circumstances, our churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, and gurdwaras have once again united in feeding the hungry, providing love and support throughout the year.”

The King went on to recall his own experience feeling the “light” of Christ, recounting when he visited Bethlehem and the Church of the Nativity.

“There I went down into the Chapel of the Manger and stood in silent reverence by the silver star that is inlaid on the floor and marks the place of our Lord Jesus Christ’s birth. It meant more to me than I can possibly express, to stand on that spot where, as the Bible tells us, the light that has come into the world was born,” he said.

King Charles, who is the head of the Church of England, concluded by saying that “while Christmas is of course a Christian celebration, the power of light overcoming darkness is celebrated across the boundaries of faith and belief.”

“So whatever faith you have, or whether you have none, it is in this life-giving light and with the true humility that lies in our service to others, that I believe we can find hope for the future. Let us, therefore, celebrate it together and cherish it always. With all my heart I wish each of you a Christmas of peace, happiness, and everlasting light.”

Follow Kurt Zindulka on Twitter here @KurtZindulka

Celebrating Christmas, the Birth of Jesus – ‘Wise Men from the East Came to Jerusalem’

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KEN KLUKOWSKI

24 Dec 2022Washington, DC0

2:53

Christians worldwide celebrate Christmas today, commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who was born approximately 4 B.C. in the town of Bethlehem, five miles east of Jerusalem, in the nation of Israel.

Four gospel accounts in the Bible provide many of the details surrounding the birth of Jesus, including stories of extraordinary and supernatural events coupled with more broadly known historical details.

One is the visit of the magi – or “wise men” – in the months following Jesus’ birth. Tradition says they were three in number, but in reality, the Bible does not specify their names or number, nor which country east of Israel they came from.

From the Gospel according to Matthew:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They hold him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah, for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herold, they departed to their own country by another way.

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called me son.”

—Matthew 2:1–15.

Ken Klukowski is a Breitbart News senior contributor.

Poll: Majority of Americans Favor Jesus over Santa on Christmas 

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KATHERINE HAMILTON

23 Dec 20220

2:31

A majority of Americans still believe Jesus Christ — not Santa — is the reason for the Christmas season, according to a new poll from Rasmussen Reports.

Out of 1,000 U.S. American adults polled between Dec. 8-12, 57 percent “believe Christmas should be more about Jesus Christ than about Santa Claus.” Only 22 percent put Santa first and 20 percent are undecided.

“Two years ago, 63 percent said Christmas should be more about Jesus. Support for Jesus as the primary reason for the holiday which celebrates his birth has ranged as high as 76 percent in 2012,” according to the poll, which has a ± 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

Ninety-percent of adults celebrate Christmas in their family, an increase from 85 percent two years ago. Out of those Americans, 52 percent celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, while 37 percent view it as a secular holiday. Eleven percent are unsure.

The overwhelming majority of every political affiliation celebrate Christmas in their family, including 97 percent of Republicans, 89 percent of Democrats, and 86 percent of unaffiliated. However, Republicans (73 percent) are far more likely than Democrats (47 percent) and unaffiliated voters (40 percent) to view Christmas as a primarily religious holiday.

“Republicans (74 percent) are also more likely than Democrats (51 percent) or the unaffiliated (50 percent) to say Christmas should be more about Jesus than Santa,” according to the poll report.

Older Americans are also more likely to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday than younger Americans. Less than half (48 percent) think Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Sixty-one percent of Americans between the ages of 40-64 and 71 percent of those 65 and older believe the holiday is more about Jesus than Santa.

By sex, women (62 percent) are more likely than men (53 percent) to believe that Christmas is more about Jesus. Married Americans are also more likely than unmarried Americans to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday.

America and the Season of Hope

By Tom McAllister

As our nation proceeds through the holidays, Christians celebrate the birth of their Lord. Despite this season that traditionally emphasizes hope, many are pondering in trepidation the fate of our country as it continues to veer deeper into postmodern secularism. How or who can help us alter our current trajectory toward destruction? According to one famous pastor, it’s not going to be the church.

Andy Stanley, who leads one of the largest multi-campus churches in America, tweeted this summer that “saving America is NOT the mission of the church.” That’s true as the mission of the Church is to “make disciples.” However, these are not mutually exclusive initiatives. They are quite compatible and synergistic. In fact, it could be argued that had the Church experienced even modest success in the pursuit of its mission over the past threescore years, our nation would not be in the precarious situation it faces today. Let’s examine these two objectives of making disciples and saving America further.

A disciple is a student or learner -- a journeyman in support of a philosophy or teaching. Jesus claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life. To follow Christ is a twofold process where the first is to follow Him (Truth) along the proper path (Way) to the final destination of heaven. The second is a transformational process to become like Christ in every aspect of one’s being (Life). Jesus explained the discipleship journey in this way, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow Me.”

Those followers with a bit of marketing savvy would have groaned at this declaration. Imagine their murmuring in modern-day speak, “We’re trying to start a movement here, Lord. We need Likes, Shares, and Subscribes. Speak about peace, love, and how cool heaven will be -- not this cross stuff. Who wants to pick up a cross?” Who indeed?

Jesus gave us the Golden Rule to treat others as how one wish to be treated. When asked which of the commandments was the greatest, Jesus responded citing Deut 6:4-5 and Lev. 19:18 to love God with all you’ve got (body, mind, spirit) and to love others as you love yourself. There are three loves involved: love for God, love for others, and love for self. Since the term “love triangle” has some negative connotations, let’s call this relationship an “agape triangle.” His next statement was even more remarkable, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Every law, rule, and principle, every “thou shall” and thou shall not” is summed up in this agape triangle which has only one verb -- love. This agape love is a caring, charitable, pay-it-forward action that has another’s best interest at heart. It is unconditional in application. Therefore, at the disciple’s transactional level of life, every decision should be motivated and agape-triangle-tested to ensure it reflects a proper love for God, love for others, and love for self.

Thus, when one applies the requirements for discipleship, we deny ourselves by not being self-centered and put others first. Employing a different geometric construct, one can visualize our love for God in the vertical (God above us) and our love for others in a horizontal (peer-to-peer) relationship. Put these vertical and horizontal loves together, it forms a cross -- a cross of love. Thus, disciples pick up and carry daily a cross of love. This is not easy. It’s hard to love someone who has hurt or betrayed you or a boss/authority figure who has abused you. It’s very difficult to love a terrorist who desires to kill you, but that is the command.

How does all this come together in a pragmatic way? To follow Christ is to pursue truth and respond to every situation in love. It is at this intersection of truth and love that one finds wisdom. When we love others, we bless them and thus nurture their growth. An interesting phenomenon is that when we love others, we bless ourselves. A common tactic or prescription for those suffering from depression, anxiety or other mental distressing states is to have them go and volunteer to help others. One, this alleviates the patient’s stress by taking their mind off their own problems, but it also causes the brain to release “feel good” chemicals (serotonin, dopamine) that improves their own mood and well-being. When you love others, you bless them, you bless yourself and to complete the hat trick, God is glorified. It’s a win-win-win scenario.

From a lean, six-sigma perspective, there is an astonishing efficiency and effectiveness in this interaction. A person performs an act of love, the recipient is blessed, the giver is blessed and God is glorified from one single act! This enhanced performance is developmental -- it produces growth. Each agape cycle of loving others is self-motivating. The incremental addition of encouragement through the feedback loop of positive reinforcement via satisfaction for both giver and receiver stimulates future similar action. These blessings grow and multiply such that it creates an upward spiral of love. Why does this work? Because God designed it this way. When humanity, created in His image, aligns with His design, all participants are blessed. For the Christ-follower, truth and love are not abstract theoretical concepts. Truth and love is Christ for He is the wisdom of God.

Now, imagine this agape cycle in continual practice within one’s family. Then visualize this process in your neighborhood and community, your state, region, and nation. Imagine its embrace by our culture and society. It would direct the motivational behavior and mission of our nation and if expanded globally -- the world. Yes, there would still be cancer, pandemics, and drought, but in terms of what we humans can control (our attitude and behavior); it is inspirationally optimized. Instead of RAOK (Random Acts of Kindness), they become Routine Acts of Kindness.

Even if one doesn’t believe in God, the logic of the Golden Rule is compelling. To save America and to make America great, America must reestablish its goodness. This calls for an emphasis on personal integrity and responsibility, on justice, and a proactive willingness to selflessly serve, encourage, and assist others. The agape triangle becomes the evaluation template for every decision we make. Is running up our national debt in the best interest of the citizens of our country? Are drag queens good role models for our children? Should we encourage transgenderism? Is abortion on demand an act of love or selfishness? Does Critical Race Theory promote unity and synergy or create dissention and division?  Does the media, education, the arts, science, and our government promote objective truth or an agenda? Do our elected leaders exhibit servanthood in addressing the needs of the people or are they examples of arrogance and self-centeredness? We could go on.

America has a lot of problems to work through. Yes, it is not the job of the Church to save America, but if the Church became proficient in making disciples, then saving America would be an expected by-product. The mountain ahead is steep. Yet, in this season of hope, we know that with God all things are possible.  Merry Christmas!

Tom McAllister, Ed.D, is a business consultant, adjunct professor, and the author of Short Strolls in Faith. Several concepts for this article came from his research paper, “All Excellence is God’s Excellence: Examining the Fractal Nature of Biblical Wisdom for Decision-making in Complex Environments.”

Image: PublicDomainPicture

Washington’s Christmas Poem: ‘Assist Me to Sing the Morn, On Which the Savior of Mankind Was Born’

ALI MEYER | DECEMBER 23, 2022 | 12:33PM EST

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This article was first published on Dec. 23, 2015.

(CNSNews.com) - George Washington, the first president of the United States and a Founding Father of our nation, was a devout Christian baptized shortly after his birth by his parents, who were members of the Church of England. 

The book, “George Washington the Christian,” by William J. Johnson  highlights Washington’s religious foundation, his prayers, his religious habits, and his actions taken as a Christian soldier.

One of the stories that Johnson recounts of a 13-year-old Washington includes some verses that he copied on Christmas Day.

“Assist me, Muse divine, to sing the Morn, on Which the Saviour of Mankind was born,” Washington said. 

“Some think that he composed poems himself, but it is more likely that he copied them from an unknown source,” Johnson explains. “It shows the manner of Christian training he had received at home. He had absorbed 'the spirit of the Day and the facts of the faith, as well as the rule and model of Christian life.'” 

“George Washington descended from a long line of excellent churchmen,” states Johnson. “If Washington’s military character was developed out of materials which came to him by inheritance from both sides of his family, so too was his religious character. That love of the church which we have seen as a distinguishing mark in his family became a strong inheritance which his own will and intelligence did not set aside.” 

Washington took those values and beliefs with him in the army and encouraged others to do the same.

According to Johnson, when Washington was told that the British troops at Lexington had fired on and killed several Americans, Washington replied, “I grieve for the death of my countrymen; but rejoice that the British are still determined to keep God on our side.”

 

The day after Washington took command of the army on July 4, 1775, he issued an order saying, “The General most earnestly requires and expects due observance of those articles of war established for the government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing, and drunkenness. And in like manner he requires and expects of all officers and soldiers, not engaged in actual duty, a punctual attendance on Divine service, to implore the blessing of Heaven upon the means used for our safety and defense.” 

About a year later on July 9, 1776, Washington issued another order defining a “Christian soldier.”

It stated, “The honorable Continental Congress having been pleased to allow a chaplain to each regiment, with the pay of thirty-three dollars and one-third per month, the colonels or commanding officers of each regiment are directed to procure chaplains accordingly, persons of good characters and exemplary lives, and to see that all inferior officers and soldiers pay them a suitable respect."

"The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger," reads the order.  "The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man will endeavor so to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.

Poll: Most Say Americans Have Forgotten the Real Meaning of Christmas

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HANNAH BLEAU

24 Dec 20220

1:49

Most believe Americans have forgotten the “real meaning” of Christmas, a recent Ipsos poll released ahead of the holiday found.

Three-quarters at least somewhat agree that Americans have forgotten the “real meaning” of Christmas, and of those, 42 percent “strongly” agree. 

Even more Christians, 84 percent, agree that Americans have lost the true meaning of Christmas, and most Republicans and Democrats, 88 percent and 66 percent, respectively, agree as well. 

Further, even non-religious Americans agree that Americans have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas.

Notably, the survey did not ask respondents to identify what they consider the “true meaning” of Christmas to be. 

The survey was taken December 9-11, 2022 and was “based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,023 adults,” per the poll. 

This coincides with a Rasmussen Reports survey which found 65 percent expressing the belief that Christmas is “over-commercialized.” That is up three percent from the 62 percent who said the same last year.

There is a consensus across the board as well, as most Republicans (70 percent), Democrats (67 percent), and independents (59 percent) believe the holiday is “over-commercialized,” 

The survey also found that most, 58 percent, believe stores begin the Christmas season “too early.” Once again, there is a consensus across the political spectrum as well. 

The survey was taken December 6-7, 2022, among 1,000 U.S. adults and has a +/- 3 percent margin of error. 

Exclusive – Church Charity Helps Persecuted Christians Start Businesses in Post-ISIS Middle East

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AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani

FRANCES MARTEL

24 Dec 20220

7:38

As Christmas approaches in the Middle East, persecuted Christians seeking to rebuild after the Islamic State genocide need help to build businesses, feed their families, and stay in their home communities, Father Benedict Kiely, the founder of the church charity Nasarean, told Breitbart News this week.

Nasarean is a Catholic charity that offers small business aid to Christians in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon – a mission, Kiely told Breitbart News, that offers “the answer to the migration crisis: people stay in their own land, the lands where Christians have been for 2,000 years, and give hope for the future.” Doing so for many is impossible if they have no hope of establishing a stable income to build families.

Nasarean is a project born of Kiely’s ministry, which he described as “speak, write, preach, appear in the media – to advocate for persecuted Christians – to educate.” The official goals of the charity, he says, are aid and advocacy for persecuted Christians.

“Everyone understands the importance of aid, which I will explain more about, especially as our program is quite unique, but often people think the advocacy is less important: it is not, it is critical,” he explained. “Most people, including committed Christians, have no idea of the level of persecution the Church is enduring.”

“Sadly, for many in the Church, including our bishops, care for the persecuted seems to be less important than other issues, like climate change,” he continued. “This is not biblical and contradicts the Gospel message about the suffering of the members of the Body of Christ.”

The state of Christian communities in the countries that Nasarean serves is dire. Christians in Iraq and Syria suffered tremendously under the Islamic State “caliphate,” which the Sunni terrorist group established in 2014 and lost with the liberation of Raqqa, Syria, its “capital,” in 2017. The region is home to the oldest Christian community on earth, dating back to the original followers of Jesus Christ, and lost almost its entire Christian population during the ISIS genocide.

The Kurdish outlet Rudaw, citing the Iraqi Kurdish government’s Christian affairs officials, reported on Tuesday that Iraq has lost an estimated 70 percent of its Christian population. Prior to 2003, Iraq boasted a Christian population of about 1.8 million; Kurdish officials estimated that only 500,000 remain. Of those, 138,000 traveled to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, and half have left the Erbil-based region for other countries.

“There are about 300,000 Christians in the Kurdistan Region and the Nineveh Plain, although there are no accurate statistics available because, unfortunately, we do not have a complete database on the migration of Christians,” a Kurdish official told Rudaw, estimating that “between five and six” Christian families are fleeing Iraq a month currently – five years after the fall of ISIS.

Father Kiely offers an even more dramatic estimate of the collapse in the Christian population: “from about 1.5 million Christians to less than 200,000.” Syria lost about half its Christian population during the Islamic State occupation, according to estimates from the beginning of this year.

A Christian-owned coffee house in Bartella, Iraq, aided by Nasarean.org (courtesy Father Benedict Kiely).

In Lebanon, a country where the constitution mandates the president must be a Christian, the outsized influence of Shiite jihadist organization Hezbollah and other radical Islamist forces have endured to make it difficult for Christians to stay in their homelands. The ongoing political chaos – Lebanon has not had a president since October after Hezbollah thwarted nine attempts to choose one – has obliterated the nation’s economy, leading to bizarre situations such as citizens “robbing” banks to access their own frozen savings, backed by throngs of supporters.

Father Kiely told Breitbart News in response to questions about his work in the region that offering Christians a lifeline to strengthen their communities via small businesses instills hope in an otherwise bleak situation.

“Many of the towns in Iraq have been rebuilt, or are continuing to be rebuilt – but many of the people have not returned,” he explained, citing eight visits to the country since 2015. “With jobs people will stay, without them, they will leave – it’s as simple as that.”

“Syria and Lebanon are suffering economic collapse and, of course, war continues in Syria, but, once again, with jobs there is some hope,” he explained.

Nasarean works by offering small business grants to people in the affected communities who want to start businesses.

Father Benedict Kiely visiting a Christian-owned kitchen and bath store in Qaraqosh, Iraq, aided by Nasarean.org. (courtesy Father Kiely)

“With our contacts on the ground, and my visits (I will be in Iraq again in January, my ninth visit since 2015),” Father Kiely explained, “we identify people starting a business – or with an embryonic business – and give them a comparatively small amount – anything between $5,000 to $10,000 to get the business up and running.”

“The concept of ‘small is beautiful’ is at the heart of our philosophy – we can track the progress of these businesses,” he continued, “the amount is small enough not to get lost in any corruption on the ground – and we work with the Church in place to supervise.”

“The help means that people have dignity  – they don’t just receive a handout to do nothing – they start a business, provide for their families and then empty others,” he added.

Among the businesses benefitting from the program so far are gyms, cafes, cosmetology schools, taxi services, shops, and farms. Father Kiely shares the example of Beirut’s Grizzy Gym, damaged by a bomb in 2021, hiring nine employees thanks to Nasarean’s aid.

Father Benedict Kiely with Joe, owner of Grizzly Gym, Beirut, Lebanon, badly damaged by a bomb blast in 2021 – helped by Nasarean to support 9 employees (courtesy Father Kiely).

In Syria, Nasarean sponsored a hairdressing and cosmetology course to help women in Damascus start their own businesses or find jobs at established ones.

Bishop Armash of the Armenian Church with a hairdressing and cosmetics training course sponsored by Nasarean.org – Damascus, Syria (courtesy Father Benedict Kiely)

Graduates of Christian Syrian cosmetology course aided by Nasarean.org (courtesy Father Benedict Kiely).

Father Kiely noted that Nasarean was forced to halt aid to Syria as a result of sanctions on the Syrian government, which he lamented as harmful to the general population. The organization hopes to expand, however, into Egypt – where Coptic Christians face routine, and extremely violent, persecution – in the new year.

He emphasized that Nasarean is making a unique effort by targeting business development.

“A little anecdote about that: meeting a very senior Lebanese politician in June in Beirut, he was very complementary about what we are doing,” he explained. “I was rather embarrassed and had to tell him that we were very small and he responded, ‘I know, but you are the only ones doing this – keeping Christians in their homeland by helping businesses.’”

Asked what Christians in the free world can do for the persecuted in the Middle East, Father Kiely reminded Christians “not to take our freedom for granted,” but also suggested reframing the question.

“Perhaps a different perspective is to ask what persecuted Christians can do for us?” he asked. “Give us courage and fortitude – and the willingness to stand and proclaim our faith body.”

“From the very beginning,” he concluded, “from the Crib in Bethlehem, from Herod’s persecution to the work of ISIS or radical secularists, the forces of darkness have tried to hurt Christ and His followers. Christmas tells us that the light will always defeat darkness – if we recognize both and never call darkness light.”

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

Pres. Biden Omitted ‘Jesus’ and ‘Christ’ from Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony for 2nd Straight Year – But, Trump Didn’t

CRAIG BANNISTER | DECEMBER 23, 2022 | 10:34AM EST

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This year, when President Joe Biden spoke at his second annual White House Christmas tree lighting ceremony, he neglected to mention either “Christ” or “Jesus,” just as he did last year.

Not until the last two sentences of his remarks, did he wish Americans a “Merry Christmas” and mention “God” (“God bless you.”)

At the 2021 Christmas tree lighting ceremony, on December 2, Biden did actually commemorate a birthday: that of his Interior Secretary, not that of Jesus Christ (“It is wonderful to join you here on your birthday, Madam Secretary.  Happy birthday”).

In contrast, at his last Christmas tree lighting ceremony in 2019, President Donald Trump reminded Americans of the Christian heritage and beliefs that Christmas trees represent:

“More than 2,000 years ago, a brilliant star shone in the East.  Wise men traveled far, far afield.  I mean, they were a long distance away.  And they came and they stood with us under the star, where they found the Holy Family in Bethlehem.  As the Bible tells us, when the Wise Men “had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him.”

“Christians give thanks that the Son of God came into the world to save humanity.  Jesus Christ inspires us to love one another with hearts full of generosity and grace.”

…..

“And at Christmas, we remember this eternal truth: Every person is a beloved child of God.  As one grateful nation, we praise the joy of family, the blessings of freedom, and the miracle of Christmas.”

Even in War, Good Will toward Men

By J.B. Shurk

With so much darkness around us today, it is easy to lose hope and faith.  To be sure, those who wish us ill take pleasure from our pain.  However, it is often when we are nearly broken that God lifts us up and provides us peace.  This time of year is filled with those moments.  Call them Christmas miracles or answered prayers, but they are real and worth remembering.

One such story that has always stuck with me is that of Fritz Vincken, who was twelve years old and living with his mother, Elisabeth, in a small hunting cabin in the Ardennes Forest during the worst fighting of the Battle of the Bulge.  His father had hidden them in the secluded mountain hut across the Belgian border after the family's bakery and home were destroyed during allied bombing in Aachen, Germany.  While Fritz's dad baked bread for German soldiers at the front line, Fritz and his mother had little food, except for what they could forage.

On a freezing Christmas Eve night, as they struggled to ignore distant gunfire and prepared a meager meal made from a scrawny rooster and some potatoes, there was a loud knock on the door.  Fritz's heart leapt, believing that it was his father finally returning.  Instead, it was three Americans from the 121st Infantry, 8th Division — all suffering from frostbite and one seriously injured.  "My mother knew the penalty for harboring the enemy," Fritz recalled, "but when she looked into the young Americans' eyes and saw that one was badly hurt, she opened the door and let them in."  They added some potatoes to the stew for their tired, hungry guests and attended to the American's gunshot wound the best they could, and because the soldiers spoke no German and the Vinckens spoke no English, they relied on hand signals and broken French for communication.

Then came more pounding from outside.  When Elisabeth cautiously opened the hut's door, she found four freezing Wehrmacht soldiers looking for shelter.  "I was almost paralyzed with fear," Fritz recounted, "for though I was a child, I knew that harsh law of war: Anyone giving aid and comfort to the enemy would be shot."  Had any other person opened the door on that frigid Christmas Eve night in 1944, the killing fields of the Ardennes would almost certainly have claimed more victims.  Instead, Elisabeth took control of the situation, wishing the young Germans a "Fröhliche Weihnachten" and inviting them in for food and rest upon two conditions: (1) that they leave their weapons outside and (2) respect her Christmas guests.  "She reminded them that it was Christmas Eve and told them sternly there would be no shooting around here."  While Fritz "stood and stared in disbelief," the Wehrmacht soldiers complied.  She then ran back to the Americans; who had grown nervous, spoke gently in a language they could not understand; and grabbed their weapons, too.

At first the tiny cabin was uncomfortably tense.  Then one of the Germans, who had been a medical student, offered to assist the wounded American, noticeably weak from blood loss.  The Americans pulled out some coffee grounds and cigarettes from a tattered pack, and one of the other Germans offered some scraps of bread.  Fritz added what few ingredients they had to the stew, and his "mother read from the Bible and declared that there would be at least one night of peace in this war."

"Komm, Herr Jesus," she prayed, "and be our guest."  "There were tears in her eyes," Fritz remembered, "and as I looked around the table, I saw that the battle-weary soldiers were filled with emotion."  After dinner the seven soldiers, who had been bitter enemies just hours before, fell into a deep sleep, side by side.  When they woke the next morning, they exchanged Christmas greetings and set to work building a makeshift stretcher from tree branches for the wounded American.  The Germans advised the Americans to avoid a town that had been taken over by Nazi forces and gave them a map and compass that would get them back to their friends.  Elisabeth returned their weapons and prayed, "May God bless and watch over you."  Then the soldiers shook hands and went their separate ways.

For Fritz, his mother had been nothing short of a hero.  "The inner strength of a single woman, who, by her wits and intuition, prevented potential bloodshed, taught me the practical meaning of the words: 'Good Will Toward Mankind.'"

Fritz and his parents survived the war, and because the young boy saw those Americans in his shack as "liberators," he eventually immigrated to the United States, became an American citizen, and opened up a German bakery of his own in Honolulu, Hawaii.  After telling his story to his new countrymen for years, he eventually submitted details of the miraculous Christmas Eve during the Battle of the Bulge to Readers Digest, and a much larger audience learned of the rare peace shared for a few hours amid the cold, bloody landscape of the Ardennes.  In retelling Fritz's experience during a trip to Germany in 1985, President Reagan urged others to do the same, "because none of us can ever hear too much about building peace and reconciliation."

Amazingly, after Unsolved Mysteries produced an episode in the mid-'90s seeking more details about the little known tale, Fritz eventually reunited with two of the American soldiers before they all passed away.  They, too, had always told others of their miraculous Christmas Eve in the middle of battle and wondered what had happened to the boy alone with his mother in the woods.  Sergeant Ralph Blank told Fritz, "Your mother saved my life," and with that comfort, the young boy turned old man said, "Now I can die in peace.  My mother's courage won't be forgotten, and it shows what good will will do."

His mother, Elisabeth, often said over the years until her own passing that "God was at our table" during that freezing night in the forest.  And Fritz said that the event so altered his understanding of life that he never stopped thinking of "those seven young soldiers, who met as enemies and parted as friends, right in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge."

Whenever I think of Fritz's story, I am struck by a remarkable truth: it is always the smallest of acts that end up creating ripples large enough to produce meaningful change.  At any point on that Christmas Eve in '44 during some of the worst atrocities of the war, any one of those seven soldiers could have acted belligerently out of exhaustion, pain, or haste.  A mother and her young son speaking unfamiliar words to foreign soldiers could have inadvertently provoked tragedy.  A trio of Wehrmacht soldiers, irate at the sight of their enemies taking refuge far from home, could have chosen the same violence and bloodshed that soaked the earth beyond the cabin's door.  Instead, an unarmed woman brought God into her house and invited those who might have done her harm to share the blessings of Jesus's birth.  Through her resolve and faith, she secured peace.  That heroic act not only convinced combatant soldiers to lay down their weapons, but also inspired her son for the rest of his life.  He then told of his mother's courage to countless others who visited his bakery over the next half-century of his life, who, in turn, retold the story and its lesson to countless more.  Even the president of the United States in the middle of the Cold War seized upon its importance and shared it with millions of strangers in a quest to transform former enemies into friends.

Faith and small acts of courage do change the world.  That is what Christmas reminds us all.

Image via Good Free Photos.

ISN'T THIS LIVING CHRISTIANITY??? 

WATCH: Mom and Son’s Dessert Business Employs People with Special Needs Who ‘Bring Out the Best in Everyone’

https://www.breitbart.com/education/2022/12/24/watch-mom-sons-dessert-business-employs-people-special-needs-who-bring-out-best-everyone/

AMY FURR

24 Dec 20220

1:57

A woman in South Carolina is helping young people with special needs hone their life skills through baking.

While Robin Roach’s son, Bryan, who has Down syndrome and autism, was not in school during the coronavirus pandemic, she realized how much he was missing regarding learning and friends, WYFF reported Monday.

To make sure he continued honing his job and life skills, the pair started a baking business called Robin’s Just Desserts. They make the sweets in their own kitchen.

A photo shows some of their sweet treats laid out on a festive tray:

“When you have value in something, you feel like you have value in yourself,” she said of their endeavor.

The Robin’s Just Desserts website features colorful photos of their delicious desserts.

“As the mother of a child with Down syndrome and Autism, we see the need for employment and skill building for people with special needs. We also would like to employ at risk youth to give them an opportunity to work,” the site reads:

It is known that people with special needs bring out the best in everyone and to pair them up with at risk youth would be beneficial for both groups while serving our community. To do this we are currently working towards opening a store front in the Simpsonville/Greenville area. Every time you purchase from us you help us get closer to that goal.

Roach’s team members consist of individuals with special needs. The project has continued to grow and they are busy during the week and the holidays. They also partner with other businesses in the area.

Bryan went from being nonverbal to being much more social and aware of others, Roach says, and he continues to progress.

“As parents, we want to leave something for our kids, and not just monetarily,” she explained, adding, “For me, it’s I want to leave them to be productive members of society.”