{"id":1160,"date":"2015-12-17T01:57:00","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T01:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/2015\/12\/17\/statistical-christmas\/"},"modified":"2015-12-17T01:57:00","modified_gmt":"2015-12-17T01:57:00","slug":"statistical-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kinshipradio.org\/home\/statistical-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"Statistical Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Dan Jones<\/p>\n

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As I was surfing the internet trying to come up with a topic for this week\u2019s blog, I came across a poll from the Gallup Company which found that 95% of Americans celebrate Christmas.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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That doesn\u2019t seem all that surprising, until you consider that other polls claim to find that about 5% of the population identifies as agnostic and 3% of the population identifies as atheist. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Those two groups are among the 21% of the general population which claims to have no religious affiliation what-so-ever<\/i>.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Let that sink in for a bit.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Then, there is also 1.9 percent of the population who claim religious affiliation with Judaism, .7% Buddhism, .7% Hinduism, and .9% Muslim.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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This means that there are people in this country who will not claim Jesus as Savior, but will celebrate His birth.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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In other words, now is our chance!!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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That\u2019s the thing about Christmas. The Good News is just too good to stay away from. The love that flows at this time of the year is too precious, too sweet to ignore. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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\u201cBehold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all <\/i>people!\u201d (Luke 2:10b KJV)<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

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Christmas is real. People do love each other more at this time of year. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Americans donated almost $360 billion in 2014 and, according to Network for Good, 32% of that (almost a third<\/i>) is donated in the single month of December. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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The joy of Christmas is real. People are happier. People are kinder. People are more generous. People smile more often.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Now is our chance!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Oh sure, our culture spends a lot of time on Santa Claus and snowflakes and commercializing Christmas. And, we as Christians post all over our social media that we will not succumb to political correctness and call it a \u201cHoliday Tree\u201d because we are staunchly insistent on calling it a \u201cChristmas Tree.\u201d<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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But, when it comes right down to it, that secular radio station that has been playing \u201cRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer\u201d and \u201cFrosty the Snowman\u201d for two weeks before Christmas is going<\/i>to play \u201cSilent Night\u201d and \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d on Christmas day. And maybe a few times before.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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And while we\u2019re at it, if an atheist wants to call it a \u201cHoliday Tree\u201d why can\u2019t we smile and say, \u201cWhy yes, it is a tree that celebrates a holy day?\u201d–because that\u2019s what \u201choliday\u201d means.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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And, for those who struggle at Christmas\u2014for those who have lost a loved one or who suffer from depression, let us remember them and reach out to them. It\u2019s long been known that suicides increase at this time of year because it\u2019s hard to see love flourish when you\u2019re left out.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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I just heard a news story on Kinship Christian Radio yesterday that said that 57% of people who would not normally go to church at Christmas would do so if somebody asked them<\/i>!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Now is our chance!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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For those of you who are offended by people being offended by Christmas, please keep in mind that the teeny, teeny fraction of people putting up billboards saying \u201cGo ahead and skip church\u201d with an image of Santa Claus say on the very same billboard<\/i> that it\u2019s possible to \u201cBe good for goodness sake.\u201d And, then they wish us happy holy days! <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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And, please remember that while we are busily proclaiming that Jesus is the reason for the season, if we do not proclaim this in love and show<\/i> that love, we are nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging symbol in the midst of a silent and holy night.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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When the Freedom from Religion Foundation complained that there was a nativity scene on public property in Wadena and threatened to sue, the City sold the cr\u00e8che to the local ministerial association and, instead of complaining or writing angry letters to the editor, the citizens of that town put up hundreds <\/i>of nativity scenes in their yards. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Love wasn\u2019t defeated in Wadena, it was multiplied<\/i>.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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The fact is that this innocent, harmless little baby born in a stable and placed in a manger in Bethlehem on that holy night is the single most powerful act of love in the history of the universe. The incredible, all-surpassing love of God present in the person of Jesus Christ on the night that the sky was filled with angels proclaiming His birth and praising God before some lowly shepherds changed human history more than any other event ever has or ever will until He returns in glory.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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So, for all the hustle and bustle, for all the children laughing, for all the people passing, do not forget that when you are sitting in church this Christmas, the person sitting next to you may only be there for this one day of the year. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

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Now is your chance. <\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n

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Today\u2019s Praise<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

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Truly He taught us to love one another;<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
His law is love and His gospel is peace.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
And in His name all oppression shall cease.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Let all within us praise His holy name.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
His power and glory evermore proclaim.<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n
His power and glory evermore proclaim<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/div>\n
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(From\u201cO Holy Night\u201d by John Sullivan Dwight)<\/o:p><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n
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