Celebrating Christmas is an Insult to Christ

Thank-you for your "concern", mioque. Not that you asked, but he's okay.

This is supposed to be a free country where folks can openly worship the Lord God Almighty without being physically harassed. There is also supposed to be a protected right to free speech. We don't agree with folks promoting the lie of satan claws...but you don't see us setting them on fire or stoning those participating in it...as was done to the street preachers.

Feeling the christmass 'spirit'... *cough-cough*

 

I can honestly say that I don't care what a bunch of heterodox teachers think about Christmas. I and my family will continue to follow the Lord and celebrate His incarnation and the birth of Hope.

While it is a shame granny that you faced violence but after seeing rallies of the sort you describe, I sincerely doubt your group was completely innocent and probably did much to bring about the negative attitudes displayed towards you.

 

Granny
I'm not concerned about the physical health of that preacher, purely because if he had been maimed or killed by the experience there surely would have been a thread about it in the News/Current events section of the board.
I'm however genuinely shocked that somebody tried to put him on fire.
In my days as an activist (what Gumbo, you think you're the only one around here), I've been teargassed, watercannonned, batonned, tackled, arrested, handcuffed, charged by a motorcycle and shot at, but I've never seen anybody try to put somebody on fire during a protest before.
I don't know how you behave during your protests, but the crowd I was hanging around with must have been worse. We literally battled the riotpolice at times.

 

Saul of Tarsus thought he was serving God--he was wrong. The Lord showed him the right way on the road to Damascus.

Are all of these paganized traditions of men going to be acceptable to God? See the sacrifices of Cain and Abel. What was wrong with Cain's sacrifice?

Things Jesus said to remember: His death; and Lot's wife.

Selah,

Bro. James

 

What Cain offered was the human effort, even though the offering was very nice, but it was not accepted by God.

My neighbor asked "why don't you celebrate Christmas?, if you don't celebrate the birthday of Jesus, you are not believing in Him!"

Here again we notice the strange human syllogism.
The human syllogism is not applicable to the Words of God, but was often used when Inquisitors torture and kill the innocent Christian believers!

I found nowhere in the Bible that Jesus celebrated His birthday.
I found nowhere that Apostles celebrated the birthday of our Lord Jesus.
I found nowhere that early churches until 4 century have ever celebrated the birthday of Jesus.

But the story of pagan origin of Christmas is very much convincing to me.

 

I could careless if you chose to celebrate or not to celebrate Christmas. It's your lose.

Since, you have proven yourself to be the weaker brother, I will not impune your conscience over your decision. But I will not tolerate your attempts to impune the consciences of other because they do not see the celebration of Christmas as sinful like you do.

If Christmas falls near or on a day the pagans use so be it. It is not as if any Christian is celebrating Christmas so they can secretly worship a pagan God.

 

Since I’ve left the Baptist Church, my family and I have been celebrating the upcoming Christmas with Advent. I always thought that Advent was a Catholic “tradition” thing and a big NO, NO, but boy was I wrong. For almost four weeks we have been studying and reading and focusing our attention on the first coming of Christ as Savior and to His second coming as Judge. Our kids have enjoyed it and Advent has really brought our family closer during this Christmas year. Yes we have a Christmas tree and St. Nick is coming…whoo hoo..

 

I am a baptist and think the advent concept is a lovely idea.

 

Our new (past 10 years)
Pastor has us doing Advent candles for 5 Sundays
up to Christmas. Very beautiful to
have families lighting candles.

First Advent, Second Advent - Even so, Lord
Jesus -- come quickly.

 

James, the winter solstice is a scientific fact. If pagans chose to celebrate the fact in sun worship, that is entirely beside the point. There is evidence that Jesus was born in the autumn, in fact on a Sept. 11. If so, a Dec. 25 conception would not be out of line! In addition, there is also good evidence that Dec. 25 was the day the Magoi found and worshiped the Christ child.

Not a bad reason for Christians to take over the holiday, eh?

Resurrection Sunday is indeed a purely Christian holiday. The fact that it coincides with the ancient pagan celebration of spring and new life is not an entirely bad thing.

It sort of depends on what you decide to make of it.

We can always abandon circles because witches use them... </font>[/QUOTE]Helen, you're preaching to the choir here. I was just saying that it's irritating to me when some folks scream about "taking the Christ out of Christmas" when most of the symbols associated with Christmas pre-date Christianity itself. And by "symbols" all I mean is the decorated tree, yule logs, stuff like that.

I noticed that you avoided using the word "Easter" in your post and I respect that. It's just that I've seen too many people whine about taking Christianity out of Christmas, but at the same time they have no idea why Christians use eggs and rabbits to celebrate Resurrection Sunday.

 

I haven't found if John Wesley or the Puritans approve of Christmas. But Charles Wesley, his brother, wrote "Hark the Herald Angel's Sing" which is based on his poem entitled "For Christmas Day"

 

When you point out that Easter is named for a Pagan goddess, and the way the date is set makes it impossible for the resurrection date to ever coincide with it, people usually get pretty mad and say you're trying to take Christ out of Easter, as well.

 

And part of the incarnation was being born as a helpless, weak baby.


Anyhow, I thought this following link was interesting and rather on topic.
It is the Dec 18th edition of Issues, Etc.

Christmas: Fact and Fiction

 

I said it before, and I'll say it again.


If celebrating Christmas is an unsult to anyone, then don't do it. I will support that. As for me, it's no insult, and I will partake of the festivities. It is, in fact, an unrighteous and legalitic insult to all faithful and bible believing Christians who commemorate the birth of their Lord this time of year to accuse them of insulting Christ.

 

GrannyGumbo: //f a man is going to observe Dec. 25th as the birth of Jesus Christ
then he should be able to back-up everything that is done during
this observation with the Word of God, wouldn't ya say?//

Amen, Sister GranyGumbo -- preach it !

My writing was largely ignored in the other 27 anti-Chrismas
threads this year.
-------------------------------
Luk 2:21-24 (KJV1611 Edition):

And when eight dayes were accomplished for the circumcising
of the childe, his name was called Iesus, which was so named
of the Angel before he was conceiued in the wombe.
22 And when the dayes of her purification
according to the law of Moses, were accomplished,
they brought him to Hierusalem, to present him to the Lord,
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord,
Euery male that openeth the wombe,
shalbe called holy to the Lord)
24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said
in the Law of the Lord, a paire of turtle doues,
or two yong pigeons.

Jesus adheered to the Law of Moses in this matter:

Lev 12:2-3 (KJV1611 Edition):

Speake vnto the children of Israel, saying,
If a woman haue conceiued seed, and borne a man child,
then she shal be vncleane seuen dayes:
according to the dayes of the separation
for her infirmitie shall she be vncleane.
3 And in the eight day, the flesh of his foreskinne
shall be circumcised.

Then on the 8th day the woman is clean and can take
the Baby to be circumcised.

Some one, some time in the past determined when should be the
year 1 of the Era of Our Blessed Lord and Savior: Messiah Yeshua.
Some one else, some time else in our past determined when should
be the time we celebreate the Birth of our Blessed Lord and Savior:
Jesus, the Christ. What if they were both correct?

There is only one set of numbers that work right with respect
to 1 Jan 0001AD and 25 Dec. Here it is:

Day 1 - 25 Dec 0001BC
Day 2 - 26 Dec 0001BC
Day 3 - 27 Dec 0001BC
Day 4 - 28 Dec 0001BC
Day 5 - 29 Dec 0001BC
Day 6 - 30 Dec 0001BC
Day 7 - 31 Dec 0001BC
Day 8 - 01 Jan 0001AD

So, Jesus being born on 25 Dec 001BC does NOT conflict with Holy Scripture.
So, Jesus starting His ear on 01 Jan 0001AD does NOT conflict with
Holy Scripture.
No other two dates meet BOTH these dates.

-------------------------------

But someone likes to say "what about those shepherds?
wouldn't it be a tad cold to be keeping sheep outside on 25 Dec?
My preacher says that in Israel spepherds stay in the fields
April through October."

Bethlehem has the latitude (32-degrees North) and general weather
as Mexicalli, Mexico. Forcast for Mexicali, Mexico for Christmas
day 2005 is High: 86°F Low: 57°F.
(those who are smart enough to figure out the forcast for
Jerusalem on Christmas Day 2005 feel welcome to chime in.)
It is nothing unusual for there to outside Bethlehem on Christmas Dayt
5 out of 7 years. Anyway: God in His Divine providence has given
each sheep their own WOOL COAT

[ December 20, 2005, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: Ed Edwards ]

 

I agree with Chemnitz with one exception. I personally would never refer to a brother who chooses not to celebrate Christmas (or any other event) as it being their loss. It is neither a loss nor a gain. I will resepect a person's wish to refrain from said celebrations, and will support their soverign right to do so. However, I will also require that they grant me the same sovereign right, without being judged by them, to engage in esteeming one day above another if I am so convinced, as is scripturally guaranteed me.

 

Ah, but it does. He was born during the reign of Herod who died in 4BC, and Jesus would have been about two years old or so when Herod died.

You have to look at all the clues in Scripture if you want to pinpoint the date that he was born.

Personally, I don't care if you celebrate his birth or not (we are neither commanded to do so nor forbidden to do so) and I don't care if you celebrate it on December 25th. I just fail to understand why so many people choose to ignore Scripture and history to try to prove that the date that was intentionally set to appeas the pagans is the "correct" date.

We cannot pinpoint it with certainty, but December 25th can be completely ruled out as a date for his birth. It cannot be ruled out as a date for his conception, although I think that December 14th is more likely, as it coincides with the first day of the Feast of Lights, and he is the light of the world. (I don't think the the feast dates are just random and coincidental; they are there for a reason.) December 14th also coincides with a perfect human pregnancy.