Why christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas.

[Angela53510]

I have always loved Christmas, but as a born again, evangelical believer, I have found even more reason to enjoy this tremendous opportunity God has provided.

What other holiday can you walk around singing, "Christ the Saviour is born"? And then explain the gospel and no one, not even atheists get mad?

 

[Kerry]

It's not happy holidays it is Merry Christmas. The day that we celebrate Christ being born the perfect sacrifice that take away the sins of the of the world. We need to get happy and shout. This baby paid the ultimate sacrifice to set us free, Beaten and spit upon by the church and even killed by the church because He stepped on their sacred cow. He even said before Moses was I AM. yet they killed Him and hung Him on a tree and cursed is a man that hangs on a tree but this was perfect and Death could not hold him and hell could not keep Him and He arose. Praise God its shouting time. Because of the cross I'm set free from alcoholism, because of the cross my mother in law was healed from lung cancer, because of the cross my 80 year old daddy can see, because of the cross my son is accepted into an ivy league school, because of the cross I have a house, because of the cross I am in good health.

Christmas is a celebration of the cross.

 

[crossnote]

Yep, pagan origins. Christ was not born in December, it was most likely September. However, what was celebrated in December was the Roman Saturnalia, and the winter solstice. Pagan religions celebrated the winter solstice because it was the shortest day of the year, after that the day begin to get longer and they saw this a bringing new life.

The thing is if you look at Christmas and the different rituals involved it's pretty clear that they come from the world and not the Bible. While Jeremiah 10 isn't addressing this issue, Deuteronomy does. These are the instructions God gave to His people when they went into the Land.

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: {possess: or, inherit}
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. {overthrow: Heb. break down}
4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. (Deu 12:2-4 KJV)

The pagans used trees in worshiping their Gods, God told the Israelites, "you shall not do so".

29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; {succeedest...: Heb. inheritest, or, possessest them}
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. {by...: Heb. after them}
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. (Deu 12:29-31 KJV)

He told them they were not to worship Him the way the pagans worshiped their gods. If you look at Christmas rituals you'll find many trace back to pagan worship.

Answer me this. How is celebrating the birth/incarnation of our Savior Jesus on Dec. 25th ... pagan?

 

[crossnote]

As I said, why celebrate the holidays of men and ignore the feasts of the Lord. The feasts of the Lord are all about Christ. Look at the Passover, when the death angel came those who were under the blood were spared. Paul said that Christ is our Passover, when the judgment comes, those who are under Christ's blood will be speared. Jesus was crucified on the Passover.

The feast of First Fruits, this is when the Israelites brought a portion of the harvest to the Lord. Paul said that Christ is the First Fruits of the Resurrection

20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1Co 15:20 NKJ)

Jesus raised from the dead on the day of "Firstfruits".

Fifty days later the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost. He is called the Spirit of Christ.

These first three feasts are about Christ and God brought about these event on his feast days. There are three more feast days in the fall, Rosh Hashanah, the head of the year, Yom Kippor, the day of atonement, and Sukkot, the feast of Tabernacles. Rosh Hashanah, is the day of creation and likely the day on which Jesus was born, Yom Kippor is the day of atonement and the day that Christ will return. The last of the fall feasts is the feast of Tabernacles which is a festive celebration. What event is spoken of when Christ returns? It's the marriage supper of the Lamb, a festive event.

With all of the symbolism and God's bringing these event on these feast days shouldn't we be acknowledging them rather than the holidays of man?

Is one shadow any better than another compared to the Substance...Jesus Christ?

Colossians 2:16-17 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

 

[Lynx]

Yep, pagan origins. Christ was not born in December, it was most likely September. However, what was celebrated in December was the Roman Saturnalia, and the winter solstice. Pagan religions celebrated the winter solstice because it was the shortest day of the year, after that the day begin to get longer and they saw this a bringing new life.

The thing is if you look at Christmas and the different rituals involved it's pretty clear that they come from the world and not the Bible. While Jeremiah 10 isn't addressing this issue, Deuteronomy does. These are the instructions God gave to His people when they went into the Land.

2 Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: {possess: or, inherit}
3 And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. {overthrow: Heb. break down}
4 Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God. (Deu 12:2-4 KJV)

The pagans used trees in worshiping their Gods, God told the Israelites, "you shall not do so".

29 When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; {succeedest...: Heb. inheritest, or, possessest them}
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. {by...: Heb. after them}
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. (Deu 12:29-31 KJV)

He told them they were not to worship Him the way the pagans worshiped their gods. If you look at Christmas rituals you'll find many trace back to pagan worship.

The Egyptians used to worship cats (and some say cats have never forgotten this.)
Should I get rid of my cat? I'm not worshipping my cat, but Egyptians used to.

Okay, put another way - Are you really trying to say we worship christmas trees? The references you drew from and the allusions you drew from them are invalid unless you are in fact making that very point, that we WORSHIP trees.

Trying a third way to put this - if you avoid everything that someone used to worship, you find no place in the universe suitable for you. There isn't a thing someone didn't used to worship. But just because they worshipped trees in the past doesn't mean we can't decorate them now.

Trying a fourth way - you really need to get a hobby man. You have waaaaaaaay too much free time on your hands.

 

[Word_Swordsman]

Isaih 10 learn not the way of the heathen, for one cut a tree out of the first and fasten it with nails that it move not , they decorate it with silver and gold. Also if you study the roots of Christmas or easter , it comes from all pagan roots worshipping false gods.

Not Isa 10, but Jeremiah 10:1-6 (KJV)
[SUP]1 [/SUP] Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
[SUP]2 [/SUP] Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
[SUP]3 [/SUP] For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
[SUP]4 [/SUP] They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
[SUP]5 [/SUP] They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
[SUP]6 [/SUP] Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

The heathen are described as cutting trees down to make wooden idols that can't move, have to be toted around., having no powers or reason for Israel to fear them. Some were huge, far bigger than life, adorned like a fabulous king towering high. This has nothing to do with putting a sapling tree inside and adorning with remembrances of family and the entrance of Jesus.

An object far more likened to heathen worship than a Christmas tree is that star that stayed over infant Jesus. Astrologers delight in reading star signs.

Celebrating Christmas is a fine way for community relationship, a bit like taking the Lord's Supper. There's a societal linking in such events. The only troublesome thing about the holiday is the excessive attention to a "Christmas economy". Instead of making paper cutouts, paper chains with home-made glue, and each boy gettting TWO new socks under the tree, our grandchildren are wanting a new Wii and their own iphone, along with dozens of expectations. We're cutting it way back this time around.

 

[Lynx]

Ah yes, the Christmas economy. The magical time of year that every store relies on for a profit. And if we as a country don't spend enough, the economists make us feel guilty for the next six months. The economic recession is OUR fault for not spending enough last Christmas. Shame on us.

As usual, Calvin and Hobbes said it best:
Calvin and Hobbes Comic Strip, December 15, 1992 on GoComics.com


Now if you want something legitimate to complain about for Christmas, there ya go.

 

[Lynx]

One more about our duty as citizens to buy stuff.

Calvin and Hobbes Comic Strip, March 20, 1994 on GoComics.com

 

[Dorcas]

I used to celebrate Christmas until I learned about the pagan origins. I did much research on the topic. Christmas is a mingling of paganism with Christianity. I will not get into specifics because I believe to make the truth your own is a journey that we all must take for ourselves. If you are true in heart then research these origins for yourself. Giving up Christmas was a decision made with much prayer, because it truly hurt my family and continues to do so. We must always choose God over anything or anyone, so that is what I did. It is up to each one of us to make up our own minds. I am respectful to those who continue to celebrate Christmas, so don't think I am putting anyone down. I want to share with you the scriptures that I meditated on when making this decision.
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[/FONT][FONT=&quot] [/FONT] [h=1][/h][h=1]
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[FONT=&quot]2 Corinthians 6:14-18New International Version (NIV)[/FONT]

[SUP][FONT=&quot][/FONT][/SUP][FONT=&quot][/FONT][FONT=&quot]Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? [/FONT]What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:“I will live with them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”[SUP]17 [/SUP]Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate ,says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,

says the Lord Almighty.”


[h=1]Ephesians 5:10-11New International Version - [SUP][/SUP]and find out what pleases the Lord.[/h]
[h=1]Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. [/h]
[h=1]Matthew 10:37New International Version “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.[/h]
[h=1]
[/h][h=1][/h]

 

[RedTent]

Maybe where your from your church is build around Christmas and Easter, but the church I go to is built around Christ, Son of God, Savior of mankind.

What a strange response to thoughts about Christmas and Easter in our church as a way to celebrate Christ. We are told by the people who decided on it that this was a substitution for the suggestions of ways to celebrate the Lord given in scripture, it was to replace them because the way in scripture was too Jewish and Jews, they said were all wicked people who killed Christ so if Jews did something, even if it was in scripture, it became wicked. I think God would find them wrong to decide to do that, and that we should look over that decision to establish this as tradition so engrained in our church it becomes the way our world operates.

I think God would point out we have sunk deep in hot water.

 

[prove-all]

Because the merchents of the world get rich over it, sells on now hurry.

It takes away the worship and glory of the real God.

a mans tradition that God did not make

 

[RedTent]

Answer me this. How is celebrating the birth/incarnation of our Savior Jesus on Dec. 25th ... pagan?

According to scripture, copying pagan ways to celebrate God is not right. The golden calf representing the Lord and was a copy of having something material to look at to represent the Gods. Even using blood in the sacrificial rites that God told people to do was hated by God when it was done as a copy of how the pagans used blood as we read in the very first chapter of Isaiah.

I celebrated the birth of our Lord for years as purely celebrating it. I was completely ignorant of anything else scripture told me about celebrating it, but I used Christmas in spirit and truth. Then I read the letters of the men who decided on this for church tradition, and I don't want to celebrate it for the reasons it was instituted. Now, I realize that just purely going by God's word would bring the world more in line with all the ways of the Lord.

 

[blue_ladybug]

I listen to Christmas songs and watch Christmas shows. *gasps* Does this mean I'm going to hell now? lol.. oh and I watch scary movies on halloween too, and I buy Easter bunnies, and Valentines Day chocolates,,hmm lets see what else.. lol

If you treat Christmas as an idol, then that's what it becomes to you. If you celebrate it in the spirit of Christ, then I see nothing wrong with it. If getting presents and decorating trees becomes more important than Jesus, then yes, that's wrong. But to gather with family and friends to celebrate Jesus' birth is just fine.

 

[RedTent]

I listen to Christmas songs and watch Christmas shows. *gasps* Does this mean I'm going to hell now? lol.. oh and I watch scary movies on halloween too, and I buy Easter bunnies, and Valentines Day chocolates,,hmm lets see what else.. lol

If you treat Christmas as an idol, then that's what it becomes to you. If you celebrate it in the spirit of Christ, then I see nothing wrong with it. If getting presents and decorating trees becomes more important than Jesus, then yes, that's wrong. But to gather with family and friends to celebrate Jesus' birth is just fine.

You see what joy following your spirit of love of the Lord brings you. Love and gathering with family. You even join with the pagans----it is like what scripture tells of joining in the fun things the pagans do. They still loved the Lord as they joined pagans friends in fun. Many could do this, but some decided the pagan way was more fun. Christ did not keep himself separated from others, but ate with them and visited.

What if we took all this feeling of love of the Lord, and searched His word for ways He suggests we express this love in celebrations, using that in the same spirit we join these other celebrations. If you let your mind explore that as a viable possibility, I think you would find an even deeper closeness to the Lord.

Christ and many of the men of the NT led the way in celebrating the Lord in this way--Christ even celebrated His own crucifixion with Passover.

 

[Billyd]

If you come by my house you will find Christmas movies or music for the entire month of December.

Christmas Eve is our day of rededication to Christ.

On Christmas Day we will gather at my brother's house (he's the best cook) for an early afternoon meal that will be proceeded by the Christmas Story from Luke 2. After dinner the men (and a couple of ladies) retire to the deer stands, and the rest of the women sit around and plan for the next day's shopping. All the grandchildren clean up and disappear from adult sight.

 

[RedTent]

If you come by my house you will find Christmas movies or music for the entire month of December.

Christmas Eve is our day of rededication to Christ.

On Christmas Day we will gather at my brother's house (he's the best cook) for an early afternoon meal that will be proceeded by the Christmas Story from Luke 2. After dinner the men (and a couple of ladies) retire to the deer stands, and the rest of the women sit around and plan for the next day's shopping. All the grandchildren clean up and disappear from adult sight.

Do you think that our early church fathers that set up this way of celebrating really improved on the way God set up the holidays for us? I notice that the few people who still follow God's plan still have holidays without the world's changing them through commercialism, etc., even though many of the people who use this plan don't even acknowledge that the Christ who was crucified was the real Messiah they are so far off in many ways.

I'm not convinced man's way is better than the plan given us by God. Man has made it reflect God even better than those who used the golden calf to worship did, there is a lot of God in man's holidays. But better?

 

[psychomom]

If you come by my house you will find Christmas movies or music for the entire month of December.

Christmas Eve is our day of rededication to Christ.

On Christmas Day we will gather at my brother's house (he's the best cook) for an early afternoon meal that will be proceeded by the Christmas Story from Luke 2. After dinner the men (and a couple of ladies) retire to the deer stands, and the rest of the women sit around and plan for the next day's shopping. All the grandchildren clean up and disappear from adult sight.

you are inspirational. ♥

movies and music at our house, too.
and we read Luke 2 every Christmas Eve.

 

[RedTent]

you are inspirational. ♥

movies and music at our house, too.
and we read Luke 2 every Christmas Eve.

Does that mean you think man improved on the way to celebrate? It does sound like a fun, loving, worshipful time.

 

[psychomom]

Does that mean you think man improved on the way to celebrate? It does sound like a fun, loving, worshipful time.

thank you, it truly is.

as for man improving the way to celebrate...i guess i'd have to ask what you think man improved upon?

 

[RedTent]

thank you, it truly is.

as for man improving the way to celebrate...i guess i'd have to ask what you think man improved upon?

Scripture gives the celebrations and parties, usually it is found in the Old Testament. I realize many Christians feel anything written there and not repeated in the new isn't to be considered scripture now that Christ lived on earth and was crucified so perhaps my thinking it is scripture seems strange to many. I have carefully checked everything Christ improved on--His blood instead of the blood of animals is a glaring example. I haven't seen Christ set up feasts and celebrations as improvements, so I take the feasts as scripture about how to celebrate the Lord.

Oh Dear!! I can just hear the slam bang from these beliefs as not from God!! Especially from how Paul was against using rituals to be accepted by the Lord, and comparing the feasts to rituals. Afraid this is opening up a can of worms. I guess you only see feasts as rituals to not be used, or you see feasts as celebrations from scripture to celebrate the Lord. I have never seen a scripture to say not to use these celebrations. Don't use animal blood, don't use diet, don't use physical circumcision, but no don't use feasts. There were lots of pagan feasts scripture talks about in the NT, even, and we aren't to judge by feasts, even, but no don't use what scripture told of.