Santa Clause .... so you guys and gals promote the "lie"

David I know the Water Cooler is separate but this nonsense goes on in all the other forums as well. You have smartass kids come on here and if someone chews them out, the morality police jump in. Don't forget the kid that fleeced everyone for free gear because he "ripped his clothes" or "had no more arrows" and he ended up being busted but people were all over those threads arguing with each other. I understand everyone has their own opinion, but it's amazing the amount of people that try to push their opinion on you here. I'll go ahead and lay out my thoughts.....I won't do anything hunting that is illegal.....if I had a kid that was being a smartass to elders, he/she would get an *** whooping (Oly would agree with me here)....you don't hit a woman.....if you think you hit the deer, exhaust every effort searching....etc. I guess I'm just disappointed in how things seem to have changed with all forums since I joined the site, seeing how things get thrown so out of proportion or people just being plain stupid.

 

Christmas is about giving, not just gifts, but love,faith and hope.

Merry Christmas Vito.

 

So when I hear, "we teach our children the true meaning of christmas", this is what they are being taught?

 

Screw you, pal.

 

Unfortunately, no. Most churches are full of people who have no clue as to the real meaning... and they get angry when they are told the truth. Santa is okay... he doesn't upset any apple carts and everyone "feels" good when their Christmas hero is a fairy tale that brings toys and goodies for being "good."

 

You are on my naughty list

Sorry Vito, I was just being a smart ***

 

As was I. Sorry, I'm just a lowly troll.

 

Ok you're back on the good list, what do you want for a present?

 

The celebration of Christmas isn't even biblical. The celebration of Christ daily is though. You're right Vito about the paegan winter solstice holiday. Heres the thing though if you can imagine what it was like in those days people celebrating false gods and idols, what the early Christians did was establish an alternative. Christ would have gone before those people doing those things and rebuked them. We, being fleshy chose a more passive route. The only problem with this is Christ never asked us to compromise to the Gospel. The idea of celebrating Christmas is a man made idea. Christ asked that we break bread and drink wine in rememberance of Him often though. So if you see what the world (people) over time have done is drown out a true demand (Lords supper) from Christ and built up a more appealing man made ritual. The Christmas ritual goes hand and hand with the Flesh. Giving and recieving material things. Even though Christmas may have been established by man that doesn't mean that God cannot use it for good. Just the fact that people are talking about Jesus in this thread is proof of that. People can repent and be saved by accepting Christ but only if they hear the gospel. So the true meaning of Christmas is to incorporate Christ into the lives of everyday sinners. Whether you believe in Christ or not is your decision. I rejected Christ until I was 23. I always had questions in the back of my mind but I saw living with those easier than accepting a "conventional lie". I too saw religions as an easy out, something insecure people believed to sleep at night. It took a lot of humbling and time for me to see myself as sinful. If you don't see the disease you don't see the need for a cure. I highly reccomend people read the book of Mark and then the book of Romans. Mark is the shortest Gospel and Romans is a book to those who have heard the Gospel. I think after taking a little time to check out these 2 books you might broaden your understanding of what Christians believe. There is more to it than "walking on water" and Arks with baby animals on it.

 

Thanks for the suggestion, Kyle. I have read the book of mark and the book of Romans. I was raised a christian and considered myself one for the first 20 or so years of my life.

Despite Tony's proclamation, I do not hate god or christians. I dislike pompous attitudes. Really doesn't matter the topic. When someone believes they are better than another person, especially for no other reason than their beliefs, then I take issue. I have never started a thread against christians or christianity. I have, however, chimed in when the holier than thou (pun intended) comments rear their ugly head.

 

You're new avatar just made me laugh, loud. haha At first I saw it and I thought what is th.. HAHAH! I didn't know that were a church kid. We have an exact polar opposite upbringing then. My parents never believed or brought us up to believe. As a young adult to come to Christ is so much different than seeing the Christians farmed in the Church. I've seen so many people my age that go to Church because that's what they were taught to do. It's like it's nothing more than a weird club to them or something. I can see how around my 20's if that was my life I wouldn't stick around. I doubt I would have made it past 14. I also noticed that those Church kids didn't live a life full of sin like I did. They were generally good well behaved people. I on the other hand was that kid that got everyone high before school and drunk after. Got tangled with some other kids with poor judgment and got into stealing,tattoos and vandalism. All the "fun" stuff. So when I heard the gospel the 1000000th time it really applied to me and made sense. I know that now I sound like the sterotypical convict convert but I really wasn't that bad...was I?

 

I hate religious people with a passion and I am christian. If Christians today acted truly like Christ the world would be turned on its head. Christ came and completely changed the way people veiwed religion. He continually showed the scribes and Pharisees (pompus/hyprocritical chrisitans) that their way of "religion" was wrong. As a Christian we are here to speak the truth in love and not condemn, ridicule, or be more pious than someone else. I have many friends that don't believe in Chirst and we have great conversations/discussions and they know they can talk to me about anything and they know I pray for them on a daily basis. the Bible says that not all will believe and one day we will find out who was right. With all of my experiences I believe in God. If you don't thats cool. Christ is real and in my life on a daily basis and I have a real relationship with him. If you don't believe you will never understand, if you believe you know exactly what I mean.

 

Whatever helps you live the life you are looking for, Kyle. I can get down with that.

 

Am I the only one that dislikes it when we hear news channels say, "Christmas sales were up this year......."? It has become a seriously over-inflated, ridiculous holiday, with many of the people "observing" the holiday not even understanding what it is they are celebrating/contemplating. It is a "hey did you buy your uncle this for Christmas, what do you want for Christmas, I ONLY received three gifts for Christmas, I don't like this Christmas gift, I spent $2K on Christmas gifts.......". Christmas and it's observance seriously parallels the rat race of the current American culture and for that reason I am seriously turned off by everything to do with it. Call me crazy.

 

Cool. BTW you HAVE to blur the left hand on that troll avatar. HAVE TO!

 

Hmmm... You hate people... you are Christian... Your equation is incongruent.

 

This is the kinder, gentler trolling Vito. This troll just wants to give hugs. Look how adorable my little naked purple haired troll is. Who wouldn't hug him?

Is Bizarro Vito going to change his avatar now?

 

Matt, I think me & you had similar backgrounds and have similar thoughts on the matter.

I went to catholic grade school & a luthren college. I had to take religion classes in college, both judeo-christian teachings & world religions. It was a real eye opener and very interesting. Ironically enough the more I learned about religion the more it sealed my beliefs that religion (and certainly christianity) was not something I was going to continue to believe in as I never really bought into it much anyways. That's fine if others want to, I'd NEVER try and convince them not to, although they always fervently try and convince me why I should.

 

Yes, I "lie" to my daughter about Santa...just like my parents "lied" to me...along with the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy. I have yet to meet anybody, child or adult, that felt betrayed or deceived or hurt that their parents "lied" to them about Santa.

 

Well I am damaged for life