No Offense Intended and None Taken

Jesus, born of a virgin, Son of God, God becomes Human!

Get real!  Impossible!  Get your head out of the clouds and come back to reality.

But are such ideas, beliefs if you will, really all that ridiculous?  I’d say no more than the idea that there could be life on another planet in some far off corner of the universe, a belief and hope that many very astute scientists hope to one day observe.

Take the concept of God becoming human or in-fleshed (incarnate).  Is this impossible for God to do?  Of course, some might argue that it would be unbecoming of God, something that would be beneath God’s “Godness” to do, but that’s a different question.  The question is, is it impossible for God to become human as such?  If we say that it is, how can we know?  It’s not our place to say what God can or cannot do, or even should or should not do?  Only God can tell us.  And if God did just that through the person of Jesus, what then?

Same thing for the Virgin Birth.  Is it impossible for God to cause a virgin woman to conceive and bare a child without the input of a man?  Again, it is not a question of would God do such a thing or should God do such a thing but simply can God do so.  It’s really not so farfetched to say, yes, this would be something that God could do easily enough, if God so desired it.

In other words, to believe that Jesus is “The Only Begotten One, Son of God,” in and of itself, is really not that ridiculous.

Of course, many choose not to believe these things about Jesus.  They respect his person, His teaching, His life and impact upon the world, but as to Jesus being born of a virgin, being thereby the Son of God and Savior of the World; well, suffice it to say that it’s just too much for them to swallow.  But, hey, that’s okay.  Many believe and many don’t.  That’s the way it is and always will be.  Here’s the point: There is no need to take offense either way.

Dear non-believer, please allow those who do believe (these things about Jesus) to keep Christ in Christmas.  For, it is the very person of Jesus, the Christ/Messiah, received and believed on as the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived, died, and rose again from the dead on the third day, that brings energy, joy, light and life to the celebration of Christmas.  Without Jesus Christ there would be no Christmas in the first place (a thought I’m sure that many wish was the case).

So please allow Christians to say, “Merry Christmas!” not simply “Happy Holidays.”  No offense is intended and no offense need be taken.  Believers can respect non-believers and non-believers can respect believers by letting each have and own their preferred expression.  If you say “Happy Holidays” to me and I say “Merry Christmas” to you, do we not both mean good will and good cheer toward each other?

It’s all good.  Why become nitpicky and demand political correctness?  I say “Merry Christmas” and you say, “Well, thank you, and Happy Hanukah to you!”  Is there a problem?  We both are blessing one another’s celebration and that’s as it should be.  Is it not?  If you say, “Thanks but I am an atheist; I don’t believe in Christmas.”  I’ve caused you no harm, have I?  I haven’t hit, hurt, or wounded you by wishing upon you something you don’t believe in, have I?  The intent is still that of goodwill.  Is it not?

So you don’t believe; may I not still wish you a blessing from God?  So I believe and you don’t; may you not wish me a happy holiday anyway?  In short may we not wish each other the best out of who we are and what we believe?  To do so means that our good wishes for each other are truly sincere, for it comes out of what we really believe.  And what we truly believe shapes who we really are.

So, when a Christian says “Merry Christmas” to you, remember that we say it simply out of our firm belief in Christ.  Thus, we are saying it with sincere interest in showering you with a blessing of goodwill, wishing you the best as we’d hope you’d wish for us.  So, don’t take offense if we exuberantly wish you our best wishes out of our belief.  If you don’t believe, you don’t believe.  No offense intended, and hopefully and graciously may none be taken.