[BDsbigZRX]

Studies show that something like 75% of the American population claims Christianity as their religion.

How many of the people who make this claim have CHRIST as the focal point of their CHRISTmas celebration???? All indications are, very few Amusingly, there are plenty of people who never even attend church and aren't even Christians, for that matter, who CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!!!!!! I knew a Jewish girl once who's family participated in Christmas, and I know PLENTY of ("Christian") folks who can't be bothered to go to church even once during the 365 days out of the year.... Like my friend once said, "If you feel like you can have a personal relationship with me by just turning in the direction of my house and talking, you're mistaken! You need to COME OVER sometimes so we can spend some real time together!" Good point.....

All of the Santa Claus decorations, Christmas trees, blinking lights and "holiday cheer" are all fine and dandy, don't get me wrong. The problem is (IMHO), if you are calling yourself a Christian, and you never bother attending services or talking with your family about what it means to BE a Christian, or how we are called to live and act AS Christians, then what are you doing that makes you a Christian?????!!!!!!! Is it "being a good person"? Unfortunately, using that rationale, a lot of Christians have made (especially in the eyes of their children) Santa Claus their lord and saviour, since we all too often teach our kids all year long that "you'll be punished (no presents) if you are bad, and rewarded (lot's of gifts) if you are good.......... Yeah, but there's something a LOT more important to a Christian about Christmas than Santa and presents!!!! God didn't send his son Jesus to earth because he wanted to teach us that if you are "good" you'll go to heaven and if you are "bad" you'll be punished! He sent his son to die for our sins, so that all who believed in him would be saved!

I'm not suggesting we eradicate the Santa Claus myth, or not hang lights on Christmas trees! I'm just asking that anyone who is a Christian think about what that REALLY means during this special time of the year, and anyone who is not a Christian, but celebrates Christmas, to ask yourself why.......

In the spring, we'll discuss the Easter celebration!:rolleyes :laughing

 

[Sig]

First of all, I'd like to say that you aren't required to go to chuch to be a christian.

Secondly, Christmas is a time I am able to get together with people that I rarely get to see any other part of the year. If they worship their bike, the tree in the front yard, or ebay is of no matter to me. :thumb

 

[kerry_129]

Being a preacher's son and having a firsthand view of waaaay too much hypocrisy and extremely token 'worship', I think that showing up at the right building a couple times a week to (primarily) socialize and keep up with the latest gossip so one can know who to :hail and who to :shake at - does not a christian make.
I'm not suggesting that everyone who attends church regularly is a hypocrite or wish to disrespect anyone's beliefs at all (even if I don't share them) - and I can see BD's point about 'christians' missing the original significance of the holiday, especially when they don't live their lives in accordance with the faith they profess year-round. :shrug Good point.

But - In addition to whatever religious significance it holds for us as individuals, I think the the Spirit (or spirit) of Christmas (or X-mas) would be best celebrated if ALL people of ALL beliefs simply put more effort into simply embracing the universal theme of the holiday: Peace on earth and goodwill to men (and women ). And the whole world would be so much better a place if we all tried to live that way the other 364 days.
I think that basic theme of 'goodness to one another' is the most important teaching of any of the endless list of different 'faiths', christian or otherwise. It's applicable to everyone, everywhere on earth, right now, regardless of their individual faith (or lack thereof), and a belief I share with 'true' christians and plenty of other 'good' folks. (although still too few) :thumb

PS: If we really were to observe the original 'meaning' of the holiday, we would need to make sacrifices to various pagan gods and worship the sun at the time of the winter solstice.

PPS: Woops.... I forgot, this is a verbotten subject, so I better shut up now........ :rolleyes :shrug

PPPS: Merry Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, winter solstice, and non-secular-generic-yuletide-celebration-of-choice to all, and to all a good night!

 

[Sig]

"Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the tylenol?"

 

[Radio Flyer]

I returned an old woman's shopping cart to the buggy pen for her yesterday at sam's club...... :shrug I hope Santa was watching! :!

 

[Rez]

Moved to the CMR, as per the new rules........


_________________________

Due to too many strong and different beliefs, we here at CF have found the need to keep a cap on all religious topics. We apologize for this censorship, but we have learned the hard way that this is not something that can be discussed like civilized human beings.

As you may expect, this is due to only a small percentage of members who can not accept the fact that there are MANY and DIFFERENT beliefs other than their own.

Again, we apologize for this censorship.

The CF Staff
__________________________

 

[Baby Gorilla]

The problem is what has become of Christ?

Christmas is just the observance of His birth. It never was about Santa Claus, presents, shopping, or even the Norman Rockwell image of the holiday. That's all 19th-20th century garbage that's increasingly about commercial gain, not observance of the birth of mankind's savior.

Likewise, is true about most professing "Christians." They want to go to heaven when this life ends, but are unwilling to endure hardship or sacrifice to actually follow Jesus. No wonder churches are filled with much hypocrisy. Most churches are selling out to the hypocrites to ensure the light bill gets paid.

Finally, consider how the world has attacked it's savior. Jesus is largely reduced to the blasphemous claim of the Islamics....another prophet, nothing more. Hence how many can claim to follow Jesus when they really aren't. He's not a savior, just another teacher.

 

[jkfr6]

Thanks Rez!

Hey! New People! HI Ya'll!! :hi

Saved ME from posting this in the wrong forum, myself!
:laughing

 

[BDsbigZRX]

here's

an excellent website for informative, sensible information> Click on the link, and look over to the left side of the screen, there's a whole list of topics you can browse through/learn about! Just thought I'd share!

http://www.str.org/index.htm

 

[monkey1]

i knew something was wrong with some veiws on this post, then i noticed it was moved.

GO GOD!!!!!:clap

 

[Red Dawg]

Baby Gorilla said:
The problem is what has become of Christ?

Christmas is just the observance of His birth. It never was about Santa Claus, presents, shopping, or even the Norman Rockwell image of the holiday. That's all 19th-20th century garbage that's increasingly about commercial gain, not observance of the birth of mankind's savior.

You are right on target BG.......Today it's all about about Santa and him bringing presents and whether you've been bad or good. And it's made it so that kids that believe in Santa are taught that you have to be good for Santa to bring you any presents. Making it so they have to earn what they get. I'm all for kids getting presents but there should be more emphasis on the TRUE REASON FOR THE SEASON...KNow what I mean. AS My Pastor said yesterday.....God gave us Jesus and salvation as a gift,free and clear..........not by our works and how good we are.

 

[JayMan]

I'll let Alan Jackson describe what Christmas is for him. I just love this song...

Let It Be Christmas
- Alan Jackson

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the hearts of all people both near and afar
Christmas everywhere
Feel the love of the season wherever you are
On the small country roads lined with green mistletoe
Big city streets where a thousand lights glow

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
With the gold and the silver, the green and the red
Christmas everywhere
In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds
In the eyes of young babies their first fallen snow
Elderlys' memories that never grow old

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
In the songs that we sing and the gifts that we bring
Christmas everywhere
In what this day means and what we believe
From the sandy white beaches where blue water rolls
Snow covered mountains and valleys below

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas
Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere
Christmas everywhere

Love, Joy and Peace, Jesus Gave us a Reason For This Holy Season! :thumb

 

[ManaBurrn]

monkey1 said:
GO GOD!!!!!:clap

Not GOD, but Rezin. :eek

Although I can see how you might get the two confused.

 

[kerry_129]

:confused
I keep seeing the 'It should be......' comments.
Who exactly, is keeping Christmas from being 'about' celebrating the birth of Christ for those who hold that belief.
If that is your belief, and you personally disagree with the 'Santa' theme and the commercialization of the holiday (which is pretty gross, I agree) - great, no problem - celebrate it as you see fit, and as you are completely free to do. As are those who do not share your beliefs and do not attach the same significance to the holiday as 'true' Christians.

Again - I don't want to come off as disrespecting anyone's beliefs, and I do have the utmost respect for those who truly do follow their faith (so long as it doesn't involve 'killing the infidel dogs' :shake). The point at which I start losing respect, however, is when persons of a particular flavor of religion proclaim how others should believe or worship, and that they are unrighteous if they believe otherwise. I think that for its entire history, that has been a pronounced tendency of western Christianity (up to and including brutal persecution of 'non-belivers & heretics')
As the good book says: 'Judge not, lest ye be judged yourself'.

 

[monkey1]

Not GOD, but Rezin. :eek

Although I can see how you might get the two confused.

WRONG AGAIN!

i would NEVER confuse GOD and REZIN. no offense to REZIN here but he's not even close. none of us are.

 

[STeed]

WRONG AGAIN!

i would NEVER confuse GOD and REZIN. no offense to REZIN here but he's not even close. none of us are.

he just meant that Rez, the all-powerful, all-seeing on this site, moved the post. no biggie

 

[Baby Gorilla]

:confused
I keep seeing the 'It should be......' comments.
Who exactly, is keeping Christmas from being 'about' celebrating the birth of Christ for those who hold that belief.
If that is your belief, and you personally disagree with the 'Santa' theme and the commercialization of the holiday (which is pretty gross, I agree) - great, no problem - celebrate it as you see fit, and as you are completely free to do. As are those who do not share your beliefs and do not attach the same significance to the holiday as 'true' Christians....

However, that is the irony.

If you aren't a Christian, you would not even observe the holiday. If you were Jewish, you'd observe Hannaukah...
...Kawanza if you are African-American (if any such holiday actually ever existed before the mid-1990s)
...earth spirits if you were Germanic
...appropriate spirit forces if you were wickan.

Non-Christians observing Christmas is a secluarization of a solely-religious holiday.

 

[kerry_129]

Baby Gorilla said:
Non-Christians observing Christmas is a secluarization of a solely-religious holiday.

So if I'm not a Christian, it's not 'proper' for me to celebrate Christmas in a non-secular manner? :confused Gimme a break.....

Actually, Christmas is a 'Christianization' of pagan rituals which date far further back than the accepted birth date of Christ.

So by that logic, it's really a 'Christianization' of a pagan holiday...... :nanana

 

[jkfr6]

ooooooooo :nanana I wanna play! :nanana

BTW, does anyone know the real :shrug birthdate of Christ? I think we will all agree that it has nothing to do with Dec 25 .....

I agree with the fact that all should celebrate what ever they believe how ever they want to.

For me, I celebrate our Lord everyday, so Christmas is a time for me to answer questions, to out reach out to the lost, the sad, the depressed and others that dont have what I have. :thumb

People should do what they want during the holiday season. Not be told HOW and WHAT.......

Just my humble $0.02.

 

[Red Dawg]

Baby Gorilla said:


Non-Christians observing Christmas is a secluarization of a solely-religious holiday.

Stirring up the kettle big time there BG?:crackup :crackup