Taking "Christ" Out of "Christmas"

[FatherApe]

As Christians, in a somewhat Christian nation, we should be ashamed of the commercial frenzy we've turned the Christmas season into. Talk about turning it over to the money changers..

 

[jbarcher]

Christian nation...

/me doubts that, but will say no more

Well, I see threads in other forums that I go to about "Christmas Lists". All I want, I say, is just a rest. Yeah, my humor is dry...or is it wry...

 

[adam332]

hmmm......Christ never was in Christmas. Purely man-made day of observance that has it's roots in Paganism.

 

[openeyes]

Eventhough the time we celebrate began tied to a major Pagan holiday, the basic celebration is for our Christ.
Yes I'm partially ashamed for the commercialization, I get caught up in it too..... although this year it seems almost too much to bear, I mean, I started seeing Christmas "stuff" in October.
At our house we try to keep it simple and we always remember the "reason for the season".
Have fun and give thanks to be together, otherwise most extended families would drift apart, if there wasn't something like this to look forward to.

 

[adam332]

So you see no problem bringing the obersvance of a Pagan day into Christian tradition as long as we label it such? Holly, mistletoe, xmas trees, yule logs etcc... are all Pagan symbols and are also acceptable to you to be brought into Christs' church as long as we call them Christian?

Try that with your spouse....of which Christ is ours.... why don't you tell her/him to wear a piece of dung on their finger and call it a wedding band and see how that works out for you.

What part about us being a separate people, a holy nation of priests from the rest of the world didn't you guys understand? Yet, you think you can drag the world into Christianity and call it Christian and God won't notice or care?? Sorry but he already noticed and expressed that he already cared long ago.

Go do something worldly like rob a bank...but then give all the money to the church and see if you can justify that before God. Man has no authority to adopt that which was forbidden and make it Godly, period.

Take a lesson from Cain who thought he could choose his own offering to the Lord...and just because he offered it thought it should be acceptable. That didn't work out to well for him either...did it?

 

[Palatka44]

So you see no problem bringing the obersvance of a Pagan day into Christian tradition as long as we label it such? Holly, mistletoe, xmas trees, yule logs etcc... are all Pagan symbols and are also acceptable to you to be brought into Christs' church as long as we call them Christian?

Try that with your spouse....of which Christ is ours.... why don't you tell her/him to wear a piece of dung on their finger and call it a wedding band and see how that works out for you.

What part about us being a separate people, a holy nation of priests from the rest of the world didn't you guys understand? Yet, you think you can drag the world into Christianity and call it Christian and God won't notice or care?? Sorry but he already noticed and expressed that he already cared long ago.

Go do something worldly like rob a bank...but then give all the money to the church and see if you can justify that before God. Man has no authority to adopt that which was forbidden and make it Godly, period.

Take a lesson from Cain who thought he could choose his own offering to the Lord...and just because he offered it thought it should be acceptable. That didn't work out to well for him either...did it?

So with this reasoning we can not honor Christ on any given day because every day of the week is named after a pagan god. Child Please!

 

[Oblio]

So you see no problem bringing the obersvance of a Pagan day into Christian tradition as long as we label it such? Holly, mistletoe, xmas trees, yule logs etcc... are all Pagan symbols and are also acceptable to you to be brought into Christs' church as long as we call them Christian?

The feast of the nativity of Christ has never had anything to do with paganism, but with the celebration of the Incarnation of the eternal Logos of God through the Holy Spirit and the Ever Virgin Theotokos.

Shall we stop celebrating on Sunday because that is the name of a pagan day, or not light candles because candles were at one time lit to gods that do not exist ? Shall we not say prayers because prayers were said to Baal ? Shall we not dye our eggs red that symbolize the birth of the new Creation on Pascha (Easter) morning because some pagans used eggs to represent fertility (and the god that the bowed down to) ...

 

[TLGitom]

I propose a new "Christian Calendar"
The 12 months will be named after the 12 tribes of Israel. Each day of the week will now be. Resurrectionday, Matthewday, Markday, Lukeday, Johnday, Paulday and the Sabboth.
Easter will now be Atonementday.
Christmas will now be a day in mid-September er ah Asher.

 

[Oblio]

Or you could move to Greece or Russia that do not have those Western names for the days of the week

 

[humblepie99]

I love Christmas, and I do agree that it has been commercialised - let's be honest, it has been for years now. But I don't think shunning all idea of it is a good thing, it is a celebration of the birth of Christ. It's recognised by the Church and it can be a very spiritual time of year.

 

[adam332]

Palatka,
you said;
"So with this reasoning we can not honor Christ on any given day because every day of the week is named after a pagan god. Child Please!"

Spare me....the days were numbered by the Lord. And the Sabbath was named. Please pay closer attention...we cannot take a Pagan custom and turn it into something Christian just by naming it such.

The religious obeservance of Sunday was instituted by Pagans as was Dec. 25. God gave them no religious significance whatsoever, neither did he instruct anyone to observe his birth day...EVER! Man has chose to do this...by itself this may have been a harmless concept even if it was not Biblical. What makes it inherrently wrong is that MAN PURPOSELY placed these days it decided on to coincide with Pagan days and then incorporated Pagan symbols and called them Christian. You cannot honor God by disobeying him..that's the bottom line. Any effort to do so will not convince me, because I read His word and I already know how he feels. He thinks of such behavior as an abomination no matter how you try to justify it. If you have a problem with it don't whine to me...I didn't write His holy word.

21 ¶ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

 

[Palatka44]

I am simply stating that it is prudent that we worship and honor our Lord and Savior everyday regardless of what name has been asigned to it. Now you throw scriptures of judgement at me. Well I can assure you that because of the blood of Christ that was shed for me, while I was yet a sinner, will indeed cleanse me of all my sin. May you be blessed my friend and use the scripture to convince the lost to repent and know that God loves them as well as you.

 

[Carico]

I'm still a sinner. I now no longer endorse it.

 

[Oblio]

The religious obeservance of Sunday was instituted by Pagans as was Dec. 25. God gave them no religious significance whatsoever, neither did he instruct anyone to observe his birth day...EVER! Man has chose to do this...by itself this may have been a harmless concept even if it was not Biblical. What makes it inherrently wrong is that MAN PURPOSELY placed these days it decided on to coincide with Pagan days and then incorporated Pagan symbols and called them Christian.

Cite !

If you like, I can give you cites that Sunday worship of the Risen Christ and the feast of the Nativity was instituted by Christians not pagans.

 

[Palatka44]

Cite !

If you like, I can give you cites that Sunday worship of the Risen Christ and the feast of the Nativity was instituted by Christians not pagans.

That would be awsome Oblio please do.

 

[Palatka44]

I'm still a sinner. I now no longer endorse it.

Christianity or Christmas?

 

[Oblio]

Chapter LXVII.-Weekly Worship of the Christians

First Apology of St. Justin Martyr

And we afterwards continually remind each other of these things. And the wealthy among us help the needy; and we always keep together; and for all things wherewith we are supplied, we bless the Maker of all through His Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost. And on the day called Sunday,146 all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits; then, when the reader has ceased, the president verbally instructs, and exhorts to the imitation of these good things. Then we all rise together and pray, and, as we before said, when our prayer is ended, bread and wine and water are brought, and the president in like manner offers prayers and thanksgivings, according to his ability,147 and the people assent, saying Amen; and there is a distribution to each, and a participation of that over which thanks have been given,148 and to those who are absent a portion is sent by the deacons. And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need. But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead. For He was crucified on the day before that of Saturn (Saturday); and on the day after that of Saturn, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration.

 

[Oblio]

While a secondary source (Primarys are cited within), a short summary of The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord

 

[Achichem]

St. Othrous:
"Celerbrate as God with his day,not in mens days, do as G-d, be like God, for you are made in his image, do as is that will"

I wish you the best of luck, in trying to put "back"D) Christ in to your y-mas
Celebration.

but for real, I pray for the your foritude, and a blessing for you on y-mas, that is those of you who keep y-mas as a day for Christ, only G-d knows how you do it, with this society's ideas and traditions.

 

[1John5:3]

Evolution of December 25

Pagan holiday --> (sprinkle on some holy water) "Christian" holy day --> secular day on par with Kwanzaa.