Posted on 12/14/2013 2:56:27 PM PST by InHisService
All right, before you get your freckles in an uproar by reading that title and making a quick, errant assumption about me, let me clarify a few things.
I’m a bible believing, spirit filled Christian. I am not an atheist sympathizer. I do not doubt my faith, nor do I have any doubts about the deity of Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and Savior, and I believe the world is lost without Him.
For years I celebrated Christmas. But last year, I decided to stop celebrating it. Something awoke in me, and I just felt turned off by the whole thing.
As a kid, I was coddled just like most children. Every Christmas my brother and I unwrapped numerous presents, and always got what we wanted.
I remember a new bike one year, and an awesome stereo another. I never gave a thought about how hard my parents had to work to pay for the stuff, and I’m sure children these days don’t, either.
And, we did go to church. If fact, we weren’t the proverbial “once a year’ers;” we went weekly. But being a kid, naturally Christmas was all about the presents.
Raising my daughter, though I was a single mom, my daughter was never deprived at Christmas. And I enjoyed giving to her. She was not a spoiled child as she didn’t get much all year long, so Christmas was the time to indulge her.
Anyway, I’ve wanted to write this article for a while. It’s been niggling at me for quite some time. But I put it off because I didn’t want to appear as a snarky Grinch during the Christmas season. My position is a very unpopular one among Christians.
I believe the Holy Spirit has gotten a hold of me, and after seeing a video discussing a particular billboard American Atheists erected this season, I was compelled to write about my position.
One of the billboards, in New York City’s Times Square, reads, “Who Needs Christ During Christmas? Nobody.” The name of Christ is crossed out.
David Muscato, Public Relations Director at American Atheists had this to say about the billboard and about Christmas:
“Most people don’t care about any religious ties to the season because church and religion are not what Americans care about during this time of year—they care about family and friends and giving presents and food and having fun.”
And right he is. Christians can pretend they are honoring Christ this time of year, but they really aren’t. People are consumed with the retail aspect of it: spending.
Muscato goes on to say, “Many so-called ‘Christmas’ traditions celebrated by Americans have nothing to do with Christianity. For example, the North Pole and Santa traditions come from Nordic and Germanic pagan traditions, and caroling, Yule logs, mistletoe, holly wreaths all pre-date Christianity.”
He is absolutely correct in that statement. In fact, every single Christmas tradition we have was started by, and stolen, from the pagans.
That’s right, everything from the tree, to mistletoe to holly to gifts were all pagan traditions. (I’ve done a lot of research into the origins of Christmas; however, this article is not going to elaborate on it as it is very lengthy. An online search of “Pagan origins of Christmas” will yield a million and a half results. An excellent article on the topic can be seen here, True Origins of Christmas: http://rcg.org/books/ttooc.html )
Said David Silverman, President of American Atheists, “We all love this time of year.
“Christianity has been trying to claim ownership of the season for hundreds of years. But the winter solstice came first and so did its traditions. The season belongs to everybody.”
Right again. How can Christian’s claim Christmas belongs to them when we stole it from non-believers? Additionally, there is nothing in the bible about celebrating Christmas. The fact that atheists celebrate what is supposed to be a Christian holy day is alarming. But celebrate it they do, minus anything Christ.
Not only that, Jesus could not have been, and was not born, on December 25th. Most biblical scholars believe he was born in the fall and the biblical account of his birth testifies to that. The date was selected because it coincided with the idolatrous pagan festival Saturnalia. So the date of Christmas was chosen as a sort of in-your-face way of saying, “We as Christians are stealing your date for ourselves! Take that.” Nice gesture on behalf of God, but it hasn’t turned out well. No wonder why.
Now, I don’t like the group American Atheists. In fact, I despise them. I can’t stand David Silverman, who regularly appears on Fox News and elsewhere to tout his anti-God beliefs. To me, they are bullying militant atheists bent on wiping out God and particularly Jesus Christ from the public square. And they have been very successful in a lot of ways.
So, I’m not agreeing with them for any other reason in this area, but they are right on.
(I have written about some of the atheist lawsuits and their attack on Christianity in an article last year on this blog, “It’s not just a War on Christmas, It’s a War on Christianity,” which can be seen here: http://www.maryckirchhoff.com/2012/12/its-not-just-war-on-christmas-its-war.html )
Christmas has become completely distorted and perverted and what is supposed to be a day to honor Jesus has become a two-month long season of out-of-control shopping and spending, overindulgence of food and drink, massive debt and spoiled children.
Christmas, without a doubt, belongs to retailers, not to Jesus. The season begins around late October, and is in full swing right before Thanksgiving, and goes on til New Years.
So let’s be honest here: during this extended period we call Christmastime or the more politically correct Holiday Season, are we talking about Jesus and his birth? Are we marveling that God sent His Son to Earth to save man from his sins? Are we on our knees praying and thanking God for his provision in our life?
More than likely, if we are a believer we are praying that God will provide the finances to overindulge our children so they can open numerous gifts on that “magical” morning.
What really gets me is many of us in this country can’t afford to purchase unnecessary and over-the-top gifts for our kids. Millions of people either get heavily into debt or skip paying necessary bills so they can impress and coddle their kids. Not giving gifts is simply unheard of.
Kids must go to school upon the return of the break and brag about what they got. And what, pray tell, does this have to do with the birth of Jesus Christ? Absolutely nothing.
The wise men gave gifts to Jesus, you say? That happened when He was a toddler, not at His birth. Saint Nick? Another misconception about giving at Christmas.
While parties and gift giving and receiving is fun, for the majority of people, financial stress is increased at this time of year. Holiday parties (oops, can’t call them Christmas parties anymore) require bringing dishes or purchasing elaborate foods. The shopping, the parties, the drinking, the get-togethers, they are all supposed to be part of the merrymaking. Again, where is Christ in this? Decidedly MIA for most people.
When’s the last time you went to a (I’ll be a rebel here) Christmas party and people were excitedly talking about God? Were they marveling about Jesus being born 2,000 years ago, talking about what a gift it was for God to send His Son?
The only gift I’ll guarantee they were speaking of was most likely their Black Friday conquest where they acquired the latest and greatest gadgetry for their kids that they couldn’t afford and will be paying off for months to come.
Is this what God wants for us at Christmas? Or are we deluding ourselves saying “Keep Christ in Christmas.”? I believe so.
The truth is, Christmas is a great lie. Satan is laughing; being the great deceiver, he has really gotten away with a whopper here. Christ never was in Christmas. The entire Christmas season has millions of Christians deceived. It has been bought lock, stock and barrel by believers. The fact that atheists celebrate it should be a giant clue that it has nothing to do with Christ.
Sure, we can sing beautiful Christmas themed hymns, set up a manger and go to church. That will satisfy the God requirement of the holiday, will it not?
Church on Christmas Eve or Day is about the only time you’ll get an hour or so of pure God. A sermon, some singing, some well-wishing among peers. A couple hours of God stuff for over two months of the so-called “Christmas Season.”
I’m not a math person, but that amounts to a microscopic amount of time dedicated to the Birth of Jesus.
Frankly, Christmas is farce, and I’m betting the whole thing makes God very angry.
Below, the link for the aforementioned Atheist Billboard Targeting Christians:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/2933104645001/atheist-billboard-targeting-christians/?playlist_id=930909812001
Not just doubt. I don’t think we’re in the last days at all. If you’re so sure take your savings and give it all to charity.
So you think God is angered by a decorated mantle and a Christmas tree? Really? That thought is so goofy in do many ways....I can’t really respond . It would be like debating a wack job on the subway.
I don’t know if stuff like that makes Baby Jesus cry, but it makes me sad.
The 'course of Abia or Abijah' is the time signature as to when the miraculous conception of John the Baptist took place. On or about the 23rd of Sivan or June 23-24 by our calendar. Six months later the Divine Conception of our Lord and Savior took place.
Peoples during the course of history have had a must need to muss with dates and times to fit their traditions.
As a historical note taxes and census taking did not take place in the 'dead' of winter, but at the end of harvest. That would be around the Feast of Tabernacles, and the literal time of the year Christ was birthed. It is really toooo bad and sad how much modern Christianity ignores the so called Old Testament.
No kidding. You would think the Alamo would have been built further away from a population center.
Strange; the TEXT does not say that.
'The way' was not the problem; other GODS were.
Yes; but only for the rest of you.
OOOoooh!
I had THOUGHT I felt a channeling coming on!!
#285
Ah!!
I did not look that up; as I thought it was referring to some genealogical data.
THANKS!
Here ya go, Folks!!
The way was indeed the problem. Verse 31 would make no sense if that wasn’t the meaning.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God
He was saying to not look at how they served their gods and do those same things in serving Him. Your view would be in contrast to every commentator I have read. Some English versions make that a little clearer.
NLT: You must not worship the LORD your God the way the other nations worship their gods
ESV: You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way
NAS: "You shall not behave thus toward the LORD your God,
ISV: You must not do the same to the LORD your God
16Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, 19and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. -Colossians 2
I was a Fiji. About the only time you see it in the US if it’s not refering to the islands is the fraternity. ;-) Strange they are no longer at Occidental. Something happen? Were they bad boys?
LOL Is that what you have been taught that true believers should do as they see prophesy unfolding as regards the last days? Is there scriptural reference for that belief?
Apparently, it's about somebody named Kirchoff.
Deuteronomy 12:30
Colossians 2:
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
What were the “ordinances that was against us”? Weren’t they the laws and rules and rituals that we are told no one would have been able to keep? Weren’t they just a shadow of things to come? Christ took those all “out of the way, nailing it to his cross”. We are no longer under those laws, ordinances, and commanded holy days. No longer under the dietary laws, the watching for the new moon to ascertain when to celebrate holy days like the Old Testament Jews.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
No man is to hold us to those days any longer because those were only a “shadow of things to come”. The body is now “of Christ” who fulfilled all those “shadows”.
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Jesus took that law of ordinances out of the way. That law was a yoke of condemnation to the Jews and a partition wall to the Gentiles. We are no longer subjected to the following of Sabbaths, or holy days which were “shadows”. The days we set aside to worship are no longer guided by those laws but can be set at any time.
That passage is Paul telling the Colossians that they need be made to feel subjected to the ordinances that the Jews were trying to force them back under. Christ set us free from those laws and ordinances.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
NO WHERE in that passage does it say we are free to take on the customs and rituals of the pagans which had long ago been condemned by God.
Yes, they were bad boys, in a way. In 1969, when I was a freshman, I visited several fraternities during the Fraternity Rush, thinking I might like to join one. Fraternities weren't as dominant at Occidental as they were at, say, USC, where I got my first master's degree. There were four fraternities, three of which tended to attract jocks, but the Fijis were unique, in that they were seen as hippies. They were also sort of an Animal House and held an annual toga party tht they called a Roman Slaver.
However, before Rush was finished, the Fijis, for some reason, dropped out, and a few weeks later, they were defunct. I never inquired as to what happened, but they probably mismanaged their finances. The Fiji House was turned into a dorm, and today, the alumni center stands on its site. The only fraternities that I wound up joining were Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society, and Pi Sigma Alpha, the honor society for students of political science.
It’s what I have been trying to say. “Don’t look at how they served their gods and think that you can serve me in the manner they served their gods.
Look at how that chapter ends in verse 32 which simply enforces what He is saying.
32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Even if people today try to claim we are to follow the Old Testament “ordinances” (which Paul clearly denounced in his letter to the Colossians – see my post 317) they would still have to show where God commanded or sanctioned either Christmas or Easter. We are not obligated under the old “ordinances” nor are we to incorporate heathen/pagan practices which He didn't command or sanction.
Good; now we have something to build on.
We both agree that the MANNER has something to do with it.
Now then, does our present MANNER of Christmas celebrating emulate the MANNER of the people who worshiped idols?
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