Evening star., 1960-12-25

ever SlIlce Tie blDle QOeb nOL
tell US the exact day, month
or year 1t is amazing how
much religious and CONNER
cial ballyhoo has grown up
around this man-made date.
According to the World
Book and Britannica En-
cyclopedias, December Is was
the date ordered adopted by
Liberius. Bishop Of Rome,
about 354 AID. The reason for
this date rather than jan
uary 6, or March Is the other
two dates commonly accepted.
was because the feast of the
sun. or winter solstice, was q
Rom an feast celebrated
about this time. So what we
are really doing is continuing
to celebrate a heather holi-
day under the guise of the
birth OF Christ.
AS q civil holiday Of gen.
eral good will and fun for the
children most people will go
along. but even this is get
ting out Of hand. With Santas
on every corner, loud-speak-
erS blaring day and night,
giving without caring, and.
beyond your means, the sea-
son Is degenerating into con-
fusion for children and ILL
will and exhaustion for
adults.
There are traditions that
have accumulated around
December Is too numerous to
mention here. However, it is
well to mention that various
writer's point out the fact
that Judean winters are too
cold for shepherds to be out
in the fields with their sheep
at night. Therefore accord
ing to Luke 2:8 Christ was
obviously not born in any
winter month.
December 25, 1860 seems a
good time to clear I'D the
errors, superstitions and ig-
norance concerning this date
as well as other dates. etc.,
supposedly Of religious truth.
81 ArdiS Hawley Snow.
Ralph McGill has Joined
the ranks of those who, seek
to return Christ to Christ
mas greetings. Christ, some
where on the Christmas
cards. helps to make man
more responsive to the mean
ing Of Christmas, he thinks.
However, Mr.. McGill could
hardly expect the artists
who draw Christmas greeting
cards for UNICEF Omitted
Nations Children's FUND.- to
show q picture Of the Christ
Child on them since the
United Nations has yet to
discover God.
The United Nations does
not recognize God in It's deli
berations. and the mention
Of the name Of Jesus Christ
IN its marble halls would
probably pull down the pill
lars Of the temple. There
fore, the designing and SELL
ing of greeting cards by an
organ Of the United Nations
subvertS our Christmas and
makes a mockery of the
observance Of the birth Of
Christ.
Kitty L. Reynolds.
y Il
The year 1860 seems to be
ringing down the curtain
with a finale that resembles
a Wagnerian Opera - with
the crashing of cymbals and
all the other accompanying
dramatic, awe inspiring
sounds. The coincidental
trinity Of December disasters
in rapid succession: the hor-
rible total loss Of lives In the
planes colliding over Brook
lyn: the death toll In the
plane crack-up in Munich; /;
the inferno on the Constel-
lation in the Brooklyn Navy
Yard-all read like fiction,
rather than fact.
With flames burning, like
the distant rumble of drums
that reverberate and gnaw at
your stomach, there comes
the words from one Leander
H. Perez, called a leader in
the New Orleans Infamous
fight to preserve school seq
regation. We hear profound
words which identify accept
ance of the Supreme Courts
1854. desegregation decision
with the acceptance OF
communism. These are not
new words. They are but
a sad repetition of wor d s
which are part Of the credo
of other hate-mongers who
have neither knowledge OF
tho uJordS fhev ucn mn. con,