Home > Anything Else, Radical Islam > Silent Night: Christmas Lights Go Out In Europe, ‘If It Doesn’t Stop, It’s Clear As Day Where It Will All End’

Silent Night: Christmas Lights Go Out In Europe, ‘If It Doesn’t Stop, It’s Clear As Day Where It Will All End’

11/15/2012 Leave a comment Go to comments

By Bruce Bawer – “The lights are going out all over Europe. The Christmas tree lights, that is. Not all of them all at once, mind you, but one at a time – one here, one there, one Christmas season after another.

Just the other day, for example, came the news about a co-op apartment building in Kokkedal, Denmark.

Not long ago, the co-op, which has a considerable number of Muslim residents, spent 60,000 kroner (about $10,000) to celebrate the holiday of Eid. Three days afterwards, however, when the co-op board, consisting of five Muslims and four unbelievers, got together to decide whether to spend approximately 5000 kroner on a Christmas tree – a tradition in the building – they voted the proposition down. Although a ‘private donor’ later stepped in to pay for a tree, the news of the co-op board’s decision had meantime made the national news, drawing two journalists from Denmark’s TV2 who, after making their way to Kokkedal last weekend to investigate the story, found themselves under attack by a couple of dozen masked individuals who threw bricks and cobblestones at their van and called them ‘neo-Nazis.’

The tidings from Kokkedal were unpleasant enough. But then came the news that the traditional Christmas tree in the Grote Markt (Market Square) in Brussels has now also become a thing of the past. In interviews with the media, Brussels councilwoman Bianca Debaets expressed her suspicions that municipal authorities had put the kibosh on the tree for religious reasons. (Brussels, it should be noted, is at present 25% Muslim. And climbing.)

At first, Brussels city officials vehemently denied that the decision to banish the Christmas tree in the Grote Markt had any religious basis. Perish the thought! Instead, they sought to convey the message that Christmas trees are old-fashioned – yesterday’s news. And they made a strenuous effort to stir up public excitement over the fact that, instead of a tiresome old traditional tree, the Grote Markt will be the site of a cool, hip, up-to-date ‘light sculpture’ that will suggest the shape of a tree, but that, instead of branches and needles and such, will be composed of strobe lights and other high-tech electronic paraphernalia.

It will, in short, be a trendy, twenty-first-century celebration of – well, nothing in particular, exactly. Certainly not Christmas. One thing that was made perfectly clear to the Belgian populace was that this newfangled installation would not allude in any way, shape, or form to the Christian holiday, but would instead be characterized as a ‘winter’ decoration. Indeed, the Brussels city government took the trouble to issue a directive ordering that accounts of the new downtown ‘sculpture’ should not include any reference to Christmas.

One news report described this postmodernist artifact as follows: ‘The electronic sculpture will stand 25 meters (82 feet) tall and consists of a set of television screens.’ Another noted: ‘During the daytime you can climb to the top of the tree where you will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of the city.’ And: ‘As soon as it becomes dark the tree turns into a spectacle of light and sound. Every ten minutes an amazing show will unfold.’

Debaets, for one, was not terribly impressed by this dubious step into the brave new Eurabian world. But the change had been made, and there was apparently no widespread movement to resist it. In any case, as the spokesman for the mayor of Brussels was eager to assure everyone, the switch to a treeless display had nothing whatsoever to do with any faith.

As it turned out, that was a lie. It soon emerged that the city fathers had relegated the tree to the history books for one reason and one reason alone – namely, that ‘the local Muslim population found it ‘offensive.’’

Now, it doesn’t matter whether you, as an individual, care for Christmas trees or consider them a big deal. That’s not the point. The point is that when you give way on one not-such-a-big-deal thing after another, it eventually does become a very big deal indeed. Step by step, one culture gives way to another – all the while telling itself that it isn’t doing anything of the kind.

The question here is this: at exactly what point do intelligent, self-respecting Westerners rebel against the ubiquitous concept of Islamic ‘offense’  – especially when it concerns things that are at the very heart of the Westerners’ own culture and history, if not their own deepest beliefs?  At what point do Westerners balk at the fact that ‘offense’ has become a one-way-street, with Muslim ‘offense’ at various aspects of Western culture being treated as sacrosanct while Westerners, if they so much as hint at being offended by any aspect of Muslim culture, are branded as racists and Islamophobes?  At what point do Westerners refuse to whittle away at their own cultures and customs in order to please, placate, and pacify?  At what point do they take a good, hard look at reality – at the fact that while they may experience a warm, fuzzy feeling at the spectacle of their Muslim neighbors celebrating Muslim holidays, a great many of those Muslim neighbors are determined to eradicate any outward sign of their religious holidays – and realize that something is going very, very wrong?

What a grim mystery the psychology of dhimmitude is! How staggering it is that so many people in the Western world are so willing to allow the furniture of their lives to be rearranged in response to claims of offense founded on some alien culture’s ingrained triumphalism!

When will it stop? For it must stop. For if it doesn’t stop, it’s clear as day where it will all end.” Source – FrontPageMag.com.

Categories: Anything Else, Radical Islam
  1. Anonymous
    11/15/2012 at 2:40 PM
    Reply

    The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol. It has nothing to do with Christianity, except that church-tradition which places Christianity deep within pagan traditions.
    Let them lights go out for the sake of Christianity.

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  2. Sharon
    11/15/2012 at 2:52 PM
    Reply

    Anonymous you gravely miss the point!

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  3. ICA
    11/15/2012 at 3:15 PM
    Reply

    @ Anonymous – We shouldn’t be foolish in assuming something like that. Here are many reasons why, courtesy of the Christian Research Institute:

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas- An Introduction

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas? A number of unorthodox new religions which profess to follow Christ insist that Christmas is a pagan festival to be shunned by all true Christians. Probably the most notable of these religions is the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who publish stinging attacks on the celebration of Christmas year after year. Other religions that take the same position include the World Wide Church of God (led by Herbert W. Armstrong) and the Assemblies of Yahweh.

    However, these unorthodox religious groups are not alone in their condemnation of this most popular of religious holidays. Many evangelical Christians also believe that Christmas is a pagan celebration dressed up in “Christian clothes.” While many Christians mark Christmas as a special day to worship Christ and give thanks for His entrance into the world, they reject anything to do with Santa Claus, Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, and the like.

    Are there biblical grounds for rejecting all or part of Christmas? What should be the attitude of Christians in this matter? That is the question before us. The answer given here is that while certain elements of Christmas tradition are essentially pagan and should not be indulged at that time of year), Christmas itself and many of the traditions associated with it may be celebrated by Christians with a clear conscience. Those who are inclined to reject out of hand such a position might be interested to know that at one time this writer would have agreed with them. A closer examination of the issues involved, however, leads to a different conclusion.

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas- Celebrating Jesus’ Birthday

    The most basic and common argument brought against Christmas is that it is not found in the Bible. Many Christians, as well as groups like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, feel that because Christmas is not mentioned in scripture, it is therefore not to be observed. In fact, the Witnesses argue that since the only people in the Bible who celebrated their own birthdays were Pharoah (Gen. 40:20-22) and Herod (Matt. 14:6-10), God takes a dim view of celebrating birthdays in general. Therefore, they feel, God would hardly approve of celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

    In answer to these arguments, a few things need to be said. First of all, the fact is that the Bible says nothing against the practice of celebrating birthdays. What was bad in the cases of Pharoah and Herod was not that they celebrated their birthdays, but that they did evil things on their birthdays (Pharoah killed his chief baker, and Herod killed John the Baptist). Second, what the Bible does not forbid, either explicitly or by implication from some moral principle, is permissible to the Christian, as long as it is edifying (Rom. 13:10; 14:1-23; 1 Cor. 6:12; 10:23; Col. 2:20-23; etc.). Therefore, since the Bible does not forbid birthdays, and they do not violate any biblical principle, there is no biblical basis for rejecting birthdays. For the same reason, there is no biblical reason to reject entirely the idea of celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas- December 25

    Another common objection to Christmas relates to observing December 25 as the birthday of Christ. It is frequently urged that Christ could not have been born in December (usually because the shepherds would supposedly not have had their flocks in the fields at night in that month), so that December 25 could not have been his birthday. It is also pointed out that December 25 was the date of a pagan festival in the Roman Empire in the fourth century, when Christmas began to be widely celebrated on that day.

    It is true that there seems to be no evidence for December 25 as the actual birthday of Christ. On the other hand, it has been shown that such a date is not impossible, as is so commonly supposed.1 Nevertheless, it may be granted that it is highly improbable that Christ was actually born on December 25. Does this fact invalidate Christmas? No. It is not essential to the celebration of someone’s birth that it be commemorated on the same date as his birth. Americans commemorate Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthday on the third Monday of February, even though Washington’s was February 22. If it were to become certain that Christ was actually born on say, April 30, should we then celebrate Christmas on that day? While there would be nothing wrong with such a change, it would not be necessary. The intent or purpose is what matters, not the actual date.

    But what of the fact that December 25 was the date of a pagan festival? Does this not prove that Christmas is pagan? No, it does not. Instead, it proves that Christmas was established as a rival celebration to the pagan festival. That is, what Christians did was to say, “Rather than celebrate in immorality the birth of Mithra, a false god who was never really born and who cannot save you, let us celebrate in joyful righteousness the birth of Jesus, the true God incarnate who is the Savior of the world.”

    Sometimes it is urged that to take a pagan festival and try to “Christianize” it is folly. However, God Himself did exactly that in the Old Testament. Historical evidence shows conclusively that some of the feasts given to Israel by God through Moses were originally pagan agricultural festivals, which were filled with idolatrous imagery and practices.2 What God did, in effect, was to establish feasts which would replace the pagan festivals without adopting any of the idolatry or immorality associated with them. It would appear, then, that in principle there is nothing wrong with doing so in the case of Christmas.

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas- Santa Claus

    Perhaps the thing that bothers Christians about Christmas more than anything else is the Santa Claus tradition. Objections to this tradition include the following (1) Santa Claus is a mythical figure endowed with godlike attributes, including omniscience and omnipotence; (2) when children learn that Santa Claus is not real, they lose faith in their parents’ word and in supernatural beings; (3) Santa Claus distracts children from Christ; (4) the Santa Claus story teaches children to be materialistic. In the face of such weighty objections, can anything good be said about Santa Claus?

    Before examining each of these objections, let it be noted that Christmas can be celebrated without Santa Claus. Take Santa out of Christmas and Christmas remains intact. Take Christ out of Christmas, however, and all that remains is a pagan festival. Whatever our individual differences however best to handle Santa Claus with our children may be, as Christians we should be able to agree on this much.

    There is no doubt that Santa Claus in its present form is a fairy tale or myth. However, there really was a Santa Claus. The name “Santa Claus” is an Anglicized form of the Dutch Sinter Klaas, which in turn meant “Saint Nicholas.” Nicholas was a Christian bishop in the fourth century about whom we know little for sure. He apparently attended the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325, and a very strong tradition suggests that he did show unusual kindness toward children. While the red-suited old man in a sled pulled by flying reindeer is a myth, the story of a children-loving old man who brought them gifts probably is not — and in many countries, that is all there is to “Santa Claus.”

    Telling children that Santa can see them at all times and that he knows if they have been bad or good, etc., is wrong. Parents should not tell their children the Santa Claus story as if it were literal truth. However, children under seven or eight years of age can play “let’s pretend” and derive just as much fun from it as if they thought it was real. Indeed, at that age they are learning the difference between make-believe and reality. Much younger children will be fascinated by presents that are discovered Christmas morning under the tree that they are told are from “Santa,” but they will not draw any conclusions about the reality of Santa Claus from those discoveries.

    When children learn that Santa Claus is not real, this will upset them only if they have been told by their parents that he really exists and does all that he is purported to do. Therefore, children should be told that Santa is make-believe as soon as they are old enough to ask questions about reality. Rather than a stumbling block to belief in the supernatural, Santa can be a stepping stone. Tell your children that while Santa Claus is make-believe, God and Jesus are not. Tell them that while Santa can only bring things that parents can buy or make, Jesus can give them things no one else can — a friend who is always with them, forgiveness of the bad things they do, life in a wonderful place with God forever, etc.

    Follow the suggestions above, and Santa Claus will not be a distraction from Christ. Tell your children that the reason “Santa” gives gifts is because God gave us the wonderful gift of Jesus.

    On the contrary, the Santa Claus story is best told when it is used to encourage children to be selfless and giving. For an example of how to teach your inquiring child about Santa Claus, see the book, Santa Are You for Real? by Harold Myra (Thomas Nelson, 1977).

    Should Christians celebrate Christmas- Christmas Trees

    One of the few elements of the traditional celebration of Christmas, which those opposed to it claim is spoken of in Scripture, is the Christmas tree. Specifically, it is thought that in Jeremiah 10:2-4 God explicitly condemned Christmas trees:

    Thus says the LORD…
    “For the customs of the people are delusion,
    Because it is wood cut from the forest,
    The work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool.
    They decorate it with silver and with gold,
    They fasten it with nails and with hammers
    So that it will not totter.”

    There certainly is a resemblance between the thing described in Jeremiah 10 and the Christmas tree. Resemblance, however, does not equal identity. What Jeremiah described was an idol — a representation of a false god — as the next verse shows (Jer. 10:5):

    “Like a scarecrow in a field are they,
    And they cannot speak;
    They must be carried,
    Because they cannot walk!
    Do not fear them,
    For they can do no harm,
    Neither can they do any good.”

    The parallel passage in Isaiah 40:18-20 makes it clear that the sort of thing Jeremiah 10 has in mind is an actual objection of worship:

    To whom then will you liken God?
    Or what likeness will you compare with Him?
    As for the idol, a craftsman cast it,
    A goldsmith plates it with gold,
    And a silversmith fashions chains of silver.
    He who is too impoverished for such an offering
    Selects a tree that does not rot.
    He seeks out for himself a skilled craftsman
    To prepare an idol that will not totter.

    Thus, the resemblance is merely superficial. The Christmas tree does not originate from pagan worship of trees (which was practiced), but from two explicitly Christian symbols in medieval western Germany. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains as follows:

    The modern Christmas tree, though originated in western Germany. The main prop of a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fire tree hung with apples (Paradise tree) representing the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a “Paradise tree” in their homes on December 24, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it (symbolizing the host, the Christian sign of redemption); the hosts eventually became cookies of various shapes. Candles, too, were often added as a symbol of Christ. In the same room, during the Christmas season, was the Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, decorated with evergreens, candles, and a star. By the 16th century, the Christmas pyramid and Paradise tree had merged, becoming the Christmas tree.

    Once again, there is nothing essential about the Christmas tree to the celebration of Christmas. Like the modern Santa Claus myth, it is a relatively recent tradition; people celebrated Christmas for centuries without the tree and without the semi-divine resident of the North Pole. What is essential to Christmas is Christ. Yet that does not mean that we must throw Santa and the tree out altogether. In this matter we have Christian liberty to adopt these traditions and use them to teach our children about Christ, or to celebrate Christ’s birth without them. For that matter, there is no compulsion to celebrate His birthday at all, since it is not commanded of us in Scripture. Nevertheless, it would be strange indeed if someone saved by the Son of God would not rejoice in thinking of the day that His incarnation was first manifested to the world on that holy night.

    Source – CRI.

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  4. Rion
    11/15/2012 at 5:19 PM
    Reply

    Gee ICA this is the first time that I disagree with your logic on a subject to a great extent. Though I like seeing very young children happy at the reactions from thier eyes and smiles and hugs. Also the majority of people don’t think along the lines of Elohim birth day except twice that I can remember right now. Once when Yahshua was about twelve, talking at his fathers house and when his fathers spirit came like a dove when he was about thirty at the Jordan river. Is it not also stated that the day of death is more important than the the day of ones birth? Yahshua died around 29 CE. in Nissan 31/2 years after his Baptism making him about 331/2 years old so born in Sept. or October? Anyways always good to read your thoughts.

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  5. ICA
    11/15/2012 at 5:49 PM
    Reply

    In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity. “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5).

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  6. Little Bright Feather
    11/16/2012 at 12:37 AM
    Reply

    Christmas tree is “old fashioned and out of date” ??? What do they call Islam then ? They want everyone living like they are back in the 7th century ! This is just part of their take over tactics of the country and all of Europe. Soon no country will be “allowed” to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Just wait and see ! Islam (man-made political enforcement system called a ‘religion’ created by a mere man who himself said he was demon possessed) will infiltrate all over, they just about have already ! Soon Everyone will be their prisoner if they do not fight back NOW ! Islam is a system of insanity.

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