Why It Is Okay for Christians to Celebrate Christmas
By Dr. Nathan E. Jones
Some Christians may respond with, “Well, that’s a no-brainer; of course, Christians should celebrate Christmas.” To most of the body of Christ, Christmas and Christians go together like those little curly shoes on an elf. They’re inseparable! And yet, the deluge of social media posts around this jolly season is resplendent with other believers who are struggling with Christmas. They long to know if, in celebrating Christmas, they are pleasing Jesus, or, in actuality, are committing idolatry by worshiping a false god, which is truly something to be concerned about.
The result leads some people to conclude that, since there are so many former pagan elements used in Christmas, we should just forgo celebrating the holiday altogether. They make a compelling case.
By Dr. Nathan E. Jones
Some Christians may respond with, “Well, that’s a no-brainer; of course, Christians should celebrate Christmas.” To most of the body of Christ, Christmas and Christians go together like those little curly shoes on an elf. They’re inseparable! And yet, the deluge of social media posts around this jolly season is resplendent with other believers who are struggling with Christmas. They long to know if, in celebrating Christmas, they are pleasing Jesus, or, in actuality, are committing idolatry by worshiping a false god, which is truly something to be concerned about.
Christmas Past
The origins of Christmas and the symbols that are used in its celebration are hotly contested. Some claim that Christmas was a fabrication of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who replaced the worship of the sun god Mithra on December 25th with the worship of Christ. They’ll also point out that Christmas over the centuries has picked up festivities from other cultures, such as the exchanging of presents, the burning of a yule log, decorating an evergreen tree, and featuring the medieval Dutch Sinterklaas (Santa Claus) – all of which have nothing to do with the biblical account of Christ’s birth. And then, of course, today’s full-scale consumerism has poisoned much of the holiday’s meaning.The result leads some people to conclude that, since there are so many former pagan elements used in Christmas, we should just forgo celebrating the holiday altogether. They make a compelling case.
Why It Is Okay for Christians to Celebrate Christmas - Rapture Forums
To most of the body of Christ, Christmas and Christians go together like those little curly shoes on an elf.
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