Posted on 12/05/2016 6:25:01 PM PST by WXRGina
Each year around this time, in Facebook posts and elsewhere, we are certain to be lectured by well-meaning Christians on the "sinfulness" of celebrating Christmas. Their arguments can be persuasive. "In the Bible, God never told us to celebrate Christmas," they say. "Christmas has its roots in paganism," they say. So that must mean we're just dupes celebrating a pagan ritual when we ignorantly think we're gratefully celebrating the birth of Jesus. Who wants to celebrate what God never told us to celebrate and which supposedly has its roots in paganism? Not me! But are those things really true?
While there is no specific instruction in the Bible to honor or celebrate the birth of Jesus each year (and no, of course, we don't know the actual date of His birth), neither is there any prohibition of it. Further, when you read the Gospel accounts of the birth of Jesus, it is clear that heaven and earth celebrated that miraculous event. Can you imagine the breathtaking awe felt by those humble shepherds" at the sight of the multitude of heavenly host praising God on that powerful, wonderful occasion?
I can think of nothing more worthy of annual remembrance and celebration than the birth of Christ, alongside the celebration of His resurrection from the dead (the supposed "paganism" about which we are also lectured by those same well-meaning Christians. "The root word for Easter is the name of a pagan goddess!" they say). These events are part of the Gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
I submit to you that the truth is the opposite of these assertions of paganism. The claims that the pagan rituals in which Christmas (and Easter) supposedly are based pre-date Jesus' birth, earthly ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection from the dead are wrong. Nothing "pre-dates" Jesus. He is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He is outside of time because He is before time. All things were made by Him, and without Him nothing—nothing—was made. He is God. His willing sacrifice to save the world was set and planned before the dawn of time and creation of the world.
All pagan (satanic) rituals, "holidays" and celebrations throughout history are nothing more than cheap imitation knock-offs of the Real Thing. Satan has always tried to set himself in the place of Jesus, to be the object of worship. Before being cast to earth, he tried the same thing in heaven. To this end, he has created myriad false religions and rituals, from blatantly pagan to sneaky, fake "Christian." Not only are these designed for Satan to soak up men's worship, but also to deceive men and keep them from coming to a saving knowledge of Truth found only in the Word of God.
In so many different ways, since the fall of man in the Garden, the devil has deceptively imitated and mocked Christ's ministry and message, even before they played out in time. So, no, the celebration of the birth of Christ—that we call Christmas—does not have its roots in paganism. It's the other way around. Satan has always stolen the ideas he has from Christ's truth, and then he twists and perverts that truth into lies and grotesque wickedness.
Another point to consider is the fact that the world, currently under Satan's lordship, despises and reviles all things of God and Christ. Thus, we see Satan's war on Christmas, waged by his servants the God-haters among us. If Christmas was truly based in satanic paganism, don't you think the devil would be fine with its presence in the public square? Instead, we now see almost every major corporation aggressively scrubbing even the mention of Christmas from their businesses and advertising.
It's irksome to see the ridiculous level this corporate purging of Christmas has reached. Having been in radio for 22 years, I've watched as the generic word "holiday" has slowly replaced Christmas in national radio ads. It would be silly if it weren't so devilish:
"This holiday, give the gift your sweetheart wants!" "Make your holiday cards special!" "Find all your holiday gifts in one location!" "Do your holiday shopping with us, and save!" "We have the perfect holiday gifts at prices you'll love!"
It's not "holiday." It's Christmas. No one sends out "holiday cards." They send out Christmas cards. No one does their "holiday shopping." They do their Christmas shopping. No one gives "holiday gifts." They give Christmas gifts. This is yet another example of the world doing its worst to obliterate even the mention of Christ—in this case, as it appears in the word Christmas. The giant corporations are glad to scrub Christmas from their advertising, but boy do they love to load up on national "holiday" ads in order to separate you from your Christmas cash!
Christmas is not pagan, and it's not "holiday." It is part of the greatest True Story in the history of stories. How fortunate we are that God so loved the world! Jesus stepped down from the glory of His heavenly throne and into the form of man. He was born into the world He loved so much that He willingly offered His precious, sinless life in place of ours, and all we have to do is believe and accept His free gift salvation.
For those well-meaning Christians who deeply believe celebrating Christmas is wrong, an offense to God, then for them, it is wrong. Let every man be convinced in his heart. But, for those of us who view it as the celebration of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, then let us celebrate it with joy and thanks to God.
Merry Christmas!
Crud. I messed up one of the html links, accidentally hitting “post” instead of “edit,” but the message is still in tact, at least.
The idiots today want to detract from any tradition. If it did not happen to them...it must be a scam.
But I think most people like the tradition of Christmas. I won’t let these idiots—nor those fighting against the idiots—ruin the peaceful feeling I get around this time of year.
And as I get older, it gets more peaceful.
People, principalities and powers in high places despise anything or anyone Christian or His very name, Y’shua ha meshiach, The Christ
“I’ve watched as the generic word “holiday” has slowly replaced Christmas in national radio ads. It would be silly if it weren’t so devilish.’
It started around 2005. Now we are bombarded with the generic, faceless term “holiday” in place of Christmas each year. Yesterday’s NFL games were particularly bad. They used the H word hundreds of times. Christmas was used only 4 times. I know Hannukah is a weeklong fest. but Santa saying “Happy Holidays” over and over in ads is ridiculous. PC is very ant-Christmas, and won’t even speak the name.
Some of the traditions, symbols and such associated with American, commercialized Christmas actually do have pagan origins. The Christmas tree, even Santa Claus. Other aspects have their origin in Macy’s Department Store.
None of this means a thing if you’re Christian rather than pagan. It’s beautiful, makes people happy and long may we celebrate it.
That’s not to say that I approve of besmirching people who do not believe in celebrating Christmas. It is their right in this nation. I repeat, it is their right, enshrined in the Constitution. Leave them alone, their religious beliefs don’t harm you and are actually none of your business.
Just this evening, I read this:
http://www.classicaldifference.com/the-medieval-redemption-of-christmas/
which speaks to the connections to paganism, but from a Christian perspective. Excerpt:
The church fathers of the fourth century thought so as well. When Constantine ended the Roman persecution of the church, he, along with the leaders of the church, knew that bridges would have to be built between Christianity and paganism.
You see, at the time of Constantine, the Roman pagans were already celebrating a religious festival of Mardis Gras-like joy and mirth. The Romans believed, as Virgil records in Book VIII of The Aeneid, that Italy had, in the distant past, experienced a Golden Age of pastoral innocence. During that time, Saturn, the father of Jupiter, and his fellow Titans had lived on the earth alongside mortals. Long ago, Italy had fallen from her age of gold; however, each year, around the winter solstice, the Romans celebrated the Saturnalia as a way of hearkening back to that lost time of divine closeness, when the dwelling places of gods and men had come, all too briefly, into direct proximity.
But that was not all. The time of the winter solstice, which the Romans celebrated on December 25 rather than December 21, also included a birthday celebration—that of the invincible Sun, who rose up anew out of the shortest day of the year and marched forward into the promised spring. It seemed to Constantine and to many of the church leaders that the conjunction of the Saturnalia and the birthday of the sun made for an appropriate season to celebrate the birth of Christ, He who had drawn heaven and earth together by His Incarnation and brought Light into a world imprisoned in darkness.
Yes, there are many who would argue that the dating of Christmas marks a negative example of the church watering down Christian theology to accommodate pagan culture. Like the religious Puritans and the secular utilitarians of the Victorian Age, they would strip Christmas of all its “medieval” trappings and transform it into a day of sober reflection, either on our sins or our bank accounts.
The medieval church did not see it that way. Far from destroyers of doctrine, they were cultural evangelists, reaching out to the pagan world with a message of hope and joy: “Let us lead you to the full truth, which up until now you have only seen in part.” Or, in the words of that timeless promise that Paul extended to his pagan Greek audience: “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you” (Acts 17:23; ESV).
Yep! You’re spot-on right, Luke21. It’s breathtaking in its “strange” national (even global) coordination.
Yes, they do. And, we certainly know why, Karliner.
The idiots today, as the idiots of old, want to detract from anything CHRIST, period. That's our existential struggle of good and evil. It really is as simple as that.
All I can say to the grinches is BAH HUMBUG!
Why Christmas’ ‘Pagan Roots’ Shouldn’t Keep You From Celebrating
Let the reader understand the meaning of my column. It is based PURELY in the BIBLE, ALONE, “solo Scriptura,” if you will, and NOT in any traditions created by fallen man!
Hear, hear! :-) Merry Christmas, CloudMountain!
Christmas is NOT pagan!
https://oca.org/saints/lives/2016/12/25/103638-the-nativity-of-our-lord-god-and-savior-jesus-christ
Right on for 2017! :-D
Jesus would be (and is) please.
John Chrisostom (lived in the late 4th Century) considered this very issue of whether Christians took over a pre-existing pagan festival. He concluded that the December 25 date was the correct date of Jesus’ birth. It can be shown by Zacharias’ date of service in the Temple which was immediately before the conception of John the Baptist, and we know John’s age in relation to Jesus. Merry Christmas, everyone!
Astrological events Associated with the Birth of Jesus Christ and the Dec 25th date
It isn't a very good write up and would fail any English class but I think most people could pick through it. About 2/3 of the way through the blog it talks about the Dec 25th date. Some might notice the day I created this is todays date, actually I just edited it today to post on another freerepublic post earlier today, I deleted about half of what I wrote a few years ago.
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