Ho Ho Hold on a Second: “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”?
- Posted by: Todd
- Posted on: Thu, December 08, 2005
- Viewed 39
- (88) comments so far
Mark Waltz does a masterful job of tackling the whole "Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Holidays" debate that is raging this year. I always enjoy Mark's blog; and encourage you to add it to your 'must-read' list... Mark is one of the pastors at Granger Community Church in Granger, IN. Mark writes:
The whole “holiday vs. Christmas” debate gets under my skin. I’m tired of the rhetoric.
If Christ-followers are going to enter the conversation, let's at least do so in an informed manner. The last thing people in our culture need are Christ-followers who discredit themselves, their argument and their God by being uninformed about history and the celebration we embrace called, Christmas.
I wish we Christ-followers wouldn’t get so worked up about whether our kids have Christmas break or a winter holiday break. Labels aren’t the point. Jesus is. Nobody is taking away our ability to honor Christ in our lives.
For instance, Easter was celebrated in the early days of the Early Church, not Christmas. Late December holidays were celebrated by Europeans and others before there was ever a “Christmas”. Seems that Pope Julius I decided to mark the Christmas holiday on December 25 (since the Bible is silent about the time of year) as an alternative to the cultural debauchery associated with society's year-end party. Throughout the 5th – 8th centuries the custom spread from Poland to England.This time of year was chosen by the Pope in an effort to absorb the debauchery that marked the pagan celebrations in December. Christmas is a Christian holiday – established in contrast to other celebrations that honored pagan gods that Christ-followers didn’t trust.
In America the Puritans wanted nothing to do with the pagan holiday, so it was actually outlawed in Boston from 1659 – 1681. In fact the first Christmas after the declaration of America’s freedom, Congress was in session on December 25th. It wasn’t until 1870 that Christmas was declared a recognized holiday in America.
So, too often many Christ-followers in unintended error and ignorance, get worked up about the pagans in our “God-fearing” country taking away our religious, Christ-centered Christmas and replacing it with “holiday”.
My point? Our job is and always has been to live as the light of the world within our culture. Our job has never been to “Christianize” America or the world through political, legal or otherwise forced strategies. The church of Christ and his followers will always have Christmas. We do recognize the Christ - the one true God.
So, light the tree! Sing a carol! Read the Christmas narrative! Send cards that celebrate the Christ-child and God's kingdom on earth. Immanuel - He's here... whether our neighbors say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays".
I'm grateful for Rob Bell's (he's not the first and only one to point this out, but he says it well) take on Immanuel in chapter 3 of his book, Velvet Elvis. It's the same point that our weekend series "Pop Spirituality" celebrated a year and a half ago. Signs of Jesus are all around us. Joy, laughter, giving, and love all mark the presence of our Christ – whether those experiencing life and relationships acknowledge him or not. Our call, our privilege is to point to the Light - wherever He is... whether it's a holiday or Christmas.
He’s here. In every "here". "God with us ... Immanuel."
Enter the dialog. But, do so informed. Do so with respect for people. Because people still matter to the God we celebrate on December 25th.
Comments
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Julie on Thu, December 15, 2005
Jade
In the context of my comments on this blog topic, no. Obviously, the world finds something about Christmas attractive, even if they don’t “get it” in its entirety. Hooray! Hopefully individuals who celebrate our holiday without really understanding its significance will be influenced by someone reaching out to them and explaining the reason for our joy. Someone who cares about them personally; not just about where they spend their “holiday dollars.”
Jade on Thu, December 15, 2005
Julie,
What better way to explain the reason for our joy than by keeping Christmas what it is, rather than letting it be reduced to a day off. Good points however.
Evangelist Jeff on Thu, December 15, 2005
Jade,
I plead the 5th on this one. You have a blessed day. Merry Christmas.
Franklin Reeves on Thu, December 15, 2005
Jade,
I have shared the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a great many this year. I have open air preached, I have handed out tracts, I have done 1-2-1 witnessing. I have taken other out with me to equip them(something the pastors have forgotten to do in many places)So I do not think I am asleep, laying down on the job.
I teach my AWANA kids the importance of Christ and the real reason for Christmas. I went caroling with some friends to our neighbors singing those Carols that revolve around Christ our savior.
I wish a Merry Christmas to all those I meet.
Now am I saddened that department stores do not say Merry Christmas, no not really.
Maybe once the we quit depending on the schools, goverment, and stores to spread the gospel, we will start doing it ourselves like we were commanded.
So no, I do not think I am laying down, but many times I get one shot and if my choice is sharing the gospel are griping about someone not saying Merry Christmas, then I will just share the gospel.
I really wish instead of sedning angry emails to the stores, you would send them a gospel tract.
Franklin Reeves on Thu, December 15, 2005
The you in sending angry emails was not directed at Jade, it was to all of us in general.
I do agree with Jade that many of us Christians are asleep at the wheel. However I say that our lacking of sharing Jesus, and not the lack of defending Christmas/etc.. is the real problem.
Adrian Rodgers said about another issue(social gospel) but I think it applies here,
Many christians are trying to make the world a better place to go to hell from.
Jade on Thu, December 15, 2005
Franklin,
Good points, but can’t you do all that and Stand up for this. Why does everyone here act as if they don’t have time? All it takes is a phone call. Don’t chew people out just state your opinion to them in love that is it. What alarms me is the lack of caring. So yes I believe in this situation we are asleep at the wheel and our letting someone else do the driving. My intention was to get people to care about it. Not necessarily to get people mad, or have them send hate e-mails which are never justified.
In this country we have Freedom of speech and we as Christian need to use this right and just stand up for what we believe in. Don’t do it in a hateful way.
Passing out tracks is great. Doing all that stuff we do as ministers throughout the year is all wonderful. Why can’t we stand up for our beliefs as well? Too much on our plate, I don’t buy that sorry. People might think of us differently, personally if you do it right I think you get respect from people.
My take on this as I have said before is this is just one more thing they have taken away from us. Although we can still celebrate in our homes and in our hearts, wait someday they will try to take that away as well. Also if you don’t think the schools have an influence on what your kids think and believe you need to think again. They spend 8 hrs a day in school. That means for 8 hrs. their young minds are being influenced by the school. We should all know exactly what they are teaching kids. Just my opinion. Finally I do believe Jesus cares about this, why would He not, after all it is His name that is being removed, and it is the celebration of His birth that is being thrown away. Oh Well, thanks for how respectful you have been to me.
In Christ
Evangelist Jeff on Thu, December 15, 2005
Jade,
I understand where you are coming from and where you are going with this and I respect that man. If you would please, try to look at it like this. They may be wanting to make everything politically correct now days but make no mistake about. They will never ever take Christ out of anything.
Let me give you an example: We are not the only ones this has happened to. Christians all through the ages suffered for what they believed in. There were people from the apostle’s day until now who have always wanted to remove christ from everything and tried to do so by making life hard on the christians. But, just like that energizer bunny it is still going.
I close with this. Look at the story about the candy cane. They tried to tell the christians of that day they couldn’t celebrate christmas with anything resembling christ. But this man came up with the idea of the candy cane.
it is shaped like a sheperd’s staff, to let us know that he is our shepherd and that the shepherds came to see him. next it is red and white. the white shows us that he was pure and the red tells us of his blood that was shed for us.
When they say that you cannot say this or that learn to say it in a different way without changing the gospel.
Me on the other hand. I say Merry Christmas here in Frankfort, Ky. No one has corrected me yet.
Kent on Thu, December 15, 2005
This notion that we ought to just roll over and let the world take Christ out of our culture is damaging to our culture at best.
As an example the Bible was once placed in our public schools by our forefathers. We just timidly let the world take that out as well. Yeah, it’s easy to just bow our heads, shrug our shoulders, look the other way and not speak up for Christ in love, but that laziness and caring more about being liked than standing up for Jesus has done more harm to our culture than anything.
Jade on Thu, December 15, 2005
Kent,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!
Finally some one agrees. That is exactly my point.
Franklin Reeves on Thu, December 15, 2005
I did not mean to imply that you sent or were asking anyone to send hateful emails. In fact based on a post it appears that some of us have been doing that. That is why I made sure to say that was not aimed at you.
My post was not to discourage people from talking about Christmas, or requesting stores not change the names of things.
My main point, which is missed or ignored, is
Why do so many get upset that non-christians/lost/blind or those whose mind is still at war with God don’t want to mention Christmas. Why do we go to more length campainging for them to put Christmas back in front of tree, when we refuse (not all but 98% according to Bill Bright) refuse to share the gospel of Jesus Christ?
We care more about them respecting our wishes, than we do about their eternal souls!
Not all of us or all of you, but the majority.
So by all means make a call and ask that they have enough respect for the day of year that brings them most of thier business to leave the name of that day in their advertising slogans.
I just ask that we at the least tell one person the gospel of Christ (outside the church) for each time we make the request that they honor Christmas by puting Christmas back in the Christmas Tree.
Evangelist Jeff on Thu, December 15, 2005
Time to say night night you all.
Rudolph the Red Nose Reigndeer is coming on, that is my favorite movie.
God bless you all. I will sign off for now and see you tomorrow.
Kent on Sat, December 17, 2005
On the news this morning, the newscaster was reporting a story on a CO. school who had taken away reference to Christmas and replaced it with a more politically correct term. There were people who spoke up this time. Anyway the newscaster couln’t understand why there was such a big “hub bud” as she called it, this year over these names when there hasn’t been people really speaking out before.
Praise God there are people who are now speaking up.
You here a lot of how christians shouldn’t get involved with thes kind of things or pollitical issues, basically not ever going against the grain of culture in an outward way.
Early in our culture, Bible reading in public schools was standard, and as a result, kids were reinforced with truth rather than it being contradicted. Laws and Culture mold attitudes, and attitudes that have been exposed to good rather than evil does make a difference for Christ.
bernie dehler on Sat, December 17, 2005
Kent said:
“As an example the Bible was once placed in our public schools by our forefathers.”
I think that is an overstatement. There were factions. I think people like Madison and Jefferson would agree with removing bibles from class rooms when they see the current mix of diversity in America today, must of it due to massive immigration including peoples of different races and religions. This was never a Christian country… During our formative years, from Virginia, Patrick Henry fought valiently for a Christian nation, and was defeated by Madison and his group. Seperation of church and state ruled supreme. Most people were Christians then, so bibles were in schools simply because the majority wanted it. In America, civil rights trump the majority view. Just because the majority of kids in a public classroom are Christian, doesn’t mean the whole class should pray in Jesus’ name… just as if most of the kids were Muslim, they wouldn’t all have to profess praise to Allah.
...Bernie
...Bernie
Kent on Sat, December 17, 2005
Bernie,
Our country is a democracy, but it was framed on Biblical principles of which can’t be denied. They placed the bibles in the classroom because they recognized the power and influence behind it.
While I might agree, that due to our diversity, our founding fathers might not make it mandetory, I do not believe they would EVER have it removed. We allow things in the school teaching homosexual practice and acceptance, yet remove the Bible and Christians aren’t inclined to speak up about it, and that is not at all right.
Kent on Sat, December 17, 2005
Another thought on our founding fathers.
Do you think they also intended for us to one day remove all the biblical refernces from the national monuments in Washington? With it being carved in stone I doubt it.
How about from our currency? It is quite obvious that our country was built upon the Bible. The thought that they intended that one day it would ok to for our country to no longer recognize and adhere to that is simply not being true to their purpose.
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