Boxing Day Debate

Roommate Joseph and I had a recent heated argument (basically a normal discussion, but our apartment was 87 degrees):

M: Joseph....most attractive animated female in disney film...Go.
J: Maid Marian in Robin Hood
M: Joseph, she's a fox.
J: I know!
M: No, literally.
J: I know.

After some awkwardness, we agreed...
Most attractive Animated Female in Disney Film: Belle (from Beauty and the Beast)
Most attractive Animated Fox in Disney Film: Maid Marian
Most attractive Animated Teapot in Disney Film: Mrs. Potts (Beauty and the Beast)

P.S. You're not a good writer when you use percentages in 99% of your last 3 posts.

Blind Tradition

Some Things Associated with Christmas...

Christmas Tree
Mistletoe
Large random bows
Ornaments
Snowmen/Snowwomen
Gift giving
Lights on the tree/yard/acting as fake ice sickles
The Colors Green and Red
Not showering (maybe just college students and the Davis family)

97% of Americans have no clue why these things have anything to do with Christmas. I am one of those (minus the gift-giving concept).

98% of Americans have probably never even wondered why we do these things or questioned why they don't know why.

It's scary how tradition and expectation is enough to get us to do anything.



P.S. I wonder if any of these traditions existed before 1850-ish. I guess after thousands of years, we finally realized the idea of celebrating God humbling himself and becoming a man to fix everything that is wrong with us and our world was getting old and needed to be spiced up a bit.

Santa Claus = Lying to your children...

Man, that’s a tough one. I don’t know what I think about that. But apparently I have enough thoughts to compose a blog post about it (by the way, there was a real Santa Claus in the 200s; a bishop named Nicholas; great story; I own the cartoon movie).

Pros and Cons of kids believing in Santa Claus (in paragraph form):
Fact: you are lying to your kids about Santa Claus’ existence. Which this may or may not be a big deal, but consider this... One day you will break it to your kids that all logic is actually correct: Santa Claus is not real. From that day on, how can you expect your kids to trust you with anything important ever again. You deceived them once, why couldn’t you do it again? Another anti-Santa point would be that it glorifies consumerism and it makes the child more self-centered. Doesn’t it seem wrong that the 9-yr old gets 38 presents from Santa/parents, but he didn’t bother getting his parents a single present. And interestingly, his parents didn't get any presents from Santa either. But 99.9% of the time, the child never notices this because he/she’s too consumed with what THEY are getting (Yes, this is OK for a child who's 4, but I think you're allowed to start giving and learn to not be self-absorbed when you turn 6).
On the other hand, parents that are pro-Santa Claus for more reasons than just the fact that every kid on the street is doing it or because they've never considered not doing it, have some decent reasons to have their kids believe in Santa. One, believing in Santa definitely helps develop the imaginative, creative side of their mind. Two, the trust thing isn’t a good point, because hopefully the trust your child has in you has been built up over the years and doesn’t rest simply on Santa Claus. Three, believing in Santa only takes the focus off of Jesus' birth if you let it. It's possible to glorify one much more than the other.

Conclusion 1: As to what I will do with my kids, check back after I have a wife and have consulted with her.

Conclusion 2: My mom still writes ‘From Santa’ on all my wrapped presents. I will some day break it to her that I know it’s her handwriting.

Conclusion 3: When you stop believing in Santa Claus is when you start getting clothes for Christmas.

What if Ralph Nader won?

Legalized Marijuana. What if that happened? 99.9% of Christians' consciences would feel guilty for smoking it, but why? If it was legalized, what would be wrong with smoking it? We intake so much stuff that alters our state of being already: sleeping pills, benedryl, sugar, wine, adderol, prozac. (By the way, I've never smoked weed so I'm not trying to justify my actions.) What makes weed so much more unholy than prozac or sleeping pills or caffeine? Honestly, I'm not that convinced that responsibly taking a substance in order to feel more at peace or more relaxed or more temporarily happy is unpleasing to God. I could easily see someone enjoying this feeling at the expense of marijuana while thanking God for the feeling produced by something he created ("For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with Thanksgiving"?).........................assuming it becomes legal.

I am not pro-drugs or pro-controversy; I am pro-questioning why something seems wrong and not abstaining from it just because church or parents told you so.