| Poster | Thread | roadsign
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Joined: 2005/5/2
Posts: 3777
| | Re: | | Quote:
the more modern versions
This comment got me thinking: I have an English (modern) translation of the Quran and had aimed to (some day) read it and see just what in it affects the life view of Muslims and also to what extent they are really following their own holy book. (apparently they, like Christians, stray from it) Then one day I met a Muslim who warned me that my version of the Quran is translated incorrectly, and is full of errors. It was written by those coloured by the West, and has a political agenda (or something like that) Also, apparently the true meaning can ONLY be understood in the original Arabic language. So, I decided, Why bother reading it! (That Muslim didnt do a very good job trying to convert me!)
I learned something from this caution: Be very careful with our criticisms of Bible translations. We could inadvertently plant doubts in peoples minds and discourage them from reading and trusting the Word.
The devil works hard to keep the Truth hidden from peoples minds by discouraging them from reading it for themselves, or by dulling its impact - whether by obscuring it ancient language (ex Latin) or in the fuzzy gogglygook language of modern academia - our religious experts. Ex: Some warn us that the Bible stories were figments of imagination the way ancient peoples saw it back then: THEIR reality.
And so the Gift of God: Jesus come to be our Savior gets pushed aside while countless people, like toddlers on their first Christmas, get enamoured with the packaging: the various aspects of the season - traditons, etc.
Diane
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Diane
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|  2007/12/8 7:24 | Profile | Compton
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Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732
| | Re: | | Merry Christmas Diane
Quote:
I would, however, love to see people liberated from the stress-producing side of it.
Just say no. "No" is a powerfully liberating word when it comes to people's expectations. :-)
Quote:
I met a Muslim who warned me that my version of the Quran is translated incorrectly, and is full of errors. It was written by those coloured by the West, and has a political agenda
This reveals that the inverse is also true; the Quran is already very much a geo-political book. It seems to me that the Muslim's spiritual ties are not heavenward but in the mid-east...and this geographic and even racial loyalty is a root cause of concern. When we see Saudi sponsored mosques going up in western nations, it's not so much percieved as a spiritual threat, but a earthly threat. The mosques are percieved as unofficial mid-east embassies with political and cultural loyalties that are antagonistic to their western host countries.
MC
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Mike Compton
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| | 2007/12/8 11:28 | Profile | ginnyrose
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Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi
| | Re: | | Diane,
As I read your posts on this thread, the gist of it as I understand it, is the stress you abhor that is inherent in the celebration of Christmas. Right?
Now let us look at Bible history, just a tad bit. Do you know what was required by the homemaker in the OT in preparing her household for Passover? She had to clean her house from top to bottom to make sure there was no leaven to be found! And how about the feast of Purim: it came as a response to Esther delivering the Jew from certain extermination. This celebration was not commanded by God, but neither do we read that God took them to task for celebrating it, either.
Celebrations, by its very nature, cause a lot of work for the woman, who manages the household. The amount of work you do is totally up to you. If you feel pressured to keep up with the Jones, may I suggest you have a problem that extends beyond the celebration of Christmas. I hear no one complain about wedding celebrations, wedding anniversary celebrations, birthday parties, funeral feasts ....
In the meantime, just do not overspend and leave Santa at the North Pole.
Just my thoughts...
ginnyrose
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Sandra Miller
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| | 2007/12/8 18:37 | Profile | Compton
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Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732
| | Re: | | I didn't pull from Diane's post that she was trying to keep up with the Jone's exactly. Instead I think she was sighing over the increase in customary obligations that can come with the season. As a music minister she may feel 'official' burdens, in addition to the family parties, other events that can wear you out.
Last week I made up a little parody to a popular Christmas song...it's funnier if you imagine Juile Andrews singing it.
"It's the most disfunctional time of the year!
The emotional havoc, the holiday traffic,
the crowds at the mall!
And of course let's not forget, my mother in law!"
(Actually I like my mother in law, but it rhymed...)
I have to admit I am kind of two faced when it comes to Christmas. On one hand I love to drink egg nog and play Christmas music. Just today we went out an cut down a little tree for the living room. (In case anyone is wondering, I didn't think of winter solstice, Jupiter, or any other Roman planet untill I was reminded here at SI a minute ago...) On the other hand I am quite monastic when it comes to holiday social events. About 5 years ago I realized that keeping up with the Jone's was just going to make me debt ridden like the Jone's. (The truth is that the Jone's are flat broke and their house is in negative equity.)
Oh the beauty of "no." Even my relatives may get a 'no' in their in stocking from me. There are no parties or gift buying I am obligated to participate in. My holiday anthem is "I'll be home for Christmas." After a couple of years people stop asking. Ahhh...silent night...all is calm.
This is how I have such a Merry Christmas! My wife and I give each other the gift of no extra bills and we make no self-destructive effort to attend multiple gift openings at each and every relative's house in some mad dash of people pleasing. As a husband I insist on no special meals or laborious preparations from my wife, except those little things she takes pleasure in. (Diane may remember when everyone was in Columbus...I really dislike busyness in the kitchen when we could be visiting one another! :-) ) In short, the extra vacation time we have together is not spent in the kitchen, or on the road, or in the mall, or in a practice room at church...it is invested into a quiet home; (Okay, with three kids, that's relative.) Our time is hopefully rich and meaningful, to build unity instead of selfishness into our characters. And it goes without saying, that on Christmas morning, we subordinate the customary shredding of wrapping paper with something that lasts more then ten minutes: we have time to read and reflect about the birth of our Lord!
I'm sharing some of our holiday patterns, with all of their flaws and shortcomings, in hopes that it might encourage someone who feels the pressure to be extraordinary during the holidays. I realize this pressure may be extra acute on women. Christmas in our house isn't perhaps as spiritual as some, but it is truly loving. And without the emphasis on getting loot, Christmas isn't corrosive on our children's characters as it was in earlier years. Ironically, even though we don't pack our calendar nor practice retail planning in our home, my family and extended family is closer knit then most families I know. Especially the Jones. Christmas is somehow wonderful without credit cards and caffeine...it's a mystery.:-)
Merry Christmas Ginny, Diane, and all.
MC
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Mike Compton
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| | 2007/12/8 20:23 | Profile | ginnyrose
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Joined: 2004/7/7
Posts: 7534
Mississippi
| | Re: | | I Love to Celebrate Christmas, obviously!
I have wonderful memories of families getting together, snow on the ground (sometimes us children played "Fox and geese), lots of food, all prepared by the women contributing to the feast; gifts were exchanged (we all exchanged names), and then opened; after all this, grandma would sit there with a large bowl of delicious apples which she peeled and gave to us childrren. In the meantime the adults were laughing, talking and carrying on - no alcohol. At school there were the Christmas programs, gifts exchanged, and food. Man, this was fun!
Now as a grandmother, I try hard to duplicate some of these festivities for our own family. My parents did it, their grandchildren enjoyed it, and I hope to pass this on to our descendants.
No Santa Claus, just Christmas carols/story and a lot of family togetherness. And more the merrier! We have invited others to share in our festivities and it was a pleasure for all of us. I love the hustle and bustle this all entails, even the work..it is fun! I can not understand why people hate it so!
No scripture quoted here, I admit. We do not do anything sinful, anything which we would not feel comfortabe doing were Jesus here in the flesh.
Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas!
ginnyrose
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Sandra Miller
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| | 2007/12/10 21:51 | Profile |
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