Should Christians celebrate Christmas

[Forgemaster]

What kind of people do you think pagans were? I'm not an expert on all "pagans" but I'll need to see some evidence about the baby blood thing. Also taking a verse out of context won't help. the bible is a self proclaiming truth with no evidence to back itself up. You believe it is the work of your god because it says it is. You keep arguing about horrible things (that you have provided no evidence for) that pagans did during the old holidays, even if it's true then why does it affect you at all? Pagans prayed to their gods just as I pray to my Gods. Just as you pray to yours. So now you can't do that according to your bible. Pagans often sang songs of their gods, you can't do that either. You don't have to kill anything to please your god so don't and move on with your life. Celebrate however you wish, it's a time to be happy, not debate what people did way back when and it doesn't even concern you

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

You do whatever you want to do. Life a paranoid and joyless life. That's your choice. It's so sad that humans make the Supreme Being out to be so petty. We've really fallen far.

 

[Forgemaster]

You do whatever you want to do. Life a paranoid and joyless life. That's your choice. It's so sad that humans make the Supreme Being out to be so petty. We've really fallen far.

Well I'm not going to share my whole story, I know what you would say anyway, but if your god exits then he wants nothing to do with me, I looked for answers and I found them, I don't see it as sad, I see it as logical. I am very happy with where I am and proud to say I got there by my own strength. But I do agree that if this guy wants to live a sad life because he can't celebrate the holidays then so be it. There's not reason to live like that. Life is meant to be lived, so just do it

 

[viole]

Christmas comes from sun worship holidays. We were originally suppose to worship on the Sabbath's but it was changed to Sunday because of Constatine I believe. He wanted to satisfy the pagans in his kingdom and Christmas developed into what it is now.

God said not to worship the way pagans do and you attack my character?

Oh no. A war on Christmas initiated by Christians.

Ciao

- viole

 

[Parsimony]

If a new religion started up, and one of the rituals of worship in that religion involved eating apples, would it then become sinful for Christians to eat apples? If so, then an anti-Christian person could be awfully dastardly by starting a new religion (let's call it "Jerkism") which continually incorporates mundane things into its rituals of worship so that Christians become less and less free over time to do various things. That's another reason I don't think raw concepts should be considered "evil" just because of the way other people use them.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Well I'm not going to share my whole story, I know what you would say anyway, but if your god exits then he wants nothing to do with me, I looked for answers and I found them, I don't see it as sad, I see it as logical. I am very happy with where I am and proud to say I got there by my own strength. But I do agree that if this guy wants to live a sad life because he can't celebrate the holidays then so be it. There's not reason to live like that. Life is meant to be lived, so just do it

Huh? My comment wasn't directed towards you. I don't care what deities you worship (or don't worship). And, no - you don't know what I'd say about anything. I'm an individual human being, not an automaton.

 

[David M]

Deuteronomy 12:31 "You must not worship Yahweh your God in their way."

What about the rest of it: "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods."

So nothing to do with celebrating events themselves but HOW such worship is carried out.

 

[Machavelle]

Pagan dates and certain rituals were stolen in order for Christians to force their pagan enemy to convert.

However what can a modern Christian do, was not their fault, it is still about Jesus.

Let the Christians njoy

 

[EtuMalku]

What about the rest of it: "You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods."

So nothing to do with celebrating events themselves but HOW such worship is carried out.

Pretty heavy talk coming from the Father who sacrificed his own Son.

 

[Altfish]

Even though it is a pagan holiday and comes from pagan origins?

I have no problems with Christians sharing my holiday, as long as they don't start a war on Pagan holidays. But why they don't celebrate JC's birthday on a more likely date of his birth is beyond me??

 

[Native]

The ancient meaning of Christmas is Joule - The nordic name for "Jul" is Wheel, which represents the 4 seasons and their marking points.

So: Christians (also) should celebrate this Wheel of Nature as the most natural and close manifestation in the creation

 

[Slorri]

I have no problems with Christians sharing my holiday, as long as they don't start a war on Pagan holidays. But why they don't celebrate JC's birthday on a more likely date of his birth is beyond me??

In what aspect is it "your holiday"?

 

[Altfish]

In what aspect is it "your holiday"?

In that I finish work a week on Wednesday and don't go back until early January; we will eat well, keep warm, drink well, meet family and friends, exchange presents and celebrate the winter solstice.

 

[stevevw]

Even though it is a pagan holiday and comes from pagan origins?

Christmas as far as celebrating Christ's birth wasn't done until around 300 years after His death. It wasn't set as a annual celebration until the 5th century. Up until then there were pagan celebrations such as the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice.

I dont think we should celebrate Christmas like we do in secular society. I think it sends the wrong message. It can become a token celebration of Christ whereas He should be honored everyday. But I think its probably more important not to buy into the frenzy of commercial Christmas as this has many negative effects and even non religious ones. I read that this year in a time when people are struggling and many people in the world are displaced or hungry in Australia we will spend something like 45 billion which is a new record for spending ion Christmas. Most of that will be on credit which is absolutely crazy.

Its almost like commercial Xmas has become a god idol in itself and needs to be fed gross amounts of money and material processions. This is the danger and this is what is causing people to get sucked into a vacuum off being held captive and becoming slaves to an idol that demands their lives. I tend to have a low key event with dinner with the family as a time to get together. I think in this sense its good to come together and share with family and friends. I work in the community centre so we help the needy at this time as many feel they are without and this can be a time when their loneliness and sorrow is compounded. So I think if it gets you doing something good then thats not so bad but I think it should be something we do all the time anyway.

 

[Scott C.]

Damn good question. Why did he care? Why reject their reverence just because it wasn't what he'd prefer?

God is a better judge than we are on what worship is offered based on love and reverence and what is not. He judges based on the heart.

 

[V lad i mir]

sorry, this in Russian, but you can read most important.

 

[V lad i mir]

Person, who people call Christ, was born in 1153 in Tavria cape Fiolent and crucified at Feb.16 1186 on mount Beykos by fort Yoros.http://apocalypse-2012.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1351.jpg http://apocalypse-2012.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1352.jpg 1559 coronation of Elizabeth first - The coronation was a great success; and, on the next day, one of the courtiers presented a petition to the new Queen, praying that as it was the custom to release some prisoners on such occasions, she would have the goodness to release the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and also the Apostle Saint Paul, who had been for some time shut up in a strange language so that the people could not get at them.( Charles Dickens " A child history of England").

 

[Draka]

God is a better judge than we are on what worship is offered based on love and reverence and what is not. He judges based on the heart.

If that is so, then it shouldn't matter how one shows reverence it should just matter the love and intent behind it right? Someone may celebrate or honor in a way not "preferred" but with full love and reverence and someone else may do what is "preferred" yet just go through the motions and not really have the right intent behind it. Right?

 

[rstrats]

re: "Should Christians celebrate Christmas"

Maybe. It may be ok if no religious connection is attached to the celebration.

 

[V lad i mir]

''et transmigratio exercitus huius filiorum Israhel omnia Chananeorum usque ad Saraptham et transmigratio Hierusalem quae in 'Bosforo' est possidebit civitates austri''. (Vulgate) ''And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel, all the places of the Chanaanites even to Sarepta: and the captivity of Jerusalem that is in 'Bosphorus', shall possess the cities of the south.'' (Douay-Rheims) http://www.pravenc.ru/data/153/467/1234/i400.jpg