Two girls protesting child labour (by calling it child slavery) in the 1909 New York City Labor Day parade. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The History of Labor Day
Like the Day Off? THANK THE UNION MOVEMENT!

Labor Day: How it Came About; What it Means

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Founder of Labor Day

More than 100 years after the first Labor Day observance, there is still some doubt as to who first proposed the holiday for workers.

Some records show that Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a cofounder of the American Federation of Labor, was first in suggesting a day to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold."

But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that Matthew Maguire, a machinist, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, N.J., proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. What is clear is that the Central Labor Union adopted a Labor Day proposal and appointed a committee to plan a demonstration and picnic.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883.

In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country.

Labor Day Legislation

Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.

A Nationwide Holiday

The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.

The character of the Labor Day celebration has undergone a change in recent years, especially in large industrial centers where mass displays and huge parades have proved a problem. This change, however, is more a shift in emphasis and medium of expression. Labor Day addresses by leading union officials, industrialists, educators, clerics and government officials are given wide coverage in newspapers, radio, and television.

The vital force of labor added materially to the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known and has brought us closer to the realization of our traditional ideals of economic and political democracy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the nation pay tribute on Labor Day to the creator of so much of the nation's strength, freedom, and leadership — the American worker.

First published in The Plain Truth Sept 2008......

Make sure to watch Dave from Drive Thru History in the video below...

At the time the United States was founded, most people were farmers or worked in trades, such as bakers, butchers, cobblers, and blacksmiths. Then, the Industrial Revolution began in the late 18th century.

Randall Niles ~ Drive Thru History®

Coal mines kept filling up with water, so, Scottish inventor James Watt came up with an invention to pump the water out — a steam pump.

By the early 19th century, steam wasn’t just used to power pumps, but also engines for steam trains, steamboats, and manufacturing equipment. This led to the creation of factories, which could mass produce a variety of items inexpensively. After the American Civil War, factories in the North really took off. They started producing everything from clothes to dishes – furniture to tools. Inventions and advances in manufacturing made more and more goods available at cheaper and cheaper prices.

New ways of making stronger iron and steel led to the building of bridges, skyscrapers, ships, and machinery. Railroads began taking people and goods across the entire nation, opening new regions and opportunities. All of this resulted in Americans experiencing the fastest increase in the standard of living of any people in world history. Factories had a continual source of workers from the millions of immigrants making their way to America. Immigrants were anxious to assimilate, work in the trades, learn the English language, and swear allegiance to their new country. “Rags-to-riches” stories became a popular literary genre, where hard work, honesty, and strength through adversity led to success. 

President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty in 1886 to welcome newcomers. Immigrants were not a financial burden on the government, as there were no government welfare programs yet. Extended family members, churches, and individuals giving charity, provided the welfare net. With all the growth, there were issues of safety and fairness in some of the factories, so laborers began organizing for better working conditions. Since some of the immigrants brought socialist and anarchist ideas from Europe, this created additional labor tensions in some of America’s cities. 

In May of 1886, a labor protest in Chicago near the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant turned into the Haymarket Riot, when a protester threw a stick of dynamite at the police. Seven police officers and four laborers were killed, and dozens were wounded, as a result of the blast and following riot. To commemorate the incident, labor organizers chose May 1st to be an annual “International Workers Day.”

In 1894, labor leaders organized a nationwide railroad workers strike. There was rioting and the burning of railroad cars, destroying an estimated 80 million dollars-worth of property across 27 states. After the railroad strike started affecting mail delivery, President Grover Cleveland declared it a federal crime and deployed 12,000 U.S. Army troops to break up the strike. A few people died and a number went to jail.

As a result of these types of labor tensions, President Grover Cleveland thought it might improve his chances of getting re-elected in 1894 if he appeased these organized workers with a national “Labor Day.” He intentionally did not choose May 1st, as it was the anniversary of the bloody Haymarket Riot and the “International Workers Day.” Instead, President Cleveland chose the “first Monday in September.”

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Vegetarianism (Photo credit: Marius!!)

By Bob Barney

    I have found that vegetarians give one common reason for giving up meat and that is the conviction that animals have the right to life just as we humans do. Even though they have a sincere belief in preserving animal life, most do not realize that this belief is based on a liberal cause. Unfortunately, this is a cause based on a lack of understanding of how food is produced or for that matter, how anything is produced.  We cannot deny it, we live in a ready-made world. We go to work from 9-5 and we buy everything we need from a store that offers products with origins from hundreds if not thousands of miles away.  Most of us today have no clue as to what it takes to grow an apple, or to grow wheat or corn and yes, to even grow beef! We don't know how or where our clothes are made and by what sort of forced labor entity as we are blissfully ignorant of the world around us.  You see, one must be ignorant of reality in order to be a liberal. You will never find a liberal on a deserted island or living amongst natives in some wilderness setting. Liberals don't live very long in such environments once their beloved “nature” takes control of their destinies.

Being a vegetarian means that you are not responsible for the killing of any animal, right?

    The Plain Truth is that not one single souls' hand is free from the blood of animals and that includes vegetarians!   Did you know that millions of animals are killed every year to prepare the land for growing some of the very crops that are the staples of a vegetarian diet? Soybean, corn, and barley just to name a few as well as a whole host of 'organic' foods.  The animals killed in many cases are mice, moles, rabbits and more. They lose their habitat and are run over by the very tractors that make a way for farming. They may be unintended victims of agriculture, but they are still victims in the end.  Are their lives any less sacred than say, a goat? Here is an honest question that deserves an honest answer, "What makes it acceptable to kill the animals of the field so that we can eat veggies but makes it not acceptable to kill venison, fish, chickens or cows?"  The cold hard facts are that any disruption of the land whether it be to farm or to build homes and malls, reduces the amount of land left for other animals and results in their untimely demise.

    Any vegetarian that consumes dairy, eggs and wears woolen garments may think that they aren't contributing to the slaughtering of animals for their goods and that may be true in theory, but the fact is, they are!  All modern farmers trying to eke out a living providing cheap food are not just going to let their animals die of old age; they kill them at whatever point the farm considers to be the most profit-maximizing. For dairy cows, that’s usually at age 3-5, out of a natural 20–25-year lifespan. For egg-laying hens, it’s usually after one or two laying cycles. And since the males of the laying species are useless to the egg farmer, they’re killed right after they hatch; these are the cold hard facts.

English: Dairy heifers The milking dairy cows are in for the winter now, but as the weather is fair the heifers (young females) are still outside. When they reach 350 / 400kg in weight they will put in calf and 9 months later will begin their life as a dairy cow. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A vegetarian diet must kill far fewer animals than an omnivore diet, right?

    Not always! Here is an example:  Eggs. While you only need to kill one single cow to get about 450 pounds (405,000 calories) worth of meat, you’d need to kill about 20 chickens to get enough eggs to match that number of calories. So, if you’re a vegetarian who eats a lot of omelets, you’re likely responsible for more animal deaths than someone who chows down on burgers and steaks but doesn’t like eggs! I bet you never thought of that, did you?

Here is a link for you to look at and find some more information: 

    I’ve scrounged up data on the typical amount of meat, eggs, and dairy that we get out of a modern farm animal and combined it with data on the calorie counts of those foods. Doing this has allowed me to calculate the number of calories of food that we get out of each type of animal, or more to the point, the “lives-per-calorie” statistic for each food. The results are below, with the foods ordered from “kills the fewest animals per calorie” to “kills the most animals per calorie.” All numbers are approximate, of course, but they’re from as recent and as reliable a source as I could find. (Detailed citations are at the end of this post).

The yield for a laying hen over its lifetime is actually about 550 eggs, but I’ve divided it by two because approximately one male chick is killed for each laying hen.

The lives-per-calories cost of eggs is so many times higher than that of beef that even a small amount of eggs outweighs the life cost of a larger amount of beef. Let’s say you’re a vegetarian and you go out to lunch with your omnivorous friend, where he orders a burger, and you order an egg-salad sandwich. The two eggs in your sandwich are only 150 calories, compared to the 300 calories in his beef patty, but the eggs cost almost 9 times as much life as the beef.

Deutsch: Palette mit Hühnereiern auf dem Wochenmarkt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 In Summary 

    Of course, as I said earlier, these calculations are only concerned with the question of the taking of animals’ lives and they are not taking into account the amount of suffering the animals unfortunately experience. Such a statistic would change the calculations somewhat, but I suspect the overall verdict would remain similar if you were looking at suffering-per-calorie – or, if anything, things would look even grimmer for egg-lovers. Laying hens arguably lead some of the most miserable lives out of all livestock, spending all their time crammed into cages with less space than half a piece of paper, having their beaks cut off, and being starved to induce molting. (Although the male chicks would count less if you’re looking at suffering-per-calorie, since their lives are so short.)

    These calculations also don’t take into account impact on the environment. Raising beef is pretty clearly the worst industry in terms of things like producing greenhouse gasses, breeding antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and requiring huge amounts of farmland just to feed the cattle. Right there may be a good case for choosing eggs over beef in the sense of minimizing your environmental impact, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’d be making a tradeoff of killing more animals to hurt the environment less.

Citations

    According to the USDA, the average dairy cow produced 21,000 lbs. of milk last year, and according to several sources, the average dairy cow is culled from the herd after about 3 years, so I multiplied 21,000*3 to get the average amount of milk produced over the lifetime of a dairy cow. It takes about 1 gallon of milk to produce 1 lb of cheese, and there are about 8.5 lbs. of milk per gallon, so I divided 63,000 lbs by 8.5 to get the 7,400 lbs. of cheese figure.

    The figures on beef and pork come from the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture~
The average number of eggs per laying hen per year comes from the USDA, and I multiplied by two because that’s the most common figure I found for the number of laying cycles. The average weight of a broiler chicken I got from the USDA’s annual Poultry Slaughter publication.

    And by the way, don't harmful insects have the same right to life as humans? Are most vegetarians willing to eat apples with worms in them and if they are, what do they do with that live worm when they find it?

    And if insect lives are as valuable as a human, how about bacteria. Bacteria is animal life. In order for vegetarians to digest their wholesome organic grains and grasses, trillions, of bacteria get killed in the process!  So, you better stop taking those pro-biotics, because you are brutally slaughtering animal life.

One last point

    Iron.  Most are unaware, (especially vegetarians that focus on plant eating), that the iron found in spinach often comes from the fertilizer made up of, you guessed it ~ BLOOD from cows. This is an organic way to get the iron back in to depleted dirt!

    Seriously, it's about time we stop falling for the liberal lies we were raised on. Both conservatives and liberals have been fed a bunch of them and we need to start using the brain God gave us and start thinking about why we do what we do!

The Plain Truth is that abortion and rituals such as this are a continuation of INFANT SACRIFICE from the Bible!

Posted a do-it-yourself video instructional

By WND News Services

(Pixabay)

 

(LIFENEWS) – Abortion activists are now literally building altars dedicated to sacrificing their unborn babies in abortions.

Drew Hernandez, a conservative commentator with FRONTLINES and Turning Point USA, uncovered a disturbing “DIY” video on YouTube of a woman explaining how to build an abortion altar at home.

“A woman teaches how to build an altar for a post abortion, which includes a container for the remains of the baby after being aborted and the abortion pills on the altar, she ends the DIY video by kneeling before the altar,” Hernandez wrote, linking to the video.

READ MORE>>>>    

BY: Bob Barney

Jul 1776 – IS AMONG the most important and surprising events in history.  On July 2, 1776, Congress met to consider the adoption of that immortal document penned by Thomas Jefferson; —the Declaration of Independence. It was generally understood that a final decision was to be made on the fourth, and thousands eagerly waited to hear the words written and signed by the Continental Congress. The Fourth of July is American, but the roots of the day are ancient. Some scholars believe that it was on this same exact date in history that Persia destroyed Solomon's Temple!

The Declaration of Independence itself has become one of the most admired and copied political documents of all time. It was written by Thomas Jefferson and revised by John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Jefferson.

The Declaration of Independence is a justification of the American Revolution, citing grievances against King George III. It is also a landmark philosophical statement, drawing on the writings of philosophers John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau. It affirms that since all people are creatures of God, or nature, they have certain natural rights, or liberties, that cannot be violated.

Following its adoption, the Declaration was read to the public in various American cities. Whenever they heard it, patriots erupted in cheers and celebrations.

In 1777, Philadelphians remembered the 4th of July. Bells were rung, guns fired, candles lighted, and firecrackers set off. However, while the War of Independence dragged on, July 4 celebrations were modest at best. Written on the Liberty Bell are these words:  "Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the inhabitants thereof" (Leviticus 25:10), yes words from Leviticus. Our forefathers knew who we really are!

When the war ended in 1783, July 4 became a holiday in some places. In Boston, it replaced the date of the Boston Massacre, March 5, as the major patriotic holiday. Speeches, military events, parades, and fireworks marked the day. In 1941, Congress declared July 4 a federal holiday.

The second president, John Adams, would have approved. "I believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival," he wrote his wife, Abigail. "It ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."

John Hancock, the president of the Second Continental Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration. With its ornate capitals, Hancock's sprawling signature is prominent on the document. Since then, when people are asked for their "John Hancock," they are being asked to sign their names.

All 56 men who ultimately signed the Declaration showed great courage; announcing independence from Great Britain was an act of treason, punishable by death.

Jul 4, 1826 - The 4th of July 1826, will long be memorable for one of the most remarkable coincidences that has ever taken place in the history of nations. It was the fiftieth anniversary—the "JUBILEE"—of American independence! Two of the greatest Americans, who helped author the document and lead the nation through the war were friends that became bitter enemies. Though friends in their youth, disagreements separated Thomas Jefferson and our second President John Adams in later years. They were eventually reconciled toward their twilight years and though they never saw each other again after Adams left the White House to be replaced by Jefferson, in the last 14 years of their lives they exchanged 156 letters, some of them quite warm. This correspondence is generally regarded as the intellectual capstone to the achievements of the revolutionary generation and the most impressive correspondence between prominent statesmen.

They both died on the same day, July 4th, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, two of the last three signers. At the age of 91 John Adams collapsed in his favorite reading chair and died that afternoon, his last words were, “Thomas Jefferson still lives.” But Jefferson would have said “wrong, as usual.” In his last days his health had failed, and he passed in and out of consciousness. On the 4th of July 1826 just a few hours before Adams died — in his home in Monticello, Virginia — surrounded by his daughter and some special slaves, shortly after noon, at the age of 83, Thomas Jefferson died. His last words were, “Is it the 4th?”

On July 4, 1863; a national tragedy also begun. It was the battle of Gettysburg where our nation went to war with each other and emerged a union gain! Then on the same day in 1876, the 100th anniversary of the signing, the nation was shocked again to learn of the Custer massacre at the Little Big Horn!

The Declaration and the American Revolution have since inspired freedom-seekers the around the world.   The fourth of July has been a day of blessings, sorrows and “signs”. It is our national day! Celebrate it, be proud of it, and LEARN from it.

This is an updated version of an older story on why America is so special, along with Great Britain and Canada.  It's a story of our national identity!

Someone once asked me, "Bob how can you say in one breath that God has little to nothing to do with this world, then say that the USA is one of the lost nations of Israel? You also say that if we do not obey God, our nation will be utterly destroyed by Him? Which scenario is it, is God involved or is it Satan’s world?"

I am quite sure that many have asked themselves the same question and let me assure you that there is an easy answer! God was totally involved in our world in the days of Adam and Eve. He (One of the divine Godhead that became Jesus) personally walked with them, talked with them, instructed them in how to live a godly lifestyle and have life forever. God had every intention to be involved in our lives from the start, just as any human parent has those same plans with their children.

Then sin entered the world through Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God’s Laws. Remember there is only one biblical definition of sin. "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4) Without the law, one cannot sin! (Romans 3:20 and Romans 7:7) When Adam and Eve broke God’s laws, they sinned. The Bible also gives us another term: "The wages (or penalty) of sin is death." (Rom 6:23) Therefore breaking the laws of God, brings death! Therefore, Adam’s sin brought death to mankind.

Mother’s Day is a holiday honoring motherhood that is observed in different forms throughout the world. In the United States, Mother’s Day 2019 occurs on Sunday, May 12. The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. While dates and celebrations vary, Mother’s Day traditionally involves presenting moms with flowers, cards and other gifts.

By: Bob Barney

No, I haven't lost my calendar and I do know what day this is on the Roman calendar that we follow. Many, if not most do not know it, but today is the beginning of the new year in God's calendar. The year starts in the spring and is comprised up of 12 30 day months. Almost no one understands this fact. The Jewish calendar for example follows a lunar/solar year of only 354 days per year. Every three years they add a 13th month. Sounds nice, but it is not Biblical. They also start their day in the evening. They got this idea of evening days while in Babylon during their captivity, just like our day starts at midnight. We get this day from the pagan Romans. God's day starts in the morning dawn. The easy proof to that is in the first chapter of Genesis. The first day came, then evening, then morning which is called the end of the first day, the second was starting.

First published March 17, 2017

From Reversespins.com Note from Bob Barney: Isn't it strange how everything we do is awash in paganism? We can't follow God's holidays, but somehow we can find every way to observe a bunch of witch doctors holidays-- and then call it Christian!

Secret Sun, March 17 is the day generally believed to be the death of St. Patrick, the British-born missionary who is credited with converting Ireland to Christianity. And as I wrote in one of my first posts on this blog:

In Egyptian mythology, Osiris was killed on the 17th day of Athyr, the third month of the ancient calendar.

3/17 is also the date of a Masonically-created holiday, St. Patrick’s Day. The story has it that the holiday was established by high level Freemason, George Washington, allegedly to reward Irish soldiers in the Continental Army. But “St. Paddy’s” has traditionally been a very minor Saint’s day in Ireland. Considering that the day has become America’s defacto Bacchanal (which takes us back to Osiris) it’s worth noting some of the parallels of this day with Solar mythology.

• Osiris was believed to be the source of barley, which was used for brewing beer in Egypt.

• It’s customary to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day and Osiris was known as the “Green Man”

• The root word of Patrick is pater, the Latin word meaning father. Osiris is the father in the Egyptian Trinity.

Since then, I've been looking into the curious origin of this holiday and have found out some very interesting facts...

https://www.hinduhumanrights.info/how-a-pagan-celebrates-st-patricks-day/

BTK serial killer Dennis Rader who murdered 10 people in 20-year killing spree describes himself as 'a good person who did some bad things' to forensic psychologist who exchanged letters with him 'in code', new docuseries reveals

Dennis Rader (pictured left in 2019), the unsuspecting church leader and  family man later identified as Wichita's prolific BTK killer, simultaneously thinks of himself as a 'monster' and a 'good person who did some bad things,' according to a forensic psychologist who corresponded with him in code for nearly a decade. In 2005, then 60-year-old Dennis Rader - who gave himself the moniker 'BTK,' which stood for 'bind, torture, kill' - pleaded guilty to killing ten people between 1974 to 1991 to sate his sexual sadism. Forensic psychologist Dr. Katherine Ramsland corresponded with the locked-up killer for over a decade in coded letters to better understand what drove the outwardly-ordinary man to kill. Now, Ramsland is sharing her insights about the killer in a new A&E docuseries, 'BTK: Confession of a Serial Killer,' which aired on January 8. Rader is pictured right dressed as one of his victims in a chilling photo uncovered by police after his 2005 arrest.

Jeremiah 10: 1-5

10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

2 Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

Yes, those words are in every Bible printed, even your copy! Be honest with yourself when you read the following Plain Truth Article about Christmas!

Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. For two millennia, people around the world have been observing it with traditions and practices that are both religious and secular in nature. Christians celebrate Christmas Day as the anniversary of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, a spiritual leader whose teachings form the basis of their religion. Popular customs include exchanging gifts, decorating Christmas trees, attending church, sharing meals with family and friends and, of course, waiting for Santa Claus to arrive. December 25–Christmas Day–has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1870.

How Did Christmas Start?

The middle of winter has long been a time of celebration around the world. Centuries before the arrival of the man called Jesus, early Europeans celebrated light and birth in the darkest days of winter. Many peoples rejoiced during the winter solstice, when the worst of the winter was behind them and they could look forward to longer days and extended hours of sunlight.

In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated Yule from December 21, the winter solstice, through January. In recognition of the return of the sun, fathers and sons would bring home large logs, which they would set on fire. The people would feast until the log burned out, which could take as many as 12 days. The Norse believed that each spark from the fire represented a new pig or calf that would be born during the coming year.

Saturnalia

In Rome, where winters were not as harsh as those in the far north, Saturnalia—a holiday in honor of Saturn, the god of agriculture—was celebrated on December 25th. Beginning in the week leading up to the winter solstice and continuing for a full month, Saturnalia was a hedonistic time, when food and drink were plentiful and the normal Roman social order was turned upside down. For a month, slaves would become masters. Peasants were in command of the city. Business and schools were closed so that everyone could join in the fun.

Also around the time of the winter solstice, Romans observed Juvenalia, a feast honoring the children of Rome. In addition, members of the upper classes often celebrated the birthday of Mithra, the god of the unconquerable sun, on December 25. It was believed that Mithra, an infant god, was born of a rock. For some Romans, Mithra’s birthday was the most sacred day of the year.

So when Christianity became the official religion in a sense, in Rome, they were able to fix this date. ... There's a little discrepancy about it but there's no question that the fact that it was celebrated in Rome as an important day with gift giving, candle lighting, and singing and decorating houses really cemented Christmas as December 25."

Another custom we can thank the pagans for? Christmas trees. Historian Kenneth Davis explained that the evergreen trees signaled the "return of life" and "light" as the winter solstice meant the days were starting to get longer.

"They started to hang an apple on it, so little red balls on green trees — get the picture here? ... So all of these things celebrate the idea that life and light are coming back into the world, which is essentially what Christmas means to Christians around the world."

Mistletoe, though, that was started by the Druids, who believed it was an all-powerful healing item from the sacred oak tree.

The end of December was a perfect time for celebration in most areas of Europe. At that time of year, most cattle were slaughtered so they would not have to be fed during the winter. For many, it was the only time of year when they had a supply of fresh meat. In addition, most wine and beer made during the year was finally fermented and ready for drinking.

Christmas hasn't always been a popular holiday: In the Middle Ages, it was overshadowed by the Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the three Wise Men. It gained prominence after 800 A.D., when Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire on Christmas Day. In 17th century England, the Puritan government banned Christmas outright for 18 years, claiming it was a wasteful, sinful festival which went against true Christian values. Christmas mass was a punishable offence, as were hanging holly, dancing and feasting.

In Germany, people honored the pagan god Oden during the mid-winter holiday. Germans were terrified of Oden, as they believed he made nocturnal flights through the sky to observe his people, and then decide who would prosper or perish. Because of his presence, many people chose to stay inside.

"If you met someone in the forest you gave them the sign of peace under the mistletoe so people started to hang mistletoe above their doorways as a symbol of peace. This was such a powerful symbol of paganism that English churches actually banned the use of it," Davis said.

Davis also pointed out that the very first instance of a "war on Christmas" actually dates back to the Puritans in the mid-17th century.

"They knew all of these things, the date, the traditions, were pagan ideas. The Puritans banned Christmas for 20 years in America before the celebration became just too popular."

In fact, most of America never celebrated Christmas at first, not just the Puritans. It wasn’t until the 19th century that Americans began to embrace Christmas. Americans re-invented Christmas, and changed it from a raucous carnival holiday into a family-centered day of peace and nostalgia. But what about the 1800s piqued American interest in the holiday?

The early 19th century was a period of class conflict and turmoil. During this time, unemployment was high and gang rioting by the disenchanted classes often occurred during the Christmas season. In 1828, the New York city council instituted the city’s first police force in response to a Christmas riot. This catalyzed certain members of the upper classes to begin to change the way Christmas was celebrated in America.In 1819, best-selling author Washington Irving wrote The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, gent., a series of stories about the celebration of Christmas in an English manor house. The sketches feature a squire who invited the peasants into his home for the holiday. In contrast to the problems faced in American society, the two groups mingled effortlessly. In Irving’s mind, Christmas should be a peaceful, warm-hearted holiday bringing groups together across lines of wealth or social status. Irving’s fictitious celebrants enjoyed “ancient customs,” including the crowning of a Lord of Misrule. Irving’s book, however, was not based on any holiday celebration he had attended—in fact, many historians say that Irving’s account actually “invented” tradition by implying that it described the true customs of the season.

Also around this time, English author Charles Dickens created the classic holiday tale, A Christmas Carol. The story’s message-the importance of charity and good will towards all humankind-struck a powerful chord in the United States and England and showed members of Victorian society the benefits of celebrating the holiday.

The family was also becoming less disciplined and more sensitive to the emotional needs of children during the early 1800s. Christmas provided families with a day when they could lavish attention-and gifts-on their children without appearing to “spoil” them.

Although it outlasted the Puritans, Christmas remained frowned-upon for decades in some parts of America, and didn't become a legally recognized federal holiday until 1870. By that time, the Victorians had revolutionized the yuletide season, steering it away from bawdy revelling towards gift-giving, with many of the recognizable symbols and rituals we know today.

As Americans began to embrace Christmas as a perfect family holiday, old customs were unearthed. People looked toward recent immigrants and Catholic and Episcopalian churches to see how the day should be celebrated. In the next 100 years, Americans built a Christmas tradition all their own that included pieces of many other customs, including decorating trees, sending holiday cards and gift-giving.

Although most families quickly bought into the idea that they were celebrating Christmas how it had been done for centuries, Americans had really re-invented a holiday to fill the cultural needs of a growing nation.

Is Christmas Really the Day Jesus Was Born?

In the early years of Christianity, the birth of Jesus was not celebrated. The Bible offers few clues: Celebrations of Jesus’ Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. Why did the early Catholic Church adopt the pagan holiday of Christmas?  Tertullian railed against the entire season as a time of wholly heathen practices. In the fourth century, church officials decided to institute the birth of Jesus as a holiday. Unfortunately, the Bible does not mention date for his birth (a fact Puritans later pointed out in order to deny the legitimacy of the celebration). Although some evidence suggests that his birth may have occurred in the spring (why would shepherds be herding in the middle of winter?), but The Plain Truth believes that Christ was born during the seventh month.  Either the Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, or during the Feast itself.

Pope Julius I chose December 25. It is commonly believed that the church chose this date in an effort to adopt and absorb the traditions of the pagan Saturnalia festival. First called the Feast of the Nativity, the custom spread to Egypt by 432 and to England by the end of the sixth century.

Santa or Satan- Is it just in the spelling?

The popular-culture perception of Santa Claus typically involves images of elves, reindeer and the North Pole. However, the white-bearded figure associated with Christianity’s major holiday has pagan roots.

For those unfamiliar with the origins of Santa Claus, here are five influences associated with the folk figure:

 

Santa Claus is primarily linked to St. Nicholas, the Greek bishop of Myra, a Roman town in Turkey. St. Nicholas lived during the third and fourth centuries; Between 1200 and 1500, gift-giving celebrations took place on St. Nicholas’ Day, Dec. 6. After the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic saint lost prominence, but the tradition continued. This time, the gift giving was attributed to baby Jesus. Since the infant could carry only so many presents, he was given a helper who encouraged good behavior from children -- and threatened them with kidnappings or whippings otherwise.

St. Nicholas is commonly linked to Odin, the ruler of Asgard, one of the major gods in Germanic mythology who was depicted as a white-bearded man with magical powers. However, Odin’s ties to Santa Claus may be more pronounced. The winter solstice, also known as Yule, was a time when Odin led a hunting party, known as the Wild Hunt, in the sky with an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. The 13th century Poetic Edda said the mythical horse could leap great distances -- a trait reindeer possess. Children would leave their boots by the chimney filled with carrots and hay to feed Sleipnir. Legend has it that whenever Odin flew by he would leave gifts by their boots, as About.com noted.

After Christianity took hold, this practice was later adopted in relation to St. Nicholas. Children would leave their shoes on the windowsill or bedroom door on the evening of Dec. 5 for the saint to reward them with nuts, fruits and sweets, as CatholicCulture.org pointed out.

Santa Claus Has the Habits of a Pedophile

In America, people are constantly on guard against the sexual violation of children. Yet, when it comes to Santa Claus, we soften our defense. When we listen to the song Santa Claus is Coming to Town, several red flags are set off. Consider the following lyrics: “he sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake”. The question is: from where is Santa watching?! From outside our children’s bedroom window in a ski mask? Or did he place a small camera inside a teddy bear – and he is watching from a white van around the block?

The entire profile of Santa Claus would merit a criminal investigation if it belonged to anyone else. After all, he is a grown man who devotes all of his vigor to other people’s children. Does that sound normal to you?! Go ahead: try going to a playground and handing out “gifts” to random youth. It will take all but 2.5 seconds before their parents intervene and suspect you of being a pervert. So why is that we teach our children that a strange man slides down the chimney in the middle of the night to distribute presents?! In a roundabout way, we are normalizing the foreign surveillance of children in the name of ‘discipline’.

 Some complain about the war on Christmas—an attempt to remove the holiday from its Christian roots. But in reality, Christmas it is a celebration that has snowballed from our earliest cultures, gathering new meanings and rituals as it's travelled across the world and through time. That might alarm some, but it shouldn't—after all, not even the hard-grafting Puritans could stop the irresistible pull of the holiday. Christmas' popularity around the globe has given us a common language and a sense of shared identity. Even pre-Christian winter festivals celebrated coming together, the emergence of new life and the triumph of light over darkness.

 

Regardless of fond memories or whether "everyone does it," a true Christian will reject Christmas, not only because of the commercialism, the pagan influence, and the impossibility of Jesus being born mid-winter, but more fundamentally because Christ refuses to have any part with idolatry (2 Corinthians 6:15–16). Christ was never part of Christmas and He will not be "put back" in Christmas. In reality Christmas should be called X-MASS!

God commands us to "learn not the way of the heathen" (Jeremiah 10:2, KJV), reveals that pagan celebrations are abominations to Him (Jeremiah 10:3–4; Ezekiel 8:13–14), and tells us not to change what was taught through Christ and the Apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Once this truth is understood, a true Christian will shudder at the idea of celebrating Christmas, realizing that these winter solstice celebrations are indeed Satan's celebrations.

To learn more, watch the powerful Tomorrow's World telecasts, "Christmas: The Missing Message" and "Insight into Christmas," or read the insightful article "Should Christians Keep Christmas?" (Note: The Plain Truth has no connections with this television broadcast, but do recommend many of their shows for those wanting to learn more about God's Word.)

On the evening of Oct. 5, 1843, things were looking bleak for 31-year-old Charles Dickens. Even though he was the superstar author of the wildly popular “The Pickwick Papers” and “The Adventures of Oliver Twist” – and that evening’s keynote speaker at an important charitable event – inside the man was in turmoil.

As young celebrities often do, Dickens (the father of five) had overspent. After a string of successful books, the great writer suddenly seemed to lose his way. He produced a couple of duds – and then slipped into debt.

Debt was a particularly horrifying prospect for Dickens. As a boy he watched his father go to jail for unpaid bills, a searing experience of which he would write, “I never afterwards forgot, I shall never forget, I never can forget.”

By 1843, Dickens was mired in woes. “[H]is marriage was troubled, his career tottering, his finances ready to collapse,” writes Les Standiford. The fabled author was even asking himself if he should give up fiction writing.

What happened next seems a kind of Victorian-era Christmas miracle.

After making his speech, Dickens wandered disconsolately through the dark streets of Manchester. But as he walked, an idea for a story suddenly came to him. If he could quickly turn that story into a book – a Christmas story in time for the season – perhaps he could earn £1,000. Such a sum, he reckoned, might extricate him from debt.

So, as Standiford recounts in The Man Who Invented Christmas: How Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits, in just six weeks Dickens sat down and wrote a classic of Western literature.

FDR Sppech to Congress December 8, 1941

Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.

No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces - with the unbounding determination of our people - we will gain the inevitable triumph - so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941,  a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.

LISTEN TO THE SPEECH

Dec 7th 2019 update

Last survivor of the USS Arizona that was sunk at Pearl Harbor is laid to rest with his crew-mates as divers take his ashes down to the ship and veterans gather on the anniversary of tragedy

Mr & Mrs Turkey driving in their freshly painted car (DONE IN TAMCO PAINT OF COURSE). on their way to church on Thanksgiving.  They made another year!

Don't believe the hype of liberal supporting billionaires who want higher taxes... They want them for YOU- not them!

WASHINGTON (AP) — The rich really are different from you and me: They’re better at dodging the tax man.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011. Tesla founder Elon Musk’s income tax bill came to zero in 2018. And financier George Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax, according to a report out Tuesday from the nonprofit investigative journalism organization ProPublica.

Overall, the richest 25 Americans pay less in tax — 15.8% of adjusted gross income — than many ordinary workers do, once you include taxes for Social Security and Medicare, ProPublica found.

An anonymous source delivered to ProPublica reams of Internal Revenue Service data on the country’s wealthiest people, including Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Rupert Murdoch and Mark Zuckerberg. 

ProPublica compared the tax data it received with information available from other sources. It reported that “in every instance we were able to check — involving tax filings by more than 50 separate people — the details provided to ProPublica matched the information from other sources.’’ 

Using perfectly legal tax strategies, many of the uber-rich are able to whittle their federal tax bills down to nothing or close to it. Soros went three straight years without paying federal income tax; billionaire investor Carl Icahn, two, ProPublica finds. 

The findings are sure to heighten the national debate over the vast and widening inequality between the very wealthiest Americans and everyone else.

ProPublica reports that the tax bills of the rich are especially low when compared with their soaring wealth — the value of their investment portfolios, real estate and other assets.

'Do you think a rich person should pay taxes no matter what?' Billionaire Carl Icahn DEFENDS revelation that America's richest have paid ZERO income tax following IRS leak

Corporate raider Carl Icahn, who is ranked the 40th wealthiest American with an estimated fortune of $14.9 billion, did not pay any federal income tax in 2016 and 2017. The 85-year-old's tax records were included in the trove of confidential IRS records that was made public on Tuesday by ProPublica. Icahn says he paid the taxes he owed and that he registered losses because interest on his loans was higher than his income. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011, while Tesla boss Elon Musk's income tax bill came to zero in 2018. Investor George Soros went three straight years - between 2016 and 2018 - without paying federal income tax. Law enforcement and the IRS are now investigating the leak. ProPublica say they don't know who provided the data and acknowledged the possibility it could have come from 'a state actor hostile to American interests'.

Guns in Hollywood 101: NO REAL GUN IS ALLOWED ON THE SET!  This is more of a Columbo Murder Mystery than an accident!

Why WAS a gun on Alec Baldwin movie set loaded with live ammo? Mystery over events that led to actor killing cinematographer - after his stunt double ALSO fired off bullets on production overseen by daughter, 24, of legendary sharpshooter

The deadly chain of events on set that led to Alec Baldwin being handed a gun with live ammunition and accidentally shooting and killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins have become clearer after it emerged last night the actor fired a live round, believing it to be a blank. The tragic accident came days after Baldwin's stunt double also fired off bullets on the production's set on Saturday after being told the gun was 'cold', a phrase used to signal to cast and crew the gun is not loaded with live or blank ammunition and is safe to fire for the scene. New details of safety issues on set emerged as the production's armorer was named by a search warrant released on Friday as 24-year-old Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the daughter of legendary Hollywood armorer and firearms consultant Thell Reed, and revealed she was leading firearms on a film set for only the second time. Baldwin accidentally killed Hutchins when he aimed and fired towards a camera operated by the cinematographer, striking her in the chest and director Joel Souza in the shoulder. After firing the shot, Baldwin was heard saying: 'In all my years, I've never been handed a hot gun.' Experts yesterday told DailyMail.com safety on set is usually extremely tight with live bullets never used in filming and it remains unclear why a firearm loaded with live ammunition was on the Rust set at all.

'He's supposed to check the guns, he's responsible': Panicked 911 calls from Alec Baldwin tragedy reveal how script supervisor blamed assistant director for death of cinematographer - but why did ANY of the guns have live ammo?

Audio recordings from the 911 calls made from the set of Rust have shown panicked attempts to get ambulances on the scene. A cinematographer, Halyna Hutchins (top right), was killed and the film's director Joel Souza (bottom right) injured when the star of the film, Alec Baldwin (top left) pulled the trigger. Baldwin has said he is devastated by the accident. In the 911 calls, Mamie Mitchell, a script supervisor, urgently asks for an ambulance. She then blames the assistant director for his handling of the guns.

What could have gone wrong on Alec Baldwin movie set that led to fatal accident? A squib load? Or prop gun was loaded with live bullet - which looks similar to a blank - accidentally? 

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