Replies

Indeed, while Christmas is (sppsd to be) about celebrating the blessed birth the living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but the yearly mandated (it basically is for any church leader) celebration of it was part of Catholic religious syncretism, which the NT church did not example, and is contrary to it in principle. Which is akin to essentially engaging in the same adoptive tactic of Israel of old, who, when not actually nationally engaging in idolatry, usually attempted to turn "high places" of pagan worship into venues of worship of Yaweh. But which, rather than destroying them as commanded, perpetuated the existence of these sanctified places, (1Kings 15:14; 2 Chronicles 33:17) - despite the command, "Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee - (Deuteronomy 16:21) thereby easily enabling them to revert back to their original idolatrous purposes when Israel backslide once again. (1Kings 12:31; 13:33; 14:23; 2Kg.15:35; 16:4; 17:10-19, 31-34; 2 Chronicles 21:11; 28:4; Isaiah 57:5).

Likewise, the reason it is so hard to put Christ back into Christmas is because while celebrating events in the life of Christ as the Lord leads is honorable, as is showing His grace, yet the yearly annual and essentially required celebration that began with Catholicism and its religious syncretism (even if the Lord possibly was born in 12-25 and a pagan feast encompasses this, this celebration was a later development not seen in Scripture, and was part of Catholic accommodation of pagan celebrations) is not according to the New Testament in practice nor in principle.

And as observance of this is annual event a essentially required and which it is (about 48 weeks a year a pastor can preach whatever the Lord leads, but come December he better preach on Christmas themes without fail, while hardly anyone will find themselves attaining to an office in a church if they make it known they basically do not not this as a "holy celebration of obligation," much less with it tree that children knew before etc.) then it is a form of legalism, regardless of denials of this reality.

However, in a more complete revival then the high places were destroyed (2 Chronicles 17:6; 31:1; 34:3) consistent with such commands as Dt. 7:5. And the church began as a new creation, not a reformation and does not need help from distinctively pagan rituals or celebrations. And is called to put to death the flesh and the religion thereof, which includes man's ideas of accommodating culture in religious syncretism.

And in which believers are to worship in Spirit and in Truth under the New Covenant in which there is no liturgical calendar and the only day the NT church is recorded as specifically meeting on was the first day.

Thus, rather than being a "Grinch," Christians are free to worship the Lord, including celebrating the Lord's birth, any time, as the Lord leads (John 3:8; Rm. 8:12) as is the case in all areas of personal liberty, without compelling others to do the same, while observing the annual celebration that Catholicism began is not of the NT church but is essentially a affirmation of such. /p>