Some Saturday Thoughts

I received an e-mail yesterday which contained this tirade by Richard Dawkins, Darwin worshipper, atheist, and general all around malcontent.  "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully." 

Apparently he has not been to a manger.

Some Hanukkah facts from various sources.
The word is from the Hebrew word for, "dedication," or, "consecration."  It "marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after its desecration by the forces of the King of Syria, Antiochus IV Epiphanes and commemorates the 'miracle of the container of oil.'"  According to the Talmud, at the rededication following the victory of the Maccabees over the Seleucid Empire, there was only enough consecrated olive oil to fuel the eternal flame in the Temple for one day.  Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, which was the length of time it took to press, prepare and consecrate fresh olive oil.
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Eighteen year old Norwegian, Peter Torjesen, "when he heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2