When Christmas Made History
Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:
“There is virtually no evidence that Jesus of Nazareth was born on December 25th. The date was… already celebrated by other major [pagan] religions as the supposed day of winter solstice. One of these religions was the Roman Sol Invictus cult, officially set up by Roman Emperor Aurelian on December 25th 274 AD…
“The mighty Frankish King Charlemagne united much of Europe under his banner even before being crowned emperor in 800 AD. On Christmas that year, Pope Leo III named him ‘emperor of the Romans,’ marking the legendary leader as a successor to ancient Roman caesars. Charlemagne’s rule ushered in an age of… Christian expansion…
“The US civil war ended with the defeat of the southern Confederation in 1865. On December 24th of the same year, a group of confederate veterans met in Tennessee to establish a secret society dubbed the Ku Klux Klan. The infamous organization uses violence in the name of alleged white superiority…”
December 24 and 25 have nothing to do with the birth of Christ, but it is interesting that important famous and infamous historic events took place on these days; showing that the god of this world is the real ruler and originator of Christmas who is busy to work out some of his schemes on these very days. It is well-known that, especially in the Western world, Christmas is high season for insane and unaffordable spending; suicide; drunkenness and other abusive behavior; as well as broken relationships.
The History of the Christmas Tree
The Week wrote on December 24:
“As with many Christmas traditions, its roots go back to pagan times. Some Northern European pagans believed that the sun was a god and that he went through a yearly period of ill health in winter. They put up evergreen boughs on the winter solstice, around Dec. 21, the shortest day of the year — the evergreens reminding them of all the greenery that would grow again when the sun god regained his strength and spring arrived. Ancient Egyptians followed a similar tradition, adorning their homes with green palm fronds to mark the return of Ra, a hawk-headed god who wore the sun as a blazing crown. And ancient Romans used fir trees to decorate their temples during Saturnalia, a winter festival in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture…
“The Eastern European cities of Tallinn and Riga both claim to have hosted the first Christmas tree: Tallinn in 1441, Riga in 1510… Around the same time, medieval Germans were incorporating evergreens into their own Christmastime rituals, via the ‘Paradise Tree’: an apple-adorned fir… Christmas trees didn’t make it into the home until Martin Luther, the founder of the Protestant Reformation…
“Legend has it that as George Washington was crossing the Delaware River on Dec. 25, 1776, Hessian mercenaries fighting for the British were busy decorating trees and getting drunk. Suffice to say, they were in no state to fight the ensuing battle, and lost…”
In fact, Christmas trees are even much older than that. The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah strongly condemns their use in Jeremiah 10.
Crazy Justifications of Christmas Lies
The Week, December 21:
“Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for children… many parents worry about whether they should encourage their children’s belief in the physical reality of Santa, about the potential impact of lying to them and what to do when their children realize they’ve been duped…
“Research in the field of developmental psychology suggests that such fantastical beliefs are not actually harmful, but are associated with a number of positive developmental outcomes… With age, a child’s thinking develops to the point where they start to notice Santa does magical things that physical objects can’t…
“If you choose to extend your child’s belief in Santa, and your child realizes you have deceived them, how will they respond?… it is highly unlikely a single lie will cause irreparable damage. Children are also discovering the truth about Santa at around the same time they are starting to understand that some lies, like Santa lies, are told with good intentions… It might be a good idea to give modest gifts from Santa and save the big ones for parents, because no matter what your family income, every child deserves to feel loved by Santa on Christmas morning.”
This ridiculous article was written by an assistant professor of psychology. It shows how ungodly this world is… and due to their wrong education and false premises, psychologists belong on the top of the list of deceived and deceiving “experts.”
Angela Merkel Still the Queen of Europe
Politico wrote on December 21:
“… it’s too soon to count out the veteran chancellor, the EU’s longest-serving leader, who’s been in office since 2005. Merkel is likely to bounce back in 2018 with a new government committed to moving European integration forward in partnership with Emmanuel Macron…
“SPD leader Martin Schulz has identified reviving the European Union as the urgent priority that justifies reversing his party’s decision to go into opposition… The former European Parliament president convinced his comrades to explore a renewed coalition with the conservatives by brandishing the goal of a ‘United States of Europe.’… Schulz’s message was in tune with the German political and business establishment…
“Older German politicians recall how conservatives Wolfgang Schäuble and Karl Lamers took ambitious proposals to Paris in 1994 for a ‘core Europe,’ allowing what would become the eurozone to move ahead faster in integration… Merkel has made clear she believes she finally has a French partner with whom she can work on strengthening the eurozone, boosting European defense and reforming EU migration and asylum policies…
“People who have talked to Merkel say she was reluctant to run for a fourth term and only resolved to do so after Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency, raising fears of a leadership vacuum in the Western world. Those worries have proved well founded. With America no longer dependably committed to free trade, multilateral governance or economic cooperation, and Britain durably sidelined by Brexit, the chancellor is the last experienced Western stateswoman capable of calm, steady leadership in a dangerous world.
“In the European Union… only Merkel can call the shots and strike a balance between North and South, East and West, left and right. ‘She is still the queen of Europe,’ said an EU diplomat… ‘If you want to get something done, you go to her.’”
Even though Angela Merkel’s reputation within the German public has diminished drastically (half of those asked in a recent poll prefer that she resigns before the end of her next term), Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz would prove to be an interesting leadership team, especially when it comes to the future of Europe. Note the next article.
Martin Schulz… Gone and Back?
The EUObserver wrote on December 27:
“For a few brief weeks in early 2017, it appeared Martin Schulz was set to make one of the most dramatic political career trajectories in recent EU history – from president of the European Parliament to German chancellor, and de facto the most powerful leader on the continent. But it wasn’t to be. After a few weeks on the campaign trail for his Social Democratic Party (SPD), the ‘Schulz Effect’ turned out to be the ‘Schulz Bubble’. That bubble duly burst, and by the end of 2017, Schulz had taken his party to their worst result in 70 years. It was a bitter comedown for the man who only a few years previously was accepting the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the EU…
“Schulz battled on as party leader of the SPD, and – in a bizarre twist – may now find himself in 2018 returning to the centre-stage as German foreign minister, or one of the other senior posts in Angela Merkel’s cabinet in another ‘Grand Coalition’. That is because of the dramatic and unexpected collapse, in November, of the so-called ‘Jamaica’ coalition being negotiated between the victorious CDU of Merkel, and its sister Christian Social Union party from Bavaria, the Greens, and the liberal pro-market FDP.
“Despite an earlier pledge that his SPD would be returning to opposition to lick its wounds, Schulz will now begin formal talks in early January with the woman who defeated him in September, and if coalition negotiations are successful, will take the foreign ministry or one of the other top jobs in Berlin in early 2018.
“A remarkable return… For Schulz, hopeful and then humiliated at the ballot box in September, his political career resembles nothing less than a (badly-burnt) phoenix arising from the ashes.”
Austria Hope for a United Europe?
The EUObserver wrote on December 21:
“[Austrian Chancellor Sebastian] Kurz’s vision of the EU future seems more conducive to continental unity than most alternatives on offer… the young leader pledged to support a strong Union… He explained that this would mean stronger integration in strategic fields such as foreign policy, defence and a new asylum system… He also defended a euro governance based on rigorous fiscal rules…
“Kurz’ sober and moderate Europeanism makes him an ideal advocate of the European project…
“Austria is in many ways special. A small republic heir to a great multinational Empire, a natural bridge between East and West, with a political culture… it will be able to make a difference.”
Deutsche Welle wrote on December 24:
“The Austrian chancellor has urged the EU to consider establishing ‘safe areas’ in refugees’ countries of origin [rather than redistributing them in European countries]. But in a controversial twist, he said Brussels should organize it and ‘back it militarily.’”
Christians Divided on Trump’s Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital
The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 24:
“The divide between evangelicals and other Christian denominations reflects two views of Jerusalem — one traditional and political, the other literal and theological. The key to understanding this rift is the evangelical belief in what is necessary to pave the way for the second coming of Jesus…
“Hours before the declaration on Dec. 6, Jerusalem’s Orthodox Christian patriarchs and heads of local churches sent Trump a letter predicting that ‘such steps will yield increased hatred, conflict, violence and suffering in Jerusalem and the Holy Land, moving us farther from the goal of unity and deeper toward destructive division.’…
“When Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would be visiting Israel — a visit that was later postponed — many members of the local Christian clergy said they would refuse to meet with him… evangelical Christians constitute less than one-tenth of 1% of the population of Israel… [about] 2% of the country’s population… belong to… Orthodox and Catholic denominations…”
The New York Post added on December 24:
“Pope Francis called for a two-state solution to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during his traditional Christmas Day speech in a stinging rebuke to President Trump who inflamed tensions in the region by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel…
“It’s the second time that the pontiff has criticized Trump’s decision on Jerusalem. Earlier in December, he noted that the Holy City is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims and called for its identity to remain unchanged.”
The Daily Mail wrote on December 24:
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has used his Christmas Day sermon to reflect on the terrorist atrocities and deceitfulness of ‘populist leaders’ witnessed in 2017… The Archbishop this year publicly spoke out against Mr Trump when he shared videos from far-right group Britain First via Twitter.”
Anti-Semitic Iran Opposes Israel and Hypocritical UN Remains Silent
Daily Wire wrote on December 27:
“On Wednesday, the government of possibly the most anti-Semitic government on earth shocked the world by announcing that Jerusalem will never be the capital of Israel and the Jewish people… the government of Iran passed a bill declaring Jerusalem forever as the capital of the non-existent country ‘Palestine’… Predictably, there were 207 ‘yes’ votes and no abstentions or opposition.
“Despite the fact that Iran declared Jerusalem the capital of ‘Palestine,’ the United Nations somehow missed the opportunity to pass, let alone offer, a resolution condemning the announcement. Last week, of course, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution condemning the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.”
Turkey and Europe vs. the USA and Israel
Deutsche Welle wrote on December 28:
“Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed hope for good relations with the European Union and Germany, after a year of tense relations between Berlin and Ankara… ‘We don’t have a problem with Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium. It’s exactly the opposite, the leaders of those countries are old friends of mine,’ Erdogan said…
“‘On the issue of Jerusalem, I wanted support from them; they are on the same page as we are,’ Erdogan said, referring to opposition to US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize the contested holy city as the capital of Israel. He said he called German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently to thank him…
“‘Now some other necessary steps need to be taken. In this context, a Palestinian state should be recognized,’ he said. ‘Some countries will recognize a Palestinian state; a number of EU states would immediately recognize Palestine.’”
The Bible shows that Turkey will work with Europe and many Arab nations against the USA and the state of Israel.
Moving Embassies to Jerusalem?
The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:
“Liviu Dragnea, leader of Romania’s Social Democratic Party and President of the Chamber of Deputies, announced last week: ‘We have to take the United States as an example and move our embassy in Israel… All the central institutions in Israel are in Jerusalem, ambassadors and embassy staff are going from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I think we should seriously consider moving the Romanian embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.’…
“Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CNN after Trump’s declaration that ‘many countries are ready to move their embassy to Jerusalem,’ including Romania. The Czech Republic and the Philippines have announced their intent to move their embassies to Jerusalem.”
Newsmax reported on December 24 that “Guatemala President Jimmy Morales announced on Sunday that his country will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.”
Israel Withdraws from UNESCO
The Jewish Press wrote on December 24:
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on Friday to submit his official letter of withdrawal to the organization. Israel joins the United States in its withdrawal from UNESCO. The U.S. gave its notice in October, and plans to leave the organization at the end of next year in accordance with the rules of the organization… Israel… will end its membership at the end of 2018 as well… the decision was made due to the attempts by UNESCO to ‘disconnect Jewish history from the land of Israel.’
“… the prime minister’s decision to pull Israel from UNESCO also came as a show of support for the United States… Nevertheless, the withdrawal letter will also contain a proviso that allows Israel to rescind its decision, should UNESCO revise its conduct and change its behavior and attitude towards Israel before the end of 2018.”
UN Sanctions “Act of War” against North Korea?
The Telegraph wrote on December 24:
“North Korea warned on Sunday that the latest round of United Nations sanctions were tantamount to an act of war and complete economic blockade… Sunday’s statement was the culmination of the latest round of warmongering rhetoric between Pyongyang and Washington after US Defence Secretary James Mattis cautioned on Friday that ‘storm clouds are gathering’ over the Korean peninsula…
“The UN security council unanimously voted to step up its sanctions against North Korea on Friday in retaliation against its most recent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test in November 29, which it claimed was capable of carrying a nuclear weapon to the US mainland… The US-drafted restrictions seek to ban nearly 90 per cent of refined petroleum exports to North Korea… The resolution also caps crude oil supplies to North Korea at 4 million barrels a year, and threatens to reduce the quantity even further if Pyongyang carries out another nuclear or ICBM test…
“The pariah regime continued that its nuclear weapons were a ‘self-defensive deterrence’ to counter America’s ‘blackmail and hostile moves’ and that those who voted for sanctions would face revenge… The White House has ‘dramatically’ stepped up preparation for a military solution in recent months amid fears diplomacy is not working… Meanwhile, American troops based in South Korea have been told to remain alert and report suspicious individuals…”
Water Not Free
The Alternative News Network wrote on December 27:
“Is water a free and basic human right, or should all the water on the planet belong to major corporations and be treated as a product? Should the poor who cannot afford to pay these said corporations suffer from starvation due to their lack of financial wealth? According to the former CEO and now Chairman of the largest food product manufacturer in the world (Nestle), corporations should own every drop of water on the planet — and you’re not getting any unless you pay up…
“This is a company that actually goes into struggling rural areas and extracts the groundwater for their bottled water products, completely destroying the water supply of the area without any compensation…
“As reported on by Corporate Watch, Nestle and former CEO Peter Brabeck-Letmathe have a long history of disregarding public health and abusing the environment to take part in the profit of an astounding $35 billion in annual profit from water bottle sales alone. The report states: ‘Nestlé production of mineral water involves the abuse of vulnerable water resources. In the Serra da Mantiqueira region of Brazil, home to the ‘circuit of waters’ park whose groundwater has a high mineral content and medicinal properties, over-pumping has resulted in depletion and long-term damage.’ Nestle has also come under fire over the assertion that they are actually conducting business with massive slavery rings…
“Nestlé… has done nothing for more than one billion people worldwide who have no access to drinking water. It, instead, has a proven track record of exploiting labor, destroying the environment, engaging in human rights violations, and of course of making big profits. Consider this:
“Brabeck chairs the 2030 Water Resources Group, a collaborative effort between business (includes PepsiCo and the Coca-Cola Company), government and other organizations that looks for ‘practical solutions’ to address water scarcity. PepsiCo, the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle rake in a combined $110 billion a year selling bottled water worldwide… Nestlé controls one-third of the US market and sells 70 different brand names for which it draws water from 75 springs located all over the country…”
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.
