''...the greatest gift of all was given to us some 2,000 years ago by God's only Son. It is the gift of eternal life. When you claim it, then, and only then, will you know the true peace of Christmas.''
Nothing disturbs an atheist like a crèche, or manger scene as it is more commonly called, featuring statues of Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus surrounded by shepherds, wise men and assorted farm animals.
What is so threatening about a tiny babe sleeping in a lowly manger? If Jesus had remained a babe, there would be no objection. However, there would be no crèche without the cross. Ah, there is the rub.
Most people are completely comfortable with the tiny babe in the manger. Rickey Bobby, Will Ferrell's character in the NASCAR spoof "Talladega Nights," always prayed to the "Baby Jesus." He explained to his wife, "When you pray, you can pray to grown up Jesus, or teenage Jesus or bearded Jesus or whoever you want."
To Bobby, Jesus was like Elvis Presley, who was worshiped by many of his fans. When they hear Elvis' music and worship their king, many picture the old Elvis, while the vast majority prefers the young Elvis. Yes, Farrell's character, was all too real. Like many Christians, he preferred the nonthreatening Christmas Jesus best.
There is no evidence that early church celebrated Jesus' birth. While the circumstances surrounding this event are important because the birth fulfilled many prophesies, the exact month and day of Jesus' arrival are unknown. Some believe Jesus was born in the spring, while others say it was early January.
The atheists are right about one thing: Christians chose Dec. 25 to commemorate Christ's birth somewhere around 330 A.D. to replace a pagan holiday that marked the winter solstice. Not a bad idea. After all, Romans 12:21 says, "Don't be overcome by evil. but overcome evil with good." Jesus was the light of the world, and we Christians use this day, to celebrate that light on the darkest day of the year. http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=119899