[5]By Jeannie St. John Taylor [6]
Oregon author of Culture-proof Kids
King Herod tried to ruin my Christmas this year — more than two thousand years after he killed the babies of Bethlehem. Okay, it wasn’t Herod in the flesh. A recent National Geographic article about Herod distressed me, even though the author probably wrote it simply to appear knowledgeable and insightful (and earn a little money) and I think he accomplished all that. Unfortunately, he suffers from the same malady many in our society have fallen prey to: The inability to discern right from wrong.
Concerning the above-cited Bethlehem massacre the author says, “Herod is almost certainly innocent of this crime, of which there is no report apart from Matthew’s account.” Several times he quotes facts from the historian Josephus with aplomb, admitting that Herod did in fact slaughter his own three sons, a favorite wife and numerous anonymous others. But simply because it comes from the Bible, he asserts that the king did not murder the Bethlehem babies.
It hits me like a punch to the gut when a well-respected American magazine glibly assigns more credibility to a fallible source than the Word of God. Please understand, I too, enjoy reading details about that time from Josephus, and assume them to be true.
But I know the Bible is Truth. When our society forgets or rejects that fact, problems arise, freedoms are lost. Want proof?
• Public schools celebrate “Winter Holidays” instead of Christmas.
• Christmas trees have been banned in public places across the nation.
• An elementary school in Texas banned the colors red and green because they supposedly symbolized Christmas.
• Fort Collins, Colorado banned red and green lights saying, “What will be allowed are white lights and ‘secular’ symbols.”
• A hate-filled sign directed against Christians and religion in general sits proudly beside the nativity in Washington State’s capital.
I could go on and on, allowing those things to ruin my Christmas and yours, but I
won’t. Instead, I choose to focus on Christ; I’ll remember why he came to earth; I’ll look for ways show his love to those around me.
And I’ll say “Merry Christmas” every chance I get.
— In her book, Culture-proof Kids [6], Building Character in Your Children, Jeannie St. John Taylor offers practical helps to teach parents, grandparents and teachers how to recognize and teach right from wrong.