Can celebrating pagan holidays open up doors ; Christmas

[Neighbor]

On 12/23/2019 at 2:26 PM, missmuffet said:

Christmas is not a pagan holiday. It is the celebration of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Amen, a most happy one! And was prophesied about watched for, celebrated, witnessed, by many, gifts to the King of kings brought later by magi, and testified  of by the universe itself, plus  it is mentioned in detail in the Bible. It also developed the wrath of God's enemy to the point of commanding any Jewish male of two years or younger be killed in an attempt to kill the savior of mankind.

Yes I will celebrate and commemorate the great sacrifice made by God in coming as a vulnerable babe of most humble standing in order to fulfill the prophesies and to carry out the mercy extended to me personally.

I will celebrate it each year I am blessed with opportunity to do so. I will share with the poor especially, and with the nonbeliever, and with the ministries that do go into all the world with the message of grace and mercy extended by God. I will give token gifts to beloved family in the joyous manner that  God has extended his generosity to me. Whether that be  most humble a trinket or elaborate a gift is a matter between God and myself, and His desires for me. I will not defend (that),  nor be deterred from doing so.

God is just too good for me to keep to myself  all of the physical trappings of his blessing  to me personally. 

Merry, merry Christmas to all. May God be kind to you this season. Rejoice rejoice He lives Christ lives today!

[Figure of eighty]

14 hours ago, Omegaman 3.0 said:

What do I think? I think that I was a pagan myself once, and the Lord saved me for His service. I have no complaint about the church taking pagan holidays, and converting them as I was converted.

If you cannot burn a log without sacrificing it to an idol, or have a tree without becoming a druid, then by all means, don't do such things. In the mean time,  why should we condemn those who choose to honor the Savior by celebrating the anniversary of His birth, or give gifts to each other, in remembrance of the gifts brought to the infant Jesus?

God was not opposed to sacrifices, festivals, holy days, fasting, sabbaths, etc. However, when they were not done with a right heart and a God honoring life, then He hated them. God looks on the heart. Do we suppose that when God looks upon our hearts, that at Christmas he thinks: "Oh look, there go those Christians again, who are purposely celebrating idols and false Gods!"?

Christians who do such things need to repent (if there are any) and I suspect that are other things wrong in the other times of the year also.

If you can eat, and give thanks for it to God, view the season with due reverence, then by all means do so, glorify God in what you do, and do all things as unto the Lord. 

Paul wrote:

25 Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; 26 FOR THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S, AND ALL IT CONTAINS. 27 If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. 28 But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; 29 I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?   31 Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

The problem I see here, is that some people cannot celebrate these holidays with a clear conscious. If they cannot, then they should not. On the other hand, we have people every year here, who insist on trying to rob others of joy, trying to make them feel guilty, and placing them in a position to stumble, because their conscious is no longer clear. I find that to be unloving, personally.

Now, the following is lengthy, and I am sorry for those who cannot take the time to read a bit of scripture, but what can I say, Paul was not always succinct. What follows, will take 3 minutes out of you life:

   1 Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions. 2 One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only. 3 The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

      5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. 7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

      10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

11 For it is written,
            “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
            AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12 So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

      13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way. 14 I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. 20 Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense. 21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

I agree wirh what youre saying. I do think Christmas should be used to celebrate and focus on God . i love the candle light vigils they have at churchs for God. 

As for the other stuff logs and whatnot. Its just like now I know what all of that was done for.in honor of thor and stuff it doesnt sit well with me... I like the scripture you put up. I needed to see that as im kinda strugglinf with that a bit. 

Well nevermimd. Verse 31 cleared it up. Whatever ww do must be done/given glory to God and its okay. 

Edited December 24, 2019 by Figure of eighty

[other one]

11 hours ago, Tristen said:

Hi FOE,

I cut and pasted this from my answer in the thread "Xmas & Saturnalia" started by @Yeshua153. Figured it was relevant.

 

There are records of Christians celebrating Jesus' birth on December 25th before Constantine was born (e.g. in the Commentary on Daniel by Hippolytus of Rome - 202AD).

1 - We should be cautious against falling for the common anti-Christian strategy of claiming our traditions are derived from paganism, and

2 - God looks at the heart. So what is important about Christmas is what it means to the conscience of each Christian.

Romans 14:4-6 - Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.

Merry Christmas.

if you know very much about the Occult you will know that a lot of our traditions are derived from very very early paganism.   All the way back to Nimrod even....  

But there is not real reason we can't celebrate Jesus's birthday whenever we want....    he was really not very specific on his actual date and if it mattered I think he'd have told us.   It did used to bother me and some things still do....    but different people place different things into everything we do....     We can make good or bad out of any time of year...   well almost any.

 

[other one]

5 minutes ago, Margo1945 said:

Happy and Holy CHRISTmas  to all 

and Merry Christmas and a Happy and fulfilled New Year to you and your family...…     actually to all of us....

As is said in that old Christmas Carrol.....     and God Bless Each and Every One.

[Figure of eighty]

1 minute ago, other one said:

if you know very much about the Occult you will know that a lot of our traditions are derived from very very early paganism.   All the way back to Nimrod even....  

But there is not real reason we can't celebrate Jesus's birthday whenever we want....    he was really not very specific on his actual date and if it mattered I think he'd have told us.   It did used to bother me and some things still do....    but different people place different things into everything we do....     We can make good or bad out of any time of year...   well almost any.

 

Agreed.

[David1701]

20 hours ago, missmuffet said:

If I told the Lord I was celebrating His birth He would say " thank you". 

Nice bait and switch!  I was talking about celebrating the pagan festival known as "Christmas", not Christ's birth!

Thanks for celebrating my birthday (which I did not tell you to do) on the date of a pagan festival, with pagan symbolism.  I don't think so...

[LadyKay]

1 hour ago, David1701 said:

Nice bait and switch!  I was talking about celebrating the pagan festival known as "Christmas", not Christ's birth!

Thanks for celebrating my birthday (which I did not tell you to do) on the date of a pagan festival, with pagan symbolism.  I don't think so...

No one is forcing you to do Christmas. If you dont want too then don't. Don't have to act like you are holier than the rest of us. Which the Bible dose tell us not to do.  I think Romans 14:1 can be applied to this topic. About aruging over disputable matters.

Edited December 24, 2019 by LadyKay

[David1701]

2 hours ago, LadyKay said:

No one is forcing you to do Christmas. If you dont want too then don't. Don't have to act like you are holier than the rest of us. Which the Bible dose tell us not to do.  I think Romans 14:1 can be applied to this topic. About aruging over disputable matters.

Now you are resorting to insults.  This is usually what happens when people don't have an actual argument to employ.

Firstly, I have not claimed to be holier than anyone else.  Secondly, you don't get to speak for "the rest of us", you speak for yourself.

If you had a scriptural argument FOR celebrating "Christmas" (N.B. this debate is NOT about celebrating Christ's birth but only about the festival on the 25th Dec.), then I would engage with that; but, either you don't have one, or you have not presented it.

[LadyKay]

1 minute ago, David1701 said:

Now you are resorting to insults.  This is usually what happens when people don't have an actual argument to employ.

Firstly, I have not claimed to be holier than anyone else.  Secondly, you don't get to speak for "the rest of us", you speak for yourself.

If you had a scriptural argument FOR celebrating "Christmas" (N.B. this debate is NOT about celebrating Christ's birth but only about the festival on the 25th Dec.), then I would engage with that; but, either you don't have one, or you have not presented it.

Insults?  Not sure how I insulted you.    But I am just going to wish you a Merry Christmas then I am going to take the advice from Romans 14:1 regarding disputable matters and be done with all of this,until next Christmas season when I am sure it will roll around  again. 

[David1701]

26 minutes ago, LadyKay said:

Insults?  Not sure how I insulted you.    But I am just going to wish you a Merry Christmas then I am going to take the advice from Romans 14:1 regarding disputable matters and be done with all of this,until next Christmas season when I am sure it will roll around  again. 

Maybe you think that accusing me of thinking that I am "holier than the rest of us" is a compliment? 

I find the juxtaposition of Christ with Mass to be offensive, as I have posted several times now; so you have just deliberately offended me; but I forgive you.

When you are celebrating Santa's day, perhaps you should give a thought to his companion, Krampus (I suggest you look it up).