Like most people, I like watching Christmas movies in the time leading up to Christmas (yes, I know, it's Advent, not Christmastime yet, but there's a legitimate form of anticipation that allows for the watching of Christmas movies, and listening to Christmas music before Christmas actually arrives, so that one is ready for it when it does).

Anyway, it occurs to me that a lot of the Christmas movies that come out nowadays have this as their theme or message:

It's really important that you believe in Santa Claus, but not so important that you believe in God.

Now don't get me wrong, I still like a lot of these movies, but there's this nagging annoyance in the back of my skull that knows they come from writers with a skewed (or even pagan) worldview. Several of the movies I've seen lately have that element of a dead parent, and yet there is never any talk of God or heaven - the dead parent is "with us always in our hearts" but never actually waiting for us in heaven. Oh, but if people don't have enough Christmas spirit and believe in Santa Claus, all hell is going to break loose.

At least The Christmas Chronicles gave a nod to the actual Saint Nicholas of Myra, so kudos to those writers. But overall, it's just a symptom of the way Christians and faithful Christianity are marginalized, and how we have to settle for entertainment that comes from a faithless worldview.

Now, having said that, I did finally sign up for PureFlix. I expected it to be filled with the cheesier kinds of attempts at Christian entertainment, like a cross between Hallmark and Left Behind, but so far what we've watched on PureFlix has been pretty good. So I do recommend it, as a good alternative.

I'm sure I'll say this again, but I wish you all a very blessed rest of Advent, and a Merry Christmas!