Reasons to "X" out Xmas
I have written volumes about this subject that has never yet seen the light. But while I deal with all that, let me give you the short version.
Reasons to not celebrate Xmas
1. It's not when Christ (Yahshuah of Nazareth) was born. Everyone who's even a little bit informed knows this. Biblical evidence places the birth of Jesus in the fall. An early tradition, in fact, puts his birth in mid-September or early October; some say, on the first day of Sukkot. What is the point in celebrating someone's birth on the wrong date?
2. He never instructed or asked anyone to celebrate his birthday anyway. Neither did any of his apostles. This stands in stark contrast to the real divinely instituted holy days prescribed in the Old Testament, which Yahshuah and his followers actually kept.
If Christmas had been observed in the apostolic church, the celebration as well as the date would have been recorded in the New Testament. None of us can claim to be closer to Yahshuah, or clearer about his will, than those who were witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection!
Even Origen, who lived in the second and third centuries, warned against attempts to celebrate Messiah's birth with these interesting words:
Certainly it is not wrong to read of Messiah's birth, since it is recorded in the Bible. But the absence of birthdays in general, with the absence of Messiah's particular birthdate or any hint that he desired any kind of birthday celebration, should give us very serious pause. Every indication is that he wanted us to remember his death, not his birth.
3. It's only done because it's a tradition. Any tradition that's gleefully accepted and practiced by the world should be suspect to anyone who follows Messiah, who tells us to beware the traditions of men. He prayed that his followers would remain "in the world, but not of it." His most prominent disciple warned believers to "be not conformed to the world."
4. It's only a tradition because the Roman Catholic religion made it one. Christmas is the "Mass of Christ." The "Mass" is a distinctly Roman Catholic ritual, the center of which is the so-called eucharist, which biblical Christianity rejects on very good theological grounds. There is no reason whatsoever for a Bible-believing disciple to observe the holiday of another religion.
5. Yet Rome did not even originate most of the traditions: Most of our secular Xmas trappings, and even a few that most regard as part of the "religious" or "Christ-centered" iconography, originate in idol and sun worship.
6. The Mighty One of the Bible does not want that kind of worship! He makes it very clear He does not wish to be "honored" with borrowed pagan customs. Rather, he wishes to be worshipped in the way he specifies. Is he entitled to his prerogative -- or would you like to tell him he's all wrong?
Besides just being right, his commands are for our benefit, not his. So it behooves us to take heed.
Traditional Christians are deeply confused when it comes to the authority for their beliefs and practices. (Let's not even talk Roman Catholicism, which for all intents and purposes is its own religion; let's just talk Protestantism, which in contrast to Catholicism claims a biblical basis.)
Ask a Protestant minister or theologian why people should observe holidays from Roman Catholicism -- which itself borrowed them in large part from anti-Christian religions -- and you'll probably be told that it doesn't matter what holidays a Christian keeps. God automatically approves our invented traditions, laws, and doctrines as long as we loudly proclaim them to be "in his honor." After all, we have to have some holidays, and if not Xmas and Ishtar, then what?
Then what? The obvious answer is the holy days set down in the very Bible; the ones which, according to that Bible, are divinely created and approved; the only holy days ever to enjoy such a distinction. But mention this to some traditional Christians (or newly "liberated" WCG types) and a defensive shield shoots up. "Oh no," goes the objection, "Those are merely Jewish, and to observe them is legalistic bondage! For here Paul says" -- they flip to Galatians -- "Let no man judge you in respect to days ..." See, holy days don't matter!"
But if they don't matter, then why would you not at least give the benefit of the doubt to the observances that at least are mentioned in the scriptures which you profess to follow?
And of course, holy days matter deeply to traditionists -- a fact obvious to all of us who choose to stand apart from the crowd. If you reject Xmas, you are called the weird one -- even though no record exists of any celebration of Messiah's birth before the fourth century!
Christmas has nothing to do with loving Messiah, unless one will claim his own disciples did not love him. Protestants keep the tradition because .... it is a tradition. Where did they get the tradition? From Rome. By keeping Xmas, Protestants pay unwitting homage to Rome's claimed infallible spiritual authority -- authority to literally invent truth, to issue and change the word of God, to stand in for God on this earth.
They also pay homage to the other institutions, such as the commercial interests which helped create the modern American Xmas from the ground up. Xmas, indeed, was dead in Protestant America for most of the New World's history. The Puritans -- who were serious about their faith, who knew their scriptures, and who knew the difference between the biblical Way and popery -- banned Christmas in their colonies. During the first session of the United States Congress, for example, Xmas was simply another work day. it was largely unknown in America until the mid-19th century, and still not an official holiday in some parts until decades later. It took a huge influx of Roman Catholic immigrants, plus a campaign by a few highly placed intellectuals and then the merchants who soon swooped in, to make Xmas "part of America."
None of this should surprise anyone who is familiar with the prophecy of Revelation 17. It portrays the rise of a system called "Babylon the Great" or the "Harlot." The system is great and worldwide, and identified with a counterfeit religion, with immense bloodshed, with persecution, and with massive commercialism and wealth. The system originated in Babylon and has moved from place to place, but in its final incarnation is identified with Rome.
For me, upon learning of the difference between the two cities, the two systems -- the manmade commercialism and tradition of the Whore, vs. the divine wisdom of the Most High -- presented a stark choice. Which would I serve? To me, the choice was not even a contest! Sooner or later, especially in these last days, the lines will be drawn unmistakably clear to everyone. The choice will be presented to everyone claming the name of Messiah -- indeed, to every human being. Which way will you go?
Reasons to not celebrate Xmas
1. It's not when Christ (Yahshuah of Nazareth) was born. Everyone who's even a little bit informed knows this. Biblical evidence places the birth of Jesus in the fall. An early tradition, in fact, puts his birth in mid-September or early October; some say, on the first day of Sukkot. What is the point in celebrating someone's birth on the wrong date?
2. He never instructed or asked anyone to celebrate his birthday anyway. Neither did any of his apostles. This stands in stark contrast to the real divinely instituted holy days prescribed in the Old Testament, which Yahshuah and his followers actually kept.
If Christmas had been observed in the apostolic church, the celebration as well as the date would have been recorded in the New Testament. None of us can claim to be closer to Yahshuah, or clearer about his will, than those who were witnesses of his life, death, and resurrection!
Even Origen, who lived in the second and third centuries, warned against attempts to celebrate Messiah's birth with these interesting words:
In the Scriptures, no one is recorded to have kept a feast or held a great banquet on his birthday. It is only sinners who make great rejoicings over the day in which they were born into this world.Of course, Yahshuah is never recorded to have said it was wrong to celebrate his birthday. It is doubtful the issue ever came up: why would disciples of a Jewish rabbi even think of celebrating his birthday? Being a purely pagan tradition, this would have been an insult.
(Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908 edition, Vol. 3, p. 724, "Natal Day")
Certainly it is not wrong to read of Messiah's birth, since it is recorded in the Bible. But the absence of birthdays in general, with the absence of Messiah's particular birthdate or any hint that he desired any kind of birthday celebration, should give us very serious pause. Every indication is that he wanted us to remember his death, not his birth.
3. It's only done because it's a tradition. Any tradition that's gleefully accepted and practiced by the world should be suspect to anyone who follows Messiah, who tells us to beware the traditions of men. He prayed that his followers would remain "in the world, but not of it." His most prominent disciple warned believers to "be not conformed to the world."
4. It's only a tradition because the Roman Catholic religion made it one. Christmas is the "Mass of Christ." The "Mass" is a distinctly Roman Catholic ritual, the center of which is the so-called eucharist, which biblical Christianity rejects on very good theological grounds. There is no reason whatsoever for a Bible-believing disciple to observe the holiday of another religion.
5. Yet Rome did not even originate most of the traditions: Most of our secular Xmas trappings, and even a few that most regard as part of the "religious" or "Christ-centered" iconography, originate in idol and sun worship.
6. The Mighty One of the Bible does not want that kind of worship! He makes it very clear He does not wish to be "honored" with borrowed pagan customs. Rather, he wishes to be worshipped in the way he specifies. Is he entitled to his prerogative -- or would you like to tell him he's all wrong?
Besides just being right, his commands are for our benefit, not his. So it behooves us to take heed.
Traditional Christians are deeply confused when it comes to the authority for their beliefs and practices. (Let's not even talk Roman Catholicism, which for all intents and purposes is its own religion; let's just talk Protestantism, which in contrast to Catholicism claims a biblical basis.)
Ask a Protestant minister or theologian why people should observe holidays from Roman Catholicism -- which itself borrowed them in large part from anti-Christian religions -- and you'll probably be told that it doesn't matter what holidays a Christian keeps. God automatically approves our invented traditions, laws, and doctrines as long as we loudly proclaim them to be "in his honor." After all, we have to have some holidays, and if not Xmas and Ishtar, then what?
Then what? The obvious answer is the holy days set down in the very Bible; the ones which, according to that Bible, are divinely created and approved; the only holy days ever to enjoy such a distinction. But mention this to some traditional Christians (or newly "liberated" WCG types) and a defensive shield shoots up. "Oh no," goes the objection, "Those are merely Jewish, and to observe them is legalistic bondage! For here Paul says" -- they flip to Galatians -- "Let no man judge you in respect to days ..." See, holy days don't matter!"
But if they don't matter, then why would you not at least give the benefit of the doubt to the observances that at least are mentioned in the scriptures which you profess to follow?
And of course, holy days matter deeply to traditionists -- a fact obvious to all of us who choose to stand apart from the crowd. If you reject Xmas, you are called the weird one -- even though no record exists of any celebration of Messiah's birth before the fourth century!
Christmas has nothing to do with loving Messiah, unless one will claim his own disciples did not love him. Protestants keep the tradition because .... it is a tradition. Where did they get the tradition? From Rome. By keeping Xmas, Protestants pay unwitting homage to Rome's claimed infallible spiritual authority -- authority to literally invent truth, to issue and change the word of God, to stand in for God on this earth.
They also pay homage to the other institutions, such as the commercial interests which helped create the modern American Xmas from the ground up. Xmas, indeed, was dead in Protestant America for most of the New World's history. The Puritans -- who were serious about their faith, who knew their scriptures, and who knew the difference between the biblical Way and popery -- banned Christmas in their colonies. During the first session of the United States Congress, for example, Xmas was simply another work day. it was largely unknown in America until the mid-19th century, and still not an official holiday in some parts until decades later. It took a huge influx of Roman Catholic immigrants, plus a campaign by a few highly placed intellectuals and then the merchants who soon swooped in, to make Xmas "part of America."
None of this should surprise anyone who is familiar with the prophecy of Revelation 17. It portrays the rise of a system called "Babylon the Great" or the "Harlot." The system is great and worldwide, and identified with a counterfeit religion, with immense bloodshed, with persecution, and with massive commercialism and wealth. The system originated in Babylon and has moved from place to place, but in its final incarnation is identified with Rome.
For me, upon learning of the difference between the two cities, the two systems -- the manmade commercialism and tradition of the Whore, vs. the divine wisdom of the Most High -- presented a stark choice. Which would I serve? To me, the choice was not even a contest! Sooner or later, especially in these last days, the lines will be drawn unmistakably clear to everyone. The choice will be presented to everyone claming the name of Messiah -- indeed, to every human being. Which way will you go?
posted by Church Trek at 12:50 AM
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