Last night, I got a comment from a frequent reader saying that I potentially polarized a lot of readers with my "Not celebrating Christmas message". He said that one tenant of journalism is showing you don't have opinions - you have facts. This observation struck me as odd. Not only do most modern papers embed deep liberal opinion in their stories, but just about ALL of our local news publishers deliver few facts. They usually only report the facts from one side of the argument. Back when I audited a few journalism classes at The University Of Georgia, I used to joke that the student newscast didn't have enough "Tales of Death and Dismemberment". It seems that this is all the local news has to offer. The stories they do present that aren't about accidents or death are filled with so many errors in grammar or they speak above the "interesting level" that it's ... well ... not news. Local news seems to have become one giant advertisement. News publishers take too much for granted about what we know and we want or need to know. Without sounding conspiratorial, the facts that the Pickens Sentinel, Easley Progress, and Greenville News deliver are mixed with the subliminal; trying to sway public political opinion.
This reader also mentioned that I must not care about advertisers, posting a message like that. I do care about advertisers, but one reason I started this website was because ALL of our local news sources ARE controlled by their advertisers. A recent example is the John Ludwig case. WYFF, with an exclusive, had the information on their website then inexplicably pulled it. The reason? I've heard from a very reliable source that John Ludwig's attorney called and "asked for some consideration as a partner and advertiser." The story reappeared after internet readers called their hand and other news stations started discussing it.
My father chimed in on his thoughts about the Christmas article I published. He said that it was very well written and that he agreed with most of it. He said it appeared well researched. He quipped that I might be seen as "The Grinch trying to steal Christmas".
People of Liberty, it's time for all of us to take sides, take stands, and make your voice heard. This is your forum as much as it is mine.
~ Max Lucado
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Over the weekend, while on a day trip to Helen, Georgia with the family, I heard one of my favorite Christmas songs - Holly Jolly Christmas written by Johnny Marks (who also penned Rudolph: The Red Nosed Reindeer) but was popularized by Burl Ives singing the classic song.Listen to this song HERE
Every year I hear this song, it makes me happy - except this year. After our PERSONAL family decision to stop celebrating Christmas as I mentioned here, this song has a different connotation to me now - especially as I was singing along with the lyrics ... I caught myself.
"Have a holly jolly Christmas
And in case you didn't hear,
Oh, by golly have a holly jolly Christmas this year!"
A few months back, I gave "a talk" (we aren't calling them sermons) to a group of family members that have been getting together on Sundays for a Bible study.
I used the YouVersion Bible iPhone App for research.
Exodus 20 : v. 7
"Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Notice that this is the only commandment where God says he won't hold you guiltless.
A commandment is a command from God. They aren't called the 10 suggestions. There are dozens upon dozens of suggestions and what are called "God's laws" in Deuteronomy and Leviticus such as not eating shrimp.
Not eating bottom feeding shellfish could be considered a suggestion. Shrimp contain a lot of allergens because they are bottom feeders. But, now that we have sanitary methods for preparing them ... they are safe to eat.
Nothing has changed about cheating on your wife/adultery ... stealing something ... killing someone ... or taking the Lord's name in vain. What has changed is the safety of food preservation and food storage.
A law in the Bible could be considered like a speed limit. It's a suggestion within reason - excessive speed and you will most likely be caught. A command should be considered like a stop light. You must stop when the light is red.
A favorite movie of mine is The Matrix. The first in the series is an amazing film. However the second two installments could be considered flops and were completely panned by even the biggest fans of the first movie.
The TV Guide one sentence plot description of The Matrix:
A computer hacker named Neo joins forces with rebel warriors to battle a malevolent computerized intelligence.
There's a lot of religious analogy / allegory in this movie.
Here's a few lines from the script that I found online.
""It's Maggie, sir. She's dead. Murdered. I think it was Bane.
"*** ******"
"I knew it. I knew he was out of his "*** ******" mind"
""*** ******" I should have beaten it out of him"
"We've searched the whole ship, Captain, he aint here."
"Well, "*** ******" you better find him "*** ******" I want you to find him right "*** ******" now."
This scene is one minute ten seconds on the screen.
This movie has the words "GD" 244 times and runs 2 hrs 31 min. That equals the Lord's name in vain every 61 seconds of this movie. The funny thing ... saying just the word, "Damn" seems more effective to me.
* It's really about intelligence, you're saying,
"I say things without thinking, I speak hastily, I don't have the intelligence to substitute another word."
My wife and I were discussing this and my teenage daughter mentioned that saying,
"God, this cake is good!" isn't taking the Lord's name in vain.
A small family debate ensued ... My wife made a good point.
The Lord's name should only be invoked in praise and in prayer and I'll add "in discussion".
My wife also added the definition of "VAIN" from Webster's dictionary:
vain [veyn]
–adjective, -er, -est.
1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited
2. proceeding from or showing personal vanity: vain remarks.
3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: a vain effort.
4. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless
5. Archaic. senseless or foolish.
6. in vain,
a. without effect or avail; to no purpose: to apologize in vain.
b. in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain.
Should we ever think of the Lord senselessly, foolishly, or without significance, without value or as worthless?
The Lord's name shouldn't be exclaimed in anger or pain either.
If anyone had a reason to curse the Lord, it would have been Job. But, in Job 1 verses 21-22; we see he, after so much suffering, chose not to.
Job 1: v. 21-22:
" ... the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly."
Taking the Lord's name in vain isn't a habit, it's a choice.
Opening your mouth to breathe is a necessity.
Opening your mouth to saw "OUCH!" is a reaction.
Opening your mouth to deliver an opinion or take the Lord's name in vain is a decision.
Writing it in a script is a concrete decision.
I don't want to get obsessive over this, but this is one thing we should pray for. We should pray for the sensibility and wisdom to choose our words wisely and to condemn wisely the commonality of using the Lord's name in vain.
I say "Geez Louise" a lot.
My wife says that "Geez" is a way of saying "Jesus"
Gee
Geez
Golly
Gomer Pyle's "Well Gawwwwleee"
Gee Wilikers
Jesus H. Christ
Christ Almighty (in excitement or anger)
Jiminy Christmas
Cheese & Rice
Holy Shit
Good Lord
Gall Darn
Holy Cow
OMG (Oh My God in textese)
Dag Nabbit
Holy Moley
Gosh Dang
Lawd A Mercy
Goodness Gracious
My mom used to say, "God Bless A Pussy Cat!"
Leviticus 24 : v. 16
"And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death ..."
Psalm 135 : v. 1 & 3
"Praise ye the Lord, Praise ye the name of the Lord; praise him O ye servants of the Lord"
"Praise the Lord; for the Lord is good; sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant"
Psalm 29 : v. 2
"Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness"
Psalm 8 v. 9
"O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth."
David wrote Psalms. There was quite a bit of excellence and servitude around King David ... if anyone knew excellence, it was David. He reserves the word "excellent " for the name of God. Of all the people that David spoke to in the Bible he never said they did something excellent. David told Jonathan he loved him like a brother, not like he loved God. He didn't tell Jonathan he was an excellent friend. Bathsheba had a beautiful name, but David reserved the words, "lovely" for describing the name of God.
Proverbs 10: v. 11
"The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life; but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked."
Matthew 15 : v. 11
"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this, defileth a man."
2 COMMENTS / Make your own:
I stopped buying The Pickens Sentinel and Easley Progess years ago for some of those same reasons you mention. I get aggravated at all the grammatical errors, articles that just do not make sense, a list of every church within 100 miles, and fluff stuff. And...they're too scared to post articles like your Christmas story.
Great article. Your wife is right. We all need to re-construct some of our sayings so that we will not take the Lord's Name in vain.
And by the way, journalists will have some of their point of view mixed in. I am glad that you point this out. Blessings.
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