literature

Three Wise Men

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“My point is, to celebrate Christmas properly, you have to honour Christianity.” Jones set his glass upon the coffee table and picked up a thick cigar. “There’s a reason Christ, Christmas and Christianity all sound similar, and it’s not because the Romans had bad imaginations.”
Pewter scoffed, sipping at his own scotch. “Certainly the holiday began with Christ but society has twisted it to its own ends. I don’t recall Saint Nicholas accompanying the three kings, or the stable containing a fir tree, but to separate these elements from the idea of Christmas now is impossible.”
“So when society bastardises something to make it more popular, we must accept it?” Jones eyebrow rose.
“Certainly. Look at Judaism. Despite Israel’s unified calls to the contrary, their religion was not always persecuted, and is rarely the victim today. And yet we calmly accept the insane mumblings of their government and the US’s uneducated support of their positions, much as we accept the work of Spielberg, Lucas and Abramovovich as relating to the truth.”
The third man round the fire who had not spoken as of yet, looked up from his glass at this last comment. “The holocaust was invented by Hollywood?”
Pewter shook his head. “No, Stewart. Students of history should and do learn the horrors the Jews suffered through, but how many films have been made about China in the Second World War? More civilians were slaughtered there by the Japanese on terms of race.”
“Your point being?”
“Hollywood focuses on the holocaust, the American landings at Normandy and subsequent invasion of Germany, as if they were the only events of the war. Because of this, society begins to believe it is the truth, and this is an event only sixty years old. What will people know of the war when another sixty years has passed and the Americans are shown to win the Battle of Britain, or the fighting on the Russian front? This mass ignorance is appalling, but there is nothing the three of us can do to change it, as such we must accept it. The same theory applies to the evolution of Christmas. The holiday is no longer the property of the Christian faith.”
The three men sat in silence for a moment, staring into the burning embers of the fire, enjoying the comfort of the aged leather armchairs they occupied and considering the words of each other. After a brief time, Stewart spoke again.
“Star Wars was about the holocaust?”
Pewter laughed. “As you are aware my friend, it is possible to draw parallels between any two subjects given proper motivation. But certainly, if you relate the routing of the Rebels to that carried out by the Nazis, the film could be said to relate. The eventual victory of the Alliance follows the demise of the Emperor, or the Fuhrer, and mirrors the economic success of Jews in the new world compared to the virtual obliteration of Nazism. And the small bears are clearly analogous to the Americans; lovable, simple-minded creatures prone to acts of instinctive stupidity.”
Both men now laughed. Jones, the only American present merely smiled, used to his friend’s satire of his country.
“I presume then, that the British were represented by the various pilots in the film; valiant fighters but ultimately ineffective and needing of support?”
Pewter smiled, saluting the jab with his glass. “May I be allowed a presumption of my own then, in that you have accepted the loss of Christmas to the world?”
“On the contrary, such popular celebration of the date of Christ’s birth merely confirms an instinctive desire to be religious in the Christian tradition. One could even use such tendencies to suppose the existence of God in a paper that even heathens such as you may find to be partially worthy of merit.”
“Jesus was born in the Spring, Jones.”
“No one knows when he was born – the supposition is it was in Winter, Pewter.”
“The supposition is that it was in Winter because the Romans celebrated it during the December solstice replacing pagan celebrations dedicated to the Sun God. A ‘bastardization by society’ you seem content to live with.”
“The argument of the exact date is secondary to the celebration of the event. I do not know when Christ was born but am happy to use the 25th to remember the event.”
“And with Hollywood’s latest ‘Christmas’ film concerning Snowmen rather than Stables?”
“As you point out, there are some atrocities I cannot right. The identity of my current head of state being one of them.”
Pewter frowned with confusion. “Surely you’d support such a man, who builds his agenda on the same faith as you.”
Jones shook his own head. “Whilst I am opposed to society’s robbery of my faith, I am just as opposed to the infliction of that faith on society.”
Pewter chuckled. “Infliction?”
“Christianity is not for everyone. Someone such as yourself must surely realise this. Government is set up to serve the people and protect their right to believe, not to protect a belief and serve it to the people. To do so is a violation of law and principle”.
Lighting a thick cigar with an antique lighter, Pewter smiled at his friend. “It is pleasing to see that your own affliction of faith has not robbed you of your philosophical reasoning.”
“To believe in a Higher Purpose does not constitute madness any more so than the expectation of the English soccer team to win tournaments, perhaps even less.”
“Touché.” Pewter waved his cigar at the third man. “Stewart, you have said little since arriving. Surely there is some aspect of this year’s Winterval that you find objectionable.”
Stewart looked up from the fire. “None that we have not discussed ad naseum before. Perhaps I have grown old, but I look forward to seeing my grandchildren open their presents this year, and the family dinner in the evening. Fires and chairs such as this are wasted on critics like us and are better suited to the family environment. I am at a loss to find fault with the plans.”
Feigning shock, Pewter turned away. “My dear boy, are you ill? If there is no joy to be found in out-curmudgeoning Scrooge at this time of year, what are we three wise men to do? Surely you do not expect Jones to be happy during his prayers, or that I should dance in my empty home.”
“Perhaps, to break tradition, you should consider abandoning logic for the day and embrace society’s bastardisation.”
For the briefest of moments, Pewter’s eyes flickered beneath his white brows, but the effect was lost when he turned his head away from the fire. “Tosh, Stewart. Society may have the memory of a goldfish, but logic and traditions are all a man such as I has left. Joys in this life become fewer as we grow old, and I have no intention of abandoning two of my few remaining sources.” His gaze returned to the fire, though whether due to the changing flames or a difference of thought, the flicker in his eyes did not remain.  The three men sat in silence once more.
Three old friends sit round a fire and bound their conflicting opinions off each other. The discussion covers the birth of Christ, the many bastardisations committed by society, the holocaust, Presidential policy and... Star Wars?

Perhaps not the greatest conversation ever written, but if it promotes some consideration in the reader then it's surely a positive thing. And it's spell checked too. :)
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soloact-the-bard's avatar
Very interesting conversational work! Jesus, however, by deduction and calculation according to historical events and Jewish traditional ceremonies, was born around late September (our calender), where "Immaculate conception" was to occur around December 23-25 (our calender). (referencing a work presented by Rev. Arnold Murray, Bible and History scholar, of Shepherd's Chapel)