"And it came to pass.."

"And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered." So starts the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke.

I was going to just rerun my Christmas message from a few years ago, but the genius in me managed to delete it from my files. So I am forced to rewrite it with a few updates.

As a child I was blessed with the ability to memorize things pretty quickly. Armed with a good memory and a clear speaking voice (I could say "red" in a single syllable), I was in demand for school productions and church programs. Of course, that was before the liberals turned Christmas into "The Winter Festival".

Last night, as I drove home from the Christmas Eve service at Buffalo Church, my mind was filled with memories of Christmas. Some were better than others.

Today I tell people that I'm not a very religious man, I'm a Methodist. That comment irritates my fellow Methodists, amuses Baptists, and confuses most other people. So naturally, I use it a lot.

My views on religion are a little different from those of most people. I believe that the message of Christ is about what we should do to make the world a better place today. I hear most "religious" people talk about how great life will be in heaven. I don't what is going to happen in the future, but I do know what's going on today. The message of Christ that starts in the Gospel of Luke is one of how to live a better life today.

Any discussion of different religions at our house usually ends with one of my favorite lines about the subject. "We can't all be right, but we can all be wrong!"

One of the biggest threats to peace in the world is Islam. I've got a problem with religions that advocate killing people. The news is filled with stories of suicide bombers blowing themselves up and killing others. They are trying to get to "heaven" and their 40 virgins or whatever they have been promised. Bad news Ahmad! First, there aren't 40 virgins left. Second, it's all a crap shoot. You're trading the reality of here for a hope of what may or may not exist. No one has ever come back to tell us.

Let's take the teachings of Christ and go to work on making the world a better place today. If we will work on the present, we can let the future develop without fear.

If you disagree with me, feel free to comment or e-mail. I will ignore it of course. If this bothers you, read the name of this blog again.