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Christianity Today, December, 2007 |

The Invasion of God

The so-called Christmas wars are much larger than we imagine.

Charles Colson with Anne Morse | posted 12/06/2007 08:51AM

Christmas controversies have become as seasonal as candy canes and eggnog. Last year's flap over Wal-Mart forbidding its employees to wish customers "Merry Christmas" reveals how absurd the battles have ...

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Qaton Chozeh

Posted: December 18, 2007 4:09 PM

Colson hasn't the slightest idea of what he is talking about. He must just recite words he has heard. He promotes false and evil worship. The Christmass, and all its heathen, unbiblical distractions, is evil. All these so-called christians are corrupted, doing what's right in their own eyes (Dut 12.8), not observing what they were commanded (Mat 28.20), observing what they were commanded not to (Dut 12.2-4), creating their own rituals (Mrk 7.1-9), turning to the left and right (Dut 5.32), learning the heathen ways, bringing curses upon themselves (Dut 7.26), going whoring with their own inventions (Ps 106.39), and walking in the imagination of their own heart (Jer 23.17) thinking all is good. They are as Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire, as Uzzah, and as Saul offering to God what God didn't want and commanded against. Oh but they all had good, sweet intentions - which they were condemned for. Like the false prophets. Repent! Blind guides and their followers.

Rev. Austin Miles

Posted: December 12, 2007 12:24 PM

I would like for Mr. Colson to explain to me why, when I broke the story about Islam being taught 7th graders in the public school system, that his 'news service, Breakpoint,' personally attacked me in four stories in CT Direct, saying I had lied about this (it proved to be totally factual) and tried to discourage the mainstream media from picking it up...in other words, trying to silence that America's school children were being indoctrinated into Islamic thought and beliefs. At the same time, Colson was attacking me, he was trying to raise a million dollars to supposedly stop Islamic recruitment in the prisons. Ironically, the name used as the writer for these attacks released by Breakpoint and eagerly published by CT Direct, was, Alberto Rivera....which is the name of a character in the Chic Publications anti-catholic cartoon tracts. Please explain this Mr. Colson.

Ron Boto

Posted: December 09, 2007 10:22 PM


Once again Charles hits the nail on the head.

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: December 09, 2007 8:10 AM

For Charles Colson to write "Jesus was busted, betrayed by a snitch, sent to death row to die on the cross so that we could be freed from the grip of Satan and death" is wholly another gospel, erroneous and an oversimplification of the step-by-step, great fulfillment of Jesus' words: "no one takes my life away from me. I give it up of my own free will. I have the right to give it up, and I have the right to take it back" (John 10:18). Accordinly, one can actually reconstruct from the Gospel accounts the "great things that God has done!" extending from the fixing of the day of the crucifixion to the glorious death on the cross just as He said. The only role reserved for us in God's Kingdom is to see it come with power not to advance it, not even partially! Let us not continue to miss it as we have for so long!

John Mathis

Posted: December 07, 2007 7:49 AM


Thanks for this timely and insightful reminder, Chuck. In both the article and in your comments to the inmates, you have mastered the art of saying something profound with a few well chosen words. You have given us all a valuable gift this Christmas. Our job is to pass it on.

John	Posted: December 07, 2007 6:43 AM

I truly cannot believe this, but I am actually applauding an article by Chuck Colson. For once what he writes is 100% on...all this "culture wars" stuff is truly a minor sidelight to what we as Christians should be doing, this time of year and always, being "salt and light" and improving the world by our presence. Turn off "The O'Reilly Factor," and spend tonight working in a soup kitchen. Instead of that next check to Focus on the Family, send it to the Salvation Army or Lutheran World Relief instead. For surely they will know us by the fruits of our labor...

Bill Parker

Posted: December 06, 2007 6:27 PM


I belive that "the faith once delivered" is so covered with materialism that our country cannot survive without our "holiday shopping". We need to work on giving the real meaning of Christmas to people, so that they do not need to think about buying and selling. "God invaded this earth and tore the bars of our "prison" apart for each of us.

Ted Voth Jr

Posted: December 06, 2007 4:38 PM

"By telling prisoners Jesus was "busted" by a "snitch" implies either that Jesus was actually guilty of a crime or the prisoners you're relaying the story to are equally sin free as Jesus." I don't know, "reader". I think you're being overly hard on Bro Colson, and on his prisoners. Jesus WAS unfairly delivered to death, and Judas WAS a snitch. And most people are at least subconsciously aware of their own sin; I would suspect any sinner of any sensitivity would be likely to be consciously aware of his sin; Bro Colson says as much. No, "reader" I gently disagree. I do agree with you in recommending "Mere Christianity" to Mr Martin. It's very difficult to call CS Lewis illogical, irrational, ignorant, deluded, or stupid. Love in Christ...

Greg	Posted: December 06, 2007 2:46 PM


Apparently, " a reader" has never been around prison culture so would not understand prison speak. I believe the point of the article was very well put--God invaded the planet to establish the beachhead for His kingdom; that kingdom is growing into His everlasting one.

Kim	Posted: December 06, 2007 2:00 PM

I can't imagine what it'd have been like to have lived then to witness the life of Christ. I can't imagine what it'd have been like to be Mary. We worship a God who's so much a mystery, and yet so personal that I can't imagine what it's like to be Him. One and distinctly 3 at the same time. How amazing is that? And we celebrate His birth at this time of year signaling hope. Christ is hope. He is hope for the lowly, hope for the world, for we're all lowly. If only some of us knew it! Thank you, God, for this holy celebration and Your amazing grace. Thank You for the greatest gift of all.

Raymond Takashi Swenson

Posted: December 06, 2007 1:45 PM

I remember my one time participating in a church meeting in a prison. I told the story of a military criminal trial in which I was the prosecutor and a friend was the defense counsel. When her client was found guilty and sentenced to jail, and the court members had filed out, I stepped back into the empty courtroom and found her there, sobbing, over her inability to protect her client from the punishment. In the small world of a military base in Japan, he was someone she knew as a friend. I compared this to Christ, our advocate with the Father, who pleads for us at judgment, not on the strength of our own innocence, but on the strength of his having already paid the penalty for us through his suffering and death. We know that he will win his case, if we can find the faith to plead guilty and ask for mercy in reliance on the merits of Christ. One other note: This is also the "Mormon" concept of the Atonement. Merry Christmas!

Kiley

Posted: December 06, 2007 1:09 PM

Logic — In the beginning was nothing. Nothing exploded into something. Which became everything. (That's logic?) Rational Thought — Absent the silly concept of a divine moral guide, people will learn to love one another or, at the least, just get along. (That's rational?) Less Fighting — "If there is a god and he is as the Christians describe him, then he deserves to be put down." Philip Pullman (Sounds like a pacifist.) My suggestion: Try Christ. He satisfies spirit, body and mind.

a reader

Posted: December 06, 2007 12:29 PM


By telling prisoners Jesus was "busted" by a "snitch" implies either that Jesus was actually guilty of a crime or the prisoners you're relaying the story to are equally sin free as Jesus. I wouldn't say that's the best wording to use in relating the message of Christ. Oh and for gary martin, check out C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity" for some interesting reading material.

gary martin

Posted: December 06, 2007 11:36 AM

He was also probably a nut. It is of interest that it took 320 years before his work finually got put into the good book. Put into the book because Constatine got tired of the fighting, and killing among the early Christians. Then edited til at least the time of the printing press. Then told to believe no matter what in spite of the overwelming evidence to the contrary. Then being tortured and killed for at least 300 years as a conversion tool, which I admit did a good job of getting Christianity on its feet. and now finding a call to censor anything that violates the party line. Give me a break. How about logic, rational thought and less fighting

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