Merry CHRISTmas?

[Commentor]

Is Christ being totally removed from Christmas? Read this page below and please let me know your thoughts,

http://www.donina.org/light.index.html

[wtahfarr4]

Thanks. That is a very informative site. ''

[Guest C.D. Light]

Christmas is a real dilemma for me.  I know that Dec 25 is not Christs Birthday; it was probably more like Sept. or Oct.

I also know that "christmas" is a combined holiday between Christians of old, and pagans.

Christians celebrated their own holiday, and the pagans had a separate holiday.  Rather than having separate "celebrations" a COMPROMISE was reached and it was COMBINED.

So now, Dec. 25 is not purely a Christian holiday whatsoever.

Many like to say "jesus is the reason for the season" but it really isnt, since it isnt his birthday.  I think if He wanted us to celebrate His birthday, it would not be hidden from us.

So, for us it is low keyed. We use the day off from work to get together with our family, enjoy a nice dinner together and its a time when we do give gifts and we rather enjoy doing that. We dont put up a tree or any of that.

The most sickening thing about Christmas to me is parents who let their children believe there really is a santa clause. If you notice, the same thing is told to children about him, as what God actually is. "If you're good, SANTA will give you good things".

This is actually lying to children, and one day they will realize they were lied to by their parents.

the "christmas tree", pine cones, mistletoe, are ALL adopted from the pagan icons brought over from the pagan holiday--they have nothing to do with the Christian celebration.

(I think it was an encyclopedia I read this in, years ago)

cd

[boblandis]

Christ has been taken out of Christmas. I will give you a prime example. I work for Wal-Mart. As associates we have six paid holidays a year, Christmas being one. I look at my list when I was hired and Easter wasn't on it. I went to my management team and asked why Easter was part of the six. They said Easter was a religious holiday. I then asked what is Christmas? There only reply was that it fell in the busiest shoppping time of the year .

[Work in Progress]

If you notice, the same thing is told to children about him, as what God actually is. "If you're good, SANTA will give you good things".

Don't mean to pick, Light, but anyone who is telling children that they will get good things from God for being good is doing that child a grave disservice and doesn't have a clue.

And you make some assumptions. I certainly never told my children any such thing and can't stand it when I hear parents holding Santa over their children's heads to bribe them for good behaviour.

As for Christmas trees and misletoe, just because they aren't in the Bible doesn't make them evil. Our church has an annual "hanging of the greens" service in which the Church sanctuary is decorated for Advent. Each thing used is accompanied by Scripture. As the Angels are placed in the windows, Scripture is read regarding Angels...etc......when the tree is lit up, Scripture regarding Jesus, "The Light of the World" is read and the lights on the tree symbolize Him and His light and how we are to shine that light......

....So, some Christians can (and will) look for evil where there is none and and find it and condemn any congregration that has a Christmas tree and other Christians will find Christ wherever they look for Him and show Him in everything they can. I choose to look for Christ.

As for the original question - I think most Christians would agree that Christ has little to do with Christmas anymore. That is why I am not fond of this time of year.

[Guest C.D. Light]

If you notice, the same thing is told to children about him, as what God actually is. "If you're good, SANTA will give you good things".

Don't mean to pick, Light, but anyone who is telling children that they will get good things from God for being good is doing that child a grave disservice and doesn't have a clue.

And you make some assumptions. I certainly never told my children any such thing and can't stand it when I hear parents holding Santa over their children's heads to bribe them for good behaviour.

As for Christmas trees and misletoe, just because they aren't in the Bible doesn't make them evil. Our church has an annual "hanging of the greens" service in which the Church sanctuary is decorated for Advent. Each thing used is accompanied by Scripture. As the Angels are placed in the windows, Scripture is read regarding Angels...etc......when the tree is lit up, Scripture regarding Jesus, "The Light of the World" is read and the lights on the tree symbolize Him and His light and how we are to shine that light......

....So, some Christians can (and will) look for evil where there is none and and find it and condemn any congregration that has a Christmas tree and other Christians will find Christ wherever they look for Him and show Him in everything they can. I choose to look for Christ.

As for the original question - I think most Christians would agree that Christ has little to do with Christmas anymore. That is why I am not fond of this time of year.

WIP--maybe I wasnt very clear. I was referring to the scripture which says "It is God who gives good things". (It isnt santa)

And the majority of people do make santa a part of their kids christmas, and some do hold him over their heads to get good behavior out of them. Nothing is 100%.

Nowhere did I use the word "evil". I said those things were originally used in the pagan religion which was adopted into the "one combined holiday" now known as christmas.

And all in all, I think its a difficult holiday for christians to contend with, and I'd just as soon do without it, because its been so "contaminated".

I think if u re read my post, you'll see I was speaking in generalities, and some history.

[whatsitmean]

Christmas is a real dilemma for me.

[OneAccord]

Actually I believe there is a reference to Christmas trees in the Bible.  Check this out:

Jeremiah 10:1-5

1 Hear the word which the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel.

2 Thus says the Lord:

"Do not learn the way of the Gentiles;

Do nopt be dismayed at the signs of heaven,

For the Gentiles are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the peoples are futile;

For one cuts a tree from the forest,

The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

4 They decorate it with silver and gold;

They fasten it with nails ans hammers

So that it will not topple.

5 They are upright, like a palm tree,

And they cannot speak;

They must be carried,

Because they cannot go by themselves.

Do not be afraid of them,

For they cannot do evil,

Nor can they do any good."

Comments??

[Guest Waldans Mountain]

Do not be afraid of them,

For they cannot do evil,

Nor can they do any good."

neither cold nor hot

REV.3  [14] And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

[15] I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

[16] So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

[17] Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

[Guest carljoe]

Greetings:

I believed for a long time that we had got a way from the true meaning of "christmas". Then a found out about two or three years ago that Messiah has never been part of "christmas". It has always been a man made pagan holiday. That distracts use from the one that Creator of all .

O Yah Veh, my strength, and my stronghold;

And my retreat in the day of tribulation,

The goyim come to you

From the finalities of the earth, and say,

Our fathers inherited falsehoods