Let's Talk Christmas

[Knotical]

I grew up in the midwest, where we usually had a white Christmas. Now I live in the San Joaquin Valley in California. Fog is just not the same as snow at Christmas time.

Lord willing I will be able to make it back to the midwest someday.

 

[Claudya]

You humbug.

Just think of it as a time to enjoy being with your friends and family. A time to be grateful for what we have.

I will try to do that as good as possible.

 

[Mike S]

I will try to do that as good as possible.

There are people in your life who are your friends, let them love you. I pray some of them are here on this forum. Count me as one.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Christmas in Florida.
Santa has a team of 8 alligators, and his outfit is a tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops.
That's the way it's suppose to be.

 

[Mike S]

Christmas in Florida.
Santa has a team of 8 alligators, and his outfit is a tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops.
That's the way it's suppose to be.

All is right with the world.

 

[TOG]

I am with others who do not do Christmas, what turnorburn and tog says pretty much sums up my views.

As an aside I could never understand why churches who had nativity scenes persisted in including the wise men with the baby Jesus when the Bible clearly tells us they visited him as a child. My brother asked one pastor why they did it and was smiled at indulgently and told " the children like it". Is that a reason to not be truthful?
Methinks not.

It's not just the children. According to Religion Today, a recent survey shows that 49% of Americans who celebrate Christmas (which is 90%) believe the wise men visited the manger. The same survey says that 49% of Americans prefer a secular greeting such as "happy holidays" rather than a religious greeting such as "merry Christmas" and that 26% consider Christmas a primarily cultural holiday, rather than a religious one.

The TOG​

 

[evenifigoalone]

I am with others who do not do Christmas, what turnorburn and tog says pretty much sums up my views.

As an aside I could never understand why churches who had nativity scenes persisted in including the wise men with the baby Jesus when the Bible clearly tells us they visited him as a child. My brother asked one pastor why they did it and was smiled at indulgently and told " the children like it". Is that a reason to not be truthful?
Methinks not.

At my church we're doing a "live nativity scene" sort of thing (more like a very short play), and it has the wisemen, but they're travelling and never make it to baby Jesus for that reason.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

When i was at that age when Santa was as real as real can be i believed my parents.. don't be naughty better be nice "or else" In my mind it was unnerving to find out that my parents had lied to me will they continue to lie to me..

The idea of this seemingly supernatural Santa was so stupid all by itself that I knew it was a game, and that my parents were probably buying the presents and setting them out at 3:00 in the morning. All I knew was I got the goods on Christmas morning and could never figure out how they did it while I was sleeping and not when I was lying awake wondering about it. I never once remember my mom or dad coming in the room to see if I was awake and finding out I wasn't.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

I am with others who do not do Christmas, what turnorburn and tog says pretty much sums up my views.

As an aside I could never understand why churches who had nativity scenes persisted in including the wise men with the baby Jesus when the Bible clearly tells us they visited him as a child. My brother asked one pastor why they did it and was smiled at indulgently and told " the children like it". Is that a reason to not be truthful?
Methinks not.

Well, as I'm learning, the church hasn't taught a lot of things in the Bible very well.

But thank God we who read it even have the Bible to begin with to know that.

 

[Claudya]

Christmas in Florida.
Santa has a team of 8 alligators, and his outfit is a tee shirt, shorts, and flip flops.
That's the way it's suppose to be.

Rudolph the red nose gator
had a very shiny nose...

ehhh.... No.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

History can be a tricky subject since deciphering the past accurately can be pretty tricky and historians often disagree with each other.

Yup, that's what I found out.

I've heard both sides, and both seem pretty convinced they represent the truth about the matter. So I concluded it's impossible to know the real truth about it.

'To the pure all things are pure' (too lazy to look up the reference). Since I don't know the truth about Christmas' origins, and there are no pagans left who (supposedly) worship in the system Christmas (supposedly) copies that my Christmas celebration should somehow be a stumbling block to someone, I say...hope I get the 'Burn Notice' DVD set for Christmas!

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Rudolph the red nose gator
had a very shiny nose...

ehhh.... No.

Yes, today we see that Rudolph has evolved into a gator.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Of course it is. It's so glorious setting aside but a single day for celebrating it is ridiculous.
Plus the day set aside for it used to be a pagan holiday they conveniently picked so they could conveiently keep their traditions alive. Jesus Himself never told us to celebrate His birthday.

Did Christ tell you to go to church on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays?

I'm not saying since he didn't, you can't. I'm saying we have the liberty to worship Christ at Christmas. And nobody's left of a supposed old pagan system of worship that might stumble as a result of our worship of Christ at Christmas, so that's not a problem.

 

[reba]

Mom is 90 she has been a Christian for 90 years.. A few years back i was grumping about Christmas ...The standard He was not born Dec 25... If He wanted a big tado His birthday would be clear ... it so commercial ...so gimmy gimmy....etc..

Mom said something like... "Isn't it amazing He is the Light of the world they dont know it but most the world is lit up in His honor"... I guess joy is where ya find it seek and ye shall fine what are we seeking for ?

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Yes, today we see that Rudolph has evolved into a gator.

Read between the lines folks....

What he's saying is, "I've turned into a warm weather wimp and changed my perceptions about Christmas to accommodate that wimpiness."

 

[Mike S]

Yes, today we see that Rudolph has evolved into a gator.

You are what you eat.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Also, if you are single and barely have a family christmas just sucks.

Christmas does seem to be a sort of litmus test for one's over-all emotional state.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Snow in Bethelem

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Everybody should watch the 1953 English version of Scrooge with Alistair Sim, and listen to the words very closely.

Scrooge is probably the most fundamentally Christian movie ever made (the 1953 version just happens to be the best. And look for the blooper when Scrooge is looking in the mirror on Christmas morning after he is born again.).

Every year I think about starting a thread to talk about the abundance of Christian truth in Scrooge.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Read between the lines folks....

What he's saying is, "I've turned into a warm weather wimp and changed my perceptions about Christmas to accommodate that wimpiness."

Let's see...
According to the "Some People" thread, "some people are just plain trouble makers".