That is a result of a new creation, not reformation as in Christianizing something God did not originally institute. And the transformed mind will honor God according to His assured word, the Scriptures, which do not mention annual feasts on the day of the Lord's birth. There is nothing wrong with having a day to celebrate/remember the Lord's birth, but not by Christianizing a distinctly pagan feast. And under the New Cov., the church is not shown falling into ritualism, only censures the annual observance of “days, and months, and times, and years.” (Galatians 4:10)
As the Catholic Encyclopedia>Christmas informs,
Christmas was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. Irenaeus and Tertullian omit it from their lists of feasts; Origen, glancing perhaps at the discreditable imperial Natalitia, asserts (in Lev. Hom. viii in Migne, P.G., XII, 495) that in the Scriptures sinners alone, not saints, celebrate their birthday; Arnobius (VII, 32 in P.L., V, 1264) can still ridicule the "birthdays" of the gods.(http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03724b.htm)
Likwise Biblical Archaeology.org:
Celebrations of Jesus’ Nativity are not mentioned in the Gospels or Acts; the date is not given, not even the time of year. The biblical reference to shepherds tending their flocks at night when they hear the news of Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:8) might suggest the spring lambing season; in the cold month of December, on the other hand, sheep might well have been corralled
he extrabiblical evidence from the first and second century is equally spare: There is no mention of birth celebrations in the writings of early Christian writers such as Irenaeus (c. 130–200) or Tertullian (c. 160–225). Origen of Alexandria (c. 165–264) goes so far as to mock Roman celebrations of birth anniversaries, dismissing them as “pagan” practices—a strong indication that Jesus’ birth was not marked with similar festivities at that place and time.1 As far as we can tell, Christmas was not celebrated at all at this point. http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/
In England, Christmas was forbidden by Act of Parliament in 1644; the day was to be a fast and a market day; shops were compelled to be open; plum puddings and mince pies condemned as heathen. - http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/new-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/
Lacking actual support, the Catholic is left with arguing from silence, as they do with certain other things, but which is weak and not a sound basis for doctrine.
show a text where God said NOT to transform a pagan thing and use it to serve him. Use specific book, chapter and verse please.
That is easy. For one, do a study on the "high places" in Scripture. The LORD strictly forbade the planting of a grove of any trees near the altar of God, or the setting up of any images on their own (Dt.16:21) and commanded the children of Israel to utterly “destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places” (Num. 33:52) - not convert them for their use.
However, in times of spiritual declension Israel turned to idols and worshiping upon the high places, but sometimes in periods of some restoration they sought to turn the "groves and high places" of the idolatrous nations into places of Jehovistic worship. (1Kg.15:14; 2Chr.33:17 ) Yet to be consistent with the Lord's decrees, they should have destroyed them (Ex. 23:24; Dt. 7:5), and which sometimes they accomplished (2Chr.17:6; 31:1; 34:3). Such attempts to reform that which God had not initially wrought served to keep such things alive, enabling them to more easily revert back to their original idolatry. (1Kg.12:31; 13:33; 14:23; 2Kg.15:35; 16:4; 17:10-19, 31-34; 2Chr.21:11; 28:4; Is.57:5).
Likewise, by "Christianizing" a pagan feast, it has prevented it from dying of neglect like many others, and enabled it to more easily revert into an idolatrous form.
However, it is the heart behind this all that is most critical, and i do not say i am better than others who observe Christ-mass, but must walk in the light i see, as we are to worship God in spirit and in Truth, for He is worthy. May i do so more and better.
Which is exactly what happened with Israel. God knows human nature well enough to know what men will do. And look at what has happened to Christmas and Easter in the last few decades. Commercialization and Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.
Making something new means it has no pagan ties at all.
Excellent post daniel1212! If you don’t mind I may send people back to that post when fit to do so.