Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

This is in response to Larry Baca’s letter “There’s no war on Christmas; it’s just evolving like religion” (Dec 17, 2018).

My faith, like my God, does not evolve – it is the same today as it has always been. While the faith hasn’t changed – a belief in God who gave His One and only Son Jesus Christ to die for the sins of all mankind – I have grown in knowledge of my faith and the way I worship has changed. But I still believe in the same God that those first Christians believed and followed over 2000 years ago. Just because the way we worship has changed doesn’t mean that our faith has changed. We have not evolved.

According to Merriam-Webster the word evolved is gradually change and develop over a period of time. Jesus was born in the manger over 2000 years ago (the reason Christians celebrate Christmas) grew into a man and began his ministry, he was crucified on a cross. However, he rose from that grave three days later (the reason for Easter) and ascended into heaven. That is the crux of our faith. It has never changed and, like our God, never will.

Over time people have chosen to worship in different ways. Churches have developed different methods and forms of sacraments and government. We have so many denominations because people from each country developed their own churches and sent missionaries to start churches in new countries like America. But if what they believe is the same as the early church, then nothing has changed – nothing has evolved.

Jesus is not ‘just a third part of a threesome’. There is one God who exists eternally as three Persons —God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is God the Son, the one who was born of the virgin, died on the cross and rose again on the third day.

Russia was the home of Eastern Orthodoxy. There are many countries that do not allow Christianity. For example, after the Bolshevik revolution, Russia became a communist nation and religion of any kind was suppressed. Before the revolution there were many fine churches in Russia filled with believers. Today, many of these churches are museums and tourists stops because of anti-religious views of communism. Our country has the right to the freedom of religion. There are those who would like to take away that freedom.

Christianity was in our schools in the beginning of this country. The school books were all based on the Scriptures from the Christian Bible. As students learned to read, they also learned Scripture.

Hebrews 13:8 says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is a God who is ever present in all places at once. The faith He gave to those first disciples hasn’t changed. As long as we believe the same thing, then our practice of our faith can be different. That is not evolving, that is worshiping our Creator.

Jim Prestwood 

Manteca