Christians and Christmas

I’m one of the odd minority of Christians that don’t keep Christmas. You could call me literalistic when it comes to reading the Bible. I believe it actually means what it says.

While I have no particular problem with people wanting to acknowledge or celebrate the birth of Jesus the Christ…I just don’t believe it should be a continuation of a pagan holiday. While there is no evidence that Christ or His disciples ever celebrated His birth, it is mentioned prominently in the Gospels. Of course most modern Christians don’t actually seem to have read the Bible as the ‘traditional’ story of Christ’s birth doesn’t fit the facts as presented in the gospels.

December 25th is a day that was recognized for centuries before the birth of Christ as the pagan celebration Saturnalia. Saturnalia was an ancient Roman celebration held in honour of Saturn, one of the Titans. Saturn was the father of Jupiter, the Roman version of the Greek god Zeus. The practice predated the birth of Christ by over 200 years. There is evidence that some version of it was practiced centuries earlier in Babylon.

The early Catholic church, in trying to make converts, adopted many pagan holidays, practices and places of worship and simply stamped the name Christ on them. That was the opposite of what the God of the Bible commanded His people to do. In the centuries since, many other pagan practices were folded into the celebration that came around the time of the Winter Solstice. Celtic and Nordic practices added what became Santa Claus, the Yule log, the Christmas tree etc. These things are all clearly documented in history books for anyone who cares to research them. None of these things has anything remotely to do with Christ. Modern Christians observe the ‘Christ-mass’ because it has become tradition…and because it feels good. Knowingly or unknowingly those that observe the day do so on the authority of the Catholic church and NOT on the scriptures.

I believe the Bible is abundantly clear that Gods people are NOT to worship Him they way pagan nations worship their gods. The story of Cain and Able clearly shows that God will not accept forms of worship that He doesn’t command. And, Christ himself warns His people that they worship God in vain when they substitute traditions for Gods commands.

It is easily argued that Christ was not born in the middle of Winter in Israel. He was likely born in the Fall according to scholars. He was born in the year 4 BC and not the year zero. Scripture says wise men came from the East bearing three types of gifts. It doesn’t say there were three wise men. While Mary, or more correctly Miriam in Hebrew, bore her child in a stable, he wasn’t there when the wise men came to visit. His name, incidentally, was Yeshua not Jesus. (There is no ‘J’ sound in Hebrew.) Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua and means ‘savior’. Christ means 'messiah', a title His followers gave Him later. So His birth name would have been ‘Yeshua ben Yosef ‘or ‘Joshua the son of Joseph’. All these are facts that most modern Christians don’t really even care about. They are more interested in their ‘feel good’ tradition.

It is also most often overlooked that during this ‘feel good’ time, that there are more suicides than at any other time of year. More people suffer from depression now than any other time of year. Anyone can see there is more stress and that's not to mention, the murder rate and rate of domestic abuse goes up during this time. And think of the number of families that go into debt buying gifts for their children as Christmas presents. I love children but they have been conditioned to expect Christmas presents regardless of their parents ability to pay for them. Now, my heart is touched when I hear of a child doing something unselfish during Christmas, or any other time, but Christmas teaches most children to think only of themselves. Greed and selfishness are not Christian values. None of this is what Christ intended for His followers...

People think of Christmas as the time to show love and good feelings towards others. Those who would normally ignore the disenfranchised in our society do ‘feel good’ things for them this time of year. The homeless, and everyone else, need to eat every day but it makes the more affluent among us feel good about themselves to feed the homeless...on this day. (Then go back to ignoring them when it's over.)  The Bible tells us to love our fellow man every day of the year but, as has been pointed out, what the Bible actually says doesn't really matter to people who observe Christmas.

Every year Christ is removed a little further from the Christ-mass. He is talked about less and less. More and more stuff is advertised and sold. Some of the very things Christ warned against are emphasized this time of year. We have become a 'bottom line' culture in more ways than one. But, retailers love it…because it makes people feel good!

Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. (Mark 7:7)