For years, when asked what I wanted for Christmas, I've been replying: peace on earth, good will toward men :-)
No one ever seems to recognize that this comes from the bible, Luke 2.14 to be precise!
Linus said it best in A Charlie Brown Christmas:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Merry Christmas!
Here's a longer excerpt from A Charlie Brown Christmas.
And the commentariat wishes the same to you as well!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas & all the best
ReplyDeletea few years ago steve promised he'd post on his views regarding ultimate reality. he's said buddhism is the deepest "belief system". (of course, the very use of the term "belief system" shows a lack of acquaintance with religion.) perhaps he fears derision and loss of face. but i'd expect a theoretical physicist to be very unlike dawkins et al.
ReplyDeleteyou won't believe it, but my high school physics teacher still held the record for the 50 yd dash in IOWA. he was part german aristocrat and part black he claimed. he looked all white. he told us the story of valeriy borzov. i'd already heard it at "speed camp". he told us that in that most unmalleable athletic ability a soviet, a ukranian, had proven that it was possible to make a sprinter; he needn't be born.
ReplyDeleteAND HERE'S AN ARTICLE FROM THE EUGENE REGISTER GUARD (with all the stereotypes):
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19720905&id=pd1VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LuEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5110,1059124
Peace on earth, as long as it is not an enforced peace. Good will to men and to those animals whose sentience we- in particular Christians- have arrogantly dismissed.
ReplyDeleteThere is no peace but enforced peace. War and destruction is the sad natural loot of mankind.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to all anyways!
The original Greek is somewhat less sappy in regards to the angelic Annunciation to the shepherds which would translate roughly as "on earth peace to men of good will." This of course would not apply to the S.O.B. who stole my mountain bike away from my daughter on Christmas day. If I ever catch him it will be the peace of the dead he will be enjoying.
ReplyDeleteor, as the New Revised Standard Version puts it "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors"
ReplyDeletehttp://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202&version=NRSV
People today do not even understand the wording of the 2nd amendment, let alone a 2000 year old obscure text. And yet, how writing how elevated humanity!
"People today do not even understand the wording of the 2nd amendment"
ReplyDeleteyou really are a hick. and a roman hick to boot.
"People today do not even understand the wording of the 2nd amendment,
ReplyDeletelet alone a 2000 year old obscure text. And yet, how writing has
elevated humanity!"
“If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it ought to be good enough for the children of Texas.”
You've given the most common translation, but other Bibles render the verse differently. For example, Douay Rheims (an early translation) gives, "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will."
ReplyDeleteThis is a significantly different meaning.
Anyway, Happy New Year!