NBC investigates the meaning of Christmas

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NBC investigates the meaning of Christmas. Unbelievably (and insultingly), the network creates a three-minute-long video that never mentions the birth of Jesus.

This post was last modified on June 21, 2021

J.P. Travis: Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1976 graduate of University of Michigan, father, grandfather, husband, founder and CEO of Travelyn Publishing (http://www.travelynpublishing.com/), and passionate anti-government believer in individual liberty.

View Comments (81)

  • If nbc mentioned the birth of Jesus. They'd be forced to admit that there was a man named Jesus and that this holiday was truly a religious and Christian holiday. They could not have that.

    I once worked with a Jehovah Witness. He took ever Christmas day assignment, even if he was off. The reason, he let those of us who believe that Jesus is the son of God off to be with family and friends. He practices what he believes. Then I worked with a Buddhist, who's position was, it's a city holiday and he was taking it no matter what. His underlings hated him for this and many other things. So I asked the Buddhist why he would deny his people who were Christians the right to celebrate one of the two most holly of Christians Holidays. He got all flustered and finally threw up his hands and walked away. Its the small victories that are the most enjoyable.

    • I was MARRIED to a Jehovah Witness for ten years. I loved her, and loved being married to her. No mention of holidays, and that suited me fine. Wanting to understand, I asked about the lack of holidays, and was told that the calendar is pagan, which is true. So I asked why I was supposed to remember, and celebrate, our anniversary. She didn't have an answer for that.

      • When you say "holidays" plural, you imply that all Christian holidays are pagan in origin. Easter, which is supposed to be the main Christian holiday, is tied to Passover, not pagan rituals.

        And even if Roman Christians chose December 25 to counteract a popular pagan god's festival on the same day (a debatable point), that doesn't make Christmas pagan. You can't own a date on the calendar. If I pray to God on December 25th, does that make my prayer a pagan prayer because some sun god I can't even name used to have a festival on that date? The logic is ridiculous. People have tried to pinpoint the date of Jesus's birth and generally failed. So the church picked a date to celebrate the birth, whether by making the best estimate they could or by picking a date that would most inconvenience their pagan rivals. Who cares why they picked the date? If that date coincides with a pagan holiday, that doesn't make the celebration of Jesus's birth a pagan celebration.

        • Well, truth be told, it WAS specifically to replace the Winter Solstice, and in many areas of Europe the story was, celebrate OUR new religion or be killed. Much like some other people we know are doing now. One of the reasons I could never get into any religion, not have been indoctrinated in any way as a kid, was the infighting between them.

          The only one I can see, right now, that really needs to be eliminated is Islam, as it is doing massively evil things NOW, as opposed to Christianity doing massively evil things in the past.

      • My sister converted to that. I think just because she's a cheap-ass and doesn't have to buy birthday or Xmas presents now.

  • That is because the traditional celebration of the winter solstice originally had nothing to do with the myth of the Jesus birth.
    It was only centuries later that the Christians co-oped it for their own use as a marketing tool. "See? We aren't all about guilt and shame"

    • While expressed in a bad way, he has a point.

      The winter solstice was a Pagan holiday and celebrated around this time of year. Christians attempted to stamp out many of the Pagan holidays and moved the birth of Christ to overlap this holiday, even though he was born in (I think) April.

      This explains the Christmas tree, since it was a Pagan symbol for the holiday.

    • The myth of the birth of Jesus? Really? For you to believe that the existence of Jesus is a myth, you need to ignore the Jewish historian Josephus, the gentile historians Suetonius and Phlegon, the Roman senator Tacitus, and the Readers Digest Book of Facts. That makes you delusional and a moron.

      • None of those listed were contemporary witnesses. All were years after the alleged life of the Jesus of Nazareth.
        Jeez.......Phelgon was even born until 2nd century AD.

        All were just people who wrote down some stories that people told them

        • So Mr. Conservative. . . since you have failed to provide any "contemporary witness" to your birth, I guess you simply do not exist. I pray for your soul. Remember--to Christians what we experience during our lives here on earth is Hell; to Atheists and other non-believers, this life is a close to Heaven as you will ever get. As a believer, if I am wrong about Heaven (and I DO NOT think I am), then it's no big deal; but if you're wrong, then unless you convert, even God won't help you. It's a choice He has given you. Are you willing to roll the dice?

          • Personally, I hope you guys are right, if only to ensure that truly evil people will get their just desserts in the end. Sadly, I can't bring myself to believe it. And I AM rolling the dice, going with what I believe.

            I believe that, if there IS a God, and He IS benevolent and loving, He'll understand that I lived a basically good life, with some slipups of course, but nothing purposely evil. I've done a lot of good and charitable things in my life, more than the average Christian, and I intend to do a lot more before I die. I'm hoping that this deity that I don't believe in, if he does exist, will forgive me for not believing in him, look at the rest of my life, and do the right thing. If not, oh well. Nothing I can do about that.

          • Part of the problem today is everyone wants to tell you what to believe, and throw stuff at you out of context, and Wink, wink, ask for a "donation"....Not a big fan of organized religion. I believe in what I believe in. And I hate people who tell you what to believe in. That is a cult, like the Cult of Obama and this hope and change bullshit. He is no different than Jim Jones, or that nutcase from Scientology who measures the sex life of vegetables with his "home made gear". Religion or not, that is a person's choice, not a preachers, not a church, and certainly not a politicians.

            Sometimes I wonder how long it will be before one of these cults starts killing people here for "not believing"..like those goat screwing cave dwellers in the middle east. That's not religion it is a sickness, and it's no wonder people get sick and tired of this stuff.

            Okay said my piece, but I will stand up for your right to worship an ice cream truck if that's what you want. Just don't try and sell me on it. :)

          • Love the fact that all you conservatives are quick to delete my comments.

            You are all no better than the fascist left.

          • 1, we don't delete them, we rate them.
            2, If you're Conservative, I'm Aunt Jemima.
            3, You may think you're Conservative, compared to the other assholes you hang with, but it doesn't make it so.

          • Most conservatives I've met are patient and tolerant of others beliefs and don't go to the efforts you have done to ridicule them. I doubt the regulars here have issues with skepticism. Ridiculing the faith of people here is not going to win you any respect and the manner in which you've chosen to pursue this reeks of liberal intolerance.

            By the way, none of your posts are deleted. They're hidden because of the manner in which you've chosen to carry this rhetoric. The tone you've taken has earned you a few TDs. You've chosen to attack people who you claim to be aligned with politically (conservative)... a claim I am skeptical of but will afford you the benefit of the doubt and assume for argument's sake that you are not misrepresenting your views... though it's interesting the word choice "you conservatives". Did you slip up and inadvertently out yourself as a liberal?

          • It's pointless to respond any further to him, Stinkfoot. Many mythicists will at least concede that Jesus was a flesh and blood human being, even if they believe the rest is the stuff of legends; he can't even do that much.

          • Thanks drb, I'm aware that it's pointless to actually debate... I'm just assisting him in being more honest about being a liberal.

          • I bet your parents got you the shirt, "May parents said I could be anything I want when I grow up, so I became as asshole".

            Be proud, you have succeeded.

          • If there is no proof.....Yep!

            Any real history is supported by 1st person witness or physical evidence.

            Any historian would tell you that.

          • so you claim the Gospels of Matthew Mark and John are lies? Luke recorded the history as received from those who walked with Jesus and talked with Jesus.

            Here is an account of early Christian persecution, as compiled from numerous sources outside the Bible, the most-famous of which is Foxes’ Christian Martyrs of the World:

            Around 34 A.D., one year after the crucifixion of Jesus, Stephen was thrown out of Jerusalem and stoned to death. Approximately 2,000 Christians suffered martyrdom in Jerusalem during this period. About 10 years later, James, the son of Zebedee and the elder brother of John, was killed when Herod Agrippa arrived as governor of Judea. Agrippa detested the Christian sect of Jews, and many early disciples were martyred under his rule, including Timon and Parmenas. Around 54 A.D., Philip, a disciple from Bethsaida, in Galilee, suffered martyrdom at Heliopolis, in Phrygia. He was scourged, thrown into prison, and afterwards crucified. About six years later, Matthew, the tax-collector from Nazareth who wrote his gospel in Hebrew, was preaching in Ethiopia when he suffered martyrdom by the sword. James, the brother of Jesus, administered the early church in Jerusalem and was the author of an Epistle by his name. At age 94, he was beat and stoned, and finally had his brains bashed out with a fuller's club. Matthias was the apostle who filled the vacant place of Judas. He was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Andrew was the brother of Peter who preached the gospel throughout Asia. On his arrival at Edessa, he was arrested and crucified on a cross, the two ends of which were fixed transversely in the ground (this is where we get the term, St. Andrew's Cross). Mark was converted to Christianity by Peter, and then transcribed Peter’s account of Jesus in his Gospel. Mark was dragged to pieces by the people of Alexandria in front of Serapis, their pagan idol. It appears Peter was condemned to death and crucified at Rome. Jerome holds that Peter was crucified upside down, at his own request, because he said he was unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as his Lord. Paul suffered in the first persecution under Nero. Paul’s faith was so dramatic in the face of martyrdom, that the authorities removed him to a private place for execution by the sword.

            In about 72 A.D., Jude, the brother of James who was commonly called Thaddeus, was crucified at Edessa. Bartholomew preached in several countries and translated the Gospel of Matthew into the language of India. He was cruelly beaten and then crucified by idolaters there. Thomas, called Didymus, preached the Gospel in Parthia and India, where exciting the rage of the pagan priests, he was martyred by being thrust through with a spear. Luke was the author of the Gospel under his name. He traveled with Paul through various countries and is supposed to have been hanged on an olive tree by idolatrous priests in Greece. Barnabas, of Cyprus, was killed without many known facts in about 73 A.D. Simon, surnamed Zelotes, preached the Gospel in Mauritania, Africa, and even in Britain, where he was crucified in about 74 A.D. John, the "beloved disciple," was the brother of James. From Ephesus he was ordered to Rome, where it is affirmed he was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil. He escaped by miracle, without injury. Domitian afterwards banished him to the Isle of Patmos, where he wrote the Book of Revelation. He was the only apostle who escaped a violent death. - See more at: http://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/christian-persecution.htm#sthash.8g6YJNQm.dpuf

    • Regardless of the history behind the holiday, take "Christ" out of the equation and we're left with a commercialized holiday focused on nothing more than people receiving free shit whether they deserve it or not.

      Regardless of Christ's actual birth date, the reason for the season is based upon his existence. It has become perverted by people that perceive the season being about receiving free shit and therein lies the problem.

      Literally everything is commercialized these days. Christmas, or shall we say Mas, is just the biggest of them.

      • First off as a proponent of Capitalism I approve of the Christmas Holidays at it generates income.
        The Money is better spent on a productive economy generating jobs.

        There is no "Regardless of Christ’s actual birth date" because there was no Christ that was born. Do not even try to reply unless you have actual contemporary proof that a Jesus of Nazareth existed because there is none. Stories written years after the supposed life do not count.

        How can you be upset with the commercialization of Christmas when religion is a commercial enterprise. Movies, TV, Radio, Books, Music, Magazines, Club Houses, Clothes, Jewelry. The list goes on and on

    • "Co-opt" (which I think is the word you're looking for) is a stupid way to put it.

      People in Europe kept their village beliefs and Christianized them, and they were not punished for it. The Church was very open about it, and what thanks do they get? They get sneered at by clowns like you who have zero understanding of history.

      Taking responsibility for your wrongs is not "guilt and shame." It's maturity. Doing whatever feels good is not intellectual superiority. It's infantile and ultimately destructive.

      By the way, you do realize that the sun isn't "dying and being reborn," right? It's just moving across the horizon due to the tilt of the Earth.

      • Their village beliefs have nothing to do with the Jesus myth.

        Taking responsibility for real wrongs is maturity. Feeling guilt or shame for things that those who want to control say are wrong isn't.

        6 of the 10 commandments are ridiculous and only 3 even moral(No Killing, Stealing and Lying) The idea that a deity will punish me for saying "god damn it" is infantile at best and immoral for anyone to tell you it will happen as fact.

        You do realize that the sun "dying and being reborn" as you put it is the result of the orbit of the earth and not it's tilt on it's axis right?

        • "Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." - Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ.

          so you still have the opportunity to gain life.

          also Earth's axial tilt (also known as the obliquity of the ecliptic) is about 23.5 degrees. Due to this axial tilt, the sun shines on different latitudes at different angles throughout the year. This causes the seasons. http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/axis/?ar_a=1

  • And the network executives wonder why their audience is shrinking?

    Monday on NBC Nightly News with Brian (Obama) Williams, A special report by reporter Homer Simpson on why Black Friday is racist and how Al Sharpton is working to correct the problem. Also Jessie Jackson models the latest in men's underwear, and Brian Williams visit a Mosque and learns about Ramalamadingdong, The Muslim alternative to Christmas And has a special chat with Mohammed and joins him for a rousing chorus of "JingleBombs".

  • NBC, the network that bill cosby saved in the 80's with his character, an obie-gynee, who can administer drugs to women

  • And they probably thought they were on the cutting edge by using the word 'Christmas' instead of 'holiday'. They've gotten to the point where the Nightly News is funnier than Saturday Night Live.

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