What does Christmas mean to you?

[basics]

Does Christmas affect you as it does me in the sense of more work or less, more excitement or less, more thought or less? I mean does one need to be a Christian to enjoy it?

[Akar]

One doesn't need to be religious to appreciate the value of people giving you free food and free stuff.

I think Atheists have more fun on Christmas though because they don't think they're celebrating the birth of a Jewish kid 500 years ago.

[95thrifleman]

My girl still believes in santa so xmas is fun for me.

[Akar]

Your girl as in child or girl as in girlfriend? Or ... both?

[mishkin]

What does Christmas mean to you? Cheap sentimentallity, silly excesses, tacky decoration and wasted time with people I don't like.

[Gaidin]

Welcome to the Winter Solstice.

[basics]

One doesn't need to be religious to appreciate the value of people giving you free food and free stuff.

I think Atheists have more fun on Christmas though because they don't think they're celebrating the birth of a Jewish kid 500 years ago.

Akar,

And yet that Jewish kid turned a world that was paganised upside down.

[Akar]

That's operating under the assumption that "pagan" is wrong, no?

[Diamat]

Even in Communist East Germany, Christmas was officially celebrated, because it was a core component of our national tradition (and because East Germany contained Germany's nutcracker manufacturing capital). Thus even today, though most East Germans are atheist, Christmas is still considered a precious time of the year.

[conon394]

What does Christmas mean to you? Cheap sentimentallity, silly excesses, tacky decoration and wasted time with people I don't like.

err try figuring how to spend it with people you like. In the US at least with drive to have no holidays that reliably get you either time off with pay or overtime, I think is great no matter what underlying religious origin story helps drive its exceptance. Given how many cultures and religions have mid winter holidays its easy to make anything you want out of it.

[basics]

Looking back I still remember my first Xmas party when the lights were dimmed apart from the Xmas tree and the door of the hall opened and in walked Santa carrying a huge bag of presents. Funnily enough I can't remember what I got but that doesn't matter as the experience overwhelmed all else for me. I have to admit that then and for many years the Lord Jesus element never entered my head as much as Santa did. It took another forty years of self serving indiference before the penny dropped and Christ came into my life making Xmas that bit more knowledgeable and more exciting.

[basics]

Looking back I still remember my first Xmas party when the lights were dimmed apart from the Xmas tree and the door of the hall opened and in walked Santa carrying a huge bag of presents. Funnily enough I can't remember what I got but that doesn't matter as the experience overwhelmed all else for me. I have to admit that then and for many years the Lord Jesus element never entered my head as much as Santa did. It took another forty years of self serving indiference before the penny dropped and Christ came into my life making Xmas that bit more knowledgeable and more exciting.

[Sogdog]

Since xmas is actually a Germanic pagan celebration you definitely don't need to be christian to enjoy it.

Here's a bible passage prohibiting christians from having xmas trees: Jeremiah 10 NIV

1 Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the sky,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.

[Prodromos]

Some kids take this Santa thing a little too seriously

[basics]

Since xmas is actually a Germanic pagan celebration you definitely don't need to be christian to enjoy it.

Here's a bible passage prohibiting christians from having xmas trees: Jeremiah 10 NIV

1 Hear what the LORD says to you, O house of Israel. 2 This is what the LORD says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations
or be terrified by signs in the sky,
though the nations are terrified by them.
3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless;
they cut a tree out of the forest,
and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold;
they fasten it with hammer and nails
so it will not totter.

Sogdog,

The thing is that Christians do not worship the trees or the decorations as did the pagans. Paul laid that out in Romans where the created is much different from the Creator. For example I live on this planet and enjoy many things attributed to it yet I don't worship it as any worship I have goes to my Lord and Saviour Who just happens to be our Creator Whom you obviously don't believe in. So when 100% of Scripture condemns you why do you insist on taking a tiny part of it to diminish the joy that believers have in Him?

[Gaidin]

Some kids take this Santa thing a little too seriously

[youtube]Bus9KU37In4[youtube]

Kids are allowed to take this Santa thing pretty damn seriously.

Sogdog,

The thing is that Christians do not worship the trees or the decorations as did the pagans. Paul laid that out in Romans where the created is much different from the Creator. For example I live on this planet and enjoy many things attributed to it yet I don't worship it as any worship I have goes to my Lord and Saviour Who just happens to be our Creator Whom you obviously don't believe in. So when 100% of Scripture condemns you why do you insist on taking a tiny part of it to diminish the joy that believers have in Him?

So like most, you pick and choose the scripture that makes your life easier and confirms the beliefs you want?

[basics]

Kids are allowed to take this Santa thing pretty damn seriously.


So like most, you pick and choose the scripture that makes your life easier and confirms the beliefs you want?

Gaidin,

When Jesus Christ died on that cross in my place, He paid the price for all my sins, past present and future and so I have no need to pick and choose what I want from Scripture. I belong to Him and no man can take that away from me, whether it be by twisting the scriptures or taking my life. That is His promise and I totally believe that but if you know better than God please explain?

[Gaidin]

Gaidin,

When Jesus Christ died on that cross in my place, He paid the price for all my sins, past present and future

Go forth and sin all you want.

and so I have no need to pick and choose what I want from Scripture.

Going by the scripture you're denying the need to follow it sounds like you have a need to pick and choose.

[95thrifleman]

Your girl as in child or girl as in girlfriend? Or ... both?

My daughter

[basics]

Gaidin,

Well to kick off, the book to the Hebrews tells us that now I am saved God never even remembers me as being a sinner thanks to Jesus Christ. That said, of course I'm going to stumble but Jesus will always be there to pick me up and put me back on the right road, why? Because on the cross He paid in full, in full, for all my sin. So, do I go out to intentionally sin? Not as long as I stick to Scripture as my guideline until my calling. Therefore the argument that somehow I am worshipping Xmas trees because I enjoy them is just silly. Do little children whose eyes light up when they see them worship them? Of course they don't so why would any born again Christian do so? They are to us a reminder of that joyous day when Jesus Christ came into our world as a man to lead us back to God.