Keep the Mass in Christmas: Christians Undermined, Secularized Christmas [Ecumenical]

Standing On My Head ^ | December 17, 2008 | Fr. Dwight Longenecker

[NYer]

I was going to post on the prevalence of "Keep Christ in Christmas" bumper stickers and signs at this time of year and suggest that the reason Christ is being taken out of Christmas is that Mass has already been taken out of Christmas.

However, Mark Shea links to this article by an atheist that makes my argument before I could get a chance. He makes the very good point that the whole Advent and Christmas season (lasting right up to Candlemass on February 2) was a long sacred holiday that celebrated the Incarnation of Our Lord, and it was the Protestants who yanked all the sacred festivals and observations. The ironic thing is, they often pulled them with the argument that the festivals were 'pagan'.

Eventually what was left was only the pagan bits: mistletoe, Christmas trees, holly etc. and what they added over the years: gross materialism, tacky non religious carols, the sentimental worship of snow and reindeer and snowmen and fireplaces and poinsettas was a new kind of shallow paganism.

[topcat54]

Hm. Well, your “liberation from tyranny of Rome” certainly worked. Enjoy.

Thanks. It has been a blessing, conformity to the His Commands vs. conformity to men.

[annalex]

Happy Holidays.

[MayflowerMadam]

Some history I’ve read on the Puritans noted that they wouldn’t celebrate Christmas. One of them (maybe Bradford) wrote something to the effect that it’s an evil papist invention — the “mass” part was mentioned. Just a comment, FWIW...

[topcat54]

I think you have misunderstood the intent of my words based on this reference.

[annalex]

So, is there a retraction or clarification of your #19?

[topcat54]

So, is there a retraction or clarification of your #19?

That would depend on what you thought I said.

[annalex]

I think you disagreed (19) with the statement (16):

if a community of faith wishes to celebrate something, or abstain from celebrating it, it has that right under any reasonable system of justice.

[topcat54]

I think you disagreed (19) with the statement (16):

I disagreed because of the vagueness and generality of terms, e.g., "any reasonable system of justice." Who is to define what is reasonable? Is animal sacrifice reasonable in worship? The use of cannabis?

My point being that what appears to be liberty might really be unsanctioned license. In any event, I’m not sure how that comment warranted a cross reference.

[annalex]

In context, celebrations that are the right of people wishing to celebrate are traditional public celebrations of established religions such as the Catholic (and many other Christian denominations’) celebrations of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentacost, Nativity of the Mother of God, Nativity of St John the Baptist, Sunday Mass, saint days, etc.

At the same time, those who find fault with the celebration are free to speak against it and abstain from participating in it.

Reasonable system of justice is such that recognizes individual rights, for example, the American consitutional system.

[topcat54]

С Рождеством Христовым

[annalex]

[Happy Christmas in Russian]

Thank you very much, but it still does not remove the concerns I have with #19.

[topcat54]

Thank you very much, but it still does not remove the concerns I have with #19.

"Get used to disappointment."

[annalex]

Then you need to get used to being viewed as on the side of those who are persecuting Christians.

[topcat54]

persecuting Christians

Now we are really getting dramatic.

[annalex]

One who wishes to deny “the right of people wishing to celebrate are traditional public celebrations of established religions such as the Catholic (and many other Christian denominations’) celebrations of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentacost, Nativity of the Mother of God, Nativity of St John the Baptist, Sunday Mass, saint days, etc.” is wishing to persecute Christians.

[Coleus]

thanks for the post.