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???Christmas???

I would hazard a guess that most people are very busy buying Xmas presents and Xmas food

to be worried about coming in here.I am sure that after the new year festivities that they will be back here in force once again.??????????

That was a gutsy comment Plan B, how come?



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Do you mean the statement I made about Xmas Toot ?



Just that I refuse to be roped into such a load of Pagen rubbish--it is not Christs Birthday and there is nothing in the Bible that states it is. IMO it is a money making racket and I figure I can eat what I like anytime I like--and if someone really likes something (and if I can afford it) I will buy it for them at any time--I also treat and stay in touch with friends and family all the time I don't need Xmas to do that.

Yes PlanB, I did mean your comment about Christmas. Fair enough. :coolsmile:

However Toot for those that enjoy it good luck and I hope they have a great time, I will be sitting back and relaxing or gardening or whatever the same as any other day ;)

A Christian holiday is pagan ?

Aww keandha and kfchugo you two sound like two lovely old darlings. I can just picture you both enjoying a pot of tea

and some nice Arrowroot bikkies to dunk discussing why people are not in here chatting.



People have lives outside the computer which while chatting is the main thing for you, you both may find it a bit difficult

to accept. Never mind after Christmas more people will be back. :ohh:



Enjoy your Christmas and people will be back soon.

A Christian holiday is pagan ?

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IS CHRISTMAS THE BIRTHDAY OF CHRIST?



For many people throughout the world, the Christmas season is the happiest and busiest time of the year. Millions of believers in Christ celebrate December 25th as a special religious holiday because they believe it marks the date of Christ's birth. Businessmen often take advantage of the giving of gifts at this season to make an extra profit. Some religious people protest at this "commercializing" of Christmas because they feel that a sacred, holy day is desecrated by it. Their protests are often voiced in slogans such as “Put Christ back into Christmas." Few people, however, including many believers in Christ, are aware of the fact that the Bible is completely silent concerning any special festivities to commemorate the date of Christ's birth.



The Bible does not give us the date of the birth of Jesus! Whether He was born in December or July or some other month of the year is not stated in the Scriptures. Scholars confess that they do not know the actual date of Christ's birth. For more than 300 years following the close of the New Testament, Christmas was kept on various dates. In 354, the bishop of Rome decreed that December 25th, a pagan feast day in honour of the god, Saturn, should be observed by Christians in honour of Christ’s birth. However, in the East, this date was not accepted; and for centuries, January 6th was celebrated as the birthday of Jesus, particularly in Egypt. Some branches of the Eastern Orthodox Church, even today, keep January 6th as Christmas day.



It is interesting to note also that many of the festivities connected with Christmas had their origin in paganism, not in the Bible. Many of them came from Catholicism also. For example, the name "Christmas" itself comes from "Christ" and "Mass" referring to the worship of the Roman Catholic Church. The Christmas tree originated in Scandinavia. The pagans of that part of the world worshipped trees before they became believers in Christ. Decorating with mistletoe originated with the ancient Celtic priests, called Druids, who used mistletoe as charms to ward off evil spirits. The burning of yule logs, which is customary in many countries, came from the ancient Norsemen who burned a log once a year in honour of Thor, god of Thunder. See the World Book Encyclopedia for other examples of the pagan influence in Christmas customs.



The Bible gives two accounts of the birth of Jesus. They are found in Matthew 1 and 2 and Luke 2. No mention is made of the date. No command is given for our Lord's birthday to be observed in any way. No example is found in the New Testament of any celebration of Christ's birth. Rather, the New Testament emphasis is on the death and resurrection of Christ. His death made possible the forgiveness of our sins. His resurrection makes possible our victory over death. The Lord's supper is to "show the Lord's death till he come"(I Corinthians 11:26). The only day in any way set aside for special religious observance in the New Testament is the Lord's day, Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7;1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10).



What should be the Christian's attitude toward Christmas? Should we celebrate it as Christ's birthday? Definitely not! To do so is to do such without Scriptural authority. Should we observe the Christmas holiday in any way at all? In this writer's opinion, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the holiday at Christmas, just as one would enjoy any other legal holiday during the year. If one wishes to have a big dinner and get together with family and friends, there is certainly nothing wrong with this. But to honour December 25th as Christ's birthday, and thus as a special holy day, is to speak where the Scriptures are silent and to follow the traditions of men rather than the Word of God.









http://www.tftw2.org/Tracts/christmas.htm

All my values and morals come from a Christian upbringing, and I thank my parents for that, they were good honest people, as were their parents before them. I'm not a church goer, (used to be), but believe you don't have to go to church to offer up a silent prayer. I tried to teach my children about Christian values, both went to Sunday School, but like most other Aussies, they don't find the church very relevant today. But I did make an effort so I get some comfort in that.

All my values and morals come from a Christian upbringing, and I thank my parents for that, they were good honest people, as were their parents before them. I'm not a church goer, (used to be), but believe you don't have to go to church to offer up a silent prayer. I tried to teach my children about Christian values, both went to Sunday School, but like most other Aussies, they don't find the church very relevant today. But I did make an effort so I get some comfort in that.

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Same here Toot and I live as "Do unto others"--and live a good life and it is good to have Christian values and morals

PlanB, your post makes a lot of sense and I dont disagree. Christmas has, over the years, lost much of its religeous significance and has become a more secular celebration. "Traditions" of gift-giving, decorations,sending cards, egg nog etc have crept into our culture.

Personally, I dont see any problem with also using this date to celebrate Christs birthday and certainly acknowledge that it is, in fact, not his actual birthday.

We celebrate the Queens birthday on a date other than her actual birthday and I understand that August 1 is customary celebrated as the birthday of all horses........ so, just because we celebrate a birthday, it does not necessarily need to be the actual date of birth.

I am not a religeous person, but for me, Christmas is a time of celebration, renewing family ties, catching up with friends I may have neglected and celebrating the "joy of life" for want of a better expression.

Chugo--I guess I do the same all year re family and friends--so seems silly (to me) to have to rush about and buy all this stuff for one day when it can be done any day, plus as my 2 kids are hours away I would hate them to be on the roads at this time of the year. In the Bible it tells you to uphold Easter--but not the Birthday of Christ.



I never send a Xmas card--I refuse to buy them-- but answer all I get with a letter in the New Year

Thanks for that information PlanB.

I accept that December 25th is not Christ's birthday and it seems that no one knows what day was his birthday.

But Christians do celebrate that day as his birthday.



I note your quote is from a group called "Truth for the world"



Truth for the World, which was founded in [b]1992[/b], is under the oversight of the Duluth church of Christ, 3239 Highway 120, Duluth, Georgia.



Now I don't wish to show disrespect for this group, but I do not agree with their thoughts that Christ's birthday is pagan.

I find it rather insulting to Christians that you would insinuate that.



Each to his own.



Apologies to the thread starters for going off topic.

I don't mean to be disrespectful fwed, not at all I was just googling re Xmas and came up with many that stated the same --I just posted one of them--there is a lot out there. Like you say to each his own and I hope that all that enjoy have a wonderful day / days

Seggie. We are just about over climate change, etc.etc.etc. We very much doubt if Copenhagen will achieve anything. As we have said before, can you imagine the poor in India and China, being told they have to cut down 'emissions' because of the ozone layer and so on. Seeing kids going through rubbish piles is enough to turn your stomach.

Global warming, etc. may be worse in the future but imagine your grandkids going through rubbish piles and drinking water from, no, won't go there. They are the ones we feel sorry for. Would Mr.Rudd and his cohorts share what they have? No, all they do is to talk.

Don't get us started on Japanese whaling. Again, will Mr.Rudd have the courage to tell them to stop? They are doing it for science? Oh please, tell me another.

OK, that's it. So that is what we have been doing. Thinking about the rich telling the poor what to do. We are past being angry.