https://infogalactic.com/info/International_Holocaust_Remembrance_Day

https://infogalactic.com/info/Genocides_in_history

Didn't Trump create a day to remember victims of Communism which are many more million?

Also is there an abortion remembrance day, as that death toll is many figures higher as well unfortunately?

It's a short interview if you haven't seen it, I can sum it up without you watching probably: basically the (transgender I guess) lead mod of the antiwork subreddit is a part time dogwalker who "aspires to teach philosophy" and basically gave an interview a lot of reddit judged to be not what they wanted and made them look like stereotypically not as good in the public's eye.

But many of the redditers are confused, antiwork is based on anarchist / individualist (?) / anarcho-primitivist Bob Black's essay "Abolish Work", which more or less was calling for work reform but thinking itself to be "abolishing work" - acknowledging there was necessary labor, but was in favor of making work as voluntary as possible. Not necessarily a bad idea, or I think there's something that can be salvaged from that. But reddit wanted antiwork to be for work reform outright while antiwork was more for finding ways to do the least amount of work possible, and then conservatives wanted to be against the work reform, and "Doreen" just rebelled against both. Kind of refreshingly consistent to me, in a way.

So some redditers are mad because "Doreen" only works part time, and is not as "gainfully employed" to lead their "movement". The problem is, those redditers are of a different movement - the work reform movement, so a workreform subreddit gained a lot of subscribers. Antiwork is more about "abolishing" work - Bob Black has written positively about the hunter-gatherers who supposedly only worked 20 hours a week according to some modern anthropology. So "Doreen" probably feels their few hours of work is closer to this ideal.

I argue this view of hunter gatherers is revisionist and such conditions never existed, I argue literally Adam and Eve were created with some civilization and so there were no "original hunter gatherers" as Sahlins has argued there were in the 1970s (this anthropological view is recent, about how "great" hunter gatherer life apparently was). Anprim John Zerzan was dismissive of my argument via email, although strictly speaking it cannot be disproven as their theory cannot be proven. So I believe they have faulty anthropological assumptions which make "anarcho-primitivism" and working less seem more attractive.

As an anarchist, "Doreen" doesn't care about making eye contact, looking presentable, cleaning up the room, etc. that redditers were complaining about. Really is influenced by the old punk movements which have all but died today in my opinion. A lot of "libertarians" are basically conformists who want to dress up and play the part - which isn't really all that pro-freedom, for people who don't want to do all those things. So part of me likes this part of "Doreen's" nonconformity (while I don't really like the "transgender" part for example), although I can understand that other people were looking for more polish on a seeming "official spokesperson".

There's an enormous amount of waste that some people have been able to find ways to live off of, and "Doreen" strikes me as being part of this movement (see for example "freeganism", the idea of gift economics, etc.). The math seems somewhat sound that there's so much waste or productivity gains that people could, in theory, if it was all divided up equally, work a few hours a week if they wanted, which "Doreen" wants and lives a bit. But of course we know in practice the world is simply an unfair struggle at times and these "fair distributions of wealth" will not take place except for whatever we can figure out to create.

The source of outrage is basically a mismatch between these two philosophies of work reform and work abolition. As Bob Black wrote, as an analogy to slavery, he was not for "slavery reform" but "slavery abolition". They think work is slavery - but necessary work is ok. At the end of the day in my estimation they're still basically for work reform, but want to think of themselves more as abolitionists.

Bob Black is an academic I believe, so it's no surprise that "Doreen", looking up to him, wants to be a philosophy teacher as well. Zerzan is a professor, anyway, and they've had similar views.

Anyway, any thoughts on these related topics of anti-work, post-left, anarcho-primitivism, etc.?

https://infogalactic.com/info/Epiphany_season

The Epiphany season, also known as Epiphanytide, is in some churches recognized as a liturgical period following the Christmas season (Christmastide).

Until 1955, the feast of the Epiphany in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church had an octave, and was thus celebrated from the vigil Mass on 5 January until 13 January.

So there's some shake-up from a Catholic view, as the Vatican 2 era tried to change some of these things, but some of us are observing the old traditions.

The Epiphany season extends from January 6 to Septuagesima Sunday

So, there's an octave of the Epiphany that lasts for 8 days, then there's the time after Epiphany up until Septuagesima Sunday, which is "70 days before Easter" (but not literally 70 days):

Septuagesima is the ninth Sunday before Easter, the third before Lent known among the Greeks as "Sunday of the Prodigal" from the Gospel, Luke 15, which they read on this day, called also Dominica Circumdederunt by the Latins, from the first word of the Introit of the Mass. In liturgical literature the name "Septuagesima" occurs for the first time in the Gelasian Sacramentary. Why the day (or the week, or the period) has the name Septuagesima, and the next Sunday Sexagesima, etc., is a matter of dispute among writers. It is certainly not the seventieth day before Easter, still less is the next Sunday the sixtieth, fiftieth, etc.

via Catholic encyclopedia: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13721b.htm

The term is sometimes applied also to the period that begins on this day and ends on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins. This period is also known as the pre-Lenten season or Shrovetide.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Septuagesima

"Epiphanytide's" old Gospel readings on Sundays seems to be about the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus, a time of celebration. Then I think it transitions to more of a penitential attitude with "Shrovetide" or the pre-Lenten season.

Finding these things has been nice for giving an extra sense of structure to the season, to me.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Pilgrimage

https://infogalactic.com/info/Pilgrim

A pilgrimage is a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith, although sometimes it can be a metaphorical journey into someone's own beliefs. Many religions attach spiritual importance to particular places: the place of birth or death of founders or saints, or to the place of their "calling" or spiritual awakening, or of their connection (visual or verbal) with the divine, to locations where miracles were performed or witnessed, or locations where a deity is said to live or be "housed," or any site that is seen to have special spiritual powers.

Catholic encylopedia on topic: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/12085a.htm

Full text: https://www.papalencyclicals.net/pius11/p11brenn.htm

https://infogalactic.com/info/Mit_brennender_Sorge

Mit brennender Sorge (About this sound listen (help·info) German pronunciation: [mɪt ˈbʀɛnəndɐ ˈzɔʁɡə], "With burning concern") On the Church and the German Reich is an encyclical of Pope Pius XI, issued during the Nazi era on 10 March 1937 (but bearing a date of Passion Sunday, 14 March).[1] Written in German, not the usual Latin, it was smuggled into Germany for fear of censorship and was read from the pulpits of all German Catholic churches on one of the Church's busiest Sundays, Palm Sunday (21 March that year).[2][3]

The encyclical condemned breaches of the 1933 Reichskonkordat agreement signed between the German Reich and the Holy See.[4] It condemned "pantheistic confusion", "neopaganism", "the so-called myth of race and blood", and the idolizing of the State. It contained a vigorous defense of the Old Testament with the belief that it prepares the way for the New.[5] The encyclical states that race is a fundamental value of the human community, which is necessary and honorable but condemns the exaltation of race, or the people, or the state, above their standard value to an idolatrous level.[6] The encyclical declares "that man as a person possesses rights he holds from God, and which any collectivity must protect against denial, suppression or neglect."[7] National Socialism, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party are not named in the document. The term Reichsregierung is used to refer to the German government.[8]

The effort to produce and distribute over 300,000 copies of the letter was entirely secret, allowing priests across Germany to read the letter without interference.[9] The Gestapo raided the churches the next day to confiscate all the copies they could find, and the presses that had printed the letter were closed. According to historian Ian Kershaw, an intensification of the general anti-church struggle began around April in response to the encyclical.[10] Scholder wrote: "state officials and the Party reacted with anger and disapproval. Nevertheless the great reprisal that was feared did not come. The concordat remained in force and despite everything the intensification of the battle against the two churches which then began remained within ordinary limits."[11] The regime further constrained the actions of the Church and harassed monks with staged prosecutions for alleged immorality and phony abuse trials.[12] Though Hitler is not named in the encyclical, it does refer to a "mad prophet" that some say refers to Hitler himself.[13]

https://infogalactic.com/info/Plough_Monday

Plough Monday is the traditional start of the English agricultural year. While local practices may vary, Plough Monday is generally the first Monday after Twelfth Day (Epiphany), 6 January.[2][3] References to Plough Monday date back to the late 15th century.[3] The day before Plough Monday is sometimes referred to as Plough Sunday.

The day traditionally saw the resumption of work after the Christmas period. In some areas, particularly in northern England and East England, a plough was hauled from house to house in a procession, collecting money. They were often accompanied by musicians, an old woman or a boy dressed as an old woman, called the "Bessy", and a man in the role of the "fool". 'Plough Pudding' is a boiled suet pudding, containing meat and onions. It is from Norfolk and is eaten on Plough Monday.[2]

I saw a viral video about a guy who said his town in New Jersey did not enforce prohibition law at all back in the 1900s, with the consequence that he, as a minor, could go in to a bar and get a drink. Interesting thought to consider in the face of unjust legislation today, that there were places in the past that just didn't enforce certain laws thought to be unjust.

What kind of other questions might we ask of elders, to understand some of the past that might help us make good decisions going forward?

"Those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it"

https://infogalactic.com/info/Epiphany_season

I guess there are some modern shakeups with this in the Vatican 2 era, some of us are following the old tradition here:

Until 1955, the feast of the Epiphany in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church had an octave, and was thus celebrated from the vigil Mass on 5 January until 13 January. After Pope Pius XII removed this octave, the liturgy of those days continued to use the same texts as previously, thus giving to the period until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, which replaced the Octave Day of the Epiphany, a special character

This defined the season of Christmas as extending from First Vespers of Christmas to 13 January inclusive, and divided this season into Christmastide, ending just before First Vespers of the Epiphany, and Epiphany ... from then until 13 January inclusive (one week).[11]

So Christmastide (the time after Christmas) was either defined as ending on January 5th (Epiphany), January 13th (Octave Day of Epiphany), or February 2nd (Candlemas): https://infogalactic.com/info/Christmastide

By the letter of the law, those (sedevacantists) who follow Pius XII as the last pope would then probably observe the abolished Octave of the Epiphany, but a perhaps more common approach by the spirit of the law has been to reject these changes (like the Easter week changes) as being leaning in a destructive modernist direction.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Epiphany_(holiday)

Epiphany (Koine Greek: Ἐπιφάνεια, Epiphaneia, "Manifestation", "striking appearance")[1] or Theophany[2] (Ancient Greek: (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια, Τheophaneia meaning "Vision of God"),[3] also known as Three Kings' Day,[4] is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God in his Son as human in Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles.[5][6] Moreover, the feast of the Epiphany, in some Western Christian denominations, also initiates the liturgical season of Epiphanytide.[7][8] Eastern Christians, on the other hand, commemorate the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.[9]

The traditional date for the feast is January 6.

In many Western Christian Churches, the eve of the feast is celebrated as Twelfth Night.[12][13] The Monday after Epiphany is known as Plough Monday.[14]

Catholic encyclopedia on the topic: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05504c.htm

edit:

On the Feast of the Epiphany in some parts of central Europe the priest, wearing white vestments, blesses Epiphany water, frankincense, gold, and chalk. The chalk is used to write the initials of the three magi over the doors of churches and homes. The letters stand for the initials of the Magi (traditionally named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar), and also the phrase Christus mansionem benedicat, which translates as "may Christ bless the house".

The Nazis were "national socialists", or nationalists, conservatives, and socialists. But you don't have to be a Nazi to be a conservative and socialist. I don't hear much of this combination of views. I think at times I might identify with "conservatarian socialism". I think if people have freedom, they might tend to use it in "socialist" ways at times rather than capitalist ones. Projects like Wikipedia, or conversations on forums here, are for nonprofit gain - there may not be an exchange of text for monetary profit, but everyone is kind of contributing ideas which allows for a voluntary collective enrichment. I think that's completely fine, a voluntary socialism. I don't define socialism as being government collectively owning things - I'd call that statist socialism, in contrast to libertarian socialism. An intellectual "commons" of shared knowledge isn't Communist or State Socialism, I don't think.

Anyway, has anyone given thought to the idea of combining socialism and conservatism together?

Is this already a thing?

edit: probably should have added this for consideration, the Apostles seemed to have observed a kind of, not communism, but communalism:

"And all they that believed, were together, and had all things common." Acts 2:44

https://infogalactic.com/info/Twelfth_Night_(holiday)

Twelfth Night is a festival ... marking the coming of the Epiphany.

The Epiphany traditionally being celebrated on the 6th by certain in the West.

In Western Church traditions the Twelfth Night concludes the Twelve Days of Christmas

Bruce Forbes wrote that " "In 567 the Council of Tours proclaimed that the entire period between Christmas and Epiphany should be considered part of the celebration, creating what became known as the twelve days of Christmas, or what the English called Christmastide. On the last of the twelve days, called Twelfth Night, various cultures developed a wide range of additional special festivities. The variation extends even to the issue of how to count the days. If Christmas Day is the first of the twelve days, then Twelfth Night would be on January 5, the eve of Epiphany. If December 26, the day after Christmas, is the first day, then Twelfth Night falls on January 6, the evening of Epiphany itself."[5]

Origins and history

In medieval and Tudor England, the Twelfth Night marked the end of a winter festival that started on All Hallows Eve — now more commonly known as Halloween. The Lord of Misrule symbolizes the world turning upside down. On this day the King and all those who were high would become the peasants and vice versa. At the beginning of the Twelfth Night festival, a cake that contained a bean was eaten. The person who found the bean would rule the feast. Midnight signaled the end of his rule and the world would return to normal. The common theme was that the normal order of things was reversed. This Lord of Misrule tradition dates back to pre-Christian European festivals such as the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia.[7]

Traditions

Food and drink are the centre of the celebrations in modern times, and all of the most traditional ones go back many centuries. The punch called wassail is consumed especially on Twelfth Night, but throughout Christmas time, especially in the UK. Around the world, special pastries, such as the tortell and king cake are baked on Twelfth Night, and eaten the following day for the Feast of the Epiphany celebrations. In English and French custom, the Twelfth-cake was baked to contain a bean and a pea, so that those who received the slices containing them should be designated king and queen of the night's festivities.[8]

In Ireland, it is still the tradition to place the statues of the Three Kings in the crib on Twelfth Night or, at the latest, the following Day Little Christmas.

In colonial America, a Christmas wreath was always left up on the front door of each home, and when taken down at the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, any edible portions would be consumed with the other foods of the feast. The same held true in the 19th-20th centuries with fruits adorning Christmas trees. Fresh fruits were hard to come by, and were therefore considered fine and proper gifts and decorations for the tree, wreaths, and home. Again, the tree would be taken down on Twelfth Night, and such fruits, along with nuts and other local produce used, would then be consumed.

I was vaguely aware of the day being the Epiphany celebration but didn't think about any connection: https://infogalactic.com/info/Epiphany_(holiday)

Maybe just an attempt to overshadow good with bad?

For some, it signifies the end of the Christmas season: maybe it was an attempt to signify the end of the Trump era?

sometimes there are coincidences and sometimes not

https://infogalactic.com/info/Feast_of_the_Circumcision_of_Christ

The Feast of the Circumcision of Christ is a Christian celebration of the circumcision of Jesus in accordance with Jewish tradition, eight days (according to the Semitic and southern European calculation of intervals of days)[1] after his birth, the occasion on which the child was formally given his name.[2][3]

The circumcision took place, not in the Temple, though painters sometimes so represent it, but in the home.[3]

The circumcision of Jesus has traditionally been seen, as explained in the popular 14th-century work the Golden Legend, as the first time the blood of Christ was shed, and thus the beginning of the process of the redemption of man, and a demonstration that Christ was fully human, and of his obedience to Biblical law.

Catholic encyclopedia: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03779a.htm

As Christ wished to fulfil the law and to show His descent according to the flesh from Abraham. He, though not bound by the law, was circumcised on the eighth day (Luke 2:21), and received the sublime name expressive of His office, Jesus, i.e. Saviour. He was, as St. Paul says, "made under the law", i.e. He submitted to the Mosaic Dispensation, "that he might redeem them who were under the law: that we might receive the adoption of sons" (Galatians 4:4, 5). "The Christ, in order to fulfil all justice, was required to endure this humiliation, and bear in His body the stigma of the sins which He had taken upon Himself" (Fouard, A Life of Jesus, tr., I, 54). The circumcision took place, not in the Temple, though painters sometimes so represent it, but in some private house, where the Holy Family had found a rather late hospitality. The public ceremony in the synagogue, which is now the usage, was introduced later. Christmas was celebrated on 25 December, even in the early centuries, at least by the Western Church, whence the date was soon adopted in the East also. (See CHRISTMAS). Saint Chrysostom credits the West with the tradition, and St. Augustine speaks of it as well and long established.

Consequently the Circumcision fell on the first of January. In the ages of paganism, however, the solemnization of the feast was almost impossible, on account of the orgies connected with the Saturnalian festivities, which were celebrated at the same time. Even in our own day the secular features of the opening of the New Year interfere with the religious observance of the Circumcision, and tend to make a mere holiday of that which should have the sacred character of a Holy Day. St. Augustine points out the difference between the pagan and the Christian manner of celebrating the day: pagan feasting and excesses were to be expiated by Christian fasting and prayer (P.L., XXXVIII, 1024 sqq.; Serm. cxcvii, cxcviii).

https://infogalactic.com/info/Father_Time

Father Time is the anthropomorphized depiction of time.

Father Time is usually depicted as an elderly bearded man, dressed in a robe and carrying a scythe and an hourglass or other timekeeping device (which represents time's constant one-way movement, and more generally and abstractly, entropy). This image derives from several sources, including the Grim Reaper and Chronos, the Greek Titan of human time, reaping and calendars, or the Lord of Time.

Around New Year's Eve, the media (in particular editorial cartoons) use the convenient trope[1] of Father Time as the personification of the previous year (or "the Old Year") who typically "hands over" the duties of time to the equally allegorical Baby New Year (or "the New Year") or who otherwise characterizes the preceding year.[2][3] In these depictions, Father Time is usually depicted wearing a sash with the old year's date on it.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Baby_New_Year

The Baby New Year is a personification of the start of the New Year commonly seen in editorial cartoons. He symbolizes the "birth" of the next year and the "passing" of the prior year; in other words, a "rebirth".[1] Baby New Year's purpose varies by myth, but he generally performs some sort of ceremonial duty over the course of his year such as chronicling[2] the year's events or presiding over the year as a symbol.[3]

The myth most associated with him is that he is a baby at the beginning of his year, but Baby New Year quickly ages until he is elderly (like Father Time, with whom he is often associated[4]) at the end of his year. Very rarely is the Baby New Year depicted as any age other than a baby or as a very old man. Some stories, especially those with depictions of years past, will have him bear a strong likeness to key events in his time.[5] At this point, he hands over his duties to the next Baby New Year, while he either dies or remains in this state and retires.[6]

While these are secular myths, I see a likeness to God the Father as Father of Time (Father Time) and to the infant Christ as being like Baby New Year, as Christ brings about the opportunity of new life, new birth, and ultimately of the salvation of souls.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Twelve_Days_of_Christmas

The Twelve Days of Christmas, also known as Twelvetide, is a festive Christian season to celebrate the nativity of Jesus. In most Western Church traditions Christmas Day is the First Day of Christmas and the Twelve Days are 25 December – 5 January.[1]

New Year's Eve on 31 December is the feast of Saint Sylvester and is known also as Silvester. The transition that evening to the new year is an occasion for secular festivities in many countries,and in several languages is known by names such as Saint Sylvester Night: Notte di San Silvestro in Italian, Silvesternacht in German, Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre in French, סילבסטר in Hebrew.

https://infogalactic.com/info/Silvester

Silvester (also spelled sylvester, szilveszter, or sylwester) is the day of the Feast of Pope Sylvester I, a saint who served as Pope of the Catholic Church from 314 to 335 and oversaw both the First Council of Nicaea and Roman Emperor Constantine I's conversion to Christianity.[1]

Back to first link:

Other liturgical feasts that fall within the Octave of Christmas and so also within the Twelve Days of Christmas and that are included in the General Roman Calendar are: Saint John the Apostle (27 December); the Holy Innocents (28 December); Saint Thomas Becket (29 December); and the Feast of the Holy Family (Sunday within the Octave of Christmas or, if there is no such Sunday, 30 December). Outside the Octave, but within the Twelve Days of Christmas, there are the celebrations of Saints Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus on 2 January, and the Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus on 3 January.

Late Antiquity and Middle Ages

The Second Council of Tours of 567 noted that, in the area for which its bishops were responsible, the days between Christmas and Epiphany were, like the month of August, taken up entirely with saints' days. Monks were therefore in principle not bound to fast on those days.[11] However, the first three days of the year were to be days of prayer and penance so that faithful Christians would refrain from participating in the idolatrous practices and debauchery associated with the new year celebrations. The Fourth Council of Toledo (633) ordered a strict fast on those days, on the model of the Lenten fast.[12][13]

Celebrants observing the Twelve Days may give gifts on each of them, with each day of the Twelve Days representing a wish for a corresponding month of the new year. They feast and otherwise celebrate the entire time through Epiphany morning. Lighting a candle for each day has become a modern tradition in the U.S. and of course singing the appropriate verses of the famous song each day is also an important and fun part of the American celebrations. Some also light a Yule Log on the first night (Christmas) and let it burn some each of the twelve nights. Some Americans have their own traditional foods to serve each night.

For some, Twelfth Night remains the biggest night for parties and gift-giving. Some households exchange gifts on the first (25 December) and last (5 January) days of the season. As in olden days, Twelfth Night to Epiphany morning is then the traditional time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations.

Other links:

https://infogalactic.com/info/Twelfth_Night_(holiday)

https://infogalactic.com/info/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song)

edit: fixed first link

Invidious link (Youtube Frontend, click one of instances to right on page): https://invidio.us/watch?v=HOOkUr9KnPM

Or Plain Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOOkUr9KnPM

https://infogalactic.com/info/Auld_Lang_Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːl(d) lɑŋˈsəin]: note "s" rather than "z")[1] is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788[2][3] and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight.

Also sung at graduations or to end other occasions.

The song's Scots title may be translated into standard English as "old long since", or more idiomatically, "long long ago",[4] "days gone by" or "old times". Consequently, "For auld lang syne", as it appears in the first line of the chorus, might be loosely translated as "for (the sake of) old times".

The song begins by posing a rhetorical question as to whether it is right that old times be forgotten, and is generally interpreted as a call to remember long-standing friendships.[9]

https://infogalactic.com/info/Hogmanay#.22Auld_Lang_Syne.22

It is now common to sing this in a circle of linked arms that are crossed over one another as the clock strikes midnight for New Year's Day, though it is only intended that participants link arms at the beginning of the final verse, co-ordinating with the lines of the song that contain the lyrics to do so. Typically, it is only in Scotland this practice is carried out correctly.[32]

Herod Slaughters Infants (Matthew 2:16-18)

16 Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:

18 A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. (from Jeremiah 31:1-30)

Catholic encyclopedia: https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07419a.htm

Infogalactic: http://infogalactic.com/info/Massacre_of_the_Innocents

Looks like something like this has been posted in other wins but maybe not here:

Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by radical Black activist Ron Karenga, a felon convicted of assault and false imprisonment after he tortured two women.

https://www.conservapedia.com/Kwanzaa

During the early years of Kwanzaa, Karenga said that it was meant to be an "oppositional alternative" to Christmas.[6] However, as Kwanzaa gained mainstream adherents, Karenga altered his position so that practicing Christians would not be alienated, then stating in the 1997 Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture, "Kwanzaa was not created to give people an alternative to their own religion or religious holiday."

https://infogalactic.com/info/Kwanzaa

For Karenga, a major figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the creation of such holidays also underscored an essential premise that "you must have a cultural revolution before before the violent revolution. The cultural revolution gives identity, purpose and direction."[5]

So it was intentionally created as kind of anti-white, anti-Christian, anti-Western culture kind of tradition. But in some ways I imagine it's been stripped of that original intent, or I imagine a lot of people who do keep up the tradition probably don't care about this philosophy explicitly (although they may do so implicitly) - although probably some others do.

What do you think of the history of Kwanzaa and what it is today?

https://infogalactic.com/info/St._Stephen%27s_Day

Lesson from the Acts of Apostles

Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59

In those days, Stephen, full of grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people. But there arose some from the synagogue which is called that of the Freedmen, and of the Cyrenians and of the Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and the province of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit Who spoke. Now as they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and gnashed their teeth at him. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed upon him all together. And they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And while they were stoning Stephen he prayed and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, Lord, do not lay this sin against them. And with these words he fell asleep.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/23/kelly-clarksons-2021-anthem-christmas-isnt-cancelled-just-you/

Kelly Clarkson won’t let the drama that is 2021 drag down what was once hyped as the happiest time of the year — hence her new single: “Christmas Isn’t Cancelled (Just You).”

COVID-19 pandemic and cancel culture be damned: ‘Tis the season for advance revelry says Clarkson

With cancel culture being at an all-time high in 2021, Clarkson crafted the perfect single to culminate a year full of canceled people, holidays, books and more.

It was the year of people being called out and declared “over” — with Dr. Seuss, Mike Richards of “Jeopardy!” and Chris Harrison of “The Bachelor” franchise being the most recent casualties of the trend.

Before cancel culture could claim the holidays, too, Clarkson declared Christmas to be un-cancelable, leaving it to people to be ousted instead.

I'm kind of against the pop music and rock formats but I do acknowledge the potential cultural impact of millions hearing the song and message, and while the song is ostensibly about a romantic break up (divorce), the message also comes off as being against the War on Christmas that the "Impuritans" / Grinches / Scrooges want to cancel this year; but, Christmas isn't cancelled this year (just "you" - or the cancellers).

I think the practice seems wholesome and should be an occasion for sending personalized information around or updates on life or insights or wisdom learned through experiences

But in practice it seems to be an occasion where people send nice looking designs and then there's a question of who you'll send cards to and who you won't

I remember there being an initial thought that virtual cards might replace physical Christmas cards but that doesn't seem to have held up too much from what I've seen

Overall what do you think of the tradition of exchanging Christmas cards, is it ok as it is or is there a way to improve the process or is there something else that could be done instead with the same kind of spirit?

This post is for general discussion of sedevacantism, or the belief that Catholics have no pope currently.

I stumbled upon this link of writing by "Archbishop" Vigano that I wanted to respond to, where he says:

https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/ap-vigano-here-is-what-popes-ambiguous-statements-are-doing-to-the-church/?utm_source=top_news&utm_campaign=standard

And since the deposition of a heretical Pope is a canonically unresolved question on which there is no unanimous consent of canonists, anyone who would accuse Bergoglio of heresy would be going down a dead end and would obtain a result only with great difficulty.

My first question is, does he or others think that what Francis says is heresy? Is it heresy for someone else to say it? If so, then the question of a "heretical pope" is another one altogether - the first question is if anything being said could be independently thought to be heresy. Because, are bishops who say such things, or priests, or laymen, heretics, and how should their heresy be addressed if so?

Why does this matter? It is true that canonists have not determined what would be done with a pope who fell in to heresy. But, sedevacantists therefore have argued that such like Francis may have been heretics who could not have become pope in the first place, because heretics cannot become pope and the election of an heretic would be invalid. This avoids the problem of judging a "heretical pope", or the First See which is judged by no one, as Vigano notes Catholics are not to do. It simply judges that a person did not become pope in the first place.

So if, for example, certain ambiguous statements in the Vatican 2 documents are heretical, and you don't know about how to judge a heretical pope like Paul VI for teaching them, that might be a legimately unresolveable situation. But, if the documents are heretical, then no Catholic can hold to them, and the next person who tries to be elected as "pope" but yet holds to them, being an heretic, he cannot be elected and actually become pope. So then John Paul I at least would have been unable to have become pope by this logic.

Since I have frequently heard people bring up this issue of a heretical pope without dealing with the further reasoning I have noted, this makes me question if they are simply lying by misdirecting people from a resolution of this issue - has Vigano not been reached out to by a single sedevacantist who has made this argument? But, in any case, I would argue at least he seems to be ignorant of the argument or has neglected to speak publicly considering it as far as I am aware.

The declaration of Vatican II on religious liberty, Dignitatis Humanae (§2), affirms:

This Vatican Synod declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom.

We argue this is heretical ambiguity. Does a person have a right to practice a religion where children are aborted or human sacrifices performed? Plainly this principle of unrestricted religious liberty without qualification seems to be at odds with basic Christian teaching, even though certainly some liberties have been tolerated at times, opening the door for the acceptance of any sin under the banner of "religious freedom". Why even be Christian if people are "at liberty" to embrace sin without consequence?

Vigano says:

It is painful to note that this apostasy of formerly Christian nations is accompanied by Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who ought to be the Vicar of Christ, not his enemy.

How can a kingdom divided stand? (re: Mark 3:24) Are we to believe a Catholic pope is leading people to not be Catholic, in to apostasy? And if such a person is an apostate, he is not a pope, and the church he leads cannot be the Catholic Church.

After all, experience teaches us that when Bergoglio says something, he does it with a very precise purpose: to make others interpret his words in the broadest possible sense. The front pages of newspapers all over the world are announcing today: “The Pope Approves Gay Marriage” – even if technically this is not what he said. But this was exactly the result that he and the Vatican gay lobby wanted.

"But let your speech be yea, yea: no, no: and that which is over and above these, is of evil." (Matthew 5:37) If Francis speaks in ambiguities and refuses to speak plainly about Christian belief, is he not to be considered an heretic? We know that heretical meanings are being promoted through ambiguous language. Is such speaking not to be condemned in itself as heretical?

Some of us plainly reject Francis as not Catholic and not a pope, because he will not plainly profess adherence to Catholicism. We extend this to the whole Vatican 2 movement which we believe was intended to be ambiguous to push heretical interepretations while hiding behind "neutral" ambiguous phrases, and instead we embrace the pre-Vatican 2 traditional Catholic beliefs and practice insofar as is possible given the circumstances.