Make-believe and celebrations: Christmas message ignored

Christianity spreads through peaceful proclamation. Any other way is an aberration, e.g. the Crusades, John Calvin's endorsement of the death penalty for Servetus who was not a Trinitarian, and support of slavery. Christianity is not spread through force or violence.

Even an atheist/agnostic such as scientist, Richard Dawkins, inferred the benefits of Christianity. A Fox News headline was, 'Atheist Richard Dawkins warns against celebrating the alleged demise of Christianity in Europe'. Why would Dawkins, an anti-Christian, say this?

'Before we rejoice at the death throes of the relatively benign Christian religion, let's not forget Hilaire Belloc's menacing rhyme: 'Always keep a-hold of nurse – For fear of finding something worse….

Dawkins has previously voiced concern over the decline of the Christian faith, "in so far as Christianity might be a bulwark against something worse," which he echoed in his tweet'.

The baby born to the virgin Mary at Bethlehem is the Messiah who is the 'prince of peace' and Christianity's spread worldwide is based on its theology, 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God' (Matt 5:9).

Conclusion

The season has become infected with profiteering and extra effects such as Santa, reindeers, tinsel, lights and Christmas trees. All of the above biblical information surrounding the birth of the Messiah is concealed by the contamination of Christmas celebrations.

Commercialisation of the Christian message or a bad experience should never testify against the real person and events at the time of Jesus' birth.

Mouldy pawpaw seeds did not deter me from enjoying a special piece of summer fruit. Neither should a contaminated Christmas season stop us from remembering the Person who began this celebration in about 6-4 BC, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world.

The intrusion into the Christmas season of foreign symbols and signs detracts from the meaning of Christmas. I was pleased to enter a Woolworths' supermarket on the day I'm writing this article and to hear Christmas carols being played through the store's PA system, instead of 'Frosty the Snow Man'.

Jesus is the One whose human birth we celebrate every Christmas. The extravagance of the season should never blind us to the fact that Jesus is the reason for the season.