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{"id":4299,"date":"2010-11-16T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2010-11-16T17:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2010\/11\/thank-goodness-muslims-have-the-hajj-and-not-christmas.html"},"modified":"2010-11-16T17:30:00","modified_gmt":"2010-11-16T17:30:00","slug":"thank-goodness-muslims-have-the-hajj-and-not-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/daffeythoughts\/2010\/11\/thank-goodness-muslims-have-the-hajj-and-not-christmas.html","title":{"rendered":"Thank goodness Muslims have the hajj and not Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Otherwise we might not learn anything about it.\u00a0 For its part, the MSM continues to do a good job covering Muslim religious practices<\/a>\u00a0and customs. What\u2019s holding back the \u2018shoe styles for the modern pilgrim\u2019 stories is beyond me.\u00a0 Perhaps a new found respect and admiration for the role that religious belief plays in the life of most human beings?\u00a0 Maybe.\u00a0 The fact that the MSM is scared out of its pants when it comes to Islam?\u00a0 Perhaps.\u00a0 The fact that Islam is, and this is important, not Christianity?\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t doubt.\u00a0 As it is, there have been many stories from various outlets covering the different parts, practices, and pilgrimages of a host of Islamic holy days and festivals over the last year or so.\u00a0 I find it fascinating, though guess it probably isn\u2019t nearly as complete as most practicing Muslims would prefer. <\/p>\n

Nonetheless, it\u2019s a massive improvement over what Christianity will get.\u00a0 Turkey day, that day we shuffle our feet about lest we spend too much time on the religious\/genocidal heritage of the holiday, is quickly being absorbed into our annual glorification of Mammon. And the holiday formerly known as Christmas will receive its annual passing references around the 24th and 25th.\u00a0 Beyond that, and some typical \u2018the Jesus story was a myth!\u2019 sensationalism on some cable channels and monthly periodicals, most of the coverage will be about anything other than the Christian connection to the holiday.\u00a0 Prizes for anyone who finds coverage of the season of Advent, the part in which\u00a0Christians historically prepared for the celebration of Christmas.\u00a0 Christmas itself didn\u2019t break out in festivities until after Advent.\u00a0 But our dear friends on Wall Street would not have us miss an entire month of valuable shopping, so \u2018Christmas\u2019 is that time somewhere in July that ends about three days before the 25th, when stores begin getting ready for Valentines Day.<\/p>\n

Some special prizes to anyone who sees a day to day series of stories covering the twelve days of Christmas, or the Feast of Epiphany, which closes the season of Christmastide.\u00a0 Or for that matter, any mention of the Feast of the Holy Innocents.\u00a0 That\u2019s the day historically set aside to remember the slaughter of the infants by Herod as he sought out the child Jesus.\u00a0 Bet you won\u2019t find any Hallmark cards calling that one to mind.\u00a0 All in all, America\u2019s annual celebration of commercialism and consumerism has long displaced that holiday once centered around the baby in a manger.\u00a0 Even in Catholic circles, it\u2019s difficult to remember that the holiday isn\u2019t over on the 26th (or for some folks the evening of the 25th: It\u2019s all over for another year!).\u00a0 On the 25th, it\u2019s only beginning.\u00a0 If the MSM covered it that way, folks might actually believe it.\u00a0 But unless the media follow their recent trend inspired by\u00a0giving Islamic practices space and respect, and transfers that approach to covering Christian holy days, I doubt anything will change in the minds of most Americans.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"