[Cleburne]

I would be hard pressed to find anything not previously used by someone. But what if our customs have been tainted: they are redeemed in Christ, just as we ourselves are redeemed. I do not worship my greenery nor my candlelight, nor do I see it as a symbol of some pagan deity: rather, greenery I bring in as a symbol of my Lord's triumphant life, even through the winter of sin's gloom, and the candle as a symbol of His triumphant light, scattering all the darkness of death. Certainly, evergreens and candles have been misused: but does this mean I must reject them as evil? No! They were made by God, and even if they had nothing symbolic at all, and served no other purpose than to look nice, I would still bring them in my house and give God thanks for their loveliness.

And some things are hardly pagan at all: Santa, for one, who, while taken to extremes by an unbelieving world eager for something that seems to dissasociate with the holiday's true significance, still embodies the generosity and eagerness to give all believers are to have. Oh, you might come up with some dim association with Nimrod or some other figure: but what element of our faith can you not do that too?

But, I will say, if you choose, for matters of conscience, to not celebrate this season, I say all the power to you. It takes a firm conscience, though I doubt its wisdom, to "resist". I hope you do not swear off all celebration, even if you disagree on the time and mode (which is quite all right)- for we have all the reason to celebrate and be joyful!

[Eagle Eye]

I hope you do not swear off all celebration, even if you disagree on the time and mode (which is quite all right)- for we have all the reason to celebrate and be joyful!

There is no reason that I should be of any less joyous than those around me, whether they are saved and worshipping a secular/pagan season, or the saved partaking in pagan celebrations and untrue church traditions.

What I find interesting is how 'Christians' will act for two weeks of the year the way that they should act all year.

There are some things that God told Isreal not to do, many of which closely resemble traditional xmas celebrations. Yet, despite God telling Isreal not to do these things and with nothing that specifically gives the NT church any approval, NT 'believers' want to cling to these practices.

If I have a party at my house on Oct 31, decorate with black and orange and scary masks and costumes, will this be anything other than a Halloween celebration even if we say we aren't celebrating Halloween?

If in the spring we have celebrations with eggs, bunnies and other fertility symbols, are we worshipping Christ or Dianna/Aster?

I don't think that one can use the tools of the pagans to worship El Shaddai.