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Expert
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Location: Southwest Louisiana | Don't want to start a debate or argument, just want to know if there are any others out there that do this. This past year I've come across a lot of Christian people who no longer celebrate holidays like Christmas, Halloween, New Years, etc. because of specific commands in the bible. Instead, they celebrate the holy celebrations that are in the bible. I've been looking into this a lot and have learned a whole lot of information and facts that I never knew about Chrismas and the bible as well. Just wanted to see if there are more out there. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
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| No. I know it is commercialized and the true meaning can be lost but we try hard to keep it about the true gift of the season. |
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Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | Not for the commercialism, though that's way out of hand. I mean from the biblical side of things - Christmas isn't in the bible, wasn't really anywhere near Jesus' birthday, so many of the things about Christmas originated from Pagans, etc. I don't want to get into all of it here, just wanted to know if there were any bb's who followed the bible closely and not holidays. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| As my kids have become adults and our parents are aging and some in ill health, our whole family has realized the reason we love the holidays is the chance to see each other, eat good food, drink my FIL's version of eggnog and laugh. One side exchanges very few gifts and I think this year we are going homemade or not any presents. The other side exchanges gifts but that is not the focal point of the day. I hope this thread continues because I find other peoples' views very interesting whether I agree or not. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | My sister was part of this movement for a short time. Most of the time it is related to the Hebrew Roots movement, stressing the study of the Old Testament more which more modern Christians tend to not read or pay attention only to certain stories. This also focuses on a Hebrew interpretation of New Testament writings over a Greek one, which more modern theology is based on coming out of Renaissance humanism. I personally understand the position though I don't practice it. I'm very well read not only on the Bible itself but information about the Bible too. My sister is more thoroughly informed than me though.
A lot of early modern Puritan movements also eschewed holiday celebrations as do Jehovah's Witnesses, who are Christians though not always included in that group by those following a more traditional Western/Roman theology.
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 Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | I have found that Christmas and Easter are over the top commercialized but it is the responsibility of the Christians to keep the TRUE meaning a live and in the public eye. My daughter was a little older, but as my faith deepened I found it VERY hard to keep the whole fictional character thing going. I think she was 5 when I told her the truth and expressed that we need to focus on Jesus and not the other. My son was even younger and I stopped hiding that the other wasn't real. Christmas Eve church service is my favorite service of the year :)
I am not sure what specific verses you are referring to in the Bible (my Bible gets used and if you point me in the right direction I can find it, I am just not got at memorizing verses or anything for that matter). I also know that I worked with a lady, several years ago, that celebrated different Christian holy holidays and it always upset her that she could not have those holidays off but had Christmas and Easter. I guess though one thing that upset me about her was that after many conversations, we were both solid believers in Christ and him dying for our sins, the main differences were we just celebrated different holidays/ holy days. However, I respected that about her but she was very down on Christmas and Easter. I am not saying everyone, choosing to celebrate differently, is like that. It is just the experience I had. Why should I care if she celebrates Christ on such and such date and me another as long as we fully support one another that he is our ultimate celebration.
I do firmly believe is up to all Christians to keep Christ alive in Christmas and Easter. We have to start in our own hearts, homes, churches, communities.... but we can't walk away from this battle. We are letting to many of our religious freedoms and traditions disappear as it is. Even if those our not the dates someone choose to celebrate it comes down to millions of Christians do and we all need to support one another. I feel like if we don't start speaking out more, it is like we are allowing commercialization and those who want Christ completely taken out of holidays, win.
Now in MY opinion, holidays like Thanksgiving, Veterans Day, Memorial Day...to me are VERY important but for different reasons. Halloween and New Years are holidays of "fun/ silliness"
I have written and rewritten this because I am finding this topic difficult to betray accurately coming across a computer screen. Plus, it struck a cord in my heart about all of this. |
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Dancing in my Mind
Posts: 3062
Location: Eastern OH but my heart is in WV | Rocket'sMagicGirl - 2014-10-13 8:09 AM Not for the commercialism, though that's way out of hand. I mean from the biblical side of things - Christmas isn't in the bible, wasn't really anywhere near Jesus' birthday, so many of the things about Christmas originated from Pagans, etc. I don't want to get into all of it here, just wanted to know if there were any bb's who followed the bible closely and not holidays.
I just read this after posting my first post. I guess I would be interested in where you are finding these scrpitures. I do agree that Dec. 25 is not in the Bible but I sure wish I can remember why that date was choosen. I am going to have to shot out an email to my pastor, I know she has talked about it before. |
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Expert
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Location: Southwest Louisiana | There are tons more places that have this info out there, these are just two I found quickly. I grew up catholic and Christmas and Easter were always important. Christmas has always been my absolute favorite time of year. This year I came across this info and was completely shocked. I guess a lot of people already knew this stuff, but I had no clue. I was raised Catholic, but have never once read the bible. Some verses, yes, listened to them at church, but never really dug into it like I have this past year.
After learning about these things, my world has been kind of turned upside down. I'm really struggling with which way to go here. That's one reason I figured I'd ask here. So many people with common sense and strong values.
http://www.ucg.org/doctrinal-beliefs/why-some-christians-dont-celebrate-christmas/
http://christiannews.net/2012/12/22/truth-or-tradition-christians-who-dont-celebrate-christmas/
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Expert
Posts: 1549
Location: Southwest Louisiana | Oija, I believe we are talking about the same thing. Like I said, I'm very new to this and don't really know which way to go at this point. The things I'm learning are facts, so it's not like it's off the wall stuff or someone opinion. But then again, some of it just sounds so crazy! lol. The more I look into what God actually commands us to do, and realizing that hardly anyone (including myself) does these things, it's just hard to wrap my mind around. But now that I know these things, how can I go back to living like I always have? Should I go completely against what's normal these days, and follows His commands exactly like the book says? If I just celebrate Christmas like I always have, I'll feel guilty now, like i'm going directly agains His commands.
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | Celebrate if it makes you happy. Most churches celebrate these holidays, it's just a small sub-set who don't. I like to have fun, so I'm all about it but I am careful not to lose sight of the real meaning behind the holiday and the symbols. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | This is my personal opinion, and I'm not religious, so take it for what you will (I grew up Catholic though)
I think what God would care about the most is people trying to live a good, kind, and ethical life.
Help others, and love one another
I would think celebrating one holiday or another wouldn't matter as long as you are celebrating for the right reasons.
Seems pretty silly that god would send good people to hell for celebrating some holiday if they were a good person.
However, this is all JMO from an agnostic's perspective which is worth what yall paid for it. ;-) |
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 Hawty & Nawty
Posts: 20424
| At a time when traditions are dying. I hope Christians continue to speak out and teach the real reason for the season. People need it. |
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I just read the headlines
Posts: 4483
| Three 4 Luck - 2014-10-13 9:20 AM
Celebrate if it makes you happy. Most churches celebrate these holidays, it's just a small sub-set who don't. I like to have fun, so I'm all about it but I am careful not to lose sight of the real meaning behind the holiday and the symbols.
^^This^^ |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I could not ever see us/as my family not celebrating Christmas or Easter. |
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Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Rocket'sMagicGirl - 2014-10-13 9:15 AM
Oija, I believe we are talking about the same thing. Like I said, I'm very new to this and don't really know which way to go at this point. The things I'm learning are facts, so it's not like it's off the wall stuff or someone opinion. But then again, some of it just sounds so crazy! lol. The more I look into what God actually commands us to do, and realizing that hardly anyone (including myself) does these things, it's just hard to wrap my mind around. But now that I know these things, how can I go back to living like I always have? Should I go completely against what's normal these days, and follows His commands exactly like the book says? If I just celebrate Christmas like I always have, I'll feel guilty now, like i'm going directly agains His commands.
Rocket, my sister did not celebrate Christmas in a traditional way for a long time. She still saw it as a reason to get together with family but wanted to celebrate Chanukah instead, Feast of Thrones, Trumpets, etc. She would not buy presents or have a tree but attend family celebrations. She was okay with us getting her and her family gifts and would buy for us (that is still a Chanukah tradition). She was primarily worried about the date and many things about Christmas itself that can be traced back to pagan holidays. The two links that you point out actually recognize this.
To make a long story short, Christ lived and died in the period 0-33 AD. Prior to that time and until Christianity as a religion really took hold (around 300 AD), paganism was the going thing. Pagans celebrated holidays based on the turning of the season. What we consider the first day of winter or the winters solstice, Dec 21-22, was regarded as a particularly important time because the days would get longer again, more daylight. This was reviewed as symbolic of rebirth. So most cultures celebrated it, some on the exact day and others on days very close. In this case the birth of Mithras and Apollo were celebrated on the 24th and 25th of December. When Pope Gregory the Great saw that many people did not want to give up their holidays as much for practical reasons as religious one. (Everybody likes a day off from work and an excuse to celebrate with friends and family) This winter festival provided that. He thought it would be easier to evangelize these pagans if the day didn't change but the reason for celebrating did. The same was often done with churches. There are many European churches built on the sites of old pagan holy places. Have the Muslims not done the same thing with the Dome of the Rock built over the site of the destroyed temple in Jerusalem?
What you must decide for yourself is whether the reason is more important than the day. We honestly do not know what day Jesus was born on, though it was more likely in July or August (one reason some Christians celebrate in July). We can pretty clearly definitively state based on historical evidence that he was NOT born on the 24th or 25th.
Imagine adopting a child though and you did not know what day they were born on. Would you not invent a day still to celebrate? Perhaps the day you adopted them instead. This need to celebrate is human. The need to celebrate what we believe in is even more human. You must decide for yourself if the 'reason for the season' is more important than the connections with early paganism and idolatry or not.
More reading and prayer will help you, but this is a decision everyone must make for themselves. Do realize other people in your family may be upset. But it is your life and your choice. |
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Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Southtxponygirl - 2014-10-13 10:05 AM I could not ever see us/as my family not celebrating Christmas or Easter.
Ditto. First grandbaby will be here in March, was just thinking how fun the holidays are going to be. |
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Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | Look for Pope Gregory's Rule for Pastoral Care (freely available on the internet). It may help you understand some. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | rodeomom3 - 2014-10-13 10:21 AM Southtxponygirl - 2014-10-13 10:05 AM I could not ever see us/as my family not celebrating Christmas or Easter. Ditto. First grandbaby will be here in March, was just thinking how fun the holidays are going to be.
And having the little ones around makes it even more special. .. And congrats to you on your first grand baby, we are working on the 4th, DIL is 4 months prego with her 3rd.  |
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 I'm not opinionated
Posts: 4597
Location: Online | Give it time... Christmas will soon become politically incorrect and we will be labeled religious zealouts for celebrating it. Stores will no longer be aloud to put up decorations, Christmas Carols will be outlawed. The loudmouth Liberals who are offended for the minority who don't believe are getting away with everything else, it's just a matter of time. |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | I celebrate Christmas because it is an excuse to relax, eat amazing food, and spend time with family. :)
I was also raised Catholic and like you I did not read the Bible. I hardly knew anything from the Bible even though I went to Sunday school every Sunday from the time I was 6 until I was 16. It wasn't until I met my now husband who is an Adventist did I start to actually read the Bible and study it more in depth and learn about how all of our religious rituals are actually pagean based and many actually go against what the Bible teaches.
We are neither Catholic or Adventist now. We do not "claim" a religion. We do go to Adventist church now and then for the fellowship. Otherwise we pretty much just read the Bible and try to live our lives as good Christians. |
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