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
“It sounds as if the author is projecting herself onto others.”
Exactly what I was thinking!
He came into the world...
He rose from the dead...
He demonstrated His love.
He demonstrated His power.
He led the captives free.
Why strive to help others and give to others only at Christmas? That should be done year round. All those things you mentioned are wonderful. But it doesn’t negate the fact that Christmas has been hijacked by retailers. I’m not buying into what the atheists say, I happen to believe they are right on this point.
“The media goes all ga-ga over Muslim’s Eid al-Adha.”
I stand second to no one in my hatred of the MSM, a feeling I’ve had strongly since I was 10 years old, back in the bad old days.
But I can’t really agree with that statement. Heck, they don’t even go ga-ga over Mexico’s “Day of the Dead”.
No flak, just two thoughts. First, this is a “meat sacrificed to idols” issue: if your celebrating Christmas as a Christian holy day impedes your relationship with Christ, then don’t do it, because the relationship is more important than the holiday. Second, there is nothing wrong with taking something pagan and making it Christian: Christ died on the cross to redeem the world, so that it can be reclaimed from the devil, and anything that the devil has taken should be taken back by Christ, for Christ, with Christ, through Christ, who works through His Body, the church.
Perhaps if the author celebrated a blessed Advent first, then they would better understand Christmas.
Advent, the four Sundays before Christmas, is about purification of mind and soul, in preparation to receive the Christ Child.
We contemplate patience. We practice charity. And contrary to popular culture, we slow ourselves to prepare to celebrate the sublime mystery of Jesus, God made man.
Christmas Day, until Epiphany, is the Christmas season.
Giving and sharing the gospel are to be done all the time, not just at Christmas. I stand by what I wrote about stealing traditions from the pagans. I agree, a Nativity scene was not stolen from Pagans. Lighting things was. Pagans celebrated by decorating trees...it goes on and on.
But I have yet to find anyone who can justify it from scripture.
Love to hear you try.........
Well, scripture records a Christmas celebration:
Luke 2--
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
nor do I have any doubts about the deity of Jesus Christ.
***Ok, that got me to listen. There are some very beautiful traditional christian hymns like “silent night” that speak clearly to the celebration of the birth of Christ. It’s good enough for me. I don’t need the rest, and try not to let any pagan rituals bother me. Christmas lights were beautiful to me when I was an atheist, and they’re beautiful to me as a christian.
The shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks by night. This wouldn’t have happened in the dead of winter. Also, tax collection time wouldn’t have been then, either.
Um...where on Earth did you get the idea that I think Jesus was actually born on Dec. 25?
Did you even read my post?
True. OTOH, Louis Armstrong celebrated his birthday on July 4 because he didn't know when it really was. December 25 is as good a day as any, and better than most, because it breaks the power of the pagan solstice, just as Christ breaks the power of the devil.
Good catch, I saw that flag too.........
I’m not agreeing with them for any other reason in this area, but they are right on.
Translation: "My loneliness at this most holy time of the year is only relieved by joining those who are just as hollow and rejecting that which would make me whole....."
Loneliness and misery are magnified at this time of the year, especially when they have no one to share the joy with.........
Having been there, I feel justified in offering my opinion.
Christmas has not been “hijacked” by retailers, that is silly. I mean, seriously, are you that easily influenced by advertising?
And atheists are ALWAYS wrong.
Especially organized atheists who are so afraid of something that they putatively don’t believe in that they must rail against it at all times.
I don’t even understand those people.
And I don’t understand Christians who seek to undermine Christmas. Not celebrating it is one thing, but striving to undermine it, well it’s just as bad (maybe worse) if a Christian does it as when an atheist does.
I for one will celebrate Christmas this year as every year. Even though at this particular time my heart is filled with fear. I’ll put up the tree, light the lights against the winter darkness, thank the Lord for his Salvation and strive to kindle hope in my heart.
The Christmas season will help me, not hinder me.
I have clearly offended many, which wasn’t my intention. Once again, it’s an opinion piece. Like it, hate it, whatever. I feel strongly about what I wrote and put it out there. If you didn’t care one way or the other about what I wrote, you wouldn’t have posted a couple of comments.
As for me, this is what Christmas is all about:
It’s a sad wonder to see people define things for themselves by notions of what other people’s attitudes are.
Wrong again. I have many friends and family I am close to. Loneliness is not an issue whatsoever. I said I was a single mom raising my daughter, she is 27 now. Did I say anything about my current “marital” or relational state at this time? I did not. Thanks for the psychoanalysis, but you’re both wrong.
To me when it comes cultural Christianity I rate Christmas Carols number 1. They are available to almost everyone, are beautiful, moving, and imbued through and through with the message. The tunes and words almost everyone knows and singing them is wonderful. My favorite is O Little Town of Bethlehem but almost all of them are timeless and thus they pass the true test of art.
Good for you! Celebrate away. You’re entitled to your beliefs and traditions and opinion as everyone on here is. I, too am entitled to my opinion.
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