A Final Thought About Xmas

Xmas is, after all, the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The head of the Roman Catholic Church-- one of the wealthiest institutions in the world, and with a history of exploitation of the masses that is unrivaled-- decried "materialism," but his operation is built on it. He may feel very uncomfortable about how obviously it betrays the essence of God's will ("It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" -- Matthew 19:24), but the realpolitik that has long ruled the Roman Church chose sides long ago, and it wasn't Jesus's.


In fact, for Jesus's teachings to be accepted by the rich and powerful, the Church had to find ways to tone down all the stuff that Jesus says to make them feel bad about exploiting the poor. It was never hard to find false prophets to explain away his words and make up nonsense about what he really meant to say. Much of America's peculiar brand of Christianity is based almost entirely on these false prophets, clearly servants of Satan-- if you believe that kind of stuff-- or, less abstractly, servants of self. American fundamentalism is based on fleecing the flock. They're working for the other side. That's why they're so cozy with the 1%, Satan's people, and why they're part of the backbone of Satan's political party, the GOP.

Christmas found Pat Robertson delivering a message of hatred, bigotry and Republican Party politics. Remember, he once even ran for the Republican presidential nomination, the Michele Bachmann of his day.

On The 700 Club, the Christian Broadcasting Network's flagship news program, Robertson also made a point of re-iterating his view of LGBT people not being "born this way," noting: "Normally speaking, a person who has acquired this can un-acquire it. We've had many people who have indeed left the homosexual lifestyle and gone into a heterosexual relationship and have been very, very happy. But all I can say is love the son, love the son, and show him what you consider a better way."

Earlier this month, Robertson sounded off on the Obama administration's pledge to use U.S. foreign aid to promote LGBT rights abroad, noting, "This country cannot continue to violate God's principles and to make a mockery of His laws and think we're gonna get away with it."

More serious theologians had other concerns around Jesus's birthday. Saturday I was tweeting about the inspiring message of Christ being delivered by the Archbishop of York:

We all have a duty to support and care for others, through good times and bad. We also have a duty to strive for a better society that is fairer and more equal.

Let us work hard to be part of the transformation in our society, fighting injustice wherever it arises. Our personal misfortunes ought to spur us on to help change the unfairness around us.

Despite the bleakness and uncertainty, we should not give up trying to be a force for good.

The British are renowned as a nation of battlers, people who stand up for what they believe in and will never give up in the face of adversity. We should remember our history and unite in troubled times, and not crumble under the strain that economic and social pressures put us under.

When we look at an overcast sky, we should not forget that the sun is still there shining with full strength. It is simply temporarily hidden by the clouds. As people of goodwill, we may not be able to stop rain clouds from forming, but we can help by providing cover for people who are most exposed: the young, and older people.

...Can it be right that public sector workers, and those who work in British industry, face losing their jobs when those high earners in the banking sector who helped cause the economic crisis not only keep their jobs but rake in massive bonuses?
Also, how can we have a situation where someone will suffer the devastation of unemployment while others in our society remain so overworked?

It’s not just a problem restricted to the job market. Look at the housing situation. Homelessness grows while estimates suggest that around a million homes are empty because they remain unlet or unsold – and this is without taking into account people who have second homes they rarely live in.

Young people and those on low incomes are effectively priced out of the housing market, and in many cases have no option but to pay high rents in the private sector because of a shortage of affordable housing.

We have created a situation where many people live in relative poverty, while others have far more than they can ever hope to spend. In fact, the divide between the wages of the rich and the poor is growing in nearly all of the world’s leading economies.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Surveys show that people do not feel that consumerism is necessarily a good thing, but they do it, knowing that it reduces time for more valuable things like time for friends, family and community. Let us not be a society that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Let us value the contribution that every individual can make, not only in the workplace, but also at home and in the public square.

While we hope and pray for change, it seems that in the meantime we must have hope and courage that a number of years with little or no economic growth can be turned into a time when we think creatively about how we could move towards a different kind of society.

I recently sponsored a Fairness Commission in York that looked at the importance of prioritising essential services to protect the most vulnerable at a time of cuts locally and nationally.

While there is no doubt that we need more sharing within our society, it is also clear that we need a more sustainable steady economy in which the emphasis is placed on greater equality, where all participate for the wellbeing of all.

Difficult choices have to be made, but people and justice must be at the centre of all decision-making in our country. When we forget the importance and worth of every single member of society, we have forgotten what it means to be human.

And in his Christmas Day sermon the more senior Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, had a similar message-- as far from what you'll hear from phony-baloney American "Christian"-conservative (Satanic) preachers of the rich as you can possibly get. He spoke of "broken bonds and abused trust" and "mutual obligation."

Speaking of this year's Austerity riots in the U.K., the archbishop said, "Whether it is an urban rioter mindlessly burning down a small shop that serves his community, or a speculator turning his back on the question of who bears the ultimate cost for his acquisitive adventures in the virtual reality of today's financial world, the picture is of atoms spinning apart in the dark."

He backs a "Robin Hood tax" on banking transactions. See how many "Christian" conservatives in this country you can find who would ever in a million years go along with that. As many, no doubt, as the camels passing through eyes of needles on their way to God's Kingdom.