[Peace-discuss] The Christmas He Dreamed for All of Us

[Phil Stinard]

Thanks, Janine, I couldn't have said it better myself.

--Phil

>Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 12:43:14 -0600
>From: janine giordano <jgiord2 at uiuc.edu>
>Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] The Christmas He Dreamed for All of Us
>To: "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com>, "C. G. Estabrook"
>	<galliher at uiuc.edu>,	Tracy Nectoux <tnectoux at uiuc.edu>,
>	peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
>Message-ID: <29acd03a.6f4990ea.8357e00 at expms4.cites.uiuc.edu>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
>
>Agreed, the time of year to celebrate Christianity, and
>indeed the definition of "pagans," arose in the course of
>defending the Christian faith against worshippers of other
>gods. But, why do some think that this knowledge gives them
>the freedom to lash out against the legitimacy of Christian
>faith?: Why the need to call Christ X? Why the desire to
>erode Christmas of its spirituality for the secular popular
>sector? What is so threatening about Christianity?
>
>If we really hope to build a movement, if we really hope to
>build some kind of tangible change from "presences" outside
>of churches, we have to articulate why we find Christianity
>is so threatening. We have to decide whether or not we are
>willing to build coalition with believers that Christ is the
>one and only Messiah, Savior of the World. We have to decide
>whether we want our movement for social justice/ peace/ etc
>to be completely marxist-materialist or not. I use "we" as
>referring to my identification with those who fight for
>social justice and human dignity. As a Christian, I do not
>understand this obsessive need to turn Christ into "Xy" and
>discuss its historically contingent syncretism. Knowing
>Christ is not something someone can be rationally convinced
>into or out of.
>
>My opinion is that we are not going to get very far with an
>activist movement for justice in this country without the
>collaboration of "believers" (those whose faith is in
>something unseen). We don't all have to ask each other to
>convert. But, we have to respect each other's traditions. Do
>we really believe that Christian theology is at the center
>of Bush's conservative-hegemonic political coalition? If so,
>please explain. If not, can we please start fighting the
>real beast-----or at least come to consensus in defining the
>real beast?? At risk here are millions of socially conscious
>believers (Christian and otherwise) who are upset by an
>attack on their treasure, their identity, their worldly
>motivation.
>
>janine