They Don't Like Him Very Much Series

OPEN: About 5 years ago, the American Humanist Association spent $40,000 in December for an ad campaign in Washington D.C. that attacked God during the Christian season.

Now, that’s not what the spokesman for the humanist group said they meant to do:

"Our reason for doing it during the holidays is there are an awful lot of agnostics, atheists and other types of non-theists who feel a little alone during the holidays because of its association with traditional religion." Fred Edwords

The group defines humanism as "a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism (the belief in God), affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity."

Now notice the ad here: (http://atheistbillboards.com/2008/11/why-believe-in-a-god-just-be-good-for-goodness-sake/)

Notice the phrase: “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”

Who’s that guy in the picture supposedly portraying?

That’s right Santa.

So what’s Santa got to do with God?

Well, Santa doesn’t really have much to do with God… and of course the humanists know that. But in their ad they’re acknowledging that Christmas has a LOT to do with God. The story of Christmas IS ALL ABOUT God loving the world so much that He sent us His only begotten Son.

And almost everyone knows that.

Almost everybody knows that the little baby was God in the flesh.

In fact, that’s what the angel had said to Joseph: “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" —which means, ‘God with us.’” Matthew 1:22-23

The Humanists know the story.

And they also know that Christmas is one of THE most effective advertisements for Jesus. So, in their ad, they are admitting Jesus IS the reason for the season. And they’re telling all of us… they don’t like it!!!

These humanists aren’t worried about folks feeling a “little alone during the holidays”. They don’t care about that! What they care about is that Christmas is about Jesus… and they don’t like Jesus.

And Jesus said that was going happen: Jesus told us there would always be people who wouldn’t like Him very much.

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first…” John 15:18

There are many people in the world who hate Christmas because they don’t want Jesus around.

ILLUS: There was the true story of a lady who served on many civic committees, who’d been asked to select carols suitable for a community Christmas-tree lighting. So, she asked for her preacher to help her out. When he supplied her carols, the woman was dismayed by his selections.

She said: "But they're all so theological."

And that’s why there’s a constant battle in the schools over traditional Christmas Carols.

They ARE theological.

They declare that Jesus was more than just a baby in a barn.

Sing a few of them with me, and notice the theological statements they contain:

“Oh come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.

Oh come ye, oh come ye to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, BORN THE KING OF ANGELS.

OH COME LET US ADORE HIM, oh come let us adore Him

Oh come let us adore Him – Christ the Lord.”

“Hark the herald angels sing ‘GLORY TO THE NEWBORN KING!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GOD AND SINNERS RECONCILED’

Joyful, all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies

With the angelic host proclaim: ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem’

Hark! The herald angels sing ‘Glory to the newborn King!’”

“Joy to the world, THE LORD IS COME! LET EARTH RECEIVE HER KING;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

AND HEAVEN AND NATURE SING, and Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.”

And that’s just a sampling of the popular carols that declare that…

• Jesus was born to be worshipped

• That He was born to be a King

• That He was born to reconcile sinners to God

• And that His birth would inspire all of creation to sing His praises.

That message so permeates the American view of Christmas that it makes non-Christians nervous. Most schools have banned the singing of Christmas carols. Others have even banned carols where they weren’t sung… there were just instruments. Why? Because the message of the carols is so powerful that they fear that the students will just hear the music and think of Jesus.

ILLUS: And that’s not all they ban!!!

Back in 2004, a school district in Plano, Texas banned the colors red and green from their "Winter Break Party" (pause) because they felt the colors pointed to Jesus.

They banned candy canes when religious cards were attached.

They banned parents giving religious-oriented items to one another on school property.