Most people don't believe Jesus was actually born on December 25th, christmas day. so why do they celebrate it then?

apart from celebrating what was originally a pagan festival, and declaring it the birthday of God's son, why adopt most of the pagan practices to go with it? these include the christmas lights, the tree (which originally started in worship of the gods of agriculture for preserving crops during the year, by decoration of the trees with bright objects) and other things?

isn't it ironic that most of the people who celebrate christmas are not even christians? especially in the western world. everyone looks forward to it, including people that have not seen the inside of a church.

isn't it ironic that most of the people who celebrate christmas are not even christians? especially in the western world. everyone looks forward to it, including people that have not seen the inside of a church.

It's all about the presents obviously. Christmas is just commercialized nonsense. People always find a way to take the true meaning or history orf something aned change it to something else. Just like Easter, it was when I went to Nigeria that I knew there was more to it than Easter bunnies and decorated eggs *rolls eyes*

omot208:

isn't it ironic that most of the people who celebrate christmas are not even christians? especially in the western world. everyone looks forward to it, including people that have not seen the inside of a church.

That is why they get offended when you say merry christmas. That is why they are fighting hard to take prayer out of schools, kick prayer out of public places and replace merry christmas with happy holidays. That is why we have replaced the baby Jesus with a funny red man on a bobsleigh, now christmas carols is now winter concert!

Everyone wants to partake in christmas without having to be a part of its spiritual significance. Such a shame to see buddhists, muslims, athiests, agnostics, running around to "buy gifts for winter holidays"!

@ my friendz up there?

we Dont celebrate xmas. We celebrate Christmas. what is wrong in celebrating Christmas?

should we because black, red and white coloured clothes are used by spiritualists and occultists, and refuse to wear those colours? or even reject cars with such colours?

should we stop to use the computer and internet all because the new agers innovated them for their satanic and anti christ movement?

should we stop usin our bank/credit card all becuase of the chips and pin for anti-christ?

why should anyone stop saying Jesus all because someone else bears jesus?

it doesnt matter if Jesus was born in Dec or Jan or Saturday. if you, a mere person celebrate your bithday, why shouldnt the world consciously celebrate GOD HIMSELF?

God made it clear tha the whole world MUST reverence and whorship Him. thats the reason you see Chrishtians and Non-Christians observe Christmas. therefore, dont be jelous an astonished. if we refuse to do it; the stones will.

@fresh-b
no one says u shldnt celebrate Christ or it's birth. it's one thing to take a day and declare it for Christ. it's another thing to go into a juju shrine, drive the priest out, wear his clothes, sing his music and incantations, even his very behaviour in worship of his god, and say we are worshipping God Almighty. think of that.

i agree with u guys that we're losing the true meaning of christmas. yes, the date isn't so much a problem as the reason for the celebration. i remember reading an article once that described it as alienating the celebrant from his birthday party.

@ omot208

QUOTE YA
apart from celebrating what was originally a pagan festival, and declaring it the birthday of God's son, why adopt most of the pagan practices to go with it?,

[/quote]

you need to understand that this is a very sensitive issue in the sense that it isnt that easy to seperate the two (in writin) in todays world without gettin someone else confused or irritated. however, i will still try to explain it without raisin much argurment from other Christians.

this problem of marsk and other mysticisms attached to Christmas is not a revolution in todays world. it evolved ages ago when the Church was polluted by the traditionalists who went to Church for political reasons such as was the case of Costantine and the Roman Empire who brought so many of the "baal" worship into the Church.

In as much as Christians were able to avoid such unwanted practices by leaving catholicism (am not sayin that all Catholic members are  idol worshippers, no critism pls), we can still celebrate our Christmas (as we have  done in Nigeria and all over the world) and yet avoid idol things.

@ThiefOfHearts

QUOTE YA
[[quote]i]It's all about the presents obviously. Christmas is just commercialized nonsense. People always find a way to take the true meaning or history orf something aned change it to something else. Just like Easter, it was when I went to Nigeria that I knew there was more to it than Easter bunnies and decorated eggs *rolls eyes*
[/i]

we shouldnt be carried away by the unnecessary activities and enjoy our Happy Christmas. gifts givin in this season isnt no sin, pls. if you havnt sent any, pls locate mi now and send mi some wonderful Christmas gifts, i love them.

and why would I wanna buy anything for you?

to prove how much happiness you could derive from Christmas gift.

This will prove to you that Christmas is not a just commercialized nonsense (as you said)

still waitin pls. get mi a fine one.

I never said I dont buy gifts for people. I just said it's commercialized rubbish that covers the true meanging behind the season

nice enogh. as Yoruba woman, get mi a beautiful one pls.

lol what does my being Yoruba have to do with anything

yes it does. they like partyin and all other type of celebration. you may want to claim it could be only those in naija, but tell you what; all over the world, it is what you guys like, and therefore spend much on it.
so, i strongly know my powerful gift is on the way already. lol

I am not a Christian yet I love Christmas. Why?

Well, to me it's not just about presents. (although presents are nice. I get more pleasure from buying presents for others than in getting my own though.)

It's a very ancient European festival on that date that basically gives everyone a chance to let off steam before winter really sets in. It was always the time when food-stuffs that wouldn't store over the winter would be eaten. Days of cold and darkness lie ahead of us.In many cases, it was the last chance of a decent meal before the new crops in the Spring.  Many people died in the winter from cold and starvation - and terribly people still die of cold today, especially the elderly. Therefore Christmas has a special place in our hearts - it's a time to get together and eat with your family and friends in a loving way. You spend time with those you love. You think of them and their needs. I would say that most non-Christians would sum up Christmas as 'a time for family'. It has been commercialised but I don't' think people take that particularly seriously, the key is still to spend time with special people. No-one wants to be alone at Christmas, even if they could afford to fill their house with goods.

There are many other Christmas traditions that have their roots thousands of years in the past. Why should non-Christians give up their once-a-year celebration just because Christians also wish to use that day to celebrate something?  We now all call it 'Christmas' but you are right in saying that many people do not see it as Jesus's birthday, but I suppose that name has just taken over from the old names. Yule is an old name that does still get used sometimes.

Surely the day is big enough for all of us.

@ English

it is fair enough to let both Christians and Non-Christians celebrate it. while the former does it in awe, love and respect for the LORD, the later does it with happiness and gyration for the season.

i see nothing wrong in all celebrating it. although it was a pagan culture brought into the church, our God has sanctified it for us to remember His birth as long as we do not mix it with idol worship. this is so because the Bible did not specify the very exact date that He was born (not December though). But said ALL will honor Him and rejoice for Him (paraphrased)
this is OK with me because one can not refuse to swim or drink water because of the fact that there is isisi and other goddesses' worship which connect to water. (all in order not to be contaminated).

does anyone know the age at which Christ was crucified? i know he was 33 and a half or thereabout but if u have the biblical quotation pls post it on this thread. thanks.

i don't celebrate christmas cos i don't beleive Christ was born in December, the more reason not to celebrate it at that time. i kind of miss all the festivities everyone else looks forward to that seems so much fun. but at least i don't declare that people can't celebrate whatever they want whenever they want. just try to avoid mixing it up with paganism and idol-worshipping.

@freshb
i read about that constantine thing and i saw a documentary on it on CNN. it calls to question the very foundation of Christianity, basing the divinity of Jesus on a vote made among very mortal men. i console myself with the fact that science and scientific reasoning always search for ways to explain supernatural and mysterious things logically. this leads to their failure.

@ omot208

firstly, am sorry tha am very busy to get the verse which backs that Christ died at tha very age. your right. but if no one does help, or if you couldnt find it in Matt or Mark (any synoptics), i 'll try make out time to look for it an send it to you.

secondly, from your statement above, it is a thing of choice that you dont Christmas (as Jehovah Witnesses), but i suggest tha you try it lookin unto Him alone. NOTE, AM NOT SAYIN HE WAS BORN DECEMBER.

QUOTE YA

i read about that constantine thing and i saw a documentary on it on CNN. it calls to question the very foundation of Christianity, basing the divinity of Jesus on a vote made among very mortal men. i console myself with the fact that science and scientific reasoning always search for ways to explain supernatural and mysterious things logically. this leads to their failure

.

may i tell you tha the media especially like cnn an other political ones do not present Christian programs to promote God's Word but to decelerate The Word.
I do not know wha you saw there, but the truth is tha Constantine an others were not Christians but unconverted Church goers who wanted to use Christians win their political ambition (quantitetively). such guys introduced into the Church many of the Roman and pagan traditions we see today in the Church. this however, motivated some to reject the papacy's and broke away from the Roman Church to form the Protestants as Reformers in the 16th century (durin Martin Lurther's (not King)).

you shouldnt be disheartened.this doesnt have any link to Chrsitianity because it wasnt its foundation nor was Constantine one of the Apostles, but an ordinary Church man with no penitence. Christ already warned tha there would be false prophets (such as we see even today).

on the part of [

i]"basing the divinity of Jesus on a vote made among very mortal men"[

/i], God is God. wether vote or no vote. He is an will Always remain God. Christians have always been a minority from the beginnin of the world, therefore we dont beg for popularity. However, His Word in His Infinite Mercy still converts man.
do not worry about anything you see, it must happen because, if they dont, the Bible will be untruthful. Just try to dwell in His Presence.