Here are some reasons it is okay to celebrate Christmas: 1. The day itself is not really the day Christ was born. Nobody actually has the exact day down, but most believe it was not during this time of year at all. Probably it took place in the spring, not on a “cold winter's night that was so deep.” 2. Diversity over the years has taken away much of the “Romish” flavor to the holiday. Our Catholic friends do as they wish on the night before and the day of Christmas, that is granted. But we do not have a state church. There are so many other ways Christmas is celebrated that no one really thinks about it the way the Puritans did so many years ago. The problem is not so acute because of so many years of varied expressions. At least this is true in our part of the world. 3. God can be honored in gift-giving and generosity as well as in singing carols and telling the story. They’re both important if done in the right spirit. We don't have to make something spiritual out of giving gifts. You may make a birthday cake to Jesus if you wish, but you don't have to. We do need to be Christian, however, about everything we do. Emphasizing the giving part of the day can heal lots of wounds, open calcified hearts, stir up gratefulness, and just be plain fun. God's not against fun is He? 4. There may be better things to be different about. In other words, we might show our radical difference better in the way we treat other shoppers, the kindness we show to retail clerks, the warmth of our hearts, the largeness of our generosity, the thankfulness we express and really feel. 5. There are admittedly some great opportunities to make Christ known during Christmas. With all that is bad about it, we can still make our point. And we will have some sympathy for our message. For years I've led Christmas Eve services, short ones of only 45 minutes, but packed with meaning. The building will be full and all kinds of our friends and family will hear the truth as clearly as we are willing to express it.

Jim Elliff

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
Eggs		Cookies	10	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4	c	Butter
3/4	c	Sugar
3/4	c	Brown sugar
1/2	ts	Salt
3		Eggs
3	c	Flour
3/4	c	Cocoa powder
1/2	c	Baking soda
2	c	Semi-sweet chips
1 1/2	c	Broken pecan pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

Servings: 10
Double chocolate creates a  deep  dark brownie-like cookie.
Prepare  baking sheets.  Cover with foil and  grease.
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars. Beat in salt and
eggs.
In a separate bowl sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir into
creamed mixture.  When well blended fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
Roll  dough into 2 inch balls and press into 2-1/2 inch round cookies.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until slightly dry around the edges.
Makes 10 cookies.
From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini

A Message from our Provider:

“Famous last words: I’ll get right with God later”

Help the religious pluralist see that he does not really believe that all roads lead to heaven. If he did, then he would not express outrage at suicide bombings, human sacrifice, and other such practices that even staunch religious pluralists find abhorrent. One cannot consistently embrace religious pluralism and relativism and at the same time object to any religious belief or practice. If sincerity is all that matters for salvation, religious terrorists who sincerely believe their god calls them to kill others do nothing wrong when they obey him. To condemn even one religious belief is to appeal to some ultimate, normative standard by which we may evaluate religion, establishing that standard as the one, true religion – and there can be no one, true religion for the honest religious pluralist.

Robert Rothwell