It’s my thought that people should really just get over this, both in the battle for keeping “Christ in Christmas” and the overall idea that Christianity is being banished from popular culture. Looking back through history, it is quite clear that the origin of Christmas was not Christ at all!

Yes, some retail chains have moved from saying “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holidays” to be more inclusive of their patrons, especially in the more urban areas. Rather than thinking that this is a horrible thing that marks the downfall of the country, I feel that it is a positive indication of how diverse this country is, and has been throughout history.

As President-Elect Obama stated in the speech I posted recently:

[pp] Whatever this country once was, it is no longer a “Christian Nation”. It is a Jewish Nation, a Buddhist Nation, a Muslim Nation and a Nation of non-believers.”

I do not feel that we should exclude people based on their beliefs. Accordingly, I do not feel that those who hold beliefs should exclude those who do not share those beliefs, or use invasive measures to force others to participate or actively observe their ideas, beliefs or practices. This is the nature of our freedom of religion - the right to freedom from religion. Those who say “Happy Holidays” aren’t excluding the ones with Christian beliefs, but rather, are attempting to include those who might not share those beliefs.

Here is my recommendation: When someone, either at a store or elsewhere, wishes you a Happy Holiday this season, simply smile and nod, and remember within yourself what that means to you. It could mean your Merry Christmas, or Happy Hannukah, or perhaps even a Joyful Kwanzaa. Maybe, as for me, it has no religious connotation at all, but is simply a time to share with your family.

Regardless of its meaning for you, I would like to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday Season!

-deletedSoul

For those not aquainted with Twilight, it is the movie adapation of the young adult vampire series by Stephenie Meyer. Oh, and it’s FREAKING AWESOME (IMO).

Movie News:

Most people haven’t. It’s currently in testing in India to determine if there are any long lasting side effects or problems with the use of this potentially revolutionary product.

What is it?

It’s a male contraceptive injection. It blocks the passage of sperm in the vas, preventing the little swimmers from ever escaping the penis. In primate tests, the procedure has been safe and reversible by a follow up injection. One injection has the potential to prevent pregnancy for up to ten years, and thus far, human tests have been successful.

Theoretically speaking, this could mean a major breakthrough in the prevention of teen pregnancy.

Speaking strictly of the US, we have a rather high rate of teen pregnancy, and according to several studies, 1 in 4 teen girls and up to 80% of the rest of the population are infected with an STD; namely, HPV (human papilloma virus) which is the primary cause of cervical cancer. This cancer kills nearly 4000 females in the US every year.

Thankfully, they have reached a breakthrough in the prevention of HPV; the Gardasil vaccine - one of the first vaccines ever to be known to prevent cancer.

So we have a known way to prevent the spread of a horrible disease, and the potential to prevent thousands of unplanned teen pregnancies every year (over 100,000 reported per year).

Here is my idea, if these methods are proven to be both safe and effective.

Children are taught age-appropriate sex ed, as an extension of existing health and science classes throughout their education.

When a child leaves junior high, and enters high school, males are given the contraceptive injection, and females are given the Gardasil injection. Both the males and the females are taught, within the standard science and health programs, the dangers of unprotected sexual encounters, including STDs and the emotional ramifications of promiscuity. Nothing is portrayed as dirty or wrong in the public school setting, rather, it is approached from an educational and scientific standpoint.

Parents at home can instill what moral, religious or cultural values they would like to instill in the child. Teach them that having pre-marital sex is against their moral code for x amount of reasons. They learn the clinical side and are equipped with knowledge from the educational side, and they are equipped (potentially) with the moral compass from the parental side. Best of all, if they have an uninvolved parent who doesn’t care to teach the child anything, they are still equipped with the knowledge necessary to properly protect themselves.

At the age of 14 (or entrance into high school), as I said, both genders are given the injections along with their normal immunizations. Of course, the parent has the option to refuse the immunizations, just as they are now with certain limitations.

With a male guarded against the ability to procreate unless they specifically go to a reversal clinic, and with the females protected against the most rampant of STDs, we are all but eliminating two major problems in the youth of this country. We aren’t taking away rights - we are protecting children from making potentially life-altering mistakes and very possibly saving some lives along the way.