Featured Christmas Date: Not what you thought

Thank you for posting this. I mentioned something about this on another thread and everyone is so anxious to believe December 25 is the perpetuation of a pagan holiday that it was ignored. I just sat through about an hour long lecture given to me by one of my JW family members about how Christmas is pagan. Of course, they already think that Catholicism is pagan and me putting up a tree and other Christmas decorations is only confirming for them that I am a pagan. I decided to play into it. I told them that I am going to seek out as many Germanic pagan winter things that I can and incorporate them into my celebration this year, I usually only put up a tree. But this year, I am doing all the pagan things. I am gonna get a Yule log, mistletoe, a wreath, drink mead, etc. I am even thinking about going "a wasailing" this year. :thumbs:

 

The two articles don't set anything right. They do agree on one thing.
There was no celebration of the birth of Christ until the fourth century. The early Christians did not celebrate the birth of Christ. That took four centuries. In fact the only birth celebrated in the NT was than of Herod, and we know what that resulted in: A seductive dance by his step-daugher, a request from her mother, and the gruesome beheading of John the Baptist! Some birthday party! They were held by pagans not by Christians.

Christians commemorated the deaths of loved ones, as in the death of Christ. He instituted, at the Last Supper, the Communion Table, a time to remember His Death, burial and resurrection. But never did he institute a time to remember his birth.

The second link you provided was based on a false premise. The author, in his mind, wants an answer for Islam and J.W.'s. "What do I tell them?" Instead of telling them the truth he skews the facts. It is a dishonest presentation of the facts to placate not only his mind but to give an answer to non-believers.
The truth is better. Why not agree with them?
Agree with the J.W. Yes, you are right. Christ was not born on December 25th and no one knows what day he was born. It was probably in the spring.

From there use your own soul liberty.
For example, I would say: "Therefore, I agree and do not celebrate Christmas," (and that would totally shock them).

However you could give another answer according to your own conscience: This is the reason I do: Not for commercialism, not for greediness, not for traditionalism, etc. but to honor Christ.

It is better to be honest with the facts. Look them up in secular encyclopedias: Britannica, World Encyclopedia, etc. They will not agree with your sources. Christmas is on the same day as a pagan festival. It is on that day because the Christians wanted to celebrate, wanted a holiday just like the pagans.
It reminds me of Israel. "Give us a king like all the other nations."
We want to be like everyone else. It is called worldliness.
There was a time when the celebration of Christmas was against the law.

 

Christmas has become the Holiday for the secular world to celebrate, while to the Early Christians, far more important was to remember his death and resurrection, so easter would be the main one for us to celebrate and focus on...

I tend to view all of this as under christian liberty in christ though, for God gives to each of us the freedom to chose to celebrate Christman/easter, and if we do or do not, base it upon a good conscious and persuaded from the scriptures!

 

Observing Christmas

Thank You! A refreshing reminder!

:thumbs::wavey:

 

Thank you Walter for the articles. It certainly does nothing to add or subtract from celebrating this important Christian feast day , but it is always interesting to learn something new ( to me anyway!) .

 

Another chapter in the war between Encyclopaedia Britannica and New Advent Encyclopedia.

Dumb question: What does the Word of God say?

Has anyone considered moving Fat Tuesday closer to Saturnalia?

Does the date for Easter still depend on astrological considerations? Was this a major consideration at the Nicea Council in the 4th century-- the one presided by the pagan Emperor: Constantine, The Great One?

Watch and pray--Satan is still devouring the world--no time for celebrations.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

I've seen a lot of posting lately about the date of Christmas, and some people saying that we shouldn't celebrate it. I've read in some places online that you are not a true Christian if you celebrate Christmas. None of that sits well with me. Granted, I love the Christmas season. Always have. The closeness of family, the cold weather, the lights in the (all too rare here in Georgia) snow...I love it.

Now, is it scriptural? No, not really. We don't know on what day Jesus was born. Scriptural evidence seems to point to spring or perhaps early autumn. There are various stories out there about how Christmas settled on December 25. You have the co-opting of pagan festivals like Saturnalia or Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, which all fall anywhere between December 13 and the end of the year. This theory seems to hold the most water.

But really, what does it matter? It is a holiday in which, like Easter, we see more people in church than on almost any other given Sunday. I almost take the same approach Paul took in saying:

Even though not everyone was sincere in their exercise of preaching the gospel, Paul noted that at least Christ was preached, meaning that the word was going out, and that the Holy Ghost of God could work through those that heard it.

Even if we've picked the wrong date, or if you think that we shouldn't celebrate the incarnation of Christ into this world, at least Christ is preached, at least more people are hearing about it. And in that shouldn't we likewise rejoice?

 

Here is a link that posts the facts of Christmas more in line with the truth of Christmas than the OP.

http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_TheRealStory.htm

 

Christmas is nothing but the pagan holiday, festival.


Christmas may be the abreviation of Christ+ Mass. Check with the dictionary or etymology book.

Mass performs the mock sacrifice because Catholics don't believe the eternal effect of the Sacrifice at Crosss Once For All where RCC ask their god to forgive their sins because they don't believe their sins were already forgiven at the Cross.

Mass may have come from < Macto, Mactare> which means slaughter, kill, punish

while Missa may have come from <mitto, mittare> which means emit, dismiss, emitting the blood.


I don't want to kill Christ. I don't want Jesus bleed His Blood again.
Jesus was slaughtered Once For ALL, which is enough for me and for all the people of the world.

So, I don't celebrate Christmas.



Eliyahu

 

Love Lutheran Satire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0-EgjUhRqA

 

Backup to Eccles. 1:14,17; 2:11,17,22,26.

Fwd to: 4:4,6,16; 6:9

Feasts and such were for Israel. All OT laws were fulfilled at Calvary, and are not obligatory to Gentiles anyway. In Christ, there is no more Jew and Gentile.

See also Gal. 4:10. The Galatians were having a problem with holly-days. Paul called them foolish and bewitched.

There is a sizeable group called Christian which has some sort of observance for every day of the Gregorian Calendar--usually some feast day for a Saint. One can even buy a medal and pray to them.

"In vain do ye worship, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men"

What a waste of precious time!!! All of these works will burn. Now what?

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Bro. James

 

O Come Let Us Adore Him........

Christ, Messiah, Jesus, Savior, Prince of Peace.

And all God's children said, "Amen."

:jesus:

 

Here is an excellent article and a good video too.
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/christmas-traditions-why-celebrate-dec-174004931.html?cache=clear