Christmas-A Christian Holiday? (belief, mystic, Jesus Christ, bible)

[alicenevada]

Originally Posted by mzjamiedawn

As I stated in another post, I'm a Christian and yet I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. We are told to remember His death, everyday but more specifically every time you take communion.

I feel totally comfortable celebrating Christmas as a time of family coming together and enjoying each other.

Thanks. That seems to be a more and more common view these days. Most people celebrate as a tradition...

[aiangel_writer]

I do celebrate Christmas. My way. The tree holds the star that the shepherds followed the night of Christs birth. The gifts symbolize the gifts that Christ was given.

This was given to me a few years ago.....

The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.

The Color red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all

The Fir Tree Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.

The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.

The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.

The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.

The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.

The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love....having no end....

[Fundamentalist]

Originally Posted by juj

We DO celebrate that. It's called Good Friday/Easter? It is the biggest Catholic celebration day. Easter to Catholics is bigger and more important than Christmas.

JW's don't celebrate anything. Not even birthdays.

I'm not Catholic

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by alicenevada

Interesting comment, MysticPHD. I'm elated that Christ exists and I like to try to celebrate that every day by walking in his footsteps. I can't say that it doesnt matter how we express our joy however. Don't the scriptures say to 'do all things for God's glory'? How can we do that if we include lies and pagan practices in our celebrating?

Glorifying God can be done in myriad ways . . . do you imagine Jesus condemning anyone for glorifying his existence by . . . say, dancing in the streets, or . . . whatever. JW's are so uptight and proscriptive about how God should be loved . . . lighten up . . . God loves and accepts all who love Jesus and would not condemn any expressions of that love, IMO . . . Jesus' loving heart convinces me of it.

[alicenevada]

Originally Posted by aiangel_writer

I do celebrate Christmas. My way. The tree holds the star that the shepherds followed the night of Christs birth. The gifts symbolize the gifts that Christ was given.

This was given to me a few years ago.....

The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.

The Color red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all

The Fir Tree Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.

The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.

The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.

The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.

The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.

The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love....having no end....

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I do not think God provided that star. I believe Satan did. Why would God lead three astrologists to his son when Herrod instructed them to report back to him? True, they were stopped but the fact still stands, they were not men of God...they were practicers of an art that God despised. Also, they did not come to Christ when he was born...it was later...when he was probably two years old. Everything has become very mixed up over the years...

[alicenevada]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

Glorifying God can be done in myriad ways . . . do you imagine Jesus condemning anyone for glorifying his existence by . . . say, dancing in the streets, or . . . whatever. JW's are so uptight and proscriptive about how God should be loved . . . lighten up . . . God loves and accepts all who love Jesus and would not condemn any expressions of that love, IMO . . . Jesus' loving heart convinces me of it.

Absolutely, and we have freedom to do that in many ways...except ways that conflict w/ God's will. I personally do not feel it is uptight or prescriptive to try to please God, which is what we do. And I certainly don't feel it results in his displeasure.

For example...in the ancient nation of Israel, the Israelites took a combination of pagan practices and stamped them with the title 'Day to Jehovah' in order to continue in the celebrations of the surrounding nations. They were destroyed for this impertinence. I do not feel it is uptight to look at that example as important for us today...to guide our own actions by it. Is that unreasonable?

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by alicenevada

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I do not think God provided that star. I believe Satan did. Why would God lead three astrologists to his son when Herrod instructed them to report back to him? True, they were stopped but the fact still stands, they were not men of God...they were practicers of an art that God despised. Also, they did not come to Christ when he was born...it was later...when he was probably two years old. Everything has become very mixed up over the years...

It must be quite comforting and satisfying to know so assuredly what happened so many millennia ago . . . but spiritually quite uninformative. The events recorded and believed by so many sincere souls over those millennia reveal the more important spiritual significance . . . not the irrelevant secular history. Do you imagine an incorrect spiritual message would have such resonance and longstanding appeal over so many generations without God's permission?

[Towhee]

Originally Posted by mzjamiedawn

As I stated in another post, I'm a Christian and yet I do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday. We are told to remember His death, everyday but more specifically every time you take communion.

mzjamie, I agree....

I am neither a JW or a Catholic...I too am a Christian.
I am with those who find it unacceptable, and do not observe it in any way.

I am also in agreement with those who observe His death and the shedding of His blood on the cross...we do that every first day of the week as the early church did, and as Jesus instructed us to do.

We do not celebrate "Good Friday" or '"Easter" either.

[alicenevada]

Originally Posted by MysticPhD

It must be quite comforting and satisfying to know so assuredly what happened so many millennia ago . . . but spiritually quite uninformative. The events recorded and believed by so many sincere souls over those millennia reveal the more important spiritual significance . . . not the irrelevant secular history. Do you imagine an incorrect spiritual message would have such resonance and longstanding appeal over so many generations without God's permission?

Indeed it is. Since the entire 'Nativity' associated w/ Christmas is based on a few simple scriptures, it is interesting that there is so much discrepency. And yes, I do believe that an incorrect spiritual message would have resonance over so many generations...just because God permits it, doesnt mean it's right. He permits many atrocities to take place in his name, as I'm sure you know. Since 1 John 5:19 makes it clear that 'the whole world is lying in the power of the Wicked One', there is even stronger reason to believe his influence would creep into the world's religions.

[MysticPhD]

Originally Posted by alicenevada

Absolutely, and we have freedom to do that in many ways...except ways that conflict w/ God's will. I personally do not feel it is uptight or prescriptive to try to please God, which is what we do. And I certainly don't feel it results in his displeasure.

For example...in the ancient nation of Israel, the Israelites took a combination of pagan practices and stamped them with the title 'Day to Jehovah' in order to continue in the celebrations of the surrounding nations. They were destroyed for this impertinence. I do not feel it is uptight to look at that example as important for us today...to guide our own actions by it. Is that unreasonable?

Once Jesus came to fulfill the promise of God (redeem it) to send us his messenger (Messiah) to make the spirit of God one with humanity in Jesus . . . everything was to be interpreted according to Jesus' and the holy spirit he brought to us. You can continue to focus on the ancient Israelites, etc. if it informs your spirit . . . but I listen to the holy spirit and Jesus for my guidance, period.