MSNBC Headline: "Some megachurches to be closed on Christmas." Given my own experience with High Holidays, I find that kind of funny and completely weird.
"A youth wing affiliated with Indonesia's largest Muslim group Nahdlatul Ulama, some 40 million strong, told Reuters that members would guard churches for the coming Christmas festivities and it had persuaded youths from other religions to join the project."
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I find this really strange. How it was last years?
Joe, what experiences regarding the High Holidays are you referring to?
Am I forgetting a post on the subject? Or are you referring to the common practice of charging for reserved seats for services at most shuls? (A practice that I have no quarrel with.)
Merry Christmas to you, your co-bloggers, and your readers!
voted for the winds here
http://weblogawards.org/2005/12/best_group_blog.php
For us, the High Holidays are the day when everyone is in synagogue (so many, that they have to restrict seating to members and even then, it's a challenge).
The article did explain the rationale, but the idea of closing the house of worship on the holiest day of the year is... different.
I do not think, that there is a necessity to close a temple on a holiday. (IMHO
Maybe I can offer some explanation for this.
I stress the maybe here, as the denominational
preference...if any.. of the "Megachurches" I do
not know. Having said that, I do know, as a "Fundemental" Christian, that some Churches which
fall into this "Category" shy away from observances
of the "Traditional" Christmas as well as Easter.
This is due to the percieved notion that these
observances have thier root in Pagan festivals,
which of course is true.
As to the Muslim defense of others religious festivals...I am grateful to hear of it.
And may the Lord God BLESS them.
Denny
Maybe we can compare Christmas to Passover. Most Jews don't go to synagogue on Passover.