Does It Really Matter: The Story of Christmas
While I try to stress my opinions in my blog posts, I also try to avoid out and out rants but just to warn you, this post may be an exception. The topic I am going to discuss here is one of much secular and theological bickering, even among Christians. It is the sanctity of Christmas being celebrated as Christ's birth and the world's attempt to secularize it. At play in this "war" on Christmas, are several factors that frustrate me to no end. First, we have those who say that Christians stole the holiday from pagans. Second, is the issue of when exactly Jesus was born. Last, we have the issue of changing everything from Christmas to "Holiday" items such as Christmas trees, Christmas Cards, and even the very name of the day. Now, this post will not be all ranting because even I don't want to read an entire post on that. I hope to present this information in a godly and loving manner and ask for forgiveness in advance if my words are not pleasing to God.
It Was OUR day First
This is my favorite "anti-Christmas" argument of them all (sarcasm is fully intended). Part of the "danger" of this argument is that it is, in part, true. If we look back in church history to 336 A.D. we will find the first "recorded" Christmas celebration created by Roman Emperor Constantine (who was the FIRST Christian Roman Emperor). According to many historians the day was intentionally planned to coincide with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, and yes, many of the pagans own customs were brought into the celebration. Why? Because Constantine was trying to do what all Christians are commanded to do; draw others to Christ. In this case the Emperor was using the pagans own traditions to pull them toward their Savior. That is the true portion of the argument but here is where it gets "cloudy". Though the pagan celebration of Winter Solstice did indeed take place in the middle of December, it was was week long celebration which generally began on December 21 or 22 (the actual Winter Solstice as a astronomic event). The cloudy area here is the suggestion that because Christmas was set right in the middle of the pagans celebration that Christians do not have the right to demand it be called Christmas. The problem here is other holidays have occurred during the same time period, including Hanukka and Kwanza. And no one is demanding we change the names of those holidays in order not to offend others. Also, Hanukka, at least this year, coincided with Thanksgiving and no one even blinked at that. Are we beginning to see a double standard here? I know I am.
He Wasn't Born on December 25th!
This argument I believe is intended to make Christians look foolish and is actually used by some denomination to point at why we should not celebrate Christmas at all. In the last 30 years or so many people have "discovered" that Jesus was not actually born in December. The reason I put discovered in quotations is simple, most Christians are fully aware of that fact. Even my children, when asked about whether or not December 25th was the day Jesus was born responded as such "No, we don't know when He was born, we just celebrate that He was born." So our desire to hold onto Christmas as a day to celebrate Christ's birth is not done out of ignorance. No one knows when Jesus was born, the Bible does not tell us (despite some saying their are clues or codes which do tell us) and I believe, if the exact day were important God would not have left it out. What is important is that we know Jesus was born and that He is the Messiah, something that indeed should be celebrated. The argument about what month, season, or even year, Christ was born is, only serves to divide Christians and add confusion when none should be.
Don't Call it That!
Of all the anti-Christmas arguments the very idea that we shouldn't call Christmas, Christmas because it might offend someone, really gets under my skin! This is an argument that actually attaches to the first, that Christmas isn't celebrated as Christ's birth by everyone. However, if we look at even those who celebrate the winter "holiday", they wrap what have been Christian traditions in their celebrations. For instance, lets look at the Christmas Tree (yes some claim similar trees were used by pagans but the practice of using Christmas trees as we do now began in Germany some centuries later). Almost every home, Christian or not, that celebrates Christmas uses a Christmas tree. We also must look at the history of December 25th to respond to the "don't call it That" argument. I have already mentioned above how Christmas day became Christmas day but lets travel forward from that moment. A few years after Constantine began the first celebration, Pope Julius I declared Christmas (literally Christ's Mass or Mass of Christ) would be celebrated on December 25th (though at one point some celebrated Christmas on January 6). Since that time December 25th has been celebrated as Christmas by millions of Christians. It was not until recent years that people began to get "offended" by that title. And why are people offended by calling something what it is? Well, for most non-Christian holidays, they are not. As noted above, no one is suggesting we change the name of any other religious and cultural holidays that are associated with non-Christian faiths. No one would dare suggest that we call a menorah a "holiday candle stand" or refer to a prayer rug as a "meditation carpet". Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? So why would they change things about Christmas. The simple answer is; because it is associated with Christ. And this is what the Bible has to say about people (and things) associated with Him. In Matthew 24: 8-10 Jesus states "All these things are the beginnings of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And they shall be offended and they shall betray one another and they shall hate one another." Though in these verses Jesus was not speaking about Christmas (obviously it didn't exist for another 300 years) but about the world's reaction to Christians and sharing the gospel. Still the point is made by these verses. Because Christians want to keep "Christ in Christmas" others are offended.
But Does Any of This Really Matter
So at this point, some may be wondering, does any of this really matter? Does it matter what we call the holiday or on what day we choose to celebrate it or even when Christ was born? The answer is both yes and no. No, it does not matter which day we choose to celebrate Christ's birth because we are to celebrate Christ everyday. No, it doesn't matter when Christ was born as long as we know His birth is the fulfillment of prophecy. But I would have to say, yes, it does matter that we call Christmas, Christmas because if we let man take Christ out of this celebration, we once again allow man to dictate to us how we can and cannot worship God and I firmly believe that as children of God we have already allowed the world to sway our practices of faith more than we should!!
So with this long assertoric rank finally through (I hope you all hung on to read to this point) I would like to wish anyone who reads this a
MERRY CHRISTmas and Blessed New Year!!
It Was OUR day First
This is my favorite "anti-Christmas" argument of them all (sarcasm is fully intended). Part of the "danger" of this argument is that it is, in part, true. If we look back in church history to 336 A.D. we will find the first "recorded" Christmas celebration created by Roman Emperor Constantine (who was the FIRST Christian Roman Emperor). According to many historians the day was intentionally planned to coincide with the pagan celebration of Saturnalia, otherwise known as the Winter Solstice, and yes, many of the pagans own customs were brought into the celebration. Why? Because Constantine was trying to do what all Christians are commanded to do; draw others to Christ. In this case the Emperor was using the pagans own traditions to pull them toward their Savior. That is the true portion of the argument but here is where it gets "cloudy". Though the pagan celebration of Winter Solstice did indeed take place in the middle of December, it was was week long celebration which generally began on December 21 or 22 (the actual Winter Solstice as a astronomic event). The cloudy area here is the suggestion that because Christmas was set right in the middle of the pagans celebration that Christians do not have the right to demand it be called Christmas. The problem here is other holidays have occurred during the same time period, including Hanukka and Kwanza. And no one is demanding we change the names of those holidays in order not to offend others. Also, Hanukka, at least this year, coincided with Thanksgiving and no one even blinked at that. Are we beginning to see a double standard here? I know I am.
He Wasn't Born on December 25th!
This argument I believe is intended to make Christians look foolish and is actually used by some denomination to point at why we should not celebrate Christmas at all. In the last 30 years or so many people have "discovered" that Jesus was not actually born in December. The reason I put discovered in quotations is simple, most Christians are fully aware of that fact. Even my children, when asked about whether or not December 25th was the day Jesus was born responded as such "No, we don't know when He was born, we just celebrate that He was born." So our desire to hold onto Christmas as a day to celebrate Christ's birth is not done out of ignorance. No one knows when Jesus was born, the Bible does not tell us (despite some saying their are clues or codes which do tell us) and I believe, if the exact day were important God would not have left it out. What is important is that we know Jesus was born and that He is the Messiah, something that indeed should be celebrated. The argument about what month, season, or even year, Christ was born is, only serves to divide Christians and add confusion when none should be.
Don't Call it That!
Of all the anti-Christmas arguments the very idea that we shouldn't call Christmas, Christmas because it might offend someone, really gets under my skin! This is an argument that actually attaches to the first, that Christmas isn't celebrated as Christ's birth by everyone. However, if we look at even those who celebrate the winter "holiday", they wrap what have been Christian traditions in their celebrations. For instance, lets look at the Christmas Tree (yes some claim similar trees were used by pagans but the practice of using Christmas trees as we do now began in Germany some centuries later). Almost every home, Christian or not, that celebrates Christmas uses a Christmas tree. We also must look at the history of December 25th to respond to the "don't call it That" argument. I have already mentioned above how Christmas day became Christmas day but lets travel forward from that moment. A few years after Constantine began the first celebration, Pope Julius I declared Christmas (literally Christ's Mass or Mass of Christ) would be celebrated on December 25th (though at one point some celebrated Christmas on January 6). Since that time December 25th has been celebrated as Christmas by millions of Christians. It was not until recent years that people began to get "offended" by that title. And why are people offended by calling something what it is? Well, for most non-Christian holidays, they are not. As noted above, no one is suggesting we change the name of any other religious and cultural holidays that are associated with non-Christian faiths. No one would dare suggest that we call a menorah a "holiday candle stand" or refer to a prayer rug as a "meditation carpet". Sounds ridiculous doesn't it? So why would they change things about Christmas. The simple answer is; because it is associated with Christ. And this is what the Bible has to say about people (and things) associated with Him. In Matthew 24: 8-10 Jesus states "All these things are the beginnings of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you; and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And they shall be offended and they shall betray one another and they shall hate one another." Though in these verses Jesus was not speaking about Christmas (obviously it didn't exist for another 300 years) but about the world's reaction to Christians and sharing the gospel. Still the point is made by these verses. Because Christians want to keep "Christ in Christmas" others are offended.
But Does Any of This Really Matter
So at this point, some may be wondering, does any of this really matter? Does it matter what we call the holiday or on what day we choose to celebrate it or even when Christ was born? The answer is both yes and no. No, it does not matter which day we choose to celebrate Christ's birth because we are to celebrate Christ everyday. No, it doesn't matter when Christ was born as long as we know His birth is the fulfillment of prophecy. But I would have to say, yes, it does matter that we call Christmas, Christmas because if we let man take Christ out of this celebration, we once again allow man to dictate to us how we can and cannot worship God and I firmly believe that as children of God we have already allowed the world to sway our practices of faith more than we should!!
So with this long assertoric rank finally through (I hope you all hung on to read to this point) I would like to wish anyone who reads this a
MERRY CHRISTmas and Blessed New Year!!
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