Okay. But, again, us not being able to properly say His name is much different than willingly celebrating something that is steeped in pagan roots. Can you imagine if Gideon had told God, "You know this high place you want torn down? I think we can just turn it into a holy place for you, and it'll be all good." No. God doesn't want us to take those evil, pagan things and twist them into a weird sort of worship towards Him.
I get we can have "fond memories" about xmas. People also get "fond memories" from the premarital sex they've engaged in. Some get "fond memories" from stealing. Others have "fond memories" of doing horrendous things. Does that make it okay as long as we're only worshiping Yahweh while we do them? There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ...so that gives us freedom to do whatever we want, as long as it's in His name? That's what I'm getting from this whole thread.
Saturnalia/Christmas...a rose by any other name...changing the names and making it "Christian" doesn't make it so.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
I get we can have "fond memories" about xmas. People also get "fond memories" from the premarital sex they've engaged in. Some get "fond memories" from stealing. Others have "fond memories" of doing horrendous things. Does that make it okay as long as we're only worshiping Yahweh while we do them? There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ...so that gives us freedom to do whatever we want, as long as it's in His name? That's what I'm getting from this whole thread.
Saturnalia/Christmas...a rose by any other name...changing the names and making it "Christian" doesn't make it so.
Anyway, that's my 2 cents.
So, to me, my worship is pure...we aren't licensing sin. We aren't trying to win a "Holier than thou" contest or anything else. Nor are we making fond memories of fornication or orgies of people getting hurt.
We are promoting family time...hearth and home...where the standards of upright living are supposed to come from in our overly busy lives.