For a perfect example of how absurd and completely divorced from any kind of reality whether conditional or Spiritual even the seemingly most sophisticated Christian mind-games are check out the new essay by Alison Milbank on the ABC Religion and Ethics website.

Alison is considered by her many admirers to be a hot-shot theologian and/or "authority" on Christian doctrine and "faith". She is also associated with the the fanciful/delusional "radical orthodoxy" movement.

' How can one take seriously a religion that claims virgins can become pregnant and corpses can come back to life? '

yeah certainly by faith davidf but made much easier to believe when you read of the totally unscientific and irratrional something from nothing fantasy and total irrationality of the evolution myth. Add to that the fruit of secularism being as ugly as Islam it actually becomes much easier to believe. In fact compared with the totally immoral secularist dogmas, Christianity or Christ's claims make much more sense. I suspect Jesus was 100 times more honest than you.

The less said about Christianity at Christmas the better. Bah Humbug!! Scrooge be my beacon.

Christmas, after all, is out of place at the beginning of serious Summer heat in Australia. Christmas is an inherently Northern Hemisphere festival centered on December 25 being the winter solstice, the shortest, pretty darn cold and darkest day of the year.

I like to think that the peace-loving Vikings snuggled up and took hold of each others' yuletide log at Chrissie.

Pete's Yule celebration predates Christian holidays and traditions by thousands of years.

The earliest recorded evidence of Pete's Yule is in the Germanic month names Ærra Jéola/Jiuli which is before Yule and Æftera Jéola after Yule. Researchers have found a connection with the festivities to the Wild Hunt, between the god Odin and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Modranicht.

The Midwinter Feast lasted twelve days which is where our modern twelve days of Christmas comes from. The Vikings made sure to honor their Gods with traditions, feasting, and religious rituals. One of their rituals required a sacrificial wild boar to the god Frey of fertility and farming in hopes for a productive season.

Any of youse Vikings know the Pete's Yule Goat Gävle is a traditional Christmas display Erected every year at Slottstorget in central Gävle.

Let all us pre-Christian Vikings, sundry pagans and non-religios celebrate the gift of giving and kindness on 25 December 2017.

Go Vikings go!

Yours

Pete Ironside von Ragnar

http://inventorybag.com/blogs/normandescendants/christmas-yule-traditions-viking-origins

Dear runner, There is good evidence for evolution and other scientific theories. There is absolutely no evidence for virgin birth and resurrection. I assume that you will continue to believe in nonsense, I will continue to be more honest than Jesus, Thor, Apollo or any other mythical or semi-mythical figure you care to name. May you be in good health and enjoy your life. Have a merry superstition.

yes David and may you enjoy your something from nothing chance god!

I enjoyed the article Tristan. A good defense for people looking to religions, by considering sone holes in the perspective that nothing spiritual or religous is real.

Regardless of being a left Christian, a right Christian, or something else entirely, Christmas is a celibration of Jesus's birth and God's love. With that in mind I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas.