[Luke]

If you are against celebrating Christmas as the birth of our Saviour (which is probably isn't, but it's something worth celebrating), it would logically follow that

1. We should not celebrate birthdays. If we cannot celebrate the birth of the sinless saviour, why would we celebrate the birth of a dead sinner who gets more and more sinful every year

2. We should not take public holidays. If we cannot enjoy one day a year in remembrance that our Saviour was born (even if it is not the same day), why should I take a public holiday to celebrate the birth of our country, the Queen (I am from NZ, Australia originally), Labor (whatever Labor day is about), Guy Fawkes etc

3. We should work six days a week. God only commanded one day of rest. All of you 9-5'ers are disobeying God with your traditions of men!

Seriously, I understand if you don't want anything to do with Santa Claus, Christmas Trees etc, but a day that you spend with your family, giving presents out while primarily remembering that Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners is hardly blasphemous.

Why is it that the only Christians who seem to want any Christianity in the world are the evangelicals?

Fundamentalists go just as nuts over Christmas and Easter as the infidels do - for the same reasons! The unbelievers don't want it because it's religious, and the Christians don't want it because it is pagan (religious)

[Jeremy]

Here is an excerpt from the link i provided.
Dr. John Rice:
How sad that many do not enjoy Christmas! Even some devoted Christians feel sour and are cantankerous and full of objections about the season. To you I would say in the words of Scripture—if you regard the day, regard it unto the Lord. And if you do not regard the day, then be sure you act Christian about it. Let nobody judge or criticize others for an honest, worshipful, spiritual and loving attitude about Christmas

Eventhough, Dec. 25 is a pagan holiday,that day is still a representation of Christs birth,in which,as christians we celebrate.
I enjoy the Christmas lights in the december snow.

[kittn1]

Don't wish me "Happy Holidays" and I never did like "Season's Greetings." (What exactly does that mean, anyway?)


Merry Christmas

[Diligent]

Originally Posted by Luke

If you are against celebrating Christmas as the birth of our Saviour (which is probably isn't, but it's something worth celebrating), it would logically follow that

Let's just get this cleared up a bit.

For me, the Christmas question isn't "is it okay to celebrate a birthday." Of course it is. It's not prohibited. The "question" for me is if I am honoring my Savior by attributing the day of the birth of the "son god" to the One True God and commandeering pagan practices in order to "worship" and "remember" my Lord.

Christmas, for us, is just an enjoyable time of year with some nice, unimportant traditions. There are three important things we leave out:

1. The tree. Sure, this is a liberty issue -- deck out your tree if you want. But I can't read Jeremiah 10 and come away thinking it's a good practice to emulate and "re-define" for the Lord. So no tree for me.

2. Santa Clause -- there is simply no excuse for making up fairy tales and making your children believe them! Fiction = fun and okay. Lies = evil sin. No child we expect to believe in Jesus should be taught as truth that there is a "Santa Clause" bringing him what he wants if he is a "good little boy." No liberty here -- this one is sin, plain and simple.

3. Spiritual meanings. Christmas is not about Christ in my home. And every time someone says "put Christ back into Christmas" I cringe, knowing that it was the "mass" put into Christ by the pagan Roman Catholic Church "Christianizing" various pagan celibrations so they could claim cultures for their church.

But I enjoy Christmas. I put lights around the house earlier this week. We give each other gifts. We take the day off. I am fine with saying "Merry Christmas" and I am not offended by "Happy Holidays."

Finally, this must be said: I am completely fine with other Christians doing whatever they want on Christmas. I do not care! But why is it that if I tell someone I don't have a tree and that Christmas is not "Christ's birthday," I am judged for it? I can not count how many times this issue has caused someone else to get angry, just because they found out I do not have a "Christian Christmas" or a tree in my home. I don't go out of my way to tell anyone what I think of Christmas -- I generally regard it as a personal liberty issue. But more often than not, people are offended merely knowing that I don't do it the way they do.

Oh well. I expect this will be an annual thread here.

[KJBPrincess]

I've seen it the other way around, too. Some people get offended if you DO put up a Christmas tree... and they feel it's their duty to tell you why they do not.

The way I see it, the Christmas tree is just another decoration that's mainly used for hiding gifts under. I love the suspense of not knowing what's under the tree... and I think it's fun to decorate the Christmas tree with lights and bulbs and all that other stuff. It's kinda like having flowers around the house... they're just fun to look at and they make the room a little bit prettier. Maybe it's just a girl thing... I dunno.

It doesn't offend me if someone wants to put up a Christmas tree or if they feel that it's wrong. Each family should decide for themselves how they want to celebrate the holiday.

[Biblestudent]

Originally Posted by Diligent

Christmas, for us, is just an enjoyable time of year with some nice, unimportant traditions. There are three important things we leave out:

Well put, Diligent. I agree.

[Well, years ago, some missionary gave us a Christmas tree. My mother was happy and she set it up in our home. Some Sunday school teacher told us that they were teaching Christmas trees are pagan, and their children asked why they saw the "green tree" at the pastor's house. So we decided to put away the Christmas tree.

A year later, the same Sunday school teacher had a children's Christmas cantata and they set up a Christmas tree on stage for the play! It remained there as a decor.]

Some of our family members still wish we've got some tree, decoration, and lights in our home. That would be fine with me have I been living in a different home; I'm not comfortable with "paganism" and "materialism", as well as the "deception" of Christmas.

Today, I notice that due to financial crisis, fewer people celebrate Christmas here.

[Billie]

Originally Posted by Diligent

Let's just get this cleared up a bit.

Hi,

As believers...parents,grandparents,relatives,all who have input into our childrens lives; if we tell them there is a Santa Claus...Easter Rabbit..Tooth
Fairy...Halloween witches,goblins etc......AND Jesus our Saviour...as they growup and learn that there really ISN'T Santa Claus...and all the rest...each time they look at mom and dad and inside they realize that mom and dad lied to them...period. Than they say..Is JESUS real??? Is HE just a fairy tale like
all the others? Children TRUST us to tell the truth..after all THEY get taught not to tell lies (we teach them the differance between..'make-believe stories'
and truth). Its up to us to hold that standard FOR them until they decide for themselves..as each of us did ...and DO.

Blessings,
Billie

Quote: Diligent:
. I don't go out of my way to tell anyone what I think of Christmas -- I generally regard it as a personal liberty issue. But more often than not, people are offended merely knowing that I don't do it the way they do.

Billie:
...my preacher calls what they do as...."the Valadation Dance"...(you are wrong..I'm right, I'll set you straight...)

Oh well. I expect this will be an annual thread here.

I agree.

[stephanos]

I actually celebrate Christ's birth on Septermber 29th.

http://www.khouse.org/enews_article/2005/1008

http://www.revneal.org/Writings/jesusbirth.htm

http://www.new-life.net/chrtms10.htm

Which also happens to be my birthday as well. Should I feel guilty about celebrating my birthday on the day Christ was born? lol

For Jesus' sake,
Stephen

[Biblestudent]

Merry Christmas in September?

[Kiwi Christian]

Follow the link to a recent study (sermon notes) by Pastor Mike Paulson, one of the best I've seen lately on the subject. He is a Bible believer and uses only the KJB.

http://www.touchet1611.org/Christmas2008I.html