Modern Day Christmas has turned into a joke.

[JacksBratt]

Thousands of Christians will be playing Santa clause lying to there kids and others and trying to convince people they are celebrating the birth of the Messiah

And............... some will do both... Should we tell our kids, from the start that there is no Santa... but don't tell the other "pagan" kids?
What about the tooth fairy?

We need to realize that millions of Christian kids grew up with Santa, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy.. They, then, went on to be well adjusted adults and strong Christians..

Maybe we should toss out all this bubble wrap that we are putting our kids in....maybe they could function if they didn't have "all winners" tournaments, were told that they failed once and a while.. and that some things that we do for them as kids are just that...things for kids.

 

[JacksBratt]

Indeed that was what the church did on order accommodate. She did not separate did she? Yes or no?Instead she embraced by co-mingling with pagan religions. That is what the history of the Roman Catholic church shows. It is called syncretized religion. Why do you think even today people who convert to Roman Catholicism do not give up their native religious beliefs/rituals? The Roman Catholic church and Constantine accommodated. Centuries later, Protestants have also accommodated. That sir is a fact.

The church that I attend did not even come close to syncretized religion... It may not celebrate Christmas on the exact day of the year that Christ was born. It may share that date with other pagan history...
However, it is totally a celebration of Christs birth as it is written in our Holy Bible. Nothing has been altered or changed to fit or accommodate any other pagan tradition...or worship of any other god or idol... It is all about Christ.

 

[Not David]

There are some Christians who celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January.

 

[ToBeLoved]

And............... some will do both... Should we tell our kids, from the start that there is no Santa... but don't tell the other "pagan" kids?
What about the tooth fairy?

We need to realize that millions of Christian kids grew up with Santa, the Easter Bunny and the tooth fairy.. They, then, went on to be well adjusted adults and strong Christians..

Maybe we should toss out all this bubble wrap that we are putting our kids in....maybe they could function if they didn't have "all winners" tournaments, were told that they failed once and a while.. and that some things that we do for them as kids are just that...things for kids.

I agree. It is the parents who are told by God to raise their children in His ways.

Instead of blaming Santa or the Easter bunny parents need to put their child’s spiritual development in their own basic realm of Godly parenting responsibilities.

Just dropping their kid at Sunday School once a week is not what God called Christian parents to.

 

[Oldmantook]

Except they needed to believe in the Catholic faith to be part of the Church.

I wonder if they really believed. The Catholic Church made it easy for pagans to believe without giving up their own beliefs and practices. Perhaps cognitive belief only. That is why to this day many "Catholics" still practice their native rituals/festivities right along side their Catholic beliefs. Being a part of the church does not necessarily equate to eternal life. Jesus made it difficult for the rich young ruler to choose eternal life. The Catholic church does the opposite in order to attract people and make the faith more acceptable to them which only results in a watered down faith.

 

[JacksBratt]

There are some Christians who celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January.

Good friends of mine are of Dutch heritage. They have Sinterklaas early in December.

 

[prodromos]

I wonder if they really believed. The Catholic Church made it easy for pagans to believe without giving up their own beliefs and practices.

Perhaps things are different today, but in the early centuries, new converts spent a year in catechism before they were baptised.

 

[prodromos]

Good friends of mine are of Dutch heritage. They have Sinterklaas early in December.

That would be St Nicholas' feast day, December 6th

 

[Dkh587]

You sound just like the pharisees who claimed Jesus cast out demons by Beelzebub. Hopefully you speak out of ignorance.

The problem with this analogy is that Christmas and the spirit of Christmas are of the devil - Jesus actually operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn't involved with a pagan/Satanic holiday such as Christmas.

 

[prodromos]

The problem with this analogy is that Christmas and the spirit of Christmas are of the devil - Jesus actually operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn't involved with a pagan/Satanic holiday such as Christmas.

I truly hope this post is out of ignorance.

 

[Dkh587]

I truly hope this post is out of ignorance.

It's not. I used to celebrate Christmas in ignorance, but once I started researching it for myself, I know better now than to celebrate it. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see the truth regarding Chistmas, so I stopped.

 

[Oldmantook]

Perhaps things are different today, but in the early centuries, new converts spent a year in catechism before they were baptised.

That may indeed be true but IF these former pagans still clinged to their traditions and rituals what good did it do?

 

[prodromos]

It's not. I used to celebrate Christmas in ignorance, but once I started researching it for myself, I know better now than to celebrate it. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see the truth regarding Chistmas, so I stopped.

Lord have mercy.

 

[prodromos]

That may indeed be true but IF these former pagans still clinged to their traditions and rituals what good did it do?

What traditions and rituals are you referring to?

 

[Oldmantook]

What traditions and rituals are you referring to?

Since the thread of this topic is Christmas, a short article which summarizes what happened. Basically, the veneer of Christmas covering over pagan belief and practice.
Why Christmas is held on 25th December

 

[prodromos]

Since the thread of this topic is Christmas, a short article which summarizes what happened. Basically, the veneer of Christmas covering over pagan belief and practice.
Why Christmas is held on 25th December

That is a terribly written article. It makes a number of "just so" statements without any references and there are just as many "it is believed" comments, again without references. Then the final paragraph makes the utterly false claim that Constantine decided that Christmas would be celebrated on Dec 25. He had nothing to do with the decision and it was certainly not made with the intention of melding Christian and pagan beliefs. The article is worse than rubbish.

 

[Strong in Him]

The problem with this analogy is that Christmas and the spirit of Christmas are of the devil - Jesus actually operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn't involved with a pagan/Satanic holiday such as Christmas.

CHRIST-mas isn't Satanic unless you worship the devil, indulge in tarot readings, seances of offer weird sacrifices on an altar. People may not remember God or celebrate his Son's birth; the day MAY just be an excuse to eat, drink and be merry, but that doesn't mean that people can't, or won't, be challenged by a sermon, Christmas carol, Christian testimony, birth of a new baby or some other event. Some folk will go to church for the first time in a year, or maybe ever - who says that the Holy Spirit can't work through these events and reach them?

The only Satanic thing about any part of the nativity, was that Herod killed all the babies under 2 because he wanted Jesus dead. Unless you go to those extremes, you're probably ok.

 

[dhh712]

Merry Christmas will probably offend or get a person almost fired from their job

I'm so glad it doesn't around where I live! We have a person who exclusively says "Merry Christmas" because she doesn't put up with the "holiday" nonsense (it's Christmas she says, so that's what I'm going to call it).

On the other hand, I do not look at Christmas as a religious holiday. It is a secular holiday for me, since that is the origin of it anyway. I enjoy putting up my tree and buying presents for family but it is in the spirit of tradition and not anything to do with Jesus (at least that part).

Christmas is also a good time to remember why Jesus came into the world, and I so love playing the good old traditional songs like God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and Hark the Herald Angels Sing that spell out the true, religious meaning of Christmas, that Jesus came into the world to reconcile sinners to God. It is so very sad that no businesses will play those Christmas songs! But I tell you right now if I ever do get my own business (maybe years down the road is the hope right now!) I will darn well be playing those songs in my store and woe to those who have to say anything (negative) about it!

it’s a vain tradition that’s abominable in the eyes of God

Thanks for pointing that out. I can only imagine from what I've read of God in the Bible and how he has revealed himself to us there that Christmas as it is celebrated today is an idolatry to be punished as would be the Israelites worshiping false idols in the groves. Anyone connecting the modern day celebration of Christmas with Christmas trees and gift-giving to having anything to do with Christ coming into the world to reconcile sinners to God should really read their Bible more!

 

[JacksBratt]

The problem with this analogy is that Christmas and the spirit of Christmas are of the devil - Jesus actually operated in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn't involved with a pagan/Satanic holiday such as Christmas.

WOW, "A pagan/Satanic holiday such as Christmas"?

How are we deceived to be able to state that a day, or even a season, where we take time to read the scriptures describing Christ's virgin birth, give gifts to each other like the wise men did, reinforce the fact that Christ was a real man and did fulfill hundreds of ancient prophesies, bring light on the fact that Satan, through an evil man, Herod, had hundreds of male infants killed, in desperation to kill the young messiah, and... overall celebrate the miracle of the commencement of the gospel.....
How deceived must someone be to view this as being "of the devil"?

Sorry, but Christmas, and the "spirit" of Christmas, has always, in my mind, been a method of worshiping my savior.... not the enemy.

 

[JacksBratt]

It's not. I used to celebrate Christmas in ignorance, but once I started researching it for myself, I know better now than to celebrate it. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see the truth regarding Chistmas, so I stopped.

This is so sad. You do realize that, if we all did this, Satan would have succeeded in putting a halt to the remembrace of Christ's birth and, eventually, it would fade away. No longer would people take time to focus on Christ's miraculous entry into this world.


Today it is frightening to find that many people, in the west, don't even know who Jesus is. Take away Christmas and even those that are celebrating His birth... would have lost a time of telling this wonderful story.