The X-Men
by
Bill Cassada
©2003 The Lion's
Heart Ministries, Inc.
[Editor's
Note: This article was originally published to our email subscriber list
in December 2003]
The Assault On Christmas Is An Assault on Jesus
In case you haven't noticed, during the past year we have seen some broad sided attacks on our nation's Christian heritage. The Supreme court is considering the removal of the word "God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, and a display of the Ten Commandments was forcibly removed from an Alabama courthouse. The FCC allows the "F" word on television, but thanking God at a high school graduation is prohibited. While some schools furnish condoms to young children, using a pencil in the classroom that reads "Jesus loves little children" resulted in its confiscation from a first grade class in Virginia.[1] There seems to be some sort of across the board blitz against religion and Christianity in general, but there is even a more vile focus on the elements and principles that are at the heart of Christianity's celebration of one of its most revered holidays, Christmas.
Some school districts have taken the words "Christmas vacation" off of their calendars. Teachers in Yonkers New York have been forbidden to teach students about Christmas, and a music teacher in Bethel, Washington even went so far as to replace "Christmas" with "winter" in a recent concert carol. [2] A school superintendent in British Columbia told schools not to refer to Christmas in their winter concert promotions. Even the clothing store giant The Gap has ordered its employees not to greet its patrons with "Merry Christmas." I too have noticed more news media outlets displaying "Happy Holidays", or "Seasons Greetings," and removing references to Christmas altogether. Many other merchandisers have followed The Gap's lead in substituting "Happy Holidays" for "Merry Christmas." It seems as if our Christian symbolism is being attacked like no other time in history. What exactly is going on?
What is it about this word "Christmas." that evokes such attacks on its use? Christmas honors the birth of Jesus Christ. The most likely time frame for the birth of Jesus was between 3 B.C. and A.D. 1, although proving the actual birth date is difficult historically, and really not the issue. In 1870, when Congress declared Christmas to be a national holiday, the intent was to honor the birth of Jesus Christ, hence the word "Christ-mas." It is truly a holiday in which the spirit of Christ has been present since its inception, the spirit of giving of one's self, of kindness to others, and the spreading of good will. Since that time, the atmosphere of the Christmas holiday period has changed significantly, and has become somewhat of an icon of consumerism, and the many offshoot celebratory styles such as lights, trees, the paganistic origins of the Santa Claus myth, etc., have all been mixed into somewhat of a self-centered eclectic ritual of getting, getting, getting, instead of giving, giving, giving. In spite of this the true power and brightness of Christmas has not yet been totally lost.
As one writer put it, "If Jesus is the Prince of Peace, why does all hell break loose at the mention of his name?"[3] Attempts to get rid of the name "Jesus" is nothing new historically. Herod the Great was so incensed about that name that he ordered all children of similar age to be put to death. That name that is above every name that is named, both in heaven and earth and under the earth, even today continues to stir up trouble. Jesus is the Christ. So Christmas is really about "Jesus," which explains what's behind all the fuss. We can talk about Buddha, we can talk about Satan, we can talk about Mohammed, and pretty much no one gets excited. But at the mention of "that name," the fur begins to fly. "...There is something about that name..." In reality, the reason that non-Christians don't get too excited about the mention of other gods is that no other religion in the world except Christianity serves a risen Savior. Christianity has at its center, a Savior who rose from the dead. It is a claim that no other religion can make. Christianity, unlike other religions that seek to bring people under the sway of its laws and influence, seeks instead to bring people into everlasting and eternal life. There is power and life in that name, and too, as Jesus said, "Do not suppose I have come to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." (Mt. 10:34)
Among the many examples of the power of the name of Jesus there is an account of a young agnostic, traveling in southeast Asia, who found himself alone with a man who was in a catatonic state. All attempts to restore this man through medicine and psychiatry had failed to stir him from his condition. The young man decided to try an experiment, having heard the name "Jesus" could bring about a pronounced reaction. "Buddha!" he blurted, then, "Mohammed! Vishnu!" No response. However, when he merely whispered "Jesus," the man became severely agitated and pounced on him. Later, this same name, "Jesus," was used in prayer to thoroughly deliver the man from his comatose state. [4]
X-ing Out Christ
Somewhere once upon a time someone tried to print up a sign with the word Christmas on it, probably to sell Christmas trees, but the signboard was too narrow, so they instead used the letter "X" for Christ, hence "X-mas." Actually the use of the "X" has been around for hundreds of years. Seemingly innocuous, (the letter X is actually the Greek letter Chi, a common abbreviation of Kristos, Christ's name in Greek), this modern use of "X-mas" has long been accepted as appropriate in commercial advertisements and signs. But the intensity of the more recent efforts to "X" out Christ bears further scrutiny.
The spirit of antichrist is mentioned many, many times in the Bible. When the Bible speaks of the spirit of antichrist, the Word is not necessarily talking about the son of perdition, the antichrist, one who is to set up his kingdom and dwell in the temple of God. The spirit of antichrist is a particular spirit that does a specific work in opposing Christ; it is a substitute for the things of Christ. The word antichrist literally means "instead of" Christ. Anti-Christ is a counterfeit of the true Christ. "Anti" means "in place of" ["anti," opposite, i.e., instead of, in the room of," STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE].
Everywhere you look, whether it be through the rise in belief and acceptance of pagan myths about Christmas, classroom censorship, or efforts by the politically correct and self-delegated elite to school us on the correctness of our speech so that no one is offended, there can be no doubt that there is a growing intolerance toward Jesus, manifesting itself through these attacks on "Christ"-mas. Although government officials frequently claim that the goals of policies designed to keep Jesus out of the public square are to promote understanding and respect for diverse beliefs and customs, there is an underlying and more important issue at stake. Most of the world sees Christianity as simply another choice among the syncretistic smorgasbord of the world's religions, much like a particular choice of vegetable from the local grocery market. It is seen as devoid of power, and more or less no different than any other religion. But the truth is we serve a risen Christ, who by the power of God, was literally raised from the dead, a Godly prototype of many to follow. The Book of Matthew records that this event was so powerful in its outworking that "tombs were opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep in death were raised to life, and coming out of the tombs after Jesus' resurrection they went into Jerusalem and appeared to many people." (Mt 27:52) No other religion makes such a claim. Whereas many religions are about rules and abiding by those rules for group acceptance and control, Christianity is all about power, about life, and about ruling and reigning with Christ throughout all eternity. No wonder it scares the daylights out of non-Christians. Christianity has the goods whereas other religions are attempting to run on dead batteries.
And to make matters worse for secular society, the Bible, the inspired Word of God is a standard of absolutes in the midst of a worsening moral climate that claims there are no absolutes. Situational ethics, and the sense of "if it feels good, do it," are all focused on self-centeredness with no thought about what effects those actions may have on others. Facing up to God's Word forces one to come to grips with their humanity, their mortality. God is the last word in the story, and the way to eternal life is only through his son, Jesus Christ. Christianity requires people to make choices, but many don't like the choices, so they do everything they can to avoid any reference or contact with it. X-ing out Christ is simply a form of denial about the reality of God.
Wolves In Sheep's Clothing
We ought to be circumspect therefore, in our perspective of the X-men's (those who seek to replace Christ) attempts to remove Christ from Christmas and the name of Jesus from any public display in our society and culture. Although seemingly well intentioned, these actions are the result of the antichrist spirit, that spirit that would seek to remove, eliminate, and eradicate any reference to Christ in the world. This "instead of Christ" spirit is happy to replace Jesus with anything, as long as it removes that name from our presence. This is the real danger of the "X-men," and "X marks the spot," is at the center of the controversy. X-men have been with us throughout recorded history, as those who stand opposed to God's rule. Some X-men wear judicial robes, some work as government and education officials, some even wear the robes of clergy. The real danger of the X-men's efforts is that when Christ is removed, so too is the power and the absolutes of God's Word. In its place the legacy of Adam is exalted, i.e., the rule of man. They are content to have "a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Instead of the raw power of an almighty God, they are happy to have religion in its basic form, that of orthodoxy without power. Man institutes the rituals, the laws, the rulings, and the liturgies, but when absolutes are removed from our daily lives, it leaves in its void a sort of no-holds barred legacy, in which anything goes in the name of political correctness and unsanctified mercy. The Bible, the inspired Word of God, takes a back seat and the mind of man takes hold of the steering wheel.
I recall hearing a message on audio tape some years ago by the late John Wimber. He recounted all the stirrings and uprisings among Christians following the Toronto outpouring, and simply recognized the course of history as proof positive that the Bible, from an eschatological perspective, has already proclaimed the end from the beginning. In the message, John explained that history is on a vector to a huge and significant intersection, where the power of God and the spirit of antichrist meet head on. It is much like looking at a set of railroad tracks that disappear into the distance. Although the rails run parallel they appear to come together in the distance. Such is character of the coming confrontation with the powers of darkness, but unlike the railroad tracks analogy, history will see these two courses merge into a showdown of cosmic significance. As time advances and this looming encounter gets nearer and nearer, there will be more dirt, dust and debris stirred up as a result of these two courses coming closer and closer to the merge point, God's X. It is of both ironic note and prophetic significance that the Greek letter Chi, represented by an "X," means "the crossing of two
lines." Could the assault of the X-men signal the beginning of the final curtain in the history of mankind?
So its going to get worse. I would never have believed that I would see the changes that I have seen in my lifetime, had I not experienced them personally. From a nation that was founded on godly principles, the name of Jesus being held in high honor, respected and revered, this nation has come to a point where God has been evicted from many churches, all of our schools, and a large segment of our society. The onslaught of the "X-men" continues in its unswerving attempts to literally erase God from our presence, from our speech, and if possible, from even our very thoughts. In the name of religion we have instituted ungodly and sinful practices within the church and dared to call it holy. In the name of equality we have reduced the significance of the name of Jesus to just another religious label. In the name of mercy we have allowed sin to overtake us and to promulgate every form on ungodliness and idolatry. In the name of justice we have removed any reference to God from our schools, our court houses, and our governmental offices. Many have asked, "where was God on 9-11-01? The answer is, He was right where we put him, out of sight and out of mind.
The comfort we have in all of this is that where evil abounds, grace will much more abound. While the tactics of the X-men seem overwhelming and at times nauseating, we must remember that "...from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault and violent men seize it by force as a precious prize..." (Mt 11:12). The battle will always be with us, even unto the end. But Satan himself could not keep Jesus in the tomb, and likewise, these sweeping cultural waves of political correctness will not be successful in stifling the power of that name. Neither will the X-men prevail in their efforts to stamp out the name of Jesus from our midst. Darkness cannot overcome light. Maybe someone should tell them?
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Bill Cassada
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Endnotes:
[1] Religious Restrictions or Religious Censorship, FOXNEWS , Dec 23, 2003, Internet
[2] Taking 'Christmas' Out of Holiday Jingles, FOXNEWS, Dec 12, 2003, Internet
[3] Ellen Makkai, Heart Of The Matter, WorldNetDaily, Dec 16, 2003, Internet
[4] Ibid
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