Christmas Really Isn't about Christ - Why I'm not Celebrating Christmas Even Though I'm a Christian

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.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/2933104645001/atheist-billboard-targeting-christians/?playlist_id=930909812001

>> Is there ANY day, acceptablt to you, that is not STAINED by some pagan using it?<<

I have only addressed those days that are specifically associated with pagan worship of Baal that God has condemned. I couldn’t care less if Christians want to celebrate the birth of Christ. But to have incorporated it into the pagan celebration of the mythical birth date of Baal the sun god is not by coincidence and that is specifically what God was addressing in Deuteronomy.

There is nothing wrong with commemorating the death and resurrection of Christ but again, incorporating that into the celebration of the worship of the goddess Oestre (pronounced Easter) is what God was addressing in Ezekiel. Easter there was referenced with “"worshipping the sun towards the east" when referencing abominations that were being commited. Using symbols and rituals that the pagans used in worshipping their gods is what God was addressing in Deuteronomy when He said “Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God”.

Each person has to determine for themselves whether to follow as closely as possible what God has said. I’m simply pointing to scripture which addresses what is still being done today. They just need to understand what God said about including those practices that were first used in worshipping the pagan gods.

"Your appointed feasts My soul hates" (Isaiah 1:14–15)

"I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies" (Amos 5:21–23)

"I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her New Moons, her Sabbaths—all her appointed feasts" (Hosea 2:11)

Ezekiel 20:7 Then said I unto them, Cast ye away every man the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 8 But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt. 9 But I wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, among whom they were, in whose sight I made myself known unto them, in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt. 10 Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. 11 And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them. 12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them. 13 But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.

God is clear about combining pagan practices and rituals in serving Him.

Scoff if you choose. We were told that would be coming.

God did not “make” evil. God did not “make” demons. ..I would suggest you run your “theory” by a competent Calvinist pastor before you continue to “preach” your theory.

I would suggest you gain a better understanding of what is "evil".

Evil, in its most general context, is taken as the opposite of that which is ascribed as being good. - Wikipedia on Evil

Evil is the loss of God's goodness. And, yes, God did make us knowing that we would lose our goodness. God did not create (make) evil. But He certainly made us just as He made the demons. In both cases He knew we (and they) would lose our goodness. To say anything else is to say God didn't know. I personally won't go down that road.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3)

That is so inclusive that John states it both ways, in the positive and negative. All things were made through Him. There is nothing that was made without Him. It's very clear that everything is made by God for His divine purpose and plan.

Before we get into one of these fanatical, hand-wringing "God is not the author of evil" debate for which we both would agree, I would suggest reading this short article about Augustine on Evil . The writer is a very competent pastor.

Nothing wrong with taking something pagan and turning it around for Christ? I see a LOT of things wrong with that.

OK, let's just take one example. The Christmas tree was originally a pagan solstice symbol, which is, in my home and in my church, a tree covered with lights symbolizing the light of Christ, and with Christian-related symbols, such as the cross, the key, and miniature nativity scenes, combined in my home's case with family-related memorabilia, representing the joining together of Christ and the people He has saved in His body, the Church. Why should the devil get all the trees, when God is the creator and sustainer of the trees? Satan doesn't deserve the glory of the tree; God deserves it.

And that is the bottom line: Satan deserves nothing, because evil is no-thing--it is the emptiness that is the absence of goodness. Christ deserves everything, because He, as the Word of God, created it and sustains it, because He, as the Lamb of God, redeemed it, and He, as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, will, with us, rule over it when He returns.

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