Two for Christmas

We hope you're having a great Christmas! Today, we have two items for your entertainment and edification.

First, one of the best Christmas light shows I've ever seen. It is set to a version of "It's Called Christmas with a Capital C" by Go Fish, with commentary by comedian Brad Stine. Someone added a few sound effects. It's a foot-stomping great tune:

Next, there is something to read. Although it was inspired by Christmas, the main part of the article applies all the time. The first section gives links debunking the nonsense being spread that Christmas has pagan origins and symbols, and can be useful for reference when that stuff comes up again. Second, it's about Christians doing good deeds. We don't have to be forced by Obama's thugs who tax us into poverty so they can give the money to their political cronies or find other ways to make themselves look good. Followers of Jesus are, generally speaking, a giving people. We want to please God and be a blessing to mankind. What causes that?

In my own experience, we have an Axis of Christmas Evil: Atheists, cultists and sanctimonious Christians ridicule those of us who have the freedom to celebrate Christmas by using bad history and worse biblical exegesis. No, it is not based on the pagan holiday of Saturnalia. No, it is not loaded with pagan origins. No, Jeremiah 10.2-4 does not forbid Christmas trees (especially since the use of Christmas trees did not appear in history until about the 1500s). Yes, some pagan elements have crept in. Yes, secularism has helped take away the true meaning of Christmas, and Christians need to keep a proper perspective. There is a great deal of accurate historical research about these topics, so I do not need to discuss them any longer.

Further, we read: 

Some misotheists who visit The Question Evolution Project and other Christian places will say that we are motivated by fear of punishment to do good works. That is slander. A born-from-above Christian is a new creation (2 Cor. 5.17), and is to be filled with the Holy Spirit on an ongoing basis (Gal. 5.16), and the "fruit of the Spirit" is to show in our daily lives (Gal. 5.22-23). Our faith is shown by our works (James 2.18, James 2.26), which will justify us before men.

You can read the entire article, in context, at "Christianity is Faith in Action".