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
Giving and sharing the gospel are done all year. But they are done even more at Christmas. Christmas is a highly visible reminder to even those who aren’t in church. It’s a reminder to even non-Christian nations about Christ.
And the pagans sacrificed humans on trees. The cut Christmas tree began in Germany and was a symbol of their break with paganism after a Christian priest cut their pagan tree down.
That kind of legalism where you are afraid of trees because once upon a time a pagan once used a tree in some form or fashion will have you so bound in knots that you’ll be afraid to do anything.
Pagans ate fish, should we avoid fish? Pagans ate meat should we avoid meat? Pagans prayed to their false Gods, should we avoid praying to the true God? Get your eyes off of pagans and back on Christ and maybe you can rediscover the spirit of Christmas.
pfl
Nice job..I stopped observing Christmas 12 years ago...never looked back and never regret it. Our modern Christmas is an invention of the media of the 1800’s and early 1900’s and has nothing to do with Christ.
XMAS can be about Christ, if like all things in life, we have faith in Him in all things and focus through faith in Him, instead of focusing on anything else, such as placing sin before Him.
Why would He choose to be born on a Pagan holiday ? More likely born on the Feast of Tabernacles. John 1:14 Yah'shua was/is/and will always be a Torah observant Jew
shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach
as well as creator of the universe.14 And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled
among us, and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten
from the Father, full of grace and truth.
I haven’t read the comments yet but I’m guessing I’ll see vitriol and snark. Not once will we see scriptural support or teaching from the apostles to celebrate the same day pagans do or even celebrate the birth of Christ at all.
You can't drive down the road without nativity scenes being seen. Christ is proclaimed even on secular radio stations and secular TV stations. It's proclaimed in the movies. It's proclaimed in the retail outlets.
I went to the dollar store today. There were nativity scenes. There were bibles. There were Christmas boxes with gospel scenes on them. There was wrapping paper proclaiming scripture.
The Rockettes are putting on a Christmas show downtown, with a full live nativity scene telling the story of Jesus.
There is a production of Handel's Messiah. In fact the event calendars for Nashville are filled with Christmas programs most of which will proclaim Christ in one way or another.
If you can celebrate Christmas in a way that avoids Christ, then you probably shouldn't be celebrating it. The rest of us celebrate Christ at Christmas. We also celebrate friends and family, which Christ would have us do.
I’m at the point where I care about both. And I refuse to be guilted out of it. Blessed Advent, merry Christmas and a happy 2014, everybody.
“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.”
You paint such a bleak picture of humankind. You did not respond to my earlier response to you about your statement that only one or two kids under 14, out of 20, would know that Christmas was about Jesus.
That is false, in my experience.
Now you state that Christians only help and give to others during the Christmas season. That is patently false.
I ask you again as I did in my last post to you - Do your surroundings make you bitter?
Retail, Schmetail. Christmas is only hijacked by retailers if you allow it to be IN YOUR HEART. If I want to bestow a little gift of thanks to someone who is important in my life, and it brings them joy, it is my business. There is a special lady that pays extra attention to my mom in her assisted living home. She isn't paid too well, but we are giving her a gift card for dinner for her and her husband at the best place in town. I know it will make her happy and that makes all of our hearts glad. The things she has done for mom are without expectation.
She will not be forgotten the other 364 days. Or strangers that need a hand up or the charities we give to throughout the year. Christmas is not just one day, but it is the day we celebrate His birth, let loose with feasting and cherish our loved ones.
You have chosen your viewpoint, which in my opinion is negativity. There is much fun to be had opening the gifts under the tree, but the joy and love of family and friends comes from God and the ultimate gift of His Son. We celebrate Him and are thankful for our blessings!
Once the Church came out from the catacombs, it became acceptable to REMEMBER the Lord’s birth.
You said it best.
Mostly I am burned out with all the endless crass commercialization, the same Christmas music never stopping, the same specials on TV, and being run around to one meaningless event after another which never changes from year to year to keep the SO happy.
I’ll take that
agreed
I go to Taco Bell now and then. The music recently was Christmas carols. Not songs about Santa and sleigh bells, but actual songs about Jesus Christ. Amazing.
It all depends on how you celebrate. Being a Catholic, I celebrate the Season of Advent. Christmas begins with the Vigil of the Nativity, the night of December 24th, and continues for 12 days.
Since Advent and Christmas are part of the Church’s liturgical year, I obviously don’t believe I have the option of not celebrating these. But each person has the power to overthrow the domination of the whole season by profiteers.
While it will be protested that observing the season and day of Christmass is not obligatory, the reality is that Christmas is basically overall treated and defended by even Protestants as such.
A pastor may pray about what ot preach 11 months out the year, but come December it is a given that he must preach Christmas, else the people will stone him. Well, not quite, however, hardly any member of any church can expect to go anywhere in ministry if he does not join in the yearly observance of Christmas, and will be suspiciously looked upon and often maligned as a fringe Christian if he does not, and as likely being some sort of legalist and or a Scrooge.
Yet it is actually those who basically make the yearly observance of Christ obligatory that are engaging in legalism, as this yearly observance certainly is not seen or commanded in Scripture, and which even censures the ritualistic religious observance of "days, months, times and years," (Gal. 4:10) as concomitant with religion under the Old covenant.
And rather than an anti-celebratory Scrooge, not celebrating Christmas means one is set free from basically having to observe this Roman holyday in order to worship God as the Spirit leads, which can include celebrating the birth of Christ anything, such as in the Fall or Spring when He likely was born. But how radical that would be!
It simply is not the nature of the New Covenant to fall into annual feast days, nor fall into religious syncretism.
We wonder why the world loves Christmas, and how hard it is put Christ back into it, but the answer is that He did not belong in it in the first place, but while this yearly winter feast was not seen in Scripture, a distinctly pagan feast was partly "Christianized" as part of the religious syncretism of Rome.
While we (sadly) do recognize pagan deities as marks of references as in the days of the week (and which i am sure will not be used during the Millennium), this is not that of Christianizing uniquely pagan celebrations. And in making worship in spirit and in truth, God does not need help from distinctively pagan celebrations, and thus does not engage in reforming paganism but in making new creations. And in which that which is religiously of the world is to be crucified.
And if it is not, then it was reemerge even if in religious form. And which was was occurred with Christmas. Rather than being left to die, it was Christianized, like as the high places of the OT were, and thus they were perpetuated to more easily revert back to their pagan forms.
Instead, make we seek to be led of the Lord in our worship, not in annual days and set liturgical feasts, the 1st day of the week being the only specific day the NT church worshiped one (not there's a debate). Even how often the commemoration of the Lord's death is to take place is not commanded, but is "as often as you do this." Want to celebrate the Lord's birth, do it as the Lord leads anytime, but do not try to convince me it is on the same day every year as a pagan feast you are Christianizing.
But this extends into other areas. Is your liturgy the same predictable ritual every week, fostering perfunctory professions? Or so the clock is the supreme authority? Did you ever take part in a Christian service (outside of the business meeting) in which every one could have something edifying to share from the Lord, as in 1Cor. 14?
Would your evangelical church (the only kind that is a church) even consider changing the place or time of meeting in order to outreach at a parade or event? Or is it so sacrosanct that hardly anything could change it?
I have always hated “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus.”
It asserts that believing something makes it true.
Bah!
Okay. So you chose not to celebrate Christmas. Why beat your chest and show your pride about it. I feel there is a lot less humility in your post than there is pride. You’re kind of like those guys who decide to not visit Free Republic anymore, then write a long vanity about how stupid we are for not appreciating him, or her.
Christmas is that one day of the Church Year when Christians focus upon the fact that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The particular date of the Savior’s birth is far less important than the fact. We are perfectly free to coopt every pagan tradition and every substance in honor and celebration of the Christ, the crucified and risen One, who for our sakes came down to redeem all flesh from sin and death, because it is the Creator of all Who saw fit to make peace though the atoning blood of this Flesh like ours.
Far be it from me to let atheists and pagans tell me how to celebrate Christmas, whether it means spending or not. Rudolph, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, lights, mistletoe, joy, feasting: bring it! Bring it all!!
At the same time, I happily respect another Christian’s decision to treat they day like any other, because in Christ all of creation and all of history is made right despite ourselves, and the devil’s hoards are sent fleeing while all believers rejoice in sweet, eternal victory.
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