my 97 year old father just realized that some churches will not be open

[flordehinojos]

on CHRISTMAS DAY, SUNDAY,December 25th.

97 YEARS IS A LONG TIME TO LIVE. My father says that in his 97 years there has never been anything like it that he is aware of. My father is at a loss for words to both understand the NO CHURCH ON SUNDAY, DEC. 25TH thing, and at a loss to explain his having his breath kocked out of him by such a fact.

[0007]

1. My father just died in September, in fact on the 11th.

He could hardly talk, but I heard say he was glad he was checking out, cuz the world is flat fucking crazy.

[napi21]

5. That's very very sad to think that was among the last

thoughts of any American. I'm pretty sure he's now looking down on earth and saying, "Yup, I was right!".

[flordehinojos]

14. sorry to hear about your father's death...

my father says he hopes he will not be living to see all the horror he thinks this administration is steering us towards.

and, would you believe that his birth date is September 11th? When 9/11 happened he said he would forever to have to hide his birth date, for how could he celebrate when so many were grieving so?

(My condolences on the passing of your father).

[0007]

16. Thank you.

[FreedomAngel82]

32. Aw

I know this little girl at my church who was born on 9/11. I think her mother was giving birth earlier that morning or maybe it was evening. I'm not sure but I do know she was born on 9/11.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. I have never heard of it either

Plenty of times I will admit I skipped going because it was Christmas, and sometimes I would go and it would be dead as a doornail, BUT THE CHURCH WAS NEVER CLOSED, even if we had midnight mass the day before.

I really have to wonder at the level of real worship going on at these churches. It's almost like they are really motivated from the dark ... oh, I won't go there.

whatever

[flordehinojos]

15. that is exactly the point..

the churches were never closed on CHRISTMAS...and on those days when DEC. 24th fell on a SUNDAY and CHRISTMAS DAY DECEMBER 25th fell on a MONDAY ... people had to go to MASS on BOTH days!

One of my father's question today, after reading that some of these churches which will not be open claim that CHRISTMAS is a family day, was: "Aren't offices and businessess closed on Monday the day after Christmas if Christmas falls on a Sunday?" ... That was his way of saying... what is the point of this NO CHURCH CHRISTMAS SUNDAY.

and, as far as "the level of worship going on on those churches", i believe it is zero and i shared with my father the thought that having NO CHURCH ON CHRISTMAS SUNDAY is one way of SECULARIZING CHRISTIANITY ...

how very, very sad.

[madeline_con]

3. I'm pretty freaked out, too! No church on CHRISTMAS??!!! n/t

[flordehinojos]

17. yes, no church on Christmas on the excuse that Sunday, or is it Christmas,

is a FAMILY DAY!

[madeline_con]

22. LOL!!!!!

:rofl:

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. And the fundies think the ACLU is waging a War on Christmas?

[ellenfl]

6. does bill o'really know about this attack on christmas?

it's those freakin' liberal clerics!

ellen fl

[flordehinojos]

18. the world is upside down!

[napi21]

7. Maybe that's their way of giving a Holiday gift to their followers.

Nobody will have to give any donations on Christmas this year!

[flordehinojos]

19. should they read your post and realize that they will be missing out on

$$$$$$$$ they may just reverse their decision. These right wingers usually do the right things (as having church on Christmas) for the wrong reasons (to collect big bucks)... but with bush paying anyone and everyone to get what he wants ... one has to wonder if he has put any money into these churches so as to help in the secularization of not just christianity, but of all religions.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. When I was a kid going to church...

...we had EXTRA church when Christmas WASN'T on Sunday. I really don't get this no church on Christmas Sunday thing, especially when they're so all up in arms about taking Christ out of Christmas. Those wacky fundies -- I'll just never understand them.

[flordehinojos]

21. i think lots of them call themselves christians only in words,

or as they say in Spanish "de los dientes para fuera" (literally translated means: "call themselves christians from the teeth out"--meaning they are not christians at all.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

9. Which churches won't be open?

I find this just a bit hard to believe. Christians observe, and they do it in church.

Where is this, and which churches? I'm not quite your Dad's age, but I've never heard of any of this, either.

Unless it's one of those "Church Of The Most Holy Perfect Bowler," housed in the back of someone's garage .........

[wakeme2008]

10. The Mega churches are the main ones

:grr:

[ClassWarrior]

11. You sell McGod, you get fickle McCustomers.

Apparently the phoney Christians who patronize the God Malls don't show up on Christmas, so the churches figure they look better closing on Christmas than opening to an empty house.

NGU.

[flordehinojos]

26. you may have a point there ... ESPECIALLY when, i believe, those churches

aren't really christian churches. i think they are more political organizations which call themselves christian, who knows for what nefarious purpose.

but you know, the churches i grew up in were filled to capacity on Christmas Day and on Easter Sunday. So much so, that once I heard a priest say from the pulpit that it wasn't fair for people who never came to church, come just on those two days, sit on the front pews and leave those who came regularly standing out in the aisles...

that day i walked out of church and did not go back for a long time...not until i realized that my relationship with God had nothing to do with what the priest (or priests) thought, said, or opined.
and that my relationship with God was strictly between God and me.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

20. Which ones are they?

I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with Mega Churches.

Where is this not taking place?

[Bill McBlueState]

23. try google news

Here's a story to get you started: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2005/12/10/s1c_church_1210.html

[OldLeftieLawyer]

28. I live in a bubble

Thank you for this. I'd rather I'd never heard of it, but, hey, my bubble was never going to last forever.

I almost said "Jesus Christ!" as I read it, but do these assholes realize that they've gone completely AWAY from whatever teachings that good old guy allegedly tried to lay down?

Whoa. This is about as craven and shameful an exhibition as I've ever seen.

"Christ Fellowship is all about supporting the family..."?

What happens to unmarried people, I wonder?

You know, the ones who are just like Jesus Christ and his buddies...........

Yeah, just as I figured - it's "non-denominational." That means they're "Money Christians."

What a farce.

Thanks, by the way. I am no longer the innocent virgin I was a few minutes ago.

I hope you're happy.........

;)

[FreedomAngel82]

33. That's not what non-denominational means

It means that you aren't in one particular group such as Baptist, Methodist etc.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

39. Yes, and my definition takes it one step further -

they're not really churches in the traditional sense, but, rather, tax-exempt corporations selling a product.

[flordehinojos]

24. well, let me see here:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-cnochurchdec10,0,6404570.story
the link above will direct you to an article in the Sun-Sentinel entitled
With Christmas falling on a Sunday,some churches break from tradition

this paragraph from the article:

"God is into family; that's why he sent Jesus to Earth on Christmas," Pastor Bob Coy said. "The consensus here was that the members want more time with their families. If we do four services on Saturday, most of the congregation can attend."

my father is in Tennesse... as far as I know I had not e-mailed him a link to the article. I believe he was talking about something he may have read in the Nashville newspaper.

[Crunchy Frog]

12. Sort of shows who's really at war with Christmas. n/t

[asjr]

13. All churches will be open in my neck of the woods. I was

under the impression it is the megachurches that will not open. Maybe they feel there will not be enough attendance to fill the offering plate. That is their main business anyway.

[frogbison]

25. Well, my chuch took a vote today.

And Sunday serviced lost. We are a small United Church of Christ ("God is still speaking,") and, in our defense, we have an interim minister instead of a permanent pastor these days. She has a two-hour drive to get here. Also, we have Christmas Eve candllight service at 11 PM on the 24th. So she would have to either stay here, missing Christmas Eve with her family, or drive back down the next morning, after getting home about 2 AM and miss family Christmas Day as well.

It is for her sake that I voted no church on Christmas Day. Some folks were very upset. (My first reaction, as well.)

[flordehinojos]

27. i just wonder ......

how many excuses Christ puts up not come see us when we are sick, tired, depleted, whatever ...
maybe the distance from heaven to earth is too great, maybe he's be listening to too many people complain and doesn't want to hear anymore ...

and I just wonder how many times I too have said, "sorry God. I am too tired."

[frogbison]

30. Jesus

was all about taking care of humanity. He healed the sick on the Sabbath, and this is part of what pissed off the "powers that be." I believe that he would want our pastor to avoid a two hour trip with little sleep and to commune with her family. She has urged those who want to attend church in the AM to attend one of those that are having services. And there are churches in the area, close in doctrine, that one can attend.

[flordehinojos]

35. oh, pleaaaase......

any way to rationalize the fact that he would not have wanted the three kings of orient to travel a far to bring him gifts of gold, frankincense and mirrh?

[politicat]

34. That was very humane of your congregation!

Honestly, it's nice to hear of churches that look out for their membership and their leadership, instead of just the collection plate! I hope you all can enjoy your holiday and celebrate as you see appropriate.

[flordehinojos]

36. maybe the three kings of orient should have stayed home with their gifts

of gold, frankincense and mirrh!

[Historic NY]

29. Wait a darn minute.............

fundy's complain about the war on Christmas and then decide not to have church on Christmas Day. WTF, people need time for their families. Doing what unwrapping gifts Santa bought.....how pagan of them.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. I don't get it either

Isn't Christmas supposed to be a huge thing to draw people there? My church always has church on Sunday services. We have a regular sermon and nothing really special. Than Sunday evening they have a half hour service so you can spend your holiday with family/friends. I've never heard of any churches closing before. I think those churches that are could be the megachurches.

[mwb970]

37. The fundies are insane.

They boycott Wal-Mart because of signs saying "Happy holidays". Then their own churches announce that they are cancelling worship services on CHRISTMAS SUNDAY so their parishioners can stay home and open their presents and watch football games, and they say nothing.

Who, exactly, is "taking the Christ out of Christmas"? Wal-Mart?

Like I say, these people are insane.

[eridani]

38. In other news--

Megasynagogues will be closed on Yom Kippur, and megamosques will be closed on Eid al Fitr.