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I don't feel it is necessary to ban it....just keep it as the secular holiday that is it and don't try to bring Christ into it. To me it is no different than Thanksgiving, Birthdays, etc...it just a family celebration and nothing more.
Frequently in our family . . . schedules and conflicts require that we change celebrations of birthdays etc. to alternate days. The purpose of a celebration is determined by the purpose and intent of the celebrants. . . NOT the day of the week or year or . . . whatever other significance might or might not exist. One can NOT be celebrating a pagan event if one has NO INTENTION of celebrating a pagan event. How have we managed to get ourselves so confused about what determines the significance of any celebration?
Frequently in our family . . . schedules and conflicts require that we change celebrations of birthdays etc. to alternate days. The purpose of a celebration is determined by the purpose and intent of the celebrants. . . NOT the day of the week or year or . . . whatever other significance might or might not exist. One can NOT be celebrating a pagan event if one has NO INTENTION of celebrating a pagan event. How have we managed to get ourselves so confused about what determines the significance of any celebration?
I agree with this.
To be honest, it just seems like such an overreaction to get all huffy about "winter party" versus "christmas party" and people freaking out that christmas has pagan origins!! Aren't there more important things to be freaking out over.... say all the NON-LOVE in this world???
Come on guys.
I completely agree with Mystic... the purpose of a celebration is DETERMINED BY the PURPOSE and INTENT of the CELEBRANTS!
Just because Christmas means "pagan! EEK!!" or "how much stuff can I get???" to some people, doesn't mean you can't turn it into something that glorifies God. My family does. None of the pagan symbology bothers me at all. "A tree!!! ACK!! OH NO!!!! PAGAN!!!!" God MADE trees you guys.
Really. Take what you percieve to be a negative and turn it into a positive. Overcome what you percieve to be "evil" with good.
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Originally Posted by .sparrow.
To be honest, it just seems like such an overreaction to get all huffy about "winter party" versus "christmas party" and people freaking out that christmas has pagan origins!! Aren't there more important things to be freaking out over.... say all the NON-LOVE in this world???Come on guys.
Non love in this world? Jesus foretold that "...the love of many will grow cold." So there is going to be "non love in this world" until He comes. I'm not saying we should try just putting in perspective.
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Just because Christmas means "pagan!
And it is.
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doesn't mean you can't turn it into something that glorifies God.
Well, that how is supposedly got started in the first place. How could you do that if God is not in it? One could say the same thing about Halloween or what ever. It's not the date of Jesus' birth. Would you want someone celebrating your birthday on the wrong day? That deception.
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None of the pagan symbology bothers me at all. "A tree!!! ACK!! OH NO!!!! PAGAN!!!!" God MADE trees you guys.Really. Take what you percieve to be a negative and turn it into a positive. Overcome what you percieve to be "evil" with good.
Of course He made trees, but it is what we do with them that makes Him disapprove of it. Every year on this forum we go around and around about Halloween, Christmas, and Easter I guess this year will be no different.
Well, that how is supposedly got started in the first place. How could you do that if God is not in it? One could say the same thing about Halloween or what ever. It's not the date of Jesus' birth. Would you want someone celebrating your birthday on the wrong day? That deception.
Of course He made trees, but it is what we do with them that makes Him disapprove of it. Every year on this forum we go around and around about Halloween, Christmas, and Easter I guess this year will be no different.
I strongly suspect that Marks doesn't actually read what anyone else posts . . . he just reacts to the general idea of the thread in rote fashion using his stock arguments. Clearly he read neither sparrow's nor my posts or he would not have asked "Would you want someone celebrating your birthday on the wrong day? " . . which I specifically said we frequently do for a variety of reasons. Furthermore his "what we do with them" that God disapproves of . . . seems to assume that God would somehow NOT KNOW what we were doing and assume we were worshipping something pagan!?!?!? He apparently missed the part where we said the INTENT and PURPOSE of a celebration ( that means . . . WHAT we are doing, Marks!) is determined by the CELEBRANTS! . . . NOT Marks or some ancient pagan tradition.
I just don't like how people now have a problem with religious holidays and want to change the way it has always been. I celebrate the birth of Christ therefore I celebrate Christmas. I'm not forcing others to but leave the holiday alone. I have to go to the Winter Office Party because it is being held during work hours but I might not participate in the Secret Santa.
I just don't like how people now have a problem with religious holidays and want to change the way it has always been. I celebrate the birth of Christ therefore I celebrate Christmas. I'm not forcing others to but leave the holiday alone. I have to go to the Winter Office Party because it is being held during work hours but I might not participate in the Secret Santa.
But this is just it. It's how YOU celebrate it. What about others who don't celebrate it as you? Why should they have to go to a "Christmas" party if they don't celebrate the birth of Christ?
I'm a Christian. Christmas only means fun to me, since I celebrate the death/burial/resurrection of Christ like He told me to, not His birth that we have no idea when it was.
We just have to think of others as well. Since Christmas generally is thought of as a religious holiday, how would you feel if your workplace had a Solstice party? Or some type of atheist party? Think about it. You'd probably think, "this should not take place in the workplace!" Which is how some feel about Christmas parties.
I just don't like how people now have a problem with religious holidays and want to change the way it has always been. I celebrate the birth of Christ therefore I celebrate Christmas. I'm not forcing others to but leave the holiday alone. I have to go to the Winter Office Party because it is being held during work hours but I might not participate in the Secret Santa.
When is your winter party? I'm going to guess it's not on Christmas day and, in all likelihood, it will be held on one of the days of Chanukkah. Therefore, it never should have been called a Christmas party in the first place!
This thread gives me all the more excitement to continue pointedly wishing people a Happy Holidays this season.
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) is determined by the CELEBRANTS! . . . NOT Marks or some ancient pagan tradition.
