Ahrcanum

Happy Solstice?  Why not?  There are Solstice Sunglasses http://www.solsticestores.com/ Solstice Residential Homes http://www.solsticecollection.com/homes.php, the awesome Pontiac Solstice Convertible Cars http://www.pontiac.com/solstice, even a new Celebrity Solstice cruise ship http://www.cruisesonly.com/ making use of the word. 

Solstice for most of us means the official start of Winter plunging us into darkness and cold, about December 21st.  One wouldn’t know it is still fall with a current Alberta Clipped inundating much of the States today, bringing with it snow and sub zero temperatures.  Winter Solstice 2008 starts Dec 21, 12:04 pm Universal Time and in various time zones:

EST: Dec 21, 7:04 am
CST: Dec 21, 6:04 am
MST: Dec 21, 5:04 am
PST: Dec 21, 4:04 am

You can get complete, exact sun and moon data for any day at http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php. 

Daylight is the shortest and thoughts of sugar plums dance in our heads with Christmas coming just a few days after.  Ah Christmas- the most apolitical correct thing to say is Merry Christmas, to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Can you imagine?

America’s history has revolved around a separation of church and state but those intertwined religious factions that have made America a better and sometimes more tolerant country.  Here you are free to believe or not.  The government doesn’t mandate any religion upon her people even though we commonly hear one nation under God- no one says what the God is, or if you have to believe in it.

So now at the holiest hours before Christmas, we have people jumping into the fray of anti religion, erecting signs like this one in Washington right next to Nativity Scenes and holiday decorations. Jeez, ya can’t even say Christmas decorations anymore.   Funny thing is, some one stoled the sign and upon it’s return, they added- Thou Shalt Not Steal, from The Ten Commandments.  Wednesday will see the addition of a “Festivus” pole next in the Capitol.  Festivus was made commonplace in the Seinfeld series. Not to be left out is Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights and a Jewish menorah is scheduled for display Dec. 18 . http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/57249.html

“The Freedom From Religion Foundation has displayed a similar sign in the Wisconsin Capitol for more than a decade, and has gotten used to this sort of response, said Annie Laurie Gaylor of Madison, Wis., a co-president. For the first few years, opponents of the anti-religious message there turned the sign to face the wall, removed it, and even showered it with acid, she said.” http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_capitol_holiday_displays.html

Even in celebrating Solstice, there are religious undertones.  So much for the atheist theory to keep religion at bay.  Besides the more famous Stonehenge,  there are megalithic structures throughout Europe that are oriented to the solstices and the equinoxes.  “The Roman Catholic Church gave more financial and social support to the study of astronomy for over six centuries, from the recovery of ancient learning during the late Middle Ages into the Enlightenment, than any other, and, probably, all other, institutions.” The Sun in the Church by J.L. Heilbron, http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0674854330/nightkitchenA/

“Winter solstice was overlaid with Christmas, and the observance of Christmas spread throughout the globe. Along the way, we lost some of the deep connection of our celebrations to a fundamental seasonal, hemispheric event. Many people–of many beliefs–are looking to regain that connection now. I gain inspiration from the universality of the ancient idea–winter solstice celebrations aren’t just an invention of the ancient Europeans. ” http://www.candlegrove.com/solstice.html

Commentator Bill O’Reilly has pointed out that “Seattle now rivals San Francisco for secular-progressive nuttiness. The city fathers are allowing public nakedness in city parks and nude bike riding, and in Fremont, a Seattle suburb, they actually put up a statue honoring Vladimir Lenin, the father of communism.”  He goes on to say, ” a few nuts have a legal right to run down the Christmas tradition in the lobby of the Capitol building. At this point there is little left to say except this: Where are the wise men when you need them?” http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=29795&referer=sphere_related_content

Winter solstice celebrations have been  part of the cultural heritage of Native American Indians, Pakistanis, Tibetans, Chinese and people the world over.  What could be so hard about just keeping the spirit of magic, a promise of peace,  joy to the world, alive for just a few days of the year with out the fringe destroying hope for mankind? 

Today December 7, is the anniversary of the attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor.  Thousands lost there lives that day and through out the war.  I imagine the degree to which one believes in a God is exacerbated the one’s closeness to dying.  I believe God meant for us to celebrate the living with simple respect for one another and it seems so very disrespectful to have signs like this, desecrating another’s belief system and intrude on the celebrations. 

December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, marking the start of the holiday season in many Catholic countries. The Day celebrates the conception of Mary in the womb of her mother and that from her first moment of conception, she was filled with Grace by God. “Exactly nine months from now, on September 8, we will celebrate Mary’s birthday.”  http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent5.html 

In these politically charged times, where are all the pro-lifers to comment upon grace being given at birth?   Instead the atheists draw the attention of MSM failing to tie Obama’s abortion record or his associations with Reverend Wright who once professed “God Damn America,” to the season.

It is just all to convenient to choose to ignore the millions who have died in the name of God.  It is all to insulting to those of us who live with God not only on Christmas, but every day. 

God Bless America, even Obama.

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