Should a Christian Celebrate Christmas?
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm
There is no Biblical warrant, precedent, nor precept for
remembrance of the day of Christ's birth as a day of special religious
celebration. This is not to say that we shouldn't remember
Christ's birth and its significance, but for religious commemorations or
celebrations, we must have Biblical command or precedent! The fact of the
matter is this -- the early church did not celebrate Christ's
birth, but such celebration only came into the church with the "Christianization"
of pagan rites as Catholicism was made the state religion by Constantine in
the fourth century A.D. Since the Word of God does not support
the tradition of Christmas, a Christian's conscience ought not
and must not be bound.
The following outline describes the origin of Christmas (with its associated
pagan customs, symbols, and terminology), details the Scriptural support
against celebrating Christmas, attempts to show that
celebrating Christmas violates the spirit of every one of the ten
commandments, attempts to demonstrate that celebrating Christmas does
not fall in the realm of Christian liberty, and attempts to debunk
eight of the major rationalizations Christians put forth for celebrating
Christmas.
I. The Origin of Christmas
A. A Long Evolution -- Christmas customs are an evolution
from times long before the Christian period -- a descent from seasonal,
pagan, religious, and national practices, hedged about with legend and
tradition. Their seasonal connections with the pagan feasts of the
winter solstice relate them to ancient times, when many of the
earth's inhabitant's were sun worshipers. As the superstitious pagans
observed the sun gradually moving south in the heavens and the days growing
shorter, they believed the sun was departing never to return. To encourage
the sun's return north (i.e., to give the winter sun god strength and to
bring him back to life again), the sun gods were worshipped with elaborate
rituals and ceremonies, including the building of great bonfires, decorating
with great evergreen plants such as holly, ivy, and mistletoe, and making
representations of summer birds as house decorations. The winter solstice,
then, was the shortest day of the year, when the sun seemingly stood still
in the southern sky. Observing the slowdown in the sun's southward movement,
and its stop, the heathen believed that their petitions to it had been
successful. A time of unrestrained rejoicing broke out, with revelry,
drinking, and gluttonous feasts. Then, when the pagans observed the sun
moving again northward, and a week later were able to determine that the
days were growing longer, a new year was proclaimed.
B. Not Among the Earliest Christian Festivals -- Christmas
was not among the earliest festivals of the Church. It was not celebrated,
commemorated, or observed, neither by the apostles nor in the apostolic
church -- not for at least the first 300 years of church history! History
reveals that about 440 A.D., the Church at Jerusalem commenced the
celebration of Christmas, following the lead of Roman Catholicism (see
I.C.). It was sufficient for the early Christians that Jesus, their Lord and
Savior, had been born. They praised God that Jesus Christ had, indeed, come
in the flesh. The day and the time of His birth had no relevance to them,
because Jesus was no longer physically on earth. He had returned to heaven.
And it was the risen, exalted Christ to whom they looked, and
that by faith -- not a babe laid in a manger. Jesus Christ is no
longer a baby; no longer the "Christ-child," but the
exalted Lord of all. And He does NOT somehow return to earth as a baby every
year at Christmas-time -- though this is the impression given even in
certain hymns sung in Protestant services. (See
sub-report.)
C. The Role of Religion in Ancient Rome -- Seemingly
forgotten is the essential role religion played in the world of ancient
Rome. But the Emperor Constantine understood. By giving official status to
Christianity, he brought internal peace to the Empire. A brilliant military
commander, he also had the genius to recognize that after declaring
Christianity the "state" religion (Constantine forced all the pagans of his
empire to be baptized into the Roman Church), there was need for true union
between paganism and Christianity. The corrupt Roman Church was full of
pagans now masquerading as Christians, all of which had to be pacified. What
better way than to "Christianize" their pagan idolatries. Thus, the
Babylonian mystery religions were introduced by Constantine beginning in 313
A.D. (and established a foothold with the holding of the Council of Nicaea
in 325 A.D.). The Constantine-led Roman Church was more than willing to
adapt and adopt pagan practices in order to make Christianity palatable to
the heathen. Constantine used religion as a political tool, totally devoid
of any true spirituality:
- Pagan rituals and idols took on Christian names (e.g., Jesus
Christ was presented as the Sun of Righteousness [Malachi 4:2]
replacing the sun god, Sol Invictus ).
- Pagan holidays were reclassified as Christian holidays
(holy-days).
- December 25th was the "Victory of the Sun-God" Festival in the
pagan Babylonian world. In the ancient Roman Empire, the celebration
can be traced back to the Roman festival Saturnalia,
which honored Saturn, the harvest god, and Mithras, the god of
light; both were celebrated during or shortly after the winter
solstice (between the 17th and 23rd of December). To all ancient
pagan civilizations, December 25th was the birthday of the gods --
the time of year when the days began to lengthen and man was blessed
with a "regeneration of nature." Moreover, all of December 25th's
Babylonian and Roman festivals were characterized by 5-7 day
celebration periods of unrestrained or orgiastic revelry and
licentiousness.
December 25th was particularly important in the cult of Mithras, a
popular deity in the Old Roman Empire. Robert Myers (a proponent for
celebrating Christmas) in his book Celebrations, says:
"Prior to the celebration of Christmas, December 25th in the Roman
world was the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the
Unconquerable Sun. This feast, which took place just after the winter
solstice of the Julian calendar, was in honor of the Sun God, Mithras,
originally a Persian deity whose cult penetrated the Roman world in the
first century B.C. ... Besides the Mithraic influence, other pagan
forces were at work. From the seventeenth of December until the
twenty-third, Romans celebrated the ancient feast of the Saturnalia. ...
It was commemorative of the Golden Age of Saturn, the god of sowing and
husbandry."
In order to make Christianity palatable to the heathen, the Roman Church
simply took Saturnalia, adopted it into Christianity, and then eventually
many of the associated pagan symbols, forms, customs, and traditions were
reinterpreted (i.e., "Christianized") in ways "acceptable" to Christian
faith and practice. (In fact, in 375 A.D., the Church of Rome under Pope
Julius I merely announced that the birth date of Christ had been
"discovered" to be December 25th, and was accepted as such by the
"faithful." The festival of Saturnalia and the birthday of Mithras could now
be celebrated as the birthday of Christ!) The pagans flocked into the
Catholic places of worship, because they were still able to worship their
old gods, but merely under different names. It mattered not to them whether
they worshiped the Egyptian goddess mother and her child under the old names
(Isis and Horus), or under the names of the "Virgin Mary" and the
"Christ-child." Either way, it was the same old idol-religion (cf. 1 Thes.
1:8-10; 5:22 -- Paul says to turn from idols, not rename them and
Christianize them).
Roman Catholicism's Christmas Day is nothing but "baptized" paganism,
having come along much too late to be part of "the faith once
delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).
D. "Christianization" of Pagan Customs, Symbols, and Terminology
-- Christianity had to undergo a transformation so that pagan Rome could
"convert" without giving up its old beliefs and rituals. The actual effect
was to paganize official Christianity. "'A compound religion had been
manufactured, of which ... Christianity furnished the nomenclature, and
Paganism the doctrines and rights.' The idolatry of the Roman world, though
deposed from its ancient pre-eminence, had by no means been demolished.
Instead of this, its pagan nakedness had been covered with the garb of a
deformed Christianity" (W.E. Vine). Pagan customs involving vestments,
candles, incense, images, and processions were all incorporated into church
worship and continue today.
The following customs and traditions associated with Xmas all have
pagan/heathen origins. ("Xmas" is the more preferable form for the day,
since it at least leaves the name of our Savior out of the heathen
observance.) Naturally, Christians would not keep these customs for such
evil and perverse reasons, but the fact of their origins remain -- "the
customs of the people are vain" (Jer. 10:3), and should thereby be carefully
considered by all who know and love the Lord:
1. The blasphemous "Christ's Mass"
shortened to "Christ-mas" -- The Roman Catholic "Christ's Mass" is a special
mass performed in celebration of Christ's birth. In this mass, Jesus is
considered both the priest and the victim, represented by the Catholic
priest who offers Him as a sacrifice each time the mass is performed.
In offering this "sacrifice," the priest believes he has the power to change
the bread and the wine of the Communion into Jesus' literal flesh and blood,
requiring the people to worship these elements as they do God Himself. This
is obviously a denial of the gospel, and thereby, a false gospel (a re-doing
of the sacrifice for sin -- Heb. 9:12, 24-26; 10:10,12,14). Yet, many who
cry out all year long against the blasphemous Roman Catholic system, at
year-end embrace Rome's most blasphemous abomination of them all --
Christmas!
2. Nativity Scenes (tainted with paganism) -- Nearly every
form of pagan worship descended from the Babylonian mysteries, which focus
attention on the "mother-goddess" and the birth of her child. This was
adapted to "Mary-Jesus" worship, which then easily accommodated the
multitude of pagans "converted" to Christianity inside Constantine's Roman
Catholic Church. If anyone were to erect statues (i.e., images) of Mary and
Joseph by themselves, many within Protestant circles would cry "Idolatry!"
But at Xmas time, an image of a little baby is placed with the images of
Mary and Joseph, and it's called a "nativity scene." Somehow, the baby-idol
"sanctifies" the scene, and it is no longer considered idolatry! (cf. Exo.
20:4-5a; 32:1-5a; 9-10a).
3. Christmas Tree -- Evergreen trees, because of their
ability to remain green through-out the winter season when most other forms
of vegetation are dormant, have long symbolized immortality, fertility,
sexual potency, and reproduction, and were often brought into homes and set
up as idols.
The full mystical significance of the evergreen can only be understood when
one considers the profound reverence the ancient pagans had for all natural
phenomena -- "To them, Nature was everywhere alive. Every fountain had its
spirit, every mountain its deity, and every water, grove, and meadow, its
supernatural association. The whispering of the trees ... was the subtle
speech of the gods who dwelt within" (W.M. Auld, Christmas Traditions).
This is nothing but nature worship or Animism.
The custom of bringing the tree into the home and decorating it as is done
today has legendarily been attributed to Martin Luther. In truth, the modern
custom has been lost in obscurity, but almost every culture has some such
tradition. For ages, evergreen trees would be brought into the house during
the winter as magic symbols of luck and hope for a fruitful year to come, It
may also be that the star with which many of today's trees are topped did
not originate as a representation of the star that the wise men followed,
but rather a representation of the stars to which the ancient Chaldean
astrologers looked for guidance.
The first decorating of an evergreen was done by pagans in honor of their
god Adonis, who after being slain was brought to life by the serpent
Aesculapius. The representation of the slain Adonis was a dead stump of a
tree. Around this stump coiled the snake -- Aesculapius, symbol of life
restoring. From the roots of the dead tree, then comes forth another and
different tree -- an evergreen tree, symbolic to pagans of a god who cannot
die! In Babylon, the evergreen tree came to represent the
rebirth/reincarnation of Nimrod as his new son (Sun), Tammuz. In Egypt, this
god was worshiped in a palm tree as Baal-Tamar. (Heathen people in the land
of Canaan also adopted tree worship, calling it the Asherah -- a tree with
its branches cut off was carved into a phallic symbol.) The fir tree was
worshiped in Rome as the same new-born god, named Baal-Berith, who was
restored to life by the same serpent. A feast was held in honor of him on
December 25th, observed as the day on which the god reappeared on earth --
he had been killed, and was "reborn" on that day, victorious over death! It
was called the "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun." Thus, the annual custom of
erecting and decorating evergreen trees was brought down to us through the
centuries by the pagan Roman Catholic Church -- the paganism of Tammuz and
Baal, or the worship of the sun, mingled with the worship of Aesculapius the
serpent. Whether erected in private homes or in churches, decorated or not,
the evergreen tree is a glaring symbol of this false god.
4. Christmas Wreaths -- In pagan mythology, evergreen means
eternal life and a never-dying existence. Made from evergreens, Christmas
wreaths were most frequently round, which symbolized the sun (just as do
halos in most religious art). Hence, the round Xmas wreaths stand for an
eternal sun, a never-dying or self-renewing sun. In addition, the round form
can also relate to the sign of the female, which stands for the regeneration
of life. Because of these pagan associations, the Christian church was
initially hostile towards the use of wreaths and other evergreen
derivatives. But in the same way it Christianized other pagan traditions,
the church soon found a way to confer its own symbolic meanings. For
example, the sharp pointed leaves of the "male" holly came to represent
Christ's crown of thorns and the red berries His blood, while the "female"
ivy symbolized immortality (Sulgrave Manor, "A Tudor Christmas," p. 6). Such
wreaths now not only adorn churches at Christmas time, but are also
appearing during the equally pagan Easter season.
5. Mistletoe -- The use of the mistletoe plant (which is
poisonous to both man and animals) can be traced back to the ancient Druids.
(The Druids were pagan Celtic priests who were considered magicians and
wizards.) It represented the false "messiah," considered by the Druids to be
a divine branch that had dropped from heaven and grew upon a tree on earth.
This is an obvious corruption of God's prophetic Word concerning Christ,
"the Man the Branch," coming from heaven. The mistletoe symbolized the
reconciliation between God and man. And since a kiss is the
well known symbol of reconciliation, that is how "kissing under the
mistletoe" became a custom -- both were tokens of reconciliation. The
mistletoe, being a sacred plant and a symbol of fertility, was also believed
to contain certain magical powers, having been brought to earth from heaven
by a mistle thrush carrying it in its toes (hence the name). It was once
known as the "plant of peace," and in ancient Scandinavia, enemies were
reconciled under it (yet another reason why people came to "kiss under the
mistletoe"). It was supposed to bring "good luck" and fertility, and even to
protect from witchcraft the house in which it hung.
A kiss is also something which is, at times, associated with
lust. So the practice of "kissing under the mistletoe" also had roots in the
orgiastic celebrations in connection with the Celtic Midsummer Eve ceremony.
At the time the mistletoe was gathered, the men would kiss each other as a
display of their homosexuality. (The custom was later broadened to include
both men and women.) Kissing under the mistletoe is also reminiscent of the
temple prostitution and sexual license proliferating during Roman
Saturnalia.
6. Santa Claus -- Santa Claus or "Father
Christmas" is a corruption of the Dutch "Sant Nikolaas." ("Saint Nicholas"
was the 4th century Catholic bishop of Myra in Asia Minor, who gave treats
to children; he was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, "regarded as a
special friend and protector of children." The red suit comes from the fact
that Catholic bishops and cardinals in Italy wear red.) Santa Claus was also
known as "Kriss Kringle," a corruption of the German "Christ Kindl"-- Christ
Child. This has to be one of the most subtle of Satan's blasphemies, yet
most Christians are unaware of it.
Originally, the Santa Claus concept came from the pagan Egyptian god, Bes, a
rotund, gnome-like personage who was the patron of little children. Bes was
said to live at the North Pole, working year-round to produce toys for
children who had been good and obedient to their parents. In Dutch, he was
called "Sinter Klaas." Dutch settlers brought the custom to America. In
Holland and other European countries, the original Santa Claus was actually
a grim personage who traversed the countryside, determined to find out who
really had been "naughty or nice." Those who had been acting up were
summarily switched. The association of Santa Claus with snow, reindeer, and
the North Pole suggests Scandinavian or Norse traditions of the Yuletide
season. (In Babylonia, also, the stag [reindeer] was a symbol of the mighty
one, Nimrod. The symbolism of antlers worn on the head of a noble leader
would demonstrate his prowess as a hunter, and thereby, influence people to
follow him.)
Santa is the blasphemous substitute for God! He is routinely given
supernatural powers and divine attributes which only GOD has. Think about
it. He is made out to be omniscient -- he knows when every
child sleeps, awakes, has been bad or good, and knows exactly what every
child wants (cf. Psa. 139:1-4). He is made out to be omnipresent
-- on one night of the year he visits all the "good" children in the world
and leaves them gifts, seemingly being everywhere at the same time. He is
also made out to be omnipotent -- he has the power to give to
each child exactly what each one wants. Moreover, Santa Claus is made out to
be a sovereign judge -- he answers to no one and
no one has authority over him, and when he "comes to town," he comes with a
full bag of rewards for those whose behavior has been acceptable in his
eyes.
Santa Claus has become one of the most popular and widely accepted and
unopposed myths ever to be successfully interwoven into the fabric and
framework of Christianity. It is a fact that Christ was born,
and that truth should greatly rejoice the heart of every
Christian. But the Santa Claus myth distorts the truth of
Christ's birth by subtly blending truth with the myth
of Santa Claus. When Christian parents lie to their children about Santa
Claus, they are taking the attention of their children away from God and
causing them to focus on a fat man in a red suit with god-like qualities.
All of this teaches the child to believe that, just like Santa, God can be
pleased with "good works," done in order to earn His favor. Also, they teach
that no matter how bad the child has been, he will still be rewarded by God
-- just as Santa never failed to bring gifts. Even in homes of professing
Christians, Santa Claus has clearly displaced Jesus in the awareness and
affections of children, becoming the undisputed spirit, symbol, and
centerpiece of Christmas.
7. Christmas Eve -- "Yule" is a Chaldean word meaning
"infant." Long before the coming of Christianity, the heathen Anglo-Saxons
called the 25th of December "Yule day" -- in other words, "infant day" or
"child's day" -- the day they celebrated the birth of the false "messiah"!
The night before "Yule day" was called "Mother night." Today it is called
"Christmas Eve." And it wasn't called "Mother night" after Mary, the mother
of our Lord -- "Mother night" was observed centuries before Jesus was born.
Semiramis (Nimrod's wife) was the inspiration for "Mother
night," and "Child's day" was the supposed birthday of her son (Tammuz), the
sun-god!
8. Yule Log -- The Yule log was considered by the ancient
Celts a sacred log to be used in their religious festivals during the winter
solstice; the fire provided promises of good luck and long life. Each year's
Yule log had to be selected in the forest on Christmas Eve by the family
using it, and could not be bought, or the superstitions associated with it
would not apply. In Babylonian paganism, the log placed in the fireplace
represented the dead Nimrod, and the tree which appeared the next morning
(which today is called the "Christmas tree") was Nimrod alive again
(reincarnated) in his new son (sun), Tammuz. (Still today in some places,
the Yule log is placed in the fireplace on Christmas Eve, and the next
morning there is a Christmas tree!)
Today's Yule log tradition comes to us from Scandinavia, where the pagan
sex-and-fertility god, Jule, was honored in a twelve-day celebration in
December. A large, single log was kept with a fire against it for twelve
days, and each day for twelve days a different sacrifice was offered. The
period now counted as the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany was
originally the twelve days of daily sacrifices offered to the Yule log.
(What, then, are we really doing when we send "Yuletide greetings"? Are we
really honoring Christ by sending greetings in the name of a Scandinavian
fertility god? These are the same customs being practiced today
as in ancient paganism! Only the names have changed.)
9. Candles -- Candles were lit by the ancient Babylonians
in honor of their god, and his altars had candles on them. And as is well
known, candles are also a major part of the ritualism of Roman Catholicism,
which adopted the custom from heathenism. Candles approached the Yule log in
ritual importance. Like the Yule log, they had to be a gift, never a
purchase, and were lighted and extinguished only by the head of the
household. Such candles stood burning steadily in the middle of the table,
never to be moved or snuffed, lest death follow. The Yule candle, wreathed
in greenery, was to burn through Christmas night until the sun rose or the
Christmas service began (Sulgrave Manor, "A Tudor Christmas," p. 9).
Obviously, candles should have no part in Christian worship, for nowhere in
the New Testament is their use sanctioned.
10. Giving of Gifts -- The tradition of exchanging gifts
has nothing to do with a reenactment of the Magi giving gifts to Jesus, but
has many superstitious, pagan origins instead. One prominent tradition was
the Roman custom of exchanging food, trinkets, candles, or statutes of gods
during the mid-winter Kalends (the first day of the month in the ancient
Roman calendar). This custom was transferred to December 25th by the Roman
Church in keeping with the Saturnalian festival and in celebration of the
benevolent St. Nicholas. [Is it not the height of ridiculousness to claim
that giving one another presents properly celebrates Jesus' "birthday" (not
that there is anything necessarily wrong in giving each other presents)? But
what are we giving Him, if indeed we are specifically
celebrating His incarnation?]
11. Christmas Goose -- The "Christmas goose" and "Christmas
cakes" were both used in the worship of the Babylonian "messiah." The goose
was considered to be sacred in many ancient lands, such as Rome, Asia Minor,
India, and Chaldea. In Egypt, the goose was a symbol for a child,
ready to die! In other words, a symbol of the pagan "messiah,"
ready to give his life (supposedly) for the world. This is obviously a
satanic mockery of the truth.
12. Christmas Ham -- Hogs were slaughtered and the eating
of the carcass was one of the central festivities of the Saturnalia. Each
man would offer a pig as a sacrifice because superstition held that a boar
had killed the sun deity Adonis. Hence, the tradition of the Christmas ham
on Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
13. Christmas Stocking -- According to tradition, a poor
widower of Myra, Turkey, had three daughters, for whom he could not provide
a dowry. On Xmas-Eve, "Saint Nicholas" threw three bags of gold down the
chimney, thereby saving the daughters from having to enter into
prostitution. One bag rolled into a shoe, and the others fell into some
stockings that had been hung to dry by the fire. Hence, the beginning of the
tradition of the "Christmas stocking" or "boot."
14. Christmas Cards -- The first British Xmas card can be
dated back to 1843. The first cards featured pictures of dead birds!
Evidently, the popularity of hunting robin and wren on Christmas Day made
the dead bird image an appropriate one for "holiday" cards. Often the text
of the cards would also have a morbid tone. Later, the cards displayed
dancing insects, playful children, pink-cheeked young women, and festively
decorated Christmas trees. The first actual Xmas cards were really
Valentine's Day cards (with different messages) sent in December. Mass
production of Xmas cards in the United States can be traced back to 1875.
Initially, the manufacturers thought of Xmas cards as a sideline to their
already successful business in playing cards. But the "tradition" of sending
cards soon caught on, leading to a very profitable business by itself.
15. Christmas Carols -- What do you suppose the reaction
would be by a church's leaders if its pastor were to propose that the
following hymns be introduced into the church to commemorate the birth of
Christ? After all, the tunes are quite lovely.
Hymn #1 -- A hymn by a Unitarian minister (Unitarians
reject the Trinity and full deity of Christ) that does not mention Jesus
Christ and reflects the liberal social gospel theology of the 19th
century.
Hymn #2 -- A hymn by an American Episcopal priest, the
fourth verse of which teaches Roman Catholic superstition about Christ
coming to be born in people during the Advent season.
Hymn #3 -- A song, the words by an Austrian Roman Catholic
priest, the music by a Roman Catholic schoolteacher, containing the
Roman Catholic superstition about halos emanating from holy people, with
no gospel message.
Perhaps you would expect the church's leaders to be very upset. It might
surprise you to learn that they were upset when they suspected that the
pastor might somehow prevent them from singing them! You see,
those three hymns were already in the church's hymnals! The pastor did not
have to introduce them. The three theologically incorrect "Christmas carols"
referred to above are It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, O
Little Town of Bethlehem, and Silent Night. (See the
sub-report for an evaluation of some of the most popular Xmas carols
found in church hymnals today.)
E. European Xmas Traditions -- In the early days of
Christianity, as it moved north and west into Europe, many pagan
celebrations were encountered. For example, in the late-6th century in
England, the Angles and Saxons were found celebrating Yule. The Christian
evangelists thought they would fail in any attempt to rival, suppress, or
stamp out such long held customs, so they simply adopted popular dates for
their own "special rituals and hallowed services." In other words, it was
easier to establish a festival celebrating the birth of Christ if it
conveniently coincided with an existing popular pagan feast day. In this
way, the pagan peoples (albeit potential converts to Christianity) could
continue with their usual celebrations at this time of year, but the reason
for the merrymaking could be redefined and attributed to Christ's birth
rather than to any pagan rituals. As paganism eventually died out and
Christianity became widespread, Christmas became increasingly more
associated with its religious foundations than any others (Sulgrave Manor,
"A Tudor Christmas," p. 2).
It was left to the Puritans to denounce everything. For them, Christmas was
rightfully part popish, part pagan, and was forbidden to be kept as a
holiday or feast day. The attack began in 1644 when the Puritans controlled
the Parliament; December 25th was changed to a Fast Day. By 1647, even the
Fast Day was abolished as a relic of superstition, synonymous with the
Church of Rome. No observation on December 25th was any longer
permitted, but the day was to be observed as a normal market-day. Christmas
was accurately depicted by such names as the Profane Man's Ranting Day, the
Superstitious Man's Idol Day, the Papist's Massing Day, the Old Heathen's
Feasting Day, the Multitude's Idle Day, and Satan -- that Adversary's --
Working Day. In those days, any Christmas celebrations would be broken up by
troops, who would tear down decorations and arrest anyone holding a service.
Some who celebrated it in Europe were also thrown into prison. Because of
the riots that broke out following the banning of Christmas, the
celebrations and revelry were restored in 1660 by King Charles II, a Roman
Catholic (Sulgrave Manor, "A Tudor Christmas," p. 3).
F. American Xmas Traditions -- America's settlers (the
"founding fathers" of so-called "Protestant
America") rightfully considered Christmas a "popish" holiday. In fact,
it was only in the early 1800s that several founding members of the New York
Historical Society "invented" Christmas. Before then, it was illegal in
colonial Massachusetts to even take December 25th off work. Christmas was
forbidden as "unseemly to ye spiritual welfare of ye community." (It was
banned in Massachusetts in 1659, and this law remained on the books for 22
years. In Boston, public schools stayed open on December 25th until as late
as 1870!) It wasn't until 1836 that any state declared Christmas a holiday
(Alabama), and then there were no more state declarations until the Civil
War. It was not until 1885 that all federal workers were given Christmas Day
off. The so-called Xmas customs and traditions were later concocted more for
commercial purposes than for religious.
Quoting from a 12/23/83 USA TODAY article about Christmas: "A
broad element of English Christianity still considered Christmas celebration
a pagan blasphemy. The Puritans, Baptists, Quakers, Presbyterians,
Calvinists and other denominations brought this opposition to early New
England and strong opposition to the holiday lasted in America until the
middle of the 18th century." Henry Ward Beecher, a Congregationalist, wrote
in 1874 of his New England boyhood:
"To me Christmas is a foreign day, and I shall die so. When I was a
boy I wondered what Christmas was. I knew there was such a time, because
we had an Episcopal church in our town, and I saw them dressing it with
evergreens, and wondered what they were taking the woods in the church
for; but I got no satisfactory explanation. A little later I understood
it was a Romish institution, kept by the Romish Church."
II. Scriptural Support Against Celebrating Christmas -- Unacceptable Worship
A. 2 Chron. 33:15-17 -- The Israelites had kept the old pagan form
(the high places of Baal), but had merely introduced the worship of God into
that form -- a refusal to let go of pagan worship forms (i.e., God was to be
worshiped in the Temple, not on the high places). This was unacceptable
worship because the right object of worship was mixed with wrong forms of
worship; i.e., the mixing of godly worship with ungodly form. Likewise, is
not the celebration of Christmas the taking of a celebration established by
pagans and for pagans, and then introducing the worship of Christ into that
pagan form?
B. Deut. 12:29-32 -- God warned His people Israel to
destroy all vestiges of pagan worship that they found in the "Promised
Land." Not only did God want to prevent His people from being enticed to
worship false gods, but He also specifically revealed that He did not want
His people to worship Him in the same manner in which the heathen worshiped
their gods. We know, therefore, that our Lord is displeased by practices
which profess to honor Him, but which are copied from the tradition of false
religions. The command here was to worship God only in His way, i.e., do
only what God commands -- not adding to God's commands nor taking away from
them. Therefore, is not "putting Christ back into Christmas," worshiping
"the Lord your God their way"? Is there any command in the Bible to give
special reverence to the Scriptural account of Christ's birth more so than
to any other Scripture, let alone even a suggestion to celebrate or
commemorate His birth in any way whatsoever? God never intended for His
people to be imitators of the pagan customs of the world, but has called us
to be separate and set apart.
C. Lev. 10:1,2 -- Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire to
the Lord. Is not the celebration of Christmas, with all its pagan symbols
and forms, a "strange fire" unto the Lord, and is not this form of worship
contrary to what God commands?
D. 1 Sam. 15:1-3, 7-9, 21-23 -- Saul disobeyed God's
prophet in order to worship God in his way. Is not the celebration of
Christmas one of man's ways of worshiping Christ? There is certainly no
Biblical command to offer worship in this manner.
E. 2 Sam. 6:2-7 -- David attempts to transport the ark on a
"new cart" instead of using the rings and poles as the Law required (Exo.
25:12-15). Additionally, the "transporters" of the ark were not even
authorized to carry it (1 Chron. 15:2, 13-15); i.e., the ark was not only
transported in the wrong way, but was transported by the wrong people! Is
not the celebration of Christmas the wrong way (pagan forms and tradition)
with the wrong people (the heathen of the world join right in with the
professing Christians)?
F. 1 Ki. 12:26-33 -- In order to unify the northern ten
tribes of Israel, ungodly King Jeroboam set up pagan idols, not in place of
God, but as new focal points for directing worship to God. He even
instituted a new festival on a new day; i.e., a new religious holiday of his
own choosing. Even though the true God of Israel was still to be the object
of worship in the new religious holiday, both the holiday and the worship
were not authorized by God nor accepted by Him (1 Ki. 13:1-3; 15:29,30).
Why? Because the concocted mixture of error with truth constituted false
religion! Likewise, is not the celebration of Christmas a religious holiday
of man's own choosing, replete with pagan symbols and forms, all under the
guise (by sincere Christians at least) of worshiping the one true God and
Savior? But does not this worship form and system still constitute false
religion, and thereby, make it unacceptable to God? And besides, where in
the Bible do Christians have the right to add a new holy day to the
so-called Christian calendar, any more than King Jeroboam had the right to
add a new holy day to God's theocratic calendar?
G. 1 Cor. 8:4-13; Rom. 14:1-13; 1 Cor. 10:14, 18-21 --
These passages concerning Christian liberty are discussed in more detail
under Roman numeral IV. [Christian liberty can best be defined Biblically as
"the freedom to engage in practices not prohibited by the Scriptures or
denying oneself what is permitted (i.e., a moral choice of self-discipline)
in order to be a more effective witness for God." So the question must first
be answered, "Is Christmas permitted?"] Briefly, some claim that Paul is
teaching that the participation in pagan forms condemns no one, and
therefore, participation in Christmas and its forms, even though arising out
of pagan idolatry, is inconsequential. However, Paul nowhere approves
participation in acts of idolatry, of which the participation
in the pagan forms of Christmas comes dangerously close to doing. Instead,
Paul is speaking of the liberty to continue in Jewish days of
worship/festival that had been previously ordained under the Jewish law.
There is certainly no liberty to bring outside pagan forms into the church's
worship services. Likewise, there is no liberty to Christianize
Babylonian/Roman pagan holy days as special days.
Christians in the first century churches had the liberty to observe Old
Testament holy days and feasts (days that had previously been revealed by
God) if they were so immature as to do so. The weaker brother, Paul wrote,
was at that time not to be censured for continuing to attach some importance
to the Old Testament holy days, as a clear knowledge of their abolition in
Christ was not yet given to him (the weaker brother). But to observe a
pagan holy day is something this passage does not
sanction. They certainly did not have the liberty to regard Babylonian/Roman
pagan holy days (days that were invented by the devil) as special days.
Again, that would have been idolatry, worldliness, and perhaps even a form
of Satan worship on their part. Therefore, how can the observance of
Christmas Day, or any other Babylonian/Roman Catholic holy day, be a matter
of Christian liberty?
Yet when some of us refuse to regard the pagan holy days as special days, we
are the ones often referred to as the "weaker brother" in this matter! Are
we opposed to such days because we are "weak in faith"? Faith would be
defined as believing what the Word of God says about a matter and acting
upon it. It was by faith that we stopped regarding pagan holy days as
special days. Would we be more mature Christians if we would start regarding
such days again? It would certainly be much easier on our families and us.
III. Christmas and the (Spiritual) Violation of the Ten Commandments
(reverse order)
A. Do Not Covet -- Children learn to covet the gifts of
others, to drool over the Christmas catalog, to drag their parents endlessly
through toy stores, all in the name of "the Christmas spirit."
B. Do Not Bear False Witness -- "Jesus is the reason for
the season!" is the Christian battle cry to "put Christ back in Christmas,"
when in actuality, there is not only no Biblical warrant for Christmas, but
its roots are in pagan worship systems. Nevertheless, professing Christians
lie to their children about Santa Claus, the supernatural, sorcerous false
"god" of Christmas, whose "gospel" is one of works salvation along with
unconditional acceptance and rewards. Parents lie to their children for
years about the god-like character of Santa Claus, in effect asking them to
trust in a false god and a lie, and then don't understand why
later in life their children won't believe and trust in the
true God, Jesus Christ.
C. Do Not Steal -- Christmas spending patterns could never
stand the test of Biblical stewardship; i.e., Christians, in celebrating
Christmas, "steal" the Lord's resources by ignoring their proper use;
lavishly spend these resources on worthless and useless trinkets (in many
cases); and withhold resources from those in need, while at the same time
claiming to never have enough money to buy good Christian books, pay for
home schooling, or buy Bible helps for their children. (Christians could
also be helping the spiritually needy by buying and giving them tracts,
books, etc.) We "steal" from our families what they need and what we owe
them in order to buy gifts for those who don't need them.
D. Do Not Commit Adultery -- At this "special" time of the
year, lustful thoughts are actually encouraged; e.g., teens are allowed to
go to parties and stay out later, thereby having temptations put in front of
them that otherwise wouldn't be there. Christmas parties for adults also
encourage evil thoughts through the use of the mistletoe, etc. (According to
Matt. 5, such thoughts constitute adultery. At the very least,
spiritual adultery is encouraged by the "season.")
E. Do Not Murder -- Envy and hate of my brother (which,
according to Matt. 5, is equal to murder) because he has more than me or
because he receives a larger Christmas bonus than me, is encouraged at
Christmas time. We also tend to spiritually sacrifice our children to the
"god of Christmas" via greed, selfishness, etc.
F. Honor Father and Mother -- Christmas gift-giving is not
an honor to parents; the term "exchanging" gifts (i.e., giving in
expectation of a return) is a dead give-away of the mockery associated with
this tradition.
G. Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy -- Although we
recognize that the Lord's Day is not the "Christian Sabbath," clearly the
Lord's Day is to be kept for worship and observed as such. Yet when
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or the day after Christ-mas falls on a Sunday,
most churches adjust the Lord's Day to accommodate Christ-mas, usually by
canceling the regularly scheduled Sunday evening service. Most of its
members are too busy or too tired to attend services anyway.
H. Do Not Take the Lord's Name in Vain -- "Christ" and
"mass" are two words that are totally opposite from one another, and to
connect the two is to blaspheme the name of Christ. By taking a pagan
celebration, "Christianizing" it, and calling it a celebration of the birth
of Christ, is most certainly taking the Lord's name in vain. (A good example
of the willingness of the professing church to profane the name of the Lord
would be the title of a popular children's Christmas concert production --
The Divine Ornament. Imagine, identifying our Lord with a pagan
ornament to hang on a pagan tree! What insult! What blasphemy!) In addition,
some professing Christians use religion ("Christ's birthday") as a cloak to
cover the evils of covetousness, idolatry, greed, immorality, etc. -- all
excuses to give vent to evil lusts.
I. Do Not Make Yourself Any Carved Image -- Nativity
scenes, "pictures" of Christ, Christmas cards with "pictures" of Jesus,
etc., all violate this command. God has given us His Word, not images, to
teach us about Christ (1 Pe. 1:23; Dt. 4:12, 15-19).
J. Have No Other Gods Before Me -- The "god of Christmas"
is idolatrous! Looking to the Christmas season for happiness, joy, and
fulfillment, rather than through a pure, personal, and Biblical relationship
with Jesus Christ, is idolatry.
IV. Is a Christian's Decision to Celebrate Christmas a Part of
Christian Liberty?
A. Romans 14:1-13 -- This passage is speaking of Jews who were
observing the Old Testament Jewish holy days/festivals and dietary laws even
though they were now believers in Christ; but they were also judging their
Gentile brothers-in-the-Lord who did not observe the Jewish customs.
Likewise, the Gentile Christians were judging their Jewish brothers who were
seemingly caught-up in ceremonial law. Paul was thusly saying, "To you
Gentile Christians -- leave the Jewish Christians alone, because they are
not violating any Scriptural commands by their actions (i.e., it's a
"disputable" matter [doubtful or gray area] and not a moral issue). To you
Jewish Christians -- it's okay for you to observe the Jewish festivals and
dietary laws because they were given by God in the Old Testament, and
thereby, are considered to be previously approved worship forms, but don't
judge your Gentile brothers, because there is no Biblical command for either
of you to continue to observe these things." (Actually, it wasn't "okay"
[see IV.C. below], but Paul allowed it as an act of an
immature/weaker brother [see II.G. above].) If a moral issue is involved
(i.e., a practice that is covered in Scripture), then this passage and its
application to Christian liberty (i.e., the freedom to engage in practices
not prohibited by Scripture) would obviously not apply. And as brought out
earlier in this report, the celebration of Christmas appears to be such a
moral issue, because its celebration is not only not from God, but is from
ancient paganism itself!
B. 1 Corinthians 8:4-13 -- The Gentile Christians, who had
been raised in an idolatrous system, were having a problem with their Jewish
brothers who were eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols.
(Apparently, this was the only "healthy" meat available.) Similar to the
Romans 14 passage above, Paul says that eating meat that had been sacrificed
to idols is not a moral issue, and thereby, is not prohibited. However, Paul
does not say that it is okay to go into the pagan temple itself; in fact, in
other passages (1 Cor 10:14, 18-21), Paul specifically prohibits getting
involved with the pagan feasts. In other words, it's not a moral issue to
partake in the byproducts of a pagan religious system (note,
however, that there is no indication here that the Jewish Christians were
using the "idol meat" as part of their worship), but it is not okay to
partake in the religious system itself (because the corrupt character of the
participants would be harmful for believers). Rather, we must be separate
from the worldly system (2 Cor 6:14-7:1). Therefore, when items (byproducts)
associated with a pagan religious system not only develop religious
associations of their own, but have been integrated into what would
otherwise be true Christian worship (as the celebration of Christmas has
clearly become in our culture), then we should pull away from them so that
there is no confusion over our allegiances.
C. Galatians 4:9-10; Colossians 2:16-17 -- Both these
passages of Scripture refer to the Jewish holy days under Old
Testament law. If Christians were not even to observe the Old
Testament holy days -- days that did have divine
sanction, for a time -- they certainly don't have the liberty to observe
pagan holy days!
D. James 4:11 -- James is saying that Christians may only
judge a brother on matters determined in God's Word (i.e., moral issues). If
a matter is not covered in the Word, then these are matters of Christian
liberty (á la Rom. 14:1-13 and 1 Cor 8:4-13), and he who judges in these
areas of Christian liberty is, in effect, judging and condemning the Word of
God as being an imperfect standard to which the judge, thereby, refuses to
submit. On the other hand, since we have clear Scriptural precept that
condemns the things that go on around December 25th in the name of Christ,
the celebration of Christmas does not appear to be a matter of liberty, but
one of moral conduct.
V. The Right Response
A. Quench Not the Holy Spirit (1 Thes 5:19-22) -- Test all things
against the Scripture and line-up beliefs and actions with what is true
(i.e., do not treat with contempt the Word of God). If one is convinced that
to celebrate Christmas is sin, then he and his family must not compromise
with the world or the church by participating in any Christmas celebrations
(Rom. 14:23).
B. Avoid Traps of the Devil:
1. Lack of Zeal -- One who never considers why he does
certain things, but he just does them because he always has or because his
parents always have; one who acts on emotions rather than on facts.
2. Lack of Truth -- One who does things for good reasons
and right motives (i.e., plenty of zeal), but not in truth.
C. Realize that Christians Celebrating Christmas as the Day of
Christ's Birth Makes No More Sense than Adding Any of the Following Days as
Special Days of Christian Celebration: -- (Remember, the Bible's
focus on the birth of Christ is for the sole purpose of documenting his
virgin birth, his incarnation, and the fulfillment of His prophetic
Messiahship. Like the tongue-in-cheek suggestions below, one must also
remember that there is no Biblical warrant, precedent, nor precept for the
remembrance of the day of Christ's birth as a day of special religious
celebration.)
1. Baptism Celebration -- Why not have three days of
swimming parties in the summer in order to celebrate/symbolize Christ's
three days in the grave? We could even pick a time based upon our
speculation of when John the Baptist baptized Jesus!
2. Ascension Celebration -- Why not have one day set aside
every year for hot-air balloon rides in order to celebrate Christ's
ascension to heaven?
3. Miracle Celebration -- There is considerable Biblical
focus on Jesus' miracles (even more than on his birth), so why
not have one day set aside every year to celebrate the first of Christ's
miracles? And since that was the turning of water into wine (John 2), why
not have "Christian" wine-tasting parties?
D. Avoid the Rationalizations that:
1. "Christmas Provides a Festive Time to Share the Gospel"
-- One cannot take something condemned in God's Word and "use it" to spread
the Gospel; neither will God bless it to spread His Word. Unacceptable
worship and the "mixing-in" of unholy/pagan forms is surely not the normal
means through which God blesses the faithful. Satan works to blend together
his system with God's system, because when unacceptable worship (paganism)
is blended with true worship (God's truth), true worship is destroyed. In
fact, any time one mixes pagan ideas and practices with the pure religion of
Christ, it is condemned in Scripture as the heinous sin of idolatry! God has
always detested taking those things dedicated to idols and using them to
worship Him. As a matter of fact, this "special time of the year" is
probably more a hindrance to the receptiveness of the gospel
message than a help. Much of the celebration observed by our contemporary
society deludes people into assuming that God is pleased, when in reality,
He is offended by false religion, pseudo-worship, and alien philosophies.
The ecumenical spirit and a counterfeit "love" under the guise of "peace and
goodwill among men," more than likely dulls one's sensitivity to his
desperate need to repent of sin and be reconciled to a holy God.
2. "Christmas is Merely the Honoring of Christ's Birth" --
Someone says, "I know Christmas is of pagan origin, but I still think it's
not wrong for a church to have a special time for honoring Christ's birth."
But since when did Protestants believe that Christians have the right to add
to the Bible? Is the church a legislative body? Are we to follow the Bible
in our faith and practice, or the thinking of fallible men? If we have the
right to add a special holy day to the Christian economy, then we can add
10,000 other things. Then we will be no better than the false cults and the
Roman Catholics who follow heathen traditions! [Besides, celebrating
Christ's birth is a form of worship. But since Christmas is a lie, those who
celebrate it are not worshiping in "spirit and truth" (John 4:24).]
3. "All I'm Doing is Putting Christ Back into Christmas" --
The modern conservative cry to put Christ back into Christmas is absurd. As
detailed earlier in this report, Jesus Christ was never in Christmas. It's a
lie to say He was. He has no part in a lie. When anyone takes the truth and
mixes it with a lie, they no longer have the truth. They have changed the
truth into a lie. Neither is it possible to take a lie and mix it with
enough truth to change the lie into the truth. You still come out with a
lie. One may say, "Well, I know it's not the truth, but I'll put Christ back
in Christmas and glorify God in it then." No, you won't. Christ never was in
Christmas. You cannot change a lie into the truth. It should in reality be
called Baal-mass, Nimrod-mass, Tammuz-mass, Mithras-mass, or Mary-mass.
Christ-mass is a lie. Why use a lie as a good time for a fundamental truth
(the incarnation) of the Christian faith?
4. "I'm Using Christmas to Witness for Christ, Just Like the Apostle
Paul Did" -- Some say that all they are doing is taking the "truth"
from Christmas (i.e., the incarnation of Christ) and "cultivating" it as the
Apostle Paul did (Acts 17/Mars Hill), taking the opportunity of the season
to witness to a lost world. This would be fine if these Christians were
actually doing only as Paul did. Paul, in addressing the Greek
philosophers on Mars Hill, proclaimed to them that their "unknown god" to
whom they had erected an altar, was none other than "the God who made the
world and all the things therein." Paul was not intimidated by the pagan
surroundings and symbolisms, nor did he berate the Greeks for their error,
but merely showed them the truth of the gospel of Christ.
But do Christians really use the "opportunity presented by the season" in
the same way as Paul used the opportunity of the pagan altar? Do Christians
personally stand in front of their hometown public displays of Xmas
(Nativity scenes, etc.) and preach the gospel? To paraphrase Paul, do they
say: "Men of Indianapolis, I see that in every way you are very religious;
what you worship as something unknown, I am going to proclaim to you"? Do
they come out of the public schools, where they have just attended their
children's Xmas programs, and preach to the attendees about the true God who
has been grossly misrepresented in the program they have just witnessed?
Hardly. Even to most of those who understand the true origin of Xmas, this
"unique time of year" means inviting unbelievers into their homes to gather
around the Xmas tree, to enjoy the beauty of the wreaths, absorb the heat
from the Yule log, etc., reasoning that they are only using the pagan forms
and the pagan festival season as an opportunity to witness. If Paul meant
this in Acts 17, he would have met the people in the Athenian temple or in
his or their homes, gathering around their idols that he had Christianized
and was now using as a part of his worship. Most of the people who decorate
their homes and churches with Xmas trees, holly wreaths, Nativity scenes,
etc., all supposedly to be used as "opportunities" via "Xmas coffees,"
neighborhood "grab bag" gift exchanges, Xmas concerts, etc., are thoroughly
convinced that they're doing God a service. And since they are not involved
in the crass secular "commercialization" that the world revels in, but have
instead "put Christ back in Xmas" (so to speak), they reason that all is
Biblical and pleasing to God.
5. "It Doesn't Mean Anything to Me" -- Many Christians who
routinely make a habit of picking-and-choosing which Biblical commands they
will or will not obey, have likewise carried this practice over into a
justification for celebrating Christmas. They claim, "but the Christmas
tree, mistletoe, Santa Claus, etc., don't mean anything pagan to me, so I'll
exercise my Christian liberty and partake in all of it." Obviously, if one
were to take such a cavalier approach to the physical world (i.e., "I can
drink rat poison because I choose not to regard it as poison"), it would
likely lead to a quick physical death. Why, then, do Christians think they
can avoid spiritual harm by ignoring God's spiritual warnings?
6. "The 'Connection' Has Been Broken" -- There are those
who clearly recognize the pagan nature of the various Christmas worship
forms and practices. Nevertheless, many of these Christians claim that
because of the long passage of time from their pagan inception to the
present (6,000 years?), the "connection" to paganism has been sufficiently
diminished to allow the adoption of these forms and practices into our
Christian worship and celebration. While it may be true that most symbols
have lost their original demonic meaning and significance in a modern
society, it is strangely bizarre and ironic that Christendom seeks to
commemorate Christ's birth with the faded symbols of Satan. And even though
some of God's people may be naive and ignorant about the source of these
things, surely God is not. Can such things please Him? And think about this
-- if it were possible to "disconnect" current practices from their
pagan/occultic roots, why does Scripture not provide us any guidelines as
to:
(a) how much time is necessary for the
"neutralization"/disassociation process to occur; and
(b) which of the hundreds of ancient pagan rites would then be
acceptable for adaptation into Christian worship (since some are
obviously much more pagan/occultic than others)?
7. "There Are Hundreds of Other Items of Daily Life that Have a
Pagan Origin" -- It is said, "Such things as the wedding ring,
certain clothing customs, the modern division of time into hours and
minutes, the names of the days of the week, etc., all have pagan connections
in their origins, so isn't it a contradiction on your part to say that
their meanings have sufficiently changed while Christmas's meanings
have not?" But we are not saying that their meanings have changed. The
question is one of using things of pagan origin in our worship of Christ. So
we would ask the question back, "Which of these pagan items do we focus on
to celebrate the birth of Christ? Or which of these is 'Christianized' and
brought into our weekly worship of, or our daily devotion to Christ, as you
do with the pagan forms and traditions of Xmas?" The origin and meaning of a
custom, tradition, or form does not take on significance unless it is
somehow specifically incorporated into, or lined up with, our worship. As we
have already detailed in the section on Christian liberty (Section IV.B.),
these rings, clothing customs, etc. would be merely the byproducts
of paganism, not paganism itself, and they have developed no religious
connotations or associations of their own, as have the Xmas customs and
traditions.
8. "Baptism (and Circumcision) Have Pagan Origins and God Still Gave
Their Use in Scripture, So What's Wrong With Using the Pagan Forms of
Christmas?" -- This argument is frequently made by pastors who say
that to be consistent, those who would have us forbid the forms, symbols,
and traditions of Christmas should also be calling for us to abandon
believer's baptism; i.e., shouldn't the would-be banners of Christmas be
saying, "Since the ancient mystery religions practiced forms of baptism,
therefore baptism is a pagan custom and should be outlawed for the believer
in Christ"? This is a strange argument for anyone to make, particularly a
theologian (and, in our opinion, reveals a low view of Scriptural
admonitions). If baptism were absent from the Bible, as using pagan forms
and traditions to celebrate or commemorate the birth of Christ are totally
absent, there would then be no Biblical justification for baptism. But God
has not commanded us to celebrate or commemorate Christ's birth in any way.
He has commanded us to baptize (Matt. 28:19).
E. Abstain From the Observance of Christmas -- What, then,
ought to be the Christian's response to this and other pagan and Roman
inventions? It cannot be denied that they are pagan, pure and simple, from
beginning to end. God gives us specific instructions in His Holy Word:
Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen ... (Jer.
10:2). These words are perfectly clear. What rational options do we have as
Bible believing Christians?
VI. Conclusion
The very popularity of Christmas should cause the Christian to
question it. Anyone and everyone can celebrate Christmas without question --
outright pagans, nominal Christians, and even Buddhists and Hindus. If, in
reality, December 25th were a date set by God to remember the birth of
Jesus, there is no doubt that the world would have nothing to do with it.
After all, God has commanded one day in seven -- the Lord's Day -- to
worship Him. Does the world observe it? Of course not. As expected, the
world loves Christmas, but hates the Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:18, 23-25).
It shuns anything pertaining to true religion. Shouldn't the Christian be
just a little suspicious of a celebration in which the whole sinful world
can join without qualms?
One way to test the Scripturalness of our practices is to reflect on what we
would expect missionaries to teach new converts in a foreign culture. We
assume that they would use the Bible as their guidebook. If they could start
new local churches without importing American culture encumbered with Roman
Catholicism, liberal Protestantism, and crass commercialism, wouldn't it be
wonderful? Missionaries who have urged new converts to forsake all pagan
superstitious relics have later been questioned about the apparent
inconsistency of their own American Christmas customs. Nationals perceived
them as idolatrous even though the missionaries were oblivious to that
possibility!
When Christmas is exposed for what it really is, this angers people. It
angers Evangelical Protestant people! And there is
reason why it does so. When the pagan celebration of Christmas is rooted up,
and rejected, then what has become a Protestant tradition is,
in effect, being rejected! And that is why people become angry.
It began as a Roman Catholic holy day, and then it became a Protestant holy
day. And if anyone dares show it up for what it really is, they face the
wrath of the Protestant religious machine. And these days, that can be very
ugly.
Christmas is a thoroughly pagan holiday -- in its origin, in its trappings,
and in all its traditions. Perhaps we should contemplate the words of
Charles Haddon Spurgeon, delivered in a Lord's Day sermon on December 24,
1871:
"We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we
do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called
Christmas: first, because we do not believe in the mass
at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in Latin or in English;
and secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for
observing any day as the birthday of the Saviour; and consequently, its
observance is a superstition, because [it's] not of divine authority.
Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Saviour's birth,
although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. ...
"It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the
church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very
long after the Western church had set the example, that the Eastern
adopted it. Because the day is not known, therefore superstition has
fixed it; ... Where is the method in the madness of the superstitious?
Probably the fact is that the holy days were arranged to fit in with the
heathen festivals. ... We venture to assert that if there be any day in
the year of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which
the Saviour was born, it is the twenty-fifth of December. ... regarding
not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His
dear Son."
And from Dr. H.A. Ironside's Lectures on the Book of Revelation
(1920: p. 301):
"It is a lamentable fact that Babylon's principles and practices are
rapidly but surely pervading the churches that escaped from Rome at the
time of the Reformation. We may see evidences of it in the wide use of
high-sounding ecclesiastical titles, once unknown in the reformed
churches, in the revival of holy days and church feasts such as Lent,
Good Friday, Easter, and Christ's Mass, or, as it is generally written,
Christmas. ... some of these festivals ... when they are
turned into church festivals, they certainly come under the condemnation
of Galatians 4:9-11, where the Holy Spirit warns against the observance
of days and months and times and seasons. All of them, and many more
that might be added, are Babylonish in their origin, and were at one
time linked with the Ashtoreth and Tammuz mystery-worship. It is through
Rome that they have come down to us; and we do well to remember that
Babylon is a mother, with daughters who are likely to partake of their
mother's characteristics ..."
And, finally, from Alexander Hislop's 1916 classic, The Two
Babylons: Or the Papal Worship:
"Upright men strove to stem the tide, but in spite of all their
efforts, the apostasy went on, till the Church, with the exception of a
small remnant, was submerged under Pagan superstition. That Christmas is
a Pagan festival is beyond all doubt. The time of the year and the
ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin."
We can summarize by saying that nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to
commemorate the birth of our Lord, and God the Father evidently deemed it
unwise to make the date known. Hence, it will always remain unknown and is
not to be ceremoniously remembered and celebrated. (In fact, as pointed out
in the Ironside quote above, God has warned us about getting entangled with
any special days [Gal. 4:10]). Notice though, that we are commanded
to remember Him in His death (but no special day was specified for this
either):
"Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; this DO
in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:18,19; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
To commemorate His death is Scriptural. Any day of the year will do. To
commemorate His birth is non-Scriptural, even extra-Scriptural (Deut. 4:2;
12:32; Prov. 30:6; Rev. 22:19), whether one chooses December 25th or any
other day.
If God had desired us to remember the day of Christ's birth, He could
have left us the precise date. But if He had, He would have vindicated every
astrologer in the past 2,000 years. In occult circles, the anniversary of a
person's birth is the most important metaphysical day of the year. The Bible
recognizes no such significance. It is intriguing that there are only two
birthday celebrations recorded in the entire Bible and they were both those
of ungodly kings -- and both resulted in an execution (Gen.
40:16-22 and Matt. 14:6-10/Mark 6:21-27)!
The Apostle Paul says: "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the
cross [not the manger] of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world" (Gal. 6:14). By
itself, we find no salvation in the birth of the Lord Jesus, for salvation
was only made possible through His death (i.e., His shed blood) and
resurrection. Our focus should be on the cross and our ascended Savior,
not in a cradle.
Those who love Jesus should certainly rejoice that He was born and lived
amongst us as a man. But if we truly want to glorify Him and bear testimony
of who He is, we must stop marrying that blessed gift with the debauchery of
paganism. If we want to honor His birth, let it be done as He would have
done it: year-round unselfishly serving our fellow man as an unending act of
love for our God. Let us put away all of the mixture of pagan customs and
take up His mantle and His pure worship, and show the confused world that
there is a difference.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
1. Assemblies of Yahweh. The Case Against Christmas.
Sacred Name Broadcaster, Bethel, PA,23 pp.
2. Becker, R.F. The Truth About Christmas. Chapel Library,
Venice, FL, 36 pp.
3. Blanton, Raymond. The Christmas Lie. Highways & Hedges
Tracts, Liberty, SC, 13 pp.
4. Buday, George. The History of the Christmas Card. Putman
Pub., New York, 1954, 304 pp.
5. Dager, Albert James. "The Origins of Christmas Traditions," Media
Spotlight Special Report Redmond, WA, 1985, 2 pp.
6. Dickey, D.J. & Shetler, Earl. "Should A Christian Celebrate Christmas?"
Grace Reformed Baptist Church, Vernonia, OR, 10/89: three-part sermon series
-- each on a 90-minute audio cassette tape.
7. Dossey, Donald. Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun: Mythical
Origins, Scientific Treatments & Superstitious "Cures." Outcomes
Unltd. Press, Asheville, NC, 1995 (paper ed.), 232 pp.
8. Elwell, Walter A. (Ed.). Evangelical Dictionary of Theology.
Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984, pp. 218-221.
9. Halff, Charles. The Truth About Christmas. The
Christian-Jew Foundation, San Antonio, TX, 13 pp.
10. Halff, Charles. "Is Christmas a Jewish Holiday?" Message Of The
Christian Jew. November-December 1993, pp. cover, 1,2 & 7.
11. Helgerson, John C. Considering the Christmas Issue. The
Church of the Open Bible, Burlington, MA, 12/31/90, 12 pp.
12. Hislop, Alexander. The Two Babylons: Or The Papal Worship.
Loizeaux Bros., Neptune, NJ, 1959:Second Edition, 330 pp.
13. Kohler, John. Our Baptist Heritage. Heritage Baptist
Church, Salem, IN, Vol. 2, No. 3, 11/92, 8 pp.
14. McCurry, Robert. The God Man Has Made. Heritage Press,
Sharpsburg, GA, 8 pp.
15.
Nissenbaum, Stephen. The Battle for Christmas. Alfred A. Knopf, New
York, 1997, 381 pp.
16. Pink, A.W. Xmas . Chapel Library, Venice, FL, 6 pp.
17. Schneider, Michael. Is Christmas Christian? Chapel Library,
Venice, FL, 15 pp.
18. Spurlin, Ed. Where Is The Christ In Christmas. Voice in the
Wilderness, Milford, NH, 11/92, 8 pp.
19. Spurgeon, C.H. "Joy Born At Bethlehem," A Sermon: Delivered on Lord's
Day Morning, December 24th, 1871. Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,
pp. 697-698.
20. Unknown. My Lord Has Not Told Me To Do It: The Christian and
"Christmas. " Chapel Library, Venice, FL, 4 pp.
21. Unknown. 10 Reasons Why Christmas Is Unscriptural. Chapel
Library, Venice, FL, 8 pp.
22. (Vine, W.E.), Gospel Tract Publications. The Collected Writings of
W.E. Vine, Volume 5. Glasgow, Scotland, 1986, pp. 436-439.
23. Willcock, Shaun. The Pagan Festivals of Christmas and Easter.
Bible Based Ministries, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, 1992, 76 pp.
24. Wilson, Greg. Let's Keep Christ Out of Xmas. Landmark
Independent Baptist Church, Homestead, FL, 4 pp.
Biblical Discernment Ministries - Revised 11/2002