Pat Orr | Guest Columnist

There are thousands of religions worldwide, but the five oldest and largest religions are usually considered the main ones. In order of their population percentage according to yourdictionary.com are, Christianity 31.5%, Islam 23.2%, Hindu 15%, Buddhism 7.1%, and Judaism at 0.2%. All other religions account for 6.7%, and those who claim no religious affiliation are 16.3%.

Why is Christmas, a holiday associated with only one religion, a worldwide phenomenon? When you look closer, Christmas starts with the New Testament believers whom we call Christians.

Of the five main religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic, each focusing on one God. Both Islam and Christianity believe their God sent one chosen messenger to redeem man, Muhammed, and Jesus, respectively. The two major differences in these two religions are what happened when each of the divine messengers died and how their followers were asked to proceed.

When Muhammed died, other leaders rose to take his place, known as caliphs. A set of laws developed requiring the devout ritual of prayer five times a day, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and completing a trip to the holy city of Mecca before death. There are other rules about dress, dietary habits, and the primary religious text is the Quran. The central dictum of Islam is to live by the will of Allah.

Judaism is the worlds oldest religion, and its holy text, the Tanakh, includes the same five books as the Christian Old Testament bible, in a different order. While Judaism shares the same God with Christianity, it stops short of treating Jesus as divine and considers him a prophet sent by God. The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God are also an important part of teaching in this faith. The Talmud is another holy text that includes extensive Jewish laws and teaching specific to Judaism.

For purposes of brevity, I will not go into detail about Hinduism or Buddhism, which both focus on following the path and prescribed laws to enlightenment and wisdom. Both religions believe reincarnation provides a path to a better understanding of the enlightened self.

The one element of Buddhism we all recognize but dont fully understand is the concept of Karma. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. Karma is akin to a divine bank account in which accounts of actions and moral life are recorded. You have work to do if you died as a Monk but are reborn as a goat. In the process of rebirth, your Karma can determine to what station in life you return.

The reason for this recitation of the worlds great religions is to help explain my understanding of the role that Christ played in the holiday we call Christmas.

One central theme repeatedly preached by Jesus and his disciples were that you could only be saved from earthly death by faith alone. He preached against the rules and regulations required of his Jewish followers, which got him nailed to a cross with thieves and murders.

Purported Christian sects and denominations that establish extensive rules, laws, and additional religious texts to be followed other than those specifically preached by Jesus and recorded and translated by his followers would not be tolerated by Jesus if he was traveling through the world today. He railed against mans laws as impediments to Gods truth.

No one can say for sure, but a painting of the nativity scene was first made famous around 1220 by the Church, looking to reinforce and humanize the birth story. The fact that Jesus was a human born of a woman had been muddled by myth and tales through the centuries.

That birth celebrated with gifts from afar by strangers dispatched by angels is the genesis of our Christmas. The entire concept that giving is better than receiving is a Christian concept that reinforces the story of Jesus willingly giving his life so that believers could be forever cleansed of sin and saved.

The resurrection of Lazarus and Jesus, both witnessed first-hand by multiple on-the-record testimonials, has forever cemented that Jesus birth is indeed a cause for global celebration.

The Christian faith in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus established the foundational belief of a better tomorrow through faith. Yes, the story of St. Nicholas dropping gold coins down the chimney of poor people is the archaic beginning of todays jolly fat guy in a red suit. Still, the original concept on which the story is based, that of helping the helpless, belongs to Jesus.

You do not have to jump through any hoops, have any surgery, wear any uniform, or even attend church to be saved by Jesus or receive his grace.

A recent Pew Research Center Survey released Dec. 14 found that the share of the American public who claim no religious affiliation has risen six points from five years ago and ten points from a decade ago.

A Fox Business poll asked why America is suffering a crime epidemic. Surprisingly, the No. 1 answer was not soft sentencing laws or liberal prosecutors. This group felt that the general breakdown of moral values in America was the root cause of the current criminal activity.

You can conclude cause and effect if you so choose. The pervasive anything goes and I have a right to do as I please mentality does not track with any major religions teachings.

As my mother told me once when at age 11, I began to question the validity of one fat guy delivering toys to the entire world in a single night; you stop believing, you stop receiving.

You can stretch, maim, trash, and discount it, but you cannot take Christ out of Christmas. I hope you celebrate the true meaning of the holiday and give the gift of love and faith to all those you care about.

If we all work to put the spiritual gifts of Christ back in Christmas, how can it hurt?

Contact Pat Orr at avreviewopinion@gmail.com.

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Around Town: It's time to put Christ back in Christmas - VVdailypress.com