I just read in an email that "Christmas" means "the death of Christ", so in essence, by celebrating Christmas you are celebrating the death of Christ, making it something light and cheerful when it isn't something to be joked about. Also, these emails include information about the pagan origins of the Christmas tree, the holly, mistletoe, etc. Basically, if you participate in these things, you're participating in "witchcraft", according to these emails.
Now I'm not really big into the whole crazy Christmas thing. I just enjoy giving gifts and spending time with family and having a nice Christmas dinner. I think the decorations are beautiful and I don't think of the goddess Diana's menstrual cycle when I look at holly (seriously, that's what the ancient meaning of it is), or the reproductive substance (you know what I mean) of the "sun god" when I see mistletoe. I don't put them up, but I'm not going to preach at someone who does. I can understand the people that don't put up Christmas trees because of Jeremiah 10, though I don't believe that a Christmas tree fits into Jeremiah 10 unless you're worshipping it (and I don't feel comfortable with the song "O Christmas Tree" for that reason).
But seriously, there are two times of the year when lost religious people will come to church and talk about Christ. Easter and Christmas. Both holidays can be celebrated in a pagan way or a Christian way.
So... I think we should have fun this Christmas. Decorate your house if you feel like it, make some gingerbread cookies, wrap some gifts for your family with pretty wrapping paper and bows, and make sure to glorify God that day (as with any day). We can be thankful for the religious freedoms that we still have, and be thankful for all the blessings God has given us in 2008.
It's up to you. You can skip this holiday and write it off as "witchcraft", or you can make it a special God-honoring time with your family. What do you think? :)
5 comments:
Good post. I got the same emails and frankly, I'm tired of it. It looks to me like people are purposely trying to find anything they can to pick on and not ever have anything fun to look forward too.
The way I look at it, each Christian must live by his/her own conscience before the Lord. I am not going to tell someone they're wrong for celebrating/not celebrating Christmas. I know people who don't celebrate it at all, and I know some who go all-out and do everything. Samer and I are somewhere in the middle. We don't do the Christmas tree thing (we just can't really read Jeremiah 10 and still do it..but that's just us), but I did decorate our balcony with lights because it's just so pretty and welcoming. I do have some ornaments that I put out around the house because they were gifts to me from friends and children from my library-days. We bake cookies and have bought gifts for one another. We will be getting together with family for Christmas and that's my favorite thing of all.
We plan to read Luke chapter 2 and sing some songs together on Christmas morning before we open our gifts. To me, Christmas is pretty much all about family. I don't make a big deal about it being Christ's birthday because we're to "celebrate" that every day of our lives.
I don't think it's right to be pushy about things, but it's also wrong to ignore truth when you're presented with it. If someone were to show me something that proved it was wrong to do what I'm doing, then I'd hope I'd be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and do the right thing.
I totally understand your viewpoint, Rachel. I was just kinda venting because of a forwarded email I got. Some people just feel the need to spoil all the fun... and I thought it was annoying. :P
I've had Christmas almost every way (from Santa Claus when I was little, to no Christmas tree but gifts, to sometimes nothing at all). I really could care less about following traditions... all I want to do is give gifts and spend time with people I love. (though this year, it's probably just going to be a quiet Christmas at home for the two of us)
I'd like to do more for Christmas when we have kids, but that's going to be a longggggggg time from now. :P
Great comment Rachel! My husband and I got the same annoying emails that Kathie did. What I get sick of is having people who every year feel the need to send you stuff about why you can't have fun at Christmas. But I can respect what you guys do, even if I don't agree about the tree and Jeremiah 10. (We don't have one this year because we can't afford it lol).
Good post Kathy!! This is one of the best Christmas posts I have read yet :)
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