Happy Birthday Jesus!!

[James_Potter]

Happy Birthday Jesus, you're my savior!
have a good one!

[Brian MacKenzie]

So...are God and Santa the same guy? How will Trinity get her presents?

[juggle508]

Happy Birrthday Jesus.

Without you nothing could be possible.

Kelly(your fellow follower).

[forrestunifreak]

Yeah man!

Merry Christ mas, happy birthday wonderful counsler, prince of peace!

[habbywall]

happy birthday jesus!!

[Unitik908]

whos this jesus fella? this is chrrriiiistmas... its about santa.. remember?

Chase

[habbywall]

jesus is gods only son, born on this day, along time ago, santa would have never come without jesus, the day is all about jesus

[johnfoss]

Merry ChrismaHanukahawanza!

And beware of sarcastic humor around people heavily into Jesus. They are prone to miss it.

No Santa and God are not same person. God is Santa's boss. But he doesn't admit it. He tends to act agnostic as it's in the best interests of the commercial side of Christmas... :rolleyes:

[James_Potter]

jesus is gods only son, born on this day, along time ago, santa would have never come without jesus, the day is all about jesus
actually Jesus wasn't born on christmas...but Christmas is the day we celebrate his birth! so its almost the same....

[unijesse]

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear Jesus
happy birthday to you

and ive heard his b-day isnt 2day because it would be way too cold for a baby to be born in a manger in december, but he is the son of God so you never no.

[johnfoss]

it would be way too cold for a baby to be born in a manger in december
So sad for all those babies that were born before the invention of the manger (or house, or hospital).

December 25 in Sacramento was about 55 degrees with rain, rain, rain. But the 24th was gloriously sunny, and almost 70!

[Tim]

Yay I like the thread. Happy birhtday Jesus.

[andycookuk]

MERRY XMAS EVERYBODY!!!

Xmas -Putting the X back into Xmas.

ps. Santa would beat up Jesus anyway!!!

[James_Potter]

nuh uh, both Santa and Jesus are nice guys!! neither would beat up either...Santa would give Jesus a present, and Jesus would save Santa.

[andycookuk]

Yeh yeh James you're right.






But Santa would kick Jesus' ass.

[James_Potter]

Yeh yeh James you're right.






But Santa would kick Jesus' ass.

okay, agreed.
but only because Santa is like 700 pounds, he'd just sit on Jesus. that, or send his Elf Mafia out to kill him.
but then, Santa would go to Hell, and he wouldn't like that...you don't mess with the Messiah, man....

[abbabibble]

I thought that we resolved the issue by saying both are really nice fellows and wouldn't beat each other up...

[forrestunifreak]

Yeh yeh James you're right.






But Santa would kick Jesus' ass.


Only 'cuz Santa wieghs like 500 pounds and would just sit on Jesus and squash him into jelly.... but Jesus would turn him into a salt pillar or something...




EDIT: Pfftt.

[maestro8]

Jesus. Without you nothing could be possible.
I've heard other people speak this kind of jive... that nothing's possible without the J-man. What does this mean, that men are weak, worthless, ineffective beings? I refuse to believe that. This is exactly the cr*p that I heard in my church-going days that turned me off to Christianity.

[jagur]

I've heard other people speak this kind of jive... that nothing's possible without the J-man................. This is exactly the cr*p that I heard in my church-going days that turned me off to Christianity.have to agree with ya there.

theres people doing things without jebus all the time...

[James_Potter]

yeah, well notice how over the past hundred years or so, Jesus and God have been all but forgotten by most people in this world, and notice how over the past hundred years or so this world has really gone to the crapper. I'm just sayin. but if you don't believe in God I won't try to make you, because every time I try to convince someone He's real they just get mad at me.

[fexnix]

Jesus is my homeboy.

It is the only birthday I remember except for my own.

[andycookuk]

over the past hundred years or so this world has really gone to the crapper. I'm just sayin. but if you don't believe in God I won't try to make you, because every time I try to convince someone He's real they just get mad at me.

Hi James, some of the things you said in this post interested me and got me thinking.

over the past hundred years or so this world has really gone to the crapper
Sometimes it seems like the whole world is full of pessemistic thoughts like these. Why? Apathy.
Instead of trying to change the things in the world that you care about, people just disassociate themselves from the world and blame everybody else. Perhaps you are not directly contributing towards problems that you care about but are you challenging the people that are?

This is your world and your future.


if you don't believe in God I won't try to make you
Well said!


every time I try to convince someone He's real they just get mad at me
I have a few questions:

1) Why do you feel it is necessary to convert people to your religion?

2) If you had a bunch of Muslims come up to you and tell you that you will burn in eternal hell if you don't convert: Don't you think that you'd get a bit angry?

3) What makes you think that you are right? Did God touch you in church? Where did he touch you ;) ? If you did connect with him doesn't that mean that the 3 billion other humans -of other religions- who have also been touched by God haven't actuly been "touched" at all?

Apologies if this doesn't make sense, I'm very tired.
AndyC

[James_Potter]

you're right, I should be trying to make a difference. but I'm still only in high school, so I really don't think I'd be able to do anything yet...maybe I will when I get older though, and people start listening to my opinion.

as for your last question, I don't really think that I have the right to convert people to my own religion. I used to be strongly atheist, and I only recently decided that I believe in something...I'm still not quite sure of my own beliefs yet, which is an even better reason not to start preaching to others (-: and actually I've lately been pondering exactly that, how I "know" that mine is the "right" one. how does anyone "know" that theirs is "right"? I really don't actually know, but I do strongly feel that it is, for me anyway...I think whats more important is what you feel is right for you. if God loves us, He won't send us to Hell for doing what we just feel is right while we're on Earth. as long as we don't just say straight out, there is no God!, and as long as we're good people on Earth, we'll be okay.
its more about spirituality than the actual religion, in my opinion.

over the past hundred years or so this world has really gone to the crapper
Sometimes it seems like the whole world is full of pessemistic thoughts like these. Why? Apathy. Instead of trying to change the things in the world that you care about, people just disassociate themselves from the world and blame everybody else. Perhaps you are not directly contributing towards problems that you care about but are you challenging the people that are?

every time I try to convince someone He's real they just get mad at me
I have a few questions:

1) Why do you feel it is necessary to convert people to your religion?

2) If you had a bunch of Muslims come up to you and tell you that you will burn in eternal hell if you don't convert: Don't you think that you'd get a bit angry?

3) What makes you think that you are right? Did God touch you in church? Where did he touch you ;) ? If you did connect with him doesn't that mean that the 3 billion other humans -of other religions- who have also been touched by God haven't actuly been "touched" at all?

[Tim]

I believe only whats in the bible nothing else. No additive like the mormon books and such. I would recomend that to anyone.

#1 God told me to.

#2 I would not be mad at the monks. They would be sharing their faith with me as I do. I would disagree with their beliefs though.

Mostly all religions are exclusive, only one way to their good after life. Some though are fine with any way ie as long as you have faith in what you believe which is funny because that would be easier then their religion. Accually I think the monks would be perfectly fine with my beliefes. So andycookuk for #3 yes they would not have been touched.

The world is going down the crapper ever since it the fall of man. More crime and I'm pretty sure people are becoming less inteligent its just masked by really smart people in science and in the technoigy and such.

[refuze]

I've heard other people speak this kind of jive... that nothing's possible without the J-man. What does this mean, that men are weak, worthless, ineffective beings? I refuse to believe that. This is exactly the cr*p that I heard in my church-going days that turned me off to Christianity.

i too will have to agree with you on that one!

happy present day!!! i got two uni's, some cloths, dvd's, the new ddr ultramix 3 video game!! :) and some books, one being a book on buddha, now that is an interesting fella (fellas), not this jesus guy.
tell me this, if a bum came up to you and said "im the son of god",and told you a bunch of hoopla ... would you believe him?? what makes him any different?
anyway enough god vs. no god. i hope everyone had a wonderful day an dgot everything that they wanted, with plent of new uni's!!!!

[andycookuk]

James -Good for you! Make a difference! I'm still in "high school" (it's secondary school here) and I go to all the marches I can, I educate myself and try to change peoples opinions. I sign the pertissions and I pressured my school to get rid of the Coke machines to replace them with Fair Trade machines. It's pretty trivial stuff, but no doubt it makes a tiny difference. It makes no difference how old you are! Listen to other people and they will listen to you!

Tim -have you read the Quran? How do you know you are following the right religion if you haven't gained as much understanding about others than you have about your own.

You also said something that really got me thinking:
"More crime and I'm pretty sure people are becoming less inteligent".

You may be interested to know that the average IQ level is gradually going up and up but this is only one form of intelligence.

Mine is the first generation to witness the technological boom. Suddenly computers and technology is everywhere, the internet and the computer you are looking at. Relatively speaking, these are sudden inventions and have revolutionalised our world! This accesability to technology has given way to a another revolution, in communication! Right now I can type a few keys and click a few times and I can read the daily news for most cities in the world. This realisation has exploded our whole worlds culteral tolerance and changed us on a global and personal scale.

The point is, the world has changed, society is different from how it used to be 50 or 100 years ago. It is unfair to say that people aren't as clever. I know more science than some of the most educated from 200 years ago! I'm sure you do aswell! More and more people have access to education now than ever. I can't understand why you say people are becoming stupider and I can't express how wrong you are. I am not saying that the world is perfect -far from it and I would like to type several pages on the injustices of the world but it has been done many times by hundreds of writers.

I've wrote too much too much.
AndyC

[mscalisi]

Whats funny about Christmas is that ...well....it's kind of a lie..

1. It wasn't Jesus's Birthday.

2. Most of the traditions surrouding X-Mas are largely Pagan.

Christians created Christmas as a way of trying to coopt other people's traditions to make Christianity more attractive.

You can do all sorts of Christmassy things, and even exchange presents on the 25th and claim that Christ had nothing to do with it.

[James_Potter]

Whats funny about Christmas is that ...well....it's kind of a lie..
1. It wasn't Jesus's Birthday.
2. Most of the traditions surrouding X-Mas are largely Pagan.
Christians created Christmas as a way of trying to coopt other people's traditions to make Christianity more attractive.
You can do all sorts of Christmassy things, and even exchange presents on the 25th and claim that Christ had nothing to do with it.
you're kind of right....
the reason its celebrated on the 25th of December instead of Jesus' real birthday, which was in the spring sometime, is because way back when Jesus had recently died you would be persecuted for still accepting his teachings. so the people who did want to celebrate, they just decided to celebrate it around the time they were supposed to celebrate the Winter Solstice. that way if they were seen celebrating, then they wouldn't be persecuted for celebrating Jesus' birthday, since the official guys wouldn't know.
so yeah, Christmas today has very little to do with anything religious.

[mscalisi]

...except that Christmas didn't exist until hundreds of years after the time of Christ.

Most of the research I've done says that Christmas was started as a reaction to the ancient roman holiday ,Saturnalia (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/refarticle.aspx?refid=761556441) honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture.

the reason its celebrated on the 25th of December instead of Jesus' real birthday, which was in the spring sometime, is because way back when Jesus had recently died you would be persecuted for still accepting his teachings. so yeah, Christmas today has very little to do with anything religious.

[James_Potter]

...except that Christmas didn't exist until hundreds of years after the time of Christ.
Most of the research I've done says that Christmas was started as a reaction to the ancient roman holiday ,Saturnalia (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpages/refarticle.aspx?refid=761556441) honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture.
exactly...people celebrating it for the real purpose, i.e. celebrating the birth of Christ, wouldn't exactly go yelling about it, would they? so clearly they did it in secret until hundreds of years later when they wouldn't be as prosecuted for it.

[forrestunifreak]

Christmas is in no way a pagan holiday.

Christians took over the pagan traditions and turned them around to mean good. If ancient romans had a holiday honoring a flase god, why not turn it around to honor the real God?

For instance, we give gifts in remembrance of the ultimate gift, Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. A Christmas tree, an evergreen tree which is green all winter when other tree's have died, symbolizes life. Ornaments on the tree represent fruit, IE the fruit of the spirit (love, joy, peace, gentelness, etc.)

Christmas lights, because Jesus is called the light of the world.

[BillyTheMountain]

"It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my knee if you believe in 1 God or 20."
--T. Jefferson

Peace,

Billy

[mscalisi]

http://www.historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?month=10272964&day=10272990&cat=10272946

Christmas being on December 25 has nothing to do with the persecution of Christians.


Every winter, Romans honored the pagan god Saturn, the god of agriculture, with a festival that began on December 17 and usually ended on or around December 25 with a winter-solstice celebration in honor of the beginning of the new solar cycle. This festival was a time of merrymaking, and families and friends would exchange gifts. At the same time, Mithraism--worship of the ancient Persian god of light--was popular in the Roman army, and the cult held some of its most important rituals on the winter solstice.

After the Roman Emperor Constantine I converted to Christianity in 312 and sanctioned Christianity, church leaders made efforts to appropriate the winter-solstice holidays and thereby achieve a more seamless conversion to Christianity for the emperor's subjects. In rationalizing the celebration of Jesus' birthday in late December, church leaders may have argued that since the world was allegedly created on the spring equinox (late March), so too would Jesus have been conceived by God on that date. The Virgin Mary, pregnant with the son of God, would hence have given birth to Jesus nine months later on the winter solstice.

From Rome, the Christ's Nativity celebration spread to other Christian churches to the west and east, and soon most Christians were celebrating Christ's birth on December 25. To the Roman celebration was later added other winter-solstice rituals observed by various pagan groups, such as the lighting of the Yule log and decorations with evergreens by Germanic tribes. The word Christmas entered the English language originally as Christes maesse, meaning "Christ's mass" or "festival of Christ" in Old English. A popular medieval feast was that of St. Nicholas of Myra, a saint said to visit children with gifts and admonitions just before Christmas. This story evolved into the modern practice of leaving gifts for children said to be brought by "Santa Claus," a derivative of the Dutch name for St. Nicholas--Sinterklaas.


exactly...people celebrating it for the real purpose, i.e. celebrating the birth of Christ, wouldn't exactly go yelling about it, would they? so clearly they did it in secret until hundreds of years later when they wouldn't be as prosecuted for it.

[James_Potter]

hrmm, thats interesting. you could be right, and I could be wrong...I donno. I'm gonna ask my history teacher, since he's the one who told me about what I posted earlier.

[B]In rationalizing the celebration of Jesus' birthday in late December, church leaders may have argued that since the world was allegedly created on the spring equinox (late March), so too would Jesus have been conceived by God on that date. The Virgin Mary, pregnant with the son of God, would hence have given birth to Jesus nine months later on the winter solstice.

[manon1wheel]

happy birthday to you
happy birthday to you
happy birthday dear Jesus
happy birthday to you

and ive heard his b-day isnt 2day because it would be way too cold for a baby to be born in a manger in december, but he is the son of God so you never no.
he was born in jeruslum( i know i splelt that wrong) it dosnt get very cold there in the winter... does it?

[GILD]

I believe only whats in the bible nothing else. No additive like...
Can you say Council of Nicea?
Until you can, don't be so sure the 'bible' you talk about is a 'nothing else' piece. It is (most likely) a bad translation that's been added to something fierce. Depending on religio-political expediency.

The 25th of December is somebody's birthday (http://religiouscrossroads.tribe.net/thread/56164afb-acb6-4b70-86b2-7c8c023be479). An interesting chunk of reading with an entertaining variety of links to sources. Enjoy.

I find the 'war on -mas/happy holidays/merry xmas' controversy both strange and intensely sad and pitiful. For years now people have been using a phrase to extend good wishes to all people and somehow it never managed to give offence. How have we forgotton about it?

Allow me to wish you all 'Compliments of the Season.'

And mention that this thread reminds me of one of my favourite scenes from 'Full Metal Jacket.'

[Naomi]

You may be interested to know that the average IQ level is gradually going up and up but this is only one form of intelligence.

Mine is the first generation to witness the technological boom. Suddenly computers and technology is everywhere, the internet and the computer you are looking at. Relatively speaking, these are sudden inventions and have revolutionalised our world! This accesability to technology has given way to a another revolution, in communication! Right now I can type a few keys and click a few times and I can read the daily news for most cities in the world. This realisation has exploded our whole worlds culteral tolerance and changed us on a global and personal scale.



Your generation is the first to witness the personal computer based technological boom. Earlier generations witnessed other technological booms: Victorians and their coal fired tech boom being just one. Stone age invention of tools being an earlier one.

Nao





The point is, the world has changed, society is different from how it used to be 50 or 100 years ago. It is unfair to say that people aren't as clever. I know more science than some of the most educated from 200 years ago! I'm sure you do aswell! More and more people have access to education now than ever. I can't understand why you say people are becoming stupider and I can't express how wrong you are.
AndyC


You appear to at least partially confuse education with intelligence. Knowing more science does not imply greater IQ. The two are unrelated. many people from the poorer nations have had no opportunity of seeing any science lesson. But IQ is believed to have part genetic, part environmental component, so the present day exposure to so much stimulation may be contributing to an increase in the environmental component and thus the measured IQ. ( I admit that the methods of measuring IQ are imperfect, but they are the best we have to go on for the moment).
There is room to suggest that average genetic IQ is falling: In developed nations there is certainly a tendency for those people considered as being " more intelligent", to choose to have less kids, thus skewing the distribution against them.

...and if that doesn't stir a few fries I shall be surprised.


Nao

[ur]

The main reason why I want people to follow Jesus is so that they can be saved... I don't want to be saying "I told you so..."

If you believed that you knew the truth, completely and utterly with your full heart, soul and mind, wouldn't you want others to know it too? If it could save them? Not only that, but Jesus is a great bloke and can change your life!! He can save you from yourself and from the world around you, and from death itself... Plus, it's free :p.

Anyway, I know it's after Christmas, but Happy Birthday Jesus, you're da man!! :p

[chosen]

Without you nothing could be possible.

right on! good boy!

[GILD]

There is room to suggest that average genetic IQ is falling: In developed nations there is certainly a tendency for those people considered as being " more intelligent", to choose to have less kids, thus skewing the distribution against them.

...and if that doesn't stir a few fries I shall be surprised.
Mmmm... (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showpost.php?p=226271&postcount=18)

[johnfoss]

hrmm, thats interesting. you could be right, and I could be wrong...I donno. I'm gonna ask my history teacher, since he's the one who told me about what I posted earlier.
Why ask someone who gave you what may have been wrong information in the first place? He may only reinforce his own version. Why not look things up for yourself? Mscalisi's version of the Christmas history is very close to something I heard on the radio the other day. It makes sense to me as we celebrate other holidays that have done huge amounts of morphing over the years.

Like Halloween.

I have always thought of the timing of Christmas in another way as well. Linking it with the winter solstice puts it right in the middle of a dark and low point in the year. The days are short, winter is hitting in full force, and it can be a depressing time. The Christmas holiday introduces a bunch of activities to generate "good cheer" and otherwise fun for people who take a positive approach to it all. So we run around to the stores, decorate our homes, send out cards and give gifts. A warm and exciting jump-start to winter, making the rest of it more manageable.

All of the above describes the secular aspects of the holiday, not the religious side. You can do all that stuff above entirely separate from the religious/church aspect, or vice/versa. Makes all that commercialization a lot easier to bear if you are more the religious type.

[andycookuk]

The main reason why I want people to follow Jesus is so that they can be saved... I don't want to be saying "I told you so..."

If you believed that you knew the truth, completely and utterly with your full heart, soul and mind, wouldn't you want others to know it too? If it could save them? Not only that, but Jesus is a great bloke and can change your life!! He can save you from yourself and from the world around you, and from death itself... Plus, it's free :p.

Anyway, I know it's after Christmas, but Happy Birthday Jesus, you're da man!! :p

All this talk about "the truth"! There is no truth! Truth is subjective!

Over 5 billion people think they know what's true and most of them disagree with one another! They can't all be right!

AndyC

[James_Potter]

All this talk about "the truth"! There is no truth! Truth is subjective!
Over 5 billion people think they know what's true and most of them disagree with one another! They can't all be right!
AndyC
there has to be some truth...I'm not saying I know it though. because like you said, other people claim they KNOW the truth as well, and its different than what I think I know. which is pretty much why I don't try to force other people to believe the same thing I believe...I used to be atheist, and I always hated it when people tried to convince me of their own religion, when I just didn't want to believe it, I thought they were just trying to convert me for the sake of converting me. now I know that their intentions were good, and those people only try to convince others of God because they care, they're not trying to brainwash you, they just want you to be happy. but even though thats their intention, no one realizes that.

[jagur]

you're right, I should be trying to make a difference. but I'm still only in high school, so I really don't think I'd be able to do anything yet...maybe I will when I get older though, and people start listening to my opinion.sure you could, if people wont listen to your opinion then make your actions speak louder.

1)give all your unicycles away to people that dont have one.

2)stop posting here and use your time promoting "the Truth"

3)Fast and prey, fast and prey, fast and prey.

Doing righteous acts like those would do good as witness and get you closer to God......you better get started, it may be your calling and its well within your means.

[James_Potter]

if you've been reading this thread, jagur, you'd see i'm not trying to promote 'the truth' whatever that means. i think religion is a very personal thing, so i shouldn't be trying to get other people to believe the same thing i do.

[jagur]

if you've been reading this thread, jagur, you'd see i'm not trying to promote 'the truth' whatever that means.oh come on!?

i didnt say anything about "promoting"...you said you couldnt make a differance untill you got older....i say you can but dont want to.

i gave you ideas that would make a differance that are well within your means and you just turn it around on me.











Originally Posted by James_Potter
you're right, I should be trying to make a difference. but I'm still only in high school, so I really don't think I'd be able to do anything yet...maybe I will when I get older though, and people start listening to my opinion.

sure you could, if people wont listen to your opinion then make your actions speak louder.

1)give all your unicycles away to people that dont have one.

2)stop posting here and use your time promoting "the Truth"

3)Fast and prey, fast and prey, fast and prey.

Doing righteous acts like those would do good as witness and get you closer to God......you better get started, it may be your calling and its well within your means.

[GILD]

I'm the last one to go all 'spelling-policey' on you but I have to suggest changing the 'e' to an 'a' and making it 'pray'.
Fast and Prey just sounds like some kind of hunting-for-souls operation.

Which reminds me of the scene in A Fish Called Wanda where Jamey Lee Curtis points out to her brother that 'Every man for himself' is not the central teaching of buddhism.

[James_Potter]

I'm the last one to go all 'spelling-policey' on you but I have to suggest changing the 'e' to an 'a' and making it 'pray'.
Fast and Prey just sounds like some kind of hunting-for-souls operation.

Which reminds me of the scene in A Fish Called Wanda where Jamey Lee Curtis points out to her brother that 'Every man for himself' is not the central teaching of buddhism.
I noticed that as well, and thought 'fast and prey' did sound really weird.
sounds like the title to a bad horror film.

[jagur]

laugh all you want but Jesus is coming, look buzy..

[Naomi]

Mmmm... (http://www.unicyclist.com/forums/showpost.php?p=226271&postcount=18)


OMG the forum has already been there done that. I should have joined earlier, maybe I need to read from page one. Good memory you have there though GILD.

Nao

[GILD]

Emmenthaler memory I'm afraid.
I'll remember that Bradman was bowled for a duck in his final test innings by a leg-spinner, but don't ask me my tax number.
I just particularly remember that exchange because I liked that organisation (http://www.vhemt.org/)so much.
And I mainly linked back to it because that discussion wasn't ever really pursued. We (and I use the term advisedly) seem to back away from discussions about how the ways in which we think we're being so clever could actually prove how remarkably unclever we are.
I thought your comment was quite on the money and seemed like a good way to kickstart that discussion again.

If I created the impression that I linked back to that exchange in a derogatory, 'newby'-bashing way, I do apologise as that was most definately not the intention.

I probably should've posted something along the lines of this post with the link instead of just 'Mmmm...' but I was in a hurry.

As for reading the fora from page 1, I tried that with Most Replys and gave up on page 200.
I'd recommend it for when one gets that job as Lighthouse Keeper.