(Picking my way carefully through the debris left by the grenade that I tossed into the room...)
This debate over Christ-mass has been conducted on different levels by different parties. Some have argued in favor of the right of individual Christians and churches to declare holy days. Some have argued or advocated for Christ-mass trees, candles, and other paraphenalia in worship services. Some have argued for the liberty celebrate Christ-mass as long as Christ is kept out of it. Regarding this last point, here is how the debate between Paul and I started:
Originally posted by VirginiaHuguenot
Originally posted by Paul manata
So let me get this straight? You guys are just saying a Church shouldn;t celebrate it, but it's not a problem for families and yourself to celebrate it outside of church? Or, a Christian shouldn't celebrate it at all?
My view is that it should not be celebrated by Christians at all, but especially not in the church.
I emphasized that my primary disagreement with Christ-mass celebration has to do with its violation of the Second Commandment and the Regulative Principle of Worship. On a secondary level, I opposed Christ-mass celebration for a variety of reasons which are dependent upon the specific practices that are on the table, so to speak.
I object to the glorification of Santa Claus for reasons that are more significant (and spelled out previously) than my objection to candy canes. If a general answer is asked, a general answer is given. However, I have tried to address practices which vary widely with as much attention to detail as possible. I have asked people to clarify what they mean by secular observance of Christ-mass and the responses have been either sarcastic, incomplete or non-existent. That has made the discussion more difficult than it needs to be. It is my general contention (as I have stated often before) that all "celebration" (including those things which are normally indifferent such as gift-giving, having an evergreen tree, etc.) and particularly that which is done "religiously" to observe December 25 as a day apart from others is inherently wrapped up in the religious appointment of the day to the church calendar by the Pope. In fact, I have challenged some to try to observe their secular customs on a different day to prove that they are not yoked to the Roman Catholic holiday and no one has taken me up on the challenge. To me, this is an illustration of the bondage of the holiday. The Pope has decreed this day to celebrate, so as a Protestant I'll celebrate it not in the church but outside the church, yet on the day appointed by the Pope and no other day. I ask, what is the point of the Christ-mass tree or the gift-giving or the stockings or the special feast tied to this one day? I hear different answers in response from different sources: it's a fun custom, it reminds me that God is the giver of all good gifts, it reminds me that Jesus is the root and we are the branches. If we are really honest, all the secular customs are not really secular at all. Forgetting their pagan origin for a moment (just for a moment), if everything that we do is religious, and it is (keeping in mind, as I do, the difference between set times of worship and all of life), then I point to the principle that says "the unexamined life is not worth living" (I know, the quote comes from an extra-Biblical source, but I find it consistent with the Biblical principle of doing all things to the glory of God). Why do it? Because I can (ok, but
why?), because it's fun, because it points me closer to God - these reasons are not good enough to justify special observance of a day that the Pope says is Jesus' birthday. I am not here to judge others, bind another's conscience or take joy out of anyone's family time. Christian liberty says I can eat a turkey on December 25 if I want to without it being tied to celebration of Christ-mass; when I do it to specifically to celebrate Christ-mass, I am shifting my justification from private matters of conscience to honoring a day because it is a "holy" day on the church calendar. Santa Claus is an abomination on any level and is not a matter of Christian liberty. The Christ-mass tree is not wrong only when people bow down and worship it directly; it is wrong because people say it points them to Christ (in a way that is different than just observing nature at any time of the year). If the tree is in the house in March because someone likes the scent, that's something completely (in)different. There is a whole litany of "secular" customs that can be scrutinzed and I have attempted to do so partially because I think it's a good thing to question our customs and see if we have a good reason for the things that we do or whether we are just blindly following the crowd. I have no desire to critique things indifferent; I have a desire to critique things that are yoked to false worship or hinder true worship.
The subject of consistency has been raised and I can address that but I would point out that inconsistency in the messenger's practice is not a sufficient reason to reject the message. I have posted previously my thoughts on the Olympics and music in different threads or forums which are devoted to those subjects. I am strongly critical of the pagan aspects of the Olympics and if one is forced to condone or participate in pagan rituals to be a part of the Olympics, I say that one should abstain. To the extent that false worship is involved in the Olympics, I say it should be condemned, not approved; to the extent that commercialism is involved, I have separate objections; to the extent that women and skimpy clothing is involved, I have further objections; to the extent that Sabbath-breaking is involved, I point to Eric Liddell as a great example; to the extent that it's just about healthy competition, I'm all for it. Music is a broad subject so I don't know what the specific "consistency" argument has to say there. The fact remains, this is a Christ-mass thread and those issues can be discussed in more detail elsewhere (as in some cases I already have).
I view Christ-mass as more than a potential idol; I view it as fundamentally religious (hence, the term holiday) and therefore, not really about Christian liberty but about religious worship, and I hold it to the standard of the Second Commandment. That is the basis of my argument, and why I view both religious and "secular" observance of the day as I do.
In the "spirit" of charity, I would like to add that I would be delighted to join with Paul and Bob and others in sharing a beer any day of the year, even December 25 (if they would have me). I know that we have so much in common as brothers in Christ despite our disagreements over this holiday. That's my Olympic-style olive branch.
Peace.
Just like the Israelites at Sinai with the calf (which was Yahweh) and Cain with his vegetation offering...but hey, they were all well-intentioned toward God, so...
comes to mind at times. How does the fact that much of the secular world associates it with pagan worship and treat it as a "holy day" make it inevitably so for all of us any more than some people's elevation of sports or sex or alcohol to a level of worship makes it inevitably so for all of us? As Paul said, the inconsistency gets annoying. Why the holidays? Why not the Olympics? Why not sex? Why not music? All of those things have repeatedly been elevated to a place of worship by unregenerate pagans, and yet we have no problem holding that those things need not be worship for us if we do not make them so. But when it comes to holidays for some reason, all of a sudden some treat it as if we inevitably have to make it what many unregenerate in the world make it.
