Winter Solstice Seasonal Thoughts
All links in this article support my point of view. As with anything on the Internet do not believe what you read just because it is on the Internet. I believe all of this stuff about the actual birth of Jesus because my dad explained it to me at a very young age.
This is why I really miss Austin, music and free thinking culture. It was a rare occasion that I was driving my truck to work instead of riding my bicycle and I heard this interview on NPR about For An Ex-Christian Rocker, Faith Lost Is A Following Gained. It really hits me and made me realize that as a son of an African Methodist Episcopal minister that I too have become an atheist or humanist.
I have always had a big problem with not living life for now instead of living life and putting off everything because you are waiting for something better after your die. Believing that some entity has control of your life or believing that all you have to do is wait for some help with your problems does not make sense to me. I believe that you not only have to pull yourself up by your own boot straps, but you also should be prepared to learn how to make the boots. Sure help from friends or community are appreciated, but you should not expect a hand out just because you expect it to come because you have faith that it will.
I started calling this season Winter Solstice in public and in my online postings last year when I hung up lights on my home. Growing up with a theologian for a parent taught me a lot about the history of Hebrew culture and the history of the King James version of the Bible. Living here in the deep south has made me more aware of how difficult free thinking can be in a culture that has been conditioned by 2,000 years of make believe. The birth of Jesus did not occur on the Winter Solstice so when I see signs on the Bible thumpers lawns that say "Put Jesus back in Christmas" or Jesus is the Reason for the Season" I shutter that I think so differently than most of the folks in my town. Well Jesus was never in a celebration during the winter or the end of the Julian calendar year in the first place so putting Jesus back in Christmas sounds so silly to me.
Do not get me wrong, I welcome anyone to believe what they want to believe, I just have a problem with folks getting their facts confused about celebrating the Winter Solstice. I have another rant about the Vernal Equinox and the celebration of Easter, but I will save that for another time.
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