Why Some Christians Don't Celebrate Christmas

Good News Magazine ^ | Nov. 2005 | Jerold Aust

[ScubieNuc]

I would just ignore CTID. He does more good for the Protestant cause then he realizes.

In every Catholic/Protestant discussion I've read through, he is always rude and arrogant. You'll not convince him that any non-catholic views have any merit. He finds it easier to hate and attack, which ignores the people that are browsing.

What's funny is he comes across as a "Susan Estrich" of Catholicism.

Sincerely

[DouglasKC]

I guess it never occurred to you that your interpretation of Scripture is flawed, distorted, twisted, incomplete, and erroneous in almost every way.

Guess not. Jesus Christ creates certain feast days and says to observe them. I observe them. Stupid me.

Protestants never do seem to consider that, when they play high and mighty and beat their breast and pledge allegiance to Scripture.

I don't consider myself a protestant, but rather a first century Christian. As far as scripture, I find that a proper interpretation can only come about when Christ opens our minds:

Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,

2Ti 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

I would much rather put my faith in Christ and the holy spirit and study of scripture than thousands of years of traditions and thousands of opinions of man. That's what Judaism had done up to the time of Christ and look how messed up they got it.

[bonfire]

"I've been laughing for days at the people who think that calling a decorated evergreen a "Holiday tree" rather than a "Christmas tree" somehow denigrates the Savior."

Me too. (I thought I was the only one here!)

[ScubieNuc]

"Pharisees loved scripture alone too, it let them ignore what was clearly the spirit of God so they could profit from legalistic interpretations."

That brings to mind an interesting comparison, I see, between literal interpretation Christians (Protestants) and liberal interpretation Christians (Catholics).

Do a little test.

Ask a Catholic priest about why Catholics believe Mary to be without sin, or a mediator for us.

Next, ask a Protestant why they don't believe Mary to be without sin, or a mediator for us.

Now, compare that to how a liberal lawyer answers a question about the constitutionality of anything, and how a conservative lawyer answers about the Constitutionality of anything. The conservative relies on what is written and original intent. The liberal has something new, because it is "a living and breathing document."

Both Protestants and Catholics can be legalistic, but who is relying on what is written and who is relying on something new?

Just something to think about.

Sincerely

[Oztrich Boy]

Bah! Humbug!

[Oztrich Boy]

You haven't allowed for the effect of global warming

[x5452]

I'm orthodox, we don't have the 'original sin' nor the 'correction' of immaculate conception.

[Quester]

Celebration with regard to any part of Christ's life and ministry is quite unlikely to be displeasing to God ...

Luke 19:37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

Why ... we celebrate Jesus' life and ministry every week at the assembly.

Why should Christmas (i.e. a special celebration of His birth) ... be any different ?

[Amelia]

I thought I was the only one here!

Nope! *grin*

How have you been doing?

[rfreedom4u]

I'm a Christian and celbrate Christmas. However I believe it has been way too commercialized. Too many people are worrying about gifts and feasting for the sake of gluttony. It's supposed to be about Jesus' birth and what a wonderful gift He was to mankind. If only more people would realize this it would be much better.

[Conservative til I die]

That translation has been through at least 4 revisions. Which of those revisions is the pure, unaltered word of God?

And what is the pure, unaltered word of God? Which version? Which document?

[Conservative til I die]

Christ created holy days to mark, signify and portend what God knew to be important for man. Christmas was not one of these days. Christ also commanded to walk as he walked. He did not celebrate his own birth or command his followers to celebrate his birth.

Do you celebrate Easter. I don't recall Jesus telling anyone "Celebrate the day of my resurrection".

[DouglasKC]

The NEW TESTAMENT didn't become tradition until hundreds of years after Christ died (Around 150AD).

I believe that biblical Christians considered the early epistles scripture:

2Pe 3:16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Peter calls Paul's epistles as scripture because he refers to "other scriptures".

Also Christ was in fact BORN that is in fact what established Christmas.
If Christmas is a meaningless exercise why did the apostles who wrote about Christ birth do so? Why waste that time in scripture?

Using that logic God would God condone any type of celebration associated with the birth of Christ? How about mixing the Islamic custom of cutting oneself in the name of celebrating the birth of Christ? How about ritualized sexual relations to celebrate the birth of Christ? Where is the ilne drawn?

That's why God sets laws for us. Look at a famous example from the old testament:

Exo 32:4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."
Exo 32:5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD."

Aaron made a representation of God and proclaimed it a feast day...a holy day. They knew the calf wasn't a live thing. It was representing the God of Israel. They wanted to hold a feast to the Lord God. Was God happy? Nope. Because it was idolatry.

It's the exact same thing as Christmas. Christmas is awash with idolotary and images meant to convey worship of the one true God. In many respects it's worse because it's become associated with greed, lust, envy and debauchery. For much of Christianity it's replaced the God Given days that he commanded.

[Conservative til I die]

I don't consider myself a protestant, but rather a first century Christian. As far as scripture, I find that a proper interpretation can only come about when Christ opens our minds:

Ever read any of the earliest writings of the Church Fathers? They don't jibe with your view, which might I add, is Protestant in nature. 'Cuz it certainly is not Catholic or Orthodox.

[DouglasKC]

That translation has been through at least 4 revisions. Which of those revisions is the pure, unaltered word of God?
And what is the pure, unaltered word of God? Which version? Which document?

As you probably surmise I believe it doesn't exist today in any one document. As I said, only the original written words were inerrant. Translations are subject to bias. But I believe that all of scripture is inerrant and complete and contained across many sources and translations. The holy spirit leads us into the truth, rightly dividing the word.

[DouglasKC]

Do you celebrate Easter. I don't recall Jesus telling anyone "Celebrate the day of my resurrection".

Nope, I celebrate Passover and the days of unleavened bread, the biblical festivals commanded by God.

[Conservative til I die]

Do you celebrate Easter. I don't recall Jesus telling anyone "Celebrate the day of my resurrection". Nope, I celebrate Passover and the days of unleavened bread, the biblical festivals commanded by God.

Amazing. The most important day in the history of the world, and you don't celebrate it?

[DouglasKC]

Amazing. The most important day in the history of the world, and you don't celebrate it?

Not so amazing. The most important day was the death of Christ. Many people had been resurrected by God through Christ. Without his atoning death, his payment for the penalty of our sins, his resurrection would have been merely a curiousity. It was his death that made his resurrection glorious. That is why he instructed us to remember his death:

1Co 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Naturally this occurred on Passover, one of the days that God ordained. Easter, like Christmas, is man ordained.

[Diego1618]

Ever read any of the earliest writings of the Church Fathers? They don't jibe with your view

The first evidence of the observance of a "Mass of Christ" was in Rome, 336 A.D. and earlier Christians do not appear to have given any credence to the commemoration of the nativity.

Origen of Alexandria in fact strongly opposed the celebration pointing out that scripture only indicated 2 birthday celebrations....Pharaoh and Herod. In both cases it was an occasion for an execution. Origen came of age in the 3rd century A.D.

The December date for the holiday probably arose from a desire to provide an alternative to Roman "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun" and the Persian birthday of Mithras, both of which were celebrated around the winter solstice.

[x5452]

I do not think that after thousands of years of waiting for the messiah the world would be remiss to celebrate his coming.

Like ALL protestants you take your mistranslated 1500s translations as the only word of God, and throw away the teachings of the apostles. As most 'sola-scripture' touters you insist to take 1 or 2 lines completely out of context, it is folks like you who make the bible seem inconsistent.

Do you confess your sins to the church each Sunday as Christ commands?

Do you keep women silent in your church as Paul, who speaks as commandments of God commands?

Do your women cover their heads as Paul also commands?

Yet of course you're an EXPERT on scripture.