My family and I have been blessed with a great Christmas holiday season again this year. I pray that all of you had the same refreshing and wonderful time with food, family and friends that we enjoyed.  I received a present done up in paper proclaiming "Happy Hanukkah".  Later in a moment of reflection about that, I remembered the young man at the mall who I purchased a charm bracelet from.  I wished him Merry Christmas and he wished me "Kwanzaa."  I asked him what that meant?  And he explained that it was the seasonal tradition his family celebrated that was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga in 1966.  We spent a few minutes with him explaining to me the purpose and reasons for this tradition.  I thanked him for the invitation to enjoy his tradition.  I can't for the life of me believe that my Lord Jesus would be offended by me being respectful to this man.  I would have the opportunity to share the great things that Jesus taught concerning "Unity", "Self-determination", "Faith" and all the other things that make up this man's Kwanzaa celebration.  This invitation honored me by asking me to be a part of something very special to him.  It in no way made me feel like he was not respecting me as a Christian, or that I was being pressured to give up my faith and take up his.  But then, I was not walking around looking for something to be offended about either.  Also, as he gets to know me, maybe I can share with him about the peace and salvation to be found in Christ.

My Jewish friend, who gives me presents wrapped in "Happy Hanukkah" paper, and I often have some very deep conversations about spiritual matters.  The guiding principal we both use is that, "You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar." (We have been having these discussions for years)  This simply says I celebrate my holiday of faith and he celebrates his.  We give each other room to have these celebrations of faith and thereby ensure our own room to celebrate our faith. The faith I hold is the faith I receive from my Lord Jesus and I hold it in such confidence that I am not threatened by the existence of and respect for other movements.  It doesn't mean I agree with the other views, it just means I was raised to have good manners about such things.

I am not even threatened by the "mean-for-Jesus" crowd who say that I sin because I celebrate Christmas at all and because I celebrate this "virgin birth of Jesus as the Son of GOD" on the same day as the pagans.  They tell me this was a day selected by pagans to corrupt the church and it's worship.  Maybe so.  But guess what?  I'm not honoring the pagan holiday.  It is with holy hands and a pure heart that I worship the LORD on His "birthday" or any other day I chose -- He knows my heart and you don't get to vote on me!
(Yes, that is my thumb along side of my nose to you)  May I remind all of this introverted, so called Christian crowd, "Pagans take Sunday off (I guess you can't do that anymore) and they shop at Wal-Mart and Winn Dixie." (You'll have to shop somewhere else now). You Pharisees need to re-think your "rules".  Christianity is all about His grace and mercy, not your works and rule keeping.  I still hope you had a happy whatever it is you have.

I was raised that as long as whatever someone else calls "church" doesn't generate public health or safety concerns then I should treat it with respect.  Even though I don't embrace it as mine, I was to respect the people who did and I was taught that even the government had no say over their internal affairs.  Now if the government doesn't have power to interfere with their faith (Amendment I, U.S. Constitution) and GOD Himself has chosen to let them alone in what they call service and worship, who am I to come along and try to restrict them in what and when they do whatever it is they do in what they call worship?

There is one notable exception to this. I do not know any practicing Muslims, but from what I understand of their Qu'ran, and their practice, they are to offer me three opportunities to convert to Islam and if I refuse, they are to "kill me where they find me."  This doesn't sound like "Live and let live" to me.  It does appear that the movement is dangerous to public health and safety in spite of what Mr. Bush says.  If I were to hear "ANY" of their local or national leadership loudly speaking out and condemning this practice of "kill them where you find them", I would have less reservations.  So sir, as it stands, I don't know you, and because you're silent on these crimes, you appear to approve of them.  I have no option but to view your life and intentions in my community with skepticism.  Reassure me of who you are as an American or accept my dubiousness about you.

I wish to follow the steps of Paul as he deals with the multitude of gods he finds on Mars Hill in Athens, as recorded in Acts 17:16-21 (KJV).  I will preach the gospel and let GOD acquire whom He deems appropriate.

Ed Anthony