The Truth about Christmas

Tonight I turn on the television to watch a special on Dateline. Dateline has been called a news magazine on television. Investigative stories on different subjects. They've done a special on decoding the Da Vinci Code, next week they will talk about John Lenon's killer, they do almost anything where research has to be done and new information is supposedly given to the public by watching this show. (I honestly don't know how better to describe it. It's a show on NBC if you want to look it up). Tonight's show was about the truth of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Now I wish I had the chance to watch the whole show. I'll only saw the last half. Ann Curry and Stone Phillips (who names their child Stone? Probably the came people who name them Apple and Coco.) made a comment at the end of the show saying they hoped they shed some light into the Christmas story with the upcoming holiday season arriving. While watching this show I felt, what's the phrase, talked down to.

Granted, I know they had a particular audience they were presenting this show to. Obviously, it wasn't me. As they were presenting fact after fact of the birth of Jesus, I kept thinking, "you didn't surprise me with that information. you missed you're mark if you were trying to blow me over with your facts." Now they may have surprised those individuals who don't study the Bible, nor study the people, places, and culture of the first century when Jesus was born. Frenquently through out the show they presented film from Christmas pagents played in churches all across the United States. These Christmas pagents look nice and pretty with a young girl being Mary, a young boy as Joseph, kids depicting shepherds, the Magi and angels. Yes, it looks pretty and nice. The parents like to take photos and enjoy knowing that their son or daughter had the chance to play Joseph or Mary. But please, I know it wasn't all pretty. I know the birth of Jesus is not exactly how I was brought up to know. I have a brain and I've used it to do my own research.

This is what I know (it's not everything, but I have to leave room for the things I will learn)...

• Jesus Christ was not born on December 25. (Sorry for all those who read this and remember the feeling when you knew Santa didn't exist. But just for the record, there are days in which I do want Santa to exist)
• December 25 use to be a Pagan holiday, changed by a ruler named Constantine (did I spell that correctly?)
• the Magi did not visit Jesus at a manger. They first saw Jesus when he was probably around two years old.
• and yes, I hate seeing manger scenes across town with the Magi (some people want to refer to them as the 3 kings) with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. It's just not correct.
• Mary and Joseph probably never visited an Inn to look for a room. It was most likely a relative's "house" and there was no room, so they had to stay where they could - out back.
• Many scholars believe Jesus was born sometime in the spring.

That's only a short list. But that's all my brain is thinking about right now. I'll save my rant about more religion later. I'm calling it a night.

Have a good night everyone.