APM and Christmas...Touchy Topic

[C. Matthew McMahon]

So, did the Puritan's celebrate Christmas? The Reformers?

Is it REALLY the most wonderful time of the year?

Check out the video here at the main page of APM and see for yourself...

Click here for the Video on A Puritan's Mind Home Page

 

[JBaldwin]

Thank you for posting the article. I came on the PB tonight with the express purpose of bringing up this touchy topic, and my questions were well-answered by the article. This whole thing has been bothering me for some time, and a friend (a messianic Jew) came by to visit this afternoon, and this was the topic of discussion. Will we mix our worship with pagan practices? I was reminded by my friend that in the OT, the Israelites were condemned at different times, because they didn't take down the high places. I was also reminded that the puritans did not allow Christmas to be celebrated.

This has given me much food for thought.

 

[MW]

A "Puritan mind" which believes there is nothing wrong with Santa Claus and the like? Such a "Puritan mind" is as fictitious as a Santa Claus who knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.

 

[Rufus]

A "Puritan mind" which believes there is nothing wrong with Santa Claus and the like? Such a "Puritan mind" is as fictitious as a Santa Claus who knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.

Looks like that "Puritan mind" will not be playing at Reindeer...err Puritan games.

 

[JML]

A "Puritan mind" which believes there is nothing wrong with Santa Claus and the like? Such a "Puritan mind" is as fictitious as a Santa Claus who knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake.

Also interesting that one doesn't want Christ in Christmas but is ok with having "mass" in X-mas. I say neither should be there.

 

[Tripel]

I'm confused by this portion:

If someone wants to create some religiously significant time with their family as it is dictated in the Bible, there is no sin there. If, for example, a father wants to use the month of July each year to teach his family a four week teaching on the cross of Christ, he should do it. It could become a family tradition to do so. If a mother wanted to teach her children about the Holy Spirit in November, then by all means, she should do so. Christians, however, should be cautious to “equate” what is done at home with what the church will wrongly give a “stamp of approval” for during the season of “Christ-mas”.

So why is it wrong to focus on Christ's incarnation in December? I choose to do so because of tradition, not because of any sort of mandate by the church. I fully acknowledge that Christmas is not a holy day, but I don't see why that makes it wrong for me to celebrate Christ's birth in December.

Jesus Christ is not only Lord of the season, but He is Lord of every day and every minute of every day, and, in fact, upholds everything in every moment and is the One in whom “we live and move and have our being” every day of the year. His incarnation extends to every moment of every time in the monumental significance of human and creative redemption. The incarnation is not just for December 25th, July 8th or March 12th, dates that have absolutely no religious significance whatsoever, unless they fall on the Lord’s Day and are, in fact, observed as the Lord’s Day.

I also acknowledge that Christ is Lord of every moment, that there is no religious significance for December 25th, and that His incarnation extends to every day on the calendar. That said, I still don't see any compelling reason why it is sinful to celebrate His birth in December.

 

[Goodcheer68]

where is the video?

 

[N. Eshelman]

Nonsense

 

[Goodcheer68]

That may very well be, but it did not answer the question.

 

[Edward]

Nonsense

That's not a particularly helpful post. Lots of things in this world are nonsense. Do you have something particular in mind?

 

[Peairtach]

So, did the Puritan's celebrate Christmas? The Reformers?

Is it REALLY the most wonderful time of the year?

Check out the video here at the main page of APM and see for yourself...

Click here for the Video on A Puritan's Mind Home Page

Maybe you should call it Winterval or Yuletide.

The Scots used to ignore Christmas (or Chrimbo, as it's called in Liverpool) and major on New Year, for presents, decorations, pork and apple sauce and New Year cards, and a New Year's Day service.

This is what I was used to being brought up in the Free Presbyterian C of S, and this pattern is still followed in this denomination and elsewhere.