Do You Believe The Bible's Teachings About The Nativity?

I read an interesting article that talked about a survey that showed that most Britons do not believe in the nativity. Well, I am not sure exactly how Jesus came to be either.As a Christian,you are told that everything is about faith. But, I was raised to question all religion & historical teachings.My pops drilled the fact that you can't believe everything you read into my head. And when you go to bible study, the instructor doesn't take kindly to a person like me.An inquistive mind can really get in the way of faith. But,what really caught my attention was this part of the article from the Telegraph.co.uk:

"Simon Gathercole, a new testament scholar at Cambridge University, said people were sceptical because they were not aware the origins of Christianity were anchored in real history.

He added: "Jesus was born while Augustus was emperor of Rome just before Herod died. We're talking about events that are anchored in real history not in ancient Greek myths."

A separate study by Mothers' Union, a Christian charity, showed that more parents encourage their children to believe in Father Christmas than in the nativity.

A spokeswoman for the charity said the survey "raised concerns that the church needs to do more to support families in the spiritual nurture of their children".

She added: "The church needs to get across the fact that in times of both adversity and prosperity, it has a universal message which enables people to connect with something outside themselves."

The study of 1,000 parents found that one in five do not encourage their children to associate Christmas with the nativity. Five per cent do not encourage their children to believe in Father Christmas."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the rest here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/3868265/Most-Britons-do-not-believe-in-the-nativity-survey-shows.html

For me, Christmas is about presents,good cheer,delectable eats,& the birth of Jesus. Santa Claus is not the point of Christmas. He is more like a byproduct of it.If you don't believe in the nativity,how could you teach your kids to believe in Santa? Seems pretty inconsistent to me.

Check out this description of the real meaning of Christmas from the cartoon "Charlie Brown."

The "Father Of Black History" Was Born Today!

Carter Woodson wrote "The Miseducation Of The Negro" which is an important read for every race. He is also the founder of "Black History Week" which evolved into "Black History Month." Therefore,Carter Woodson is also known as the "Father of Black History." He knew that it was especially important,as the son of slaves,to know one's true ancestral & historical background.It is empowering to know that you come from royalty as well as slavery. Here's more on this important man from Wikipedia:

"Carter Godwin Woodson (December 19, 1875 - April 3, 1950 was an African-American historian, author, journalist and the founder of Negro History Week, which became Black History Month. He is considered the first to conduct a scholarly effort to popularize the value of Black History. He recognized and acted upon the importance of a people having an awareness and knowledge of their contributions to humanity and left behind an impressive legacy. Woodson was one of the founders of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History and Journal of Negro History. He was a member of the first black fraternity Sigma Pi Phi and also a member of Omega Psi Phi,Dr. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History.

"Woodson was born in New Canton, Virginia, the son of former slaves James and Elizae Riddle Woodson. His father had helped the Union soldiers during the Civil War, and afterwards moved his family to West Virginia when he heard that Huntington was building a high school for blacks. Coming from a large, poor family, the son Carter Woodson could not regularly attend such schools. Through self-instruction Woodson was able to master the fundamentals of common school subjects by the time he was 17.

Ambitious for more education, Woodson went to Fayette County to earn a living as a miner in the coal fields. He was able to devote only a few months each year to his schooling. In 1895 at the age of twenty, Woodson entered Douglass High School where he received his diploma in less than two years. From 1897 to 1900, Woodson taught in Fayette County. In 1900 he was selected as the principal of Douglass High School. Woodson earned his Bachelor of Literature degree from Berea College in Kentucky."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the rest here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_G._Woodson

Obama's Inauguration Poet Elizabeth Alexander Has An Issue: She Has To Write A Stirring Poem For This Historical Event!

Elizabeth Alexander will be the fourth poet picked to read at an inauguration.Obama's swearing in will be one of the most viewed & memorable inaugurations in history. The world will be watching, so this will be no small feat. But, isn't this the kind of issue that you wish you had? Everyone is vying for a spot at this inauguration. Beyonce is practically begging for the opportunity to serenade the president,even though Obama really wants Jennifer Hudson to do it.So, congrats to Elizabeth Alexander & all the other lucky participants in Obama's inauguration. Here's Elizabeth Alexander reading some of her poetry in this video. And more on this lovely poet from Poets.org:

"Elizabeth Alexander was born in 1962 in Harlem, New York, and grew up in Washington, D.C. She received a B.A. from Yale University, an M.A. from Boston University (where she studied with Derek Walcott), and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania.

Her collections of poetry include American Sublime (Graywolf Press, 2005), which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; Antebellum Dream Book (2001); Body of Life (1996); and The Venus Hottentot (1990).

Alexander’s critical work appears in her essay collection, The Black Interior (Graywolf, 2004). She also edited The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks (Graywolf, 2005) and Love’s Instruments: Poems by Melvin Dixon (1995). Her poems, short stories, and critical writing have been widely published in such journals and periodicals as The Paris Review, American Poetry Review, The Kenyon Review, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, Callaloo, The Village Voice, The Women's Review of Books, and The Washington Post. Her work has been anthologized in over twenty collections, and in May of 1996, her verse play, Diva Studies, premiered at the Yale School of Drama."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here:http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/245