Happy Vampire Holidays!

‎Just got off the phone with my friend Beth Aylard who admitted she didn't know the story behind these images, below, so she didn't understand them. Seems more than a few of my friends on Facebook have been very militaristic in their religious beliefs here lately and they have repeatedly posted "Keep Christ in Christmas or get OUT of America" ... and I thought about how that message would negatively affect American Jews, Muslims, Hindu's, Buddhists, Pagans, Atheists and Agnostics (among many other groups that were born, raised and/or simply live here in the great U.S.A.; made up of people that seem to come from a mixed can of nuts, there's so much variety). At any rate ... I felt I needed to post something that was much more inclusive of all people, including Christians, who celebrate the winter holiday with friends and family who spell the happy wintry season as "holidays" or "Christmas" or "Xmas" or whatever. Point is? PEACE TO ALL. 


~ Love and light,
Tami

click on either image to enlarge it

Here's the feed as it appeared on Facebook Tami Jackson- I am so grateful to friends who have been brave enough and wise enough to comment on this post - since my intent may not originally have seemed clear. I made this poster in RESPONSE to other seemingly militaristic messages on FB that say "Keep Christ In Christmas Or Get Out Of America." I think this is a worth-while topic for banter ... so I'm reposting it.

{{ABOVE IMAGE POSTED FOR PERUSAL ON FACEBOOK}}

Tami Jackson - ‎Simon Butler ~ I really appreciate what you said in another message: " I saw the ‘X’ as the Greek letter Chi, which represents the first letter of Christ (in Greek), which is of course why Xmas is so called." The world is so much better off when its citizens EDUCATE themselves. Hopefully, we will all learn to be kinder to one another as well.November 15 at 7:44am · Like ·  2

Bobby Fijufic Boy I wish we could do away with the craziness that is associated with Christmas...I actually wish Christmas was more like Thanksgiving.
November 15 at 8:18am · Like ·  1

Carol Lenn Larson I personally like Happy Holidays more. I like the pagan parts of Christmas. The tree is my favorite part. I love Christmas Carols, but religion is not for me. I don't mind people believing in something different than me and try not to be judgmental of them for feeling the way they do. To each his own.
November 15 at 8:24am · Like

Beth Price I am not violently opposed to "Xmas" simply because of the reason you listed above. However, I will defend CHRISTmas because I believe in Christ. If everyone who had a problem with Jesus Christ had their way, Christians wouldn't even be allowed to utter the name of Jesus Christ. Christmas is supposed to celebrate the birth of Christ, it is not a random holiday. If people don't believe in Jesus Christ that is their right and they can celebrate any way they see fit, however, the birth of my Savior is what made this holiday called CHRISTMAS possible.
November 15 at 8:27am · Like ·  1

Thom Wickes I just like presents, regardless of their meaning
November 15 at 8:37am · Like ·  2

Pam Smith Chaney I will be keeping Christ in Christmas.
November 15 at 9:14am · Like ·  3

Bobby Fijufic We cannot find a timeline for the birth of Christ in the Bible. Many of the most popular Christmas customs – including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus – are modern incarnations of the most depraved pagan rituals ever practiced on earth.
November 15 at 9:19am · Like

Beth Price I don't need a timeline because I have FAITH, which is a thing that is severely lacking in this world. I am not sure what you mean by "most depraved pagan rituals"?
November 15 at 9:42am · Like ·  1

Burst Mode What if Jesus wasn't born in a manger in a stable? What if the 3 Wise Men were paying tribute to Jesus for reasons other than his being the Son of God. Some translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls suggest a different story than the one we learned as children.
November 15 at 10:32am · Like

Beth Price Which is where Faith comes in. I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't than to live like there isn't and die to find out there is. I am strong in the faith I grew up with but I don't have a problem with what others believe. I don't try to tear down their faith or lack of faith as long as they don't try to tear mine down.
November 15 at 10:59am · Like

Dawn Kathleen Willoughby love this
November 15 at 12:00pm · Like

Luis Urquidi If Jesus returned, how would he feel about X-mas light installer poster ads everywhere? How would he feel about the commercialization of X-mas? He would laugh, he would cry, and then he would say: "This was all a big misunderstanding! You all missed my point completely!
November 15 at 12:09pm · Like ·  1

Luis Urquidi But those who wait for his return with faith are similar to those who believe in Santa Claus, it's all about wanting an outcome to make the waiting seem more tolerable and hopeful...but no judgements from me here....
November 15 at 12:14pm · Like

Aaron Freeman Granted, Jesus was not teaching such paganism as his own worship. We do know, pretty precisely, when Jesus was born, due to the nativity story, that Jupiter, Star of Prophesy, stood in heaven, when the Magoi arrived to find the Toddler Jesus.
November 15 at 12:15pm · Like

Bobby Fijufic Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia and it was a pretty wild week! Certainly we could go on and on about "Yule" and Mistletoe etc. I respect the fact that one possesses Faith. It is important for Christians to know Dionysius Exiguus. He was the monk that came up with the day Jesus was born. I suggest you go back and read the Bible and you will discover the earliest gospel – St. Mark, written only mentioning the baptism of an adult Jesus. No direct biblical author has written anything about a birth date. Having said all that the 25th will work as well as any of the other calender days.
November 15 at 12:43pm · Like ·  1

Beth Price Jesus Christ does not go in the same category as Santa Claus. Jesus does not own a sleigh or reindeer. He simply died to guarantee that everyone had the option to get to Heaven and have the freedom to choose the way they live and believe. Putting Jesus in the same category with Santa Claus is like telling Christians that Heaven is a fictitious place. So that is like saying my Daddy is not in Heaven. Why people want to take away HOPE is beyond me. I would rather live a life of faith and hope than to spend my life thinking that in the end I will become worm dirt.
November 15 at 12:49pm · Like

Bobby Fijufic In relation to a March Birth date (See post above) There is a document called the The DePascha Computus which puts his birth on March 28th.
November 15 at 12:55pm · Like

Bobby Fijufic There is always hope. Believing in something bigger than yourself is a part of a happy life. It does not take Christmas for me to realize this because you are RIGHT. I'm tired of the commercialism of Christmas and would like to go back to the core beliefs and reasons we have faith, love and hope in the first place. I'm not remotely suggesting Heaven is fictitious. I'm only suggesting further study as to how, when, where and why of our practices...Biblical history is fascinating!
November 15 at 1:02pm · Like ·  1

Beth Price ‎@Bobby- You misunderstood me. I wasn't fussing at you. The remark I made was directed to Luis Urquidi's last comment. I completely agree with you on the date of birth thing.
November 15 at 1:07pm · Like ·  1

Luis Urquidi I just said belief in the return, like the 2nd coming, but you can believe in Jesus without believing in all the tenets, dogmas, and hearsays Christians believe in. Codifying Christianity is what creates big fancy institutions called churches, with big expectations that all their hopes and fears can be Hung up on one nail.
November 15 at 2:38pm · Like

Luis Urquidi But we are all one family, Christians and non-Christians alike.
November 15 at 2:39pm · Like ·  2

Luis Urquidi And we all come from and return to dirt, like it or not. To imply I take away your hope is beyond my scope or intention, just make sure you are thinking clearly about where your words, ideas and beliefs originate from, are they coming all from you, or hearsay that feels comfortable? Too many beliefs are like handed down without examination, inheritances which are taken on without reflection. It is scary to question and examine, but rewarding to realize all the answers don't begin and end with your beliefs.
November 15 at 2:46pm · Like

Simon Butler Beth, as Bobby has said, Christmas was not set on an arbitrary date; it was set in late December in order to supplant various other festivals or ritual days of other, pagan religions which occurred during that period.
This was a quite deliberate policy by the Church – my reference to St Augustine of Canterbury, made in the other thread, was because he used that policy when Christianising the Saxons in England. In effect, he was making sure that people couldn’t have a feast day without it also being a Christian celebration.
Nowadays, certainly in Britain, Christmas is a largely secular holiday, which is kept by Christians and non-Christians alike because it’s a long-established tradition in this country. It also preserves many relics of the pagan festivals it displaced; the evergreens, the gift-giving etc. In this largely secular country most people don’t primarily associate it with Christianity. It’s a winter holiday with a whole range of other associations. You could argue that Christians should have a monopoly on Christmas, and other people should have another, separate holiday (as the Scots do with Hogmanay), but that would be extremely inconvenient to implement. History has seen to it that most of our principal holidays are Christian feast days, and it would take major reorganisation to change that.
Obviously no one is saying that Christians should be prevented from celebrating Christmas in whatever way they wish – they are just pointing out that saying ‘Keep the Christ in Christmas’ is unnecessarily antagonistic. Christmas is effectively in the public domain, and not solely a Christian religious festival.
Apologies for the length of that comment!
November 15 at 2:58pm · Like ·  1

Tami Jackson - ‎Bobby Fijufic ~ I actually don't mind calling Christmas "CHRISTmas" and I do refer to it that way whenever I'm around my mom ... to honor her spiritual beliefs. At the same time? NOBODY wants to be told to call a holiday one thing or you must get out of the country. I hope we never lose our nation's many seasonal traditions, but I hope in the future folks will "live and let live" more ... be much more tolerant of each other in whatever way they want to embrace winter.
November 15 at 5:11pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Carol Lenn Larson ~ You said that so perfectly. Your thoughts exactly mirror my own. It's so awesome to know I'm not alone in this "love everybody" mentality. *More kisses. Less judgment* Whoot.
November 15 at 5:12pm · Like ·  1

Tami Jackson -  Beth Price ~ I embrace you for speaking your truth. Like everybody else, you have a right to your religion and I will defend that right with all my might. I totally "get" Jesus Christ and feel highly empowered by the positive message His life represents. Meanwhile? He was born in the spring time (not during the winter - which is when the Sun God was born - and a jealous dogma changed Jesus Christ's birthday to compete with the Sun God's festivities). I think it's important EVERYBODY learn the historical origins of the holidays they honor ... that way? NOBODY will be too judgmental of ANYBODY ... we can all respect one another for celebrating the season in whatever manner we as individuals choose. When we can do that? There truly will be JOY TO ALL. {{Peace}}
November 15 at 5:16pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Thom Wickes ~ LOL. You rock. Ha hahaha.
November 15 at 5:16pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Pam Smith Chaney ~ Just as I believe anyone who wants to call the winter holidays "Yule" or "Xmas" or "Holidays" I also support your right to celebrate the season as Christmas. :-)
November 15 at 5:17pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Bobby Fijufic ~ Time lines for Christ's birth are deeply connected to the seasons when shepherds would have been out in their fields tending their flocks. Around Jerusulem, my understanding is, and I've heard this preached by many a different Christian ministers, the winters are so harsh NOBODY goes out to face the wilderness. *I'm always open to being corrected in that regard, but again, my sources were Christian, and I'd like to think I could trust them for legitimately researching the facts they present.
November 15 at 5:20pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Beth Price ~ I'm not completely sure about the "most depraved" part either. I know Pagans worshipped the evergreen because of that trees seeming eternal life (while other trees appeared to die in winter, after losing all their leaves, the evergreen kept its "soul" intact through the harshest of times).
November 15 at 5:21pm · Like ·  1

Tami Jackson - Burst Mode ~ You are making very good points. Do we REALLY trust the stories written by those living in a male-dominated society way back when? (Not sure I do) LOL. Whose to say they were not merely speaking in proverbs or fantasy. Perhaps their stories were parables to teach a greater lesson ... e.g., "follow your own star" ...
November 15 at 5:23pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Beth Price ~ I hope you really feel supported here on my wall. I think faith, spirituality, and having some sense of "greater good" or "karma" is very important for functioning effectively in our society. Such concepts are also effective for maintaining good mental health. Those people who have no sense of a higher intelligence would seem more likely to give up for despair (if you ask me ... not that anyone's asking. It's just my own humble perspective).
November 15 at 5:26pm · Like ·  1

Tami Jackson - Dawn Kathleen Willoughby ~ Me too (which is why I reloaded this poster when hardly anybody had commented on first go-around). It's good to discuss topics that face us, socially, so we can consider ALL angles and not just view the world from our own limited and too narrow perspective. Seeing other people's side of the story is very helpful; I'd think.
November 15 at 5:28pm · Like

Tami Jackson - Luis Urquidi ~ Life can be very hard sometimes. Faith helps people cope. I know my spiritual practice helps ME sort through things that otherwise would make this seem like too cruel and harsh of an existence at times. When you and I have some sense of "greater purpose" we can more easily push through the difficult times and NOT just give up (as you or I might, without any kind of vision or hope for something better to come; or without any sense of meaning or purpose to the struggle).
November 15 at 5:30pm · Like

Tami Jackson - ‎Simon Butler ~ I appreciate you and your highly intelligent mind, especially the wisdom you regularly pour upon the masses to educate, on such a great level, I cannot even express my gratitude for the fact that you contributed to this particular feed. THANK YOU!
November 15 at 5:33pm · Like

Beth Price I loved the debate! I don't get to have stimulating conversation much. I will definitely be studying the timeline. For me, Christmas could be on July 4th and it would still be Christmas, simply as a celebration of Jesus. I also have a deep interest in WICCA and other religions that teach one not to harm others. I have met interesting people today here and may need to ask a question or two of them later. :)
November 15 at 5:41pm · Unlike ·  2

Tami Jackson -  ‎Beth Price ~ Trust me when I say my "beliefs" are always evolving as I learn MORE and more information ... may the learning NEVER stop; not for any one of us! *Smart people make the world a much more tolerant place to live, because the more we know? The more we realize we DON'T really know! Information and discovery seem to stretch on for forever and into infinity.
November 15 at 5:44pm · Like ·  1

Bobby Fijufic Now we can discuss race relations and then Politics!!!!
Wednesday at 8:04am · Like

Tami Jackson - Bobby ~ On YOUR wall. Ha ha. You go ahead and start such a feed. I'll comment.
Wednesday at 7:17pm ·