I was going to stay out of this….. NO… REALLY… okay, I’ll wait for y’all to stop laughing now….
As with every year, there are those who come out and start in on the “it’s pagan” refrain… most of them that have come to my attention don’t even know what that means.
Without getting to far into the weeds here, I will put out a few thoughts for young christians who might read this and need to know.
The Christmas Tree… that’s a favorite of mine and the two most popular angles seem to be; decorating an evergreen is a pagan tradition… and The Bible says not to put them up.. citing a passage of scripture that, when you read it, is actually talking about the carved and painted idols that were being made to worship. So, unless you are worshiping your Christmas tree, don’t sweat it.
The Date…. It’s a pagan holiday date… Now, we all should realize that December 25th is not the actual day that Jesus was born.. He was born at tax time after the harvest. The Catholics may well have chosen the date to sort of step on someone’s holiday.. but that really doesn’t matter. After all, there are ~365 days in a calendar year.. I defy you to locate one… just ONE that isn’t a pagan holiday of some sort.
Santa… okay, really? get over it already. Santa has nothing to do with Christmas he’s just window dressing.. a fun myth that hearkens back to an earlier time and a generous man.
What is Christmas, really? I submit that to the follower of Jesus, Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord, and speak of Him to all mankind. That some of the world celebrates with us just makes it easier to spread the Gospel message this time of year.
There is an applicable New Testament principle that is being overlooked by many who have gotten lost in the weeds of this issue: Romans 14:
1Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
2For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
3Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
4Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
5One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
6He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
7For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
9For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.
14I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
Bottom line stop fighting amongst yourselves and start spreading the Gospel.
Every year as the holiday season gets underway, debates break out across the country over the appropriateness of religious displays in public spaces, such as creches and menorahs placed in town halls. But the so-called Christmas wars are only a small part of a much larger debate concerning the proper place of religion in public life, a debate that began at the nation s founding. How did America s founders view religion and its role in our country s development? And how does the debate over church and state continue to inform politics today?
Actually, no.
Those issues are separate as the ‘Christmas wars / holiday wars’ that I tend to deal with are between followers of Jesus.