CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION IS A SIN: See what Christians allover the world are saying about Christmas celebration with their suitable bible quotations...
THESE ARE SOME OF THEIR VIEWS ABOUT CHRISTMAS...
I cannot find Christmas in the Bible
nor can I find that Jesus Christ told
us to observe Christmas. Santa Claus
is a lie that some people teach their
children every year. For that matter,
Christmas is false since it has nothing to do
with Christ or His birthday.
“Beyond this, business people, who make
most of their income during this time of the
year, have increasingly promoted
Christmas. Well-meaning people go in debt
during Christmas time to give gifts to other
people, which in turn motivates other
people to give gifts to them. It makes no
sense to keep a religious holiday that is not
biblical, that Christ never sanctioned, that
promotes lying to children, that puts people
in debt and that blinds people to what
Christ really taught.”
—P.A., Georgia
“It is a historical fact that Christmas is not
the day or the season when Christ was born.
So why observe a day that is a lie? Most
people do not want to admit this fact. For
example, how does the use of Santa Claus
depict the birth of Christ? How does the
Christmas tree depict Christ? Celebrating
Christmas violates at least the First, Second
and Third Commandments of God’s Ten
Commandments. Observing a pagan holiday
is a sin. God condemns the worship of pagan
gods.
“The Bible does not command people to
observe the birth of Christ as a holiday. This
day, Dec. 25, is the date that has been
observed for centuries as a pagan holiday in
honor of the pagan sun god. God commands
those who want to serve Him not to observe
pagan holidays or any custom that breaks
His holy laws.”
—D.S., California
“Our family traditionally celebrated
Christmas on Dec. 24. We then followed up
with a family day on Dec. 25. One day I had
a strong desire to walk in the footsteps of
Jesus Christ, which I thought I had been
doing up to that point. I met a number of
people who were having the same strange
experience. We asked ourselves, ‘What does
God think about Christmas?’ ‘Are we truly
pleasing God?’ ‘Am I doing something that
Jesus did and taught?’
“I began to think of the songs we sang, ‘O
Tannenbaum’ and ‘Oh! Christmas Tree.’ I
had been singing to a tree as though it were
alive and had some strange power. We
decorated it and placed our gifts below the
tree as though the gifts and good feeling
emanated from and through the tree.
“I thought about the words to ‘Silent Night,
Holy Night,’ a truly beautiful piece of music.
I wondered about shepherds and their
flocks in the fields on a lovely evening at
the end of December. But this was a
contradiction. December was a very cold
time of the year and sheep wouldn’t be in
open fields during that time.
“The Christmas stories about Santa Claus
and the shepherds in the fields on
Christmas Eve were false. I found out that
Jerusalem has rain and cold that time of
year and it sometimes snows in the region.
Sheep are sheltered in the wintertime, not
left out in inclement weather.
“I discovered that the Christmas tree and its
ornaments and giving of Christmas gifts
come from ancient Roman festivals. I also
learned that the Christmas tree represents
idolatry, which is an affront to God ( Exodus
20:4-5 ). Jesus Christ never sinned in His life
and says we should avoid sin, going against
God’s will ( Hebrews 12:1-4 ).
“The gifts our children had asked of Santa
Claus created a financial burden on us. The
lies about Santa Claus and his flying
reindeer were misleading our children.
“Also, the Bible tells us it is more blessed to
give than to receive ( Acts 20:35 ). During
Christmas time, I saw little joy in giving and
I saw children always expecting to receive.
I have come to understand that godly
blessings come from carefully obeying God.
This is why I don’t keep Christmas.”
—B.B., Canada
“God tells us to avoid the ways of the
ancient pagans. Though modern Christianity
observes Christmas, this is where it came
from. To be frank, Christmas is a lie.
Christmas is a substitute for righteous
behavior. It makes people think they are
doing good things for God, which somehow
does Him service.”
—A.H., Australia
“I have heard that Christmas has been
around for nearly 4,000 years. If that is
true, and I think it is, I do not see any
evidence that the early apostolic Church
observed Christmas or tried to ‘Christianize’
a pagan festival that predated Christ’s birth.
“It seems clear to me that the apostles and
early Church kept the Holy Days recorded
in the Old Testament, and there are several
Old Testament scriptures that speak about
the Holy Days being kept by all people after
Christ’s return to earth. The Bible is clear
that we are to shun paganism and observe
the annual Holy Days and the weekly
Sabbath day.”
—D.N., Oklahoma
“I figure you can’t go wrong sticking with
what the Bible says and by following the
example of Jesus Christ Himself and the
apostles and early Church. They never kept
Christmas or anything like it. They knew
what the Scriptures said about trying to use
other religions’ practices to worship and
honor God. It just doesn’t work; God expects
better from us.
“It’s a shame that most people have never
looked into the Bible and history to learn for
themselves the true origins of Christmas. It’s
an eye-opening study, one I started when I
was only a teenager. I’ve learned so much
more about what God is all about and what
He wants and expects from us since I
started relying on His Word rather than
human traditions that have no basis in the
Bible.”
—R.A., Colorado
There are many varying opinions concerning the
celebration of Christmas. Some religions, such as Jehovah's
Witnesses , teach that it is a sin to observe Christmas at all. Is
it a sin to celebrate Jesus' birthday? What about Santa
Claus? What about Christmas trees? I'd like to share with
you some practical thoughts concerning the Christmas
holiday, with the Scriptures in mind.
First, may I say that I think God despises the modern idea of
Christmas. The greedy business world has commercialized
Christmas into a time of making billions-of-dollars.
Christmas is not about buying, giving and receiving. It's not
even about giving to the poor. It's about God giving us the
gift of eternal life, at the expense of the life and blood of His
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, we celebrate Christ's
birth into the world. To make Christmas anything less is
wrong! It is sinful to exploit the name of Jesus at Christmas-
time to make a buck. Sadly, this is all too common
nowadays.
Celebration of Christmas Not Mentioned in Bible
Christmas is not mentioned in the Bible. There is NO
command for believers to observe or celebrate Jesus'
birthday. It is a matter of personal choice. I think it is
acceptable to observe Christmas; or not to observe
Christmas. There is nothing in the Word of God which
requires a Christian to observe Christmas, or Easter for that
fact.
I personally do not believe it is sinful to celebrate Christmas,
to a degree, anymore than it would be sinful to celebrate the
birthday of a family member. I think it is appropriate to
celebrate the Lord's birthday for those who choose to do so.
This raises several related questions:
1. What about Santa Claus? — Santa Claus is a Satanic
imposter, designed by wicked people to steer children
away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Santa is a fictional
character who is given the powers of being omnipotent,
omnipresent, and omniscient. This is blasphemy against
God (Jesus Christ), Who is the ONLY One Who possess
such divine qualities. No parent should ever deceive their
child to believe in Santa. Not coincidentally, "Santa"
rearranged spells S-A-T-A-N. Santa Claus is of the Devil.
Christian parents should teach their children the honest
truth, i.e., Santa Claus is a demonic hoax, intended by
unsaved heathens to keep children from coming to
Christ.
2. What about Christmas tress? — I think Christmas trees
are appropriate. I realize that the Babylonians decorated
and worshipped trees in Jeremiah 10:1-15 ; but the
context of this Scripture passage is IDOLS, i.e., trees cut
into the form of an idol and then decorated. It is
ridiculous to allege that anyone with a Christmas tree in
their home is practicing idolatry. Is it sinful to grow
plants indoors to brighten one's home? Of course not!
We enjoy the same sun, moon and stars that the
Babylonians worshipped (Jeremiah 78:2). Certainly it is
not wrong to enjoy the warmth of the sun, or to admire
God's beauty of creation. Placing some decorations upon
a tree to brighten one's home is not sinful. The clear
meaning of Jeremiah 10:2, i.e., "Learn not the way of the
heathen, " is a prohibition against astrology and idols. I
don't know anyone who worships or fears their Christmas
tree. I think it is perfectly acceptable to hang Christmas
lights, ornaments, and to decorate one's home with a
pretty Christmas tree. Again, this is a matter of personal
choice. We must be careful not to judge one another in
areas where the Bible is silent.
According to retired FBI agent Gary Aldrich, in his book,
Unlimited Access: An FBI Agent Inside the Clinton White
House, pg. 105-106, when First Lady Hillary Clinton was in
charge of the White House Christmas tree, her idea of
festive ornaments included crack pipes, condoms and
various sex toys. This is certainly bizarre.
3. What if Jesus' birthday is not in December? — Most
theologians agree that Jesus was NOT born in December.
Truthfully, no one knows for sure when Jesus was born.
Thus, one should not be dogmatic on this issue.
A person whose birthday is on February 29th only has a
birthday once every 4 years (leap year). It certainly
wouldn't be wrong for such a person to celebrate their
birthday on a different date. Likewise, I see no harm in
celebrating Jesus' birthday on December 25th, even if His
actual birthday rests in a different month and date. I
think it is a wonderful thing to celebrate the birth of the
Savior, God's gift to mankind.
I think it's safe to say that all Christians observe "Good
Friday," but a simple math calculation reveals that there
are only 2-days between Good Friday and Sunday when
Jesus rose from the dead. Obviously Jesus had to die on
a Thursday; NOT Friday. 1st Corinthians 15:4 teaches
that Christ "rose again the third day ." Howbeit, I don't
think it is sinful to observe the Lord's crucifixion on a
Friday. Howbeit, the Bible does NOT command us to
recognize Good Friday at all. Jesus instituted the Lord's
Supper as a time of REMEMBRANCE when He gave His
body and shed His blood for our sins. The Bible does
NOT instruct us to observe ANY holidays.
4. Doesn't Christmas have pagan origins? — Yes, but so did
Easter, the names of the week, and many other things we
accept today. Every Easter, Christians all across America
come to Sunday services to celebrate the Lord's
resurrection from the Dead. Although Easter began as a
pagan holiday, Christians today celebrate the holiday in an
entirely different manner. Other than the term "Easter,"
there are no similarities with the worship of the fertility
goddess, Semiramis.
Certainly Halloween is a demonic holiday, and should be
avoided by all Christians, except as an opportunity to pass
out Gospel tracts to the lost.
Although "Christ Mass," or "Mass of Christ," is purported
to have it's origin in the Catholic Church, the Catholic
Encyclopedia states otherwise...
"Christmas was not among the earliest
festivals of the Church . . . The first evidence
of the feast is from Egypt." "Pagan customs
centering around the January calends [the
pagan calendar] gravitated to Christmas."
SOURCE: Catholic Encyclopedia, 1911 ed.,
article: "Christmas."
5. What about December 25th ? — No one prior to 335 AD
celebrated the birthday of Jesus. The word
"Christmas" (Christ + Mass) was first used in 1038 AD.
Before 335 AD, the pagan cult of Mithra, the Iranian "god
of light," had long celebrated December 25 as Mithra’s
birthday. December 21, being the winter solace, marked
the beginning of days with increasing amount of light,
hence December 25 celebrated Mithra’s triumph over
darkness. Because the pagan festival that celebrated
Mithra’s birthday was so popular, the Roman Catholic
Church adopted the day, but changed the meaning from
the birthday of Mithra, the "god of light," to Christ’s
birthday, God the son, "light of the world." The old
meaning of December 25 was connected with Mithra’s
triumph over physical darkness. The new meaning
celebrated Jesus' triumph over spiritual darkness.
Eventually Christmas became dominant, the Mithra cult
went extinct and today this origin is not widely known
among Roman Catholics. None of the apostles or the
early church celebrated the birthday of Jesus.
6. What about Christmas carols? — There are many
wonderful Gospel hymns which have been written to
worship Jesus at Christmas time; such as, Silent Night ,
Hark The Herald Angels Sing, Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem ,
Joy To The World , It Came Upon A Midnight Clear , Noel, et
cetera. I think it would be a mistake to overlook
Christmas entirely, and miss out on the opportunity to
witness to the lost during the emotional Christmas
season. Many hearts have been turned to the Lord during
the Christmas holiday as a result of the Gospel-centered
carols.
Suicide rates are higher at Christmas time, because most
people's reality cannot live up to the bigger-than-life
image which Christmas portrays. However, in Christ
Jesus there is hope, a better life, and a brighter future.
7. What about Christmas parties? — I think it is a bad idea
to go to ANY parties, whether it be a company party or a
party at a friend's house, unless you are certain that there
will be no worldliness and booze at the party. Most
often, there is alcohol, dirty-dancing, immodestly dressed
women, worldly music, and Christ is not celebrated at all.
I think a get-together with fellow church members, at the
church, would be appropriate. I have never attended any
company Christmas parties, because of all the horrible
things I've heard from co-workers who went to them. A
Christian has no business being in an environment of lust,
booze, Rock music, and worldliness.
Conclusion
If you feel that Christmas is a pagan holiday, and shouldn't be
celebrated, then don't. But if other believers think it's
acceptable, don't judge them. It is clear that there are two
ways to celebrate Christmas:
1. The Worldly Way — Santa Claus, Rudolph the Reindeer,
the north pole, elves, Frosty the Snowman, secular songs
about Christmas, booze, parties, Rock music, buying and
giving gifts, et cetera.
2. The Christian Way — Jesus Christ, Christmas carols,
soulwinning, a nativity scene, helping the poor in Jesus'
name, et cetera.
Opponents of Christmas, condemn Christians who celebrate
Christmas on the basis of the world's way of observing
Christmas. This is not fair. Christians certainly may observe
Christmas time by honoring the Lord through soulwinning,
helping the poor, singing Gospel hymns, and drawing closer
to the Lord in the Scriptures.
I knew a Christian man who became enraged with anger,
when he found out that pumpkins were being given away as a
promotion, to get kids into a local church on Halloween. That
rascal never won anyone to the Lord; yet he criticized a
church for using pumpkins to attract children into Sunday
School. I say "shut up!" If a church can get kids into church
by giving away goldfish, having contests, or putting a cow up
on the roof, then so be it. Why should the Devil's crowd be
the only one's to use promotions? The unsaved business
world uses promotions all the time, as a marketing tool to
make more money. Certainly, it is wise to use whatever
means available (morally speaking) to encourage children and
their parents to come to Church to hear the Word of God.
Thus, I think it is appropriate for churches to make big of
Christmas, and use it as an opportunity to win the loss to
Christ (Proverb 11:30).
Some people hate Christmas because it is a happy time, and
something tragic (such as the death of a child) has happened
in their life. There's an empty spot by the Christmas tree. I
understand completely. Such a grieving person has every
right to grieve. The answer is to share the Gospel of Jesus
Christ with this sin-cursed world at Christmas-time, and tell
them... "You need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ."
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