Does Christ Approve of Christmas?
IN MANY parts of the earth, Nativity scenes are common during the Christmas season. These often include near-life-size figures of the babe Jesus in a stable, along with Mary, Joseph, shepherds, Magi, and some cattle. Does Christ approve of such Christmas displays?
Actually the propriety of Nativity scenes has been heatedly debated, even being argued before the Supreme Court of the United States. Last December, Time magazine reported: “Thanks to a Supreme Court decision earlier in the year, Nativity scenes this season also adorn the public parks and buildings of some municipalities that had ceased putting them up while the issue was in dispute.”
But, in fact, the issue of whether Nativity scenes are legal on government property is still in dispute. “The Supreme Court’s ruling,” Time acknowledged, “failed to settle the matter.” Again this year, in an indecisive 4 to 4 ruling regarding the legality of a Scarsdale, New York, Nativity scene, the Supreme Court failed to give clear direction.
Promoting Christianity?
Opposers of such Nativity scenes, who include the American Civil Liberties Union, argue that Christmas displays amount to a state promotion of religion and so are in violation of the constitution. But columnist Bill Hall, writing in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, protests that Christmas in no way promotes Christianity:
“Where in the world did the American Civil Liberties Union ever get the silly idea that Christmas is a Christian holiday? A walk through any shopping center in America at Christmas time would dispel that notion.
“Christmas has little to do with Christianity. Christmas is a heathen celebration of wealth, greed and gluttony.
“Christianity, by contrast, is a nearly extinct religion based on the teachings of one Jesus Christ. It was a religion that stressed generosity, love, forbearance and non-violence. . . .
“Yet the ACLU has jumped hilariously to the wild conclusion—probably because of the similarity in names—that Christmas and today’s Christian churches actually have something to do with authentic, original Christianity. . . .
“The ACLU makes the common mistake of assuming that Christmas is essentially a Christian celebration which American heathens also celebrate. The reverse is true. The vast majority of those celebrating Christmas are people who don’t go to church. It is essentially a heathen revel.”
Christmas “a heathen revel”? Could that be true? Isn’t Christmas the birthday of Christ?
Whose Birthday?
No, it is not Christ’s birthday. “The day of Christ’s birth cannot be ascertained from the N[ew] T[estament], or, indeed, from any other source,” explains the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature. One thing is certain, Christ was not born on December 25th. At his birth shepherds were in the fields at night tending their flocks, which they would not have been doing during the cold nights of December.—Luke 2:6-8.
Furthermore, Lutheran minister John C. McCollister wrote in his recent book The Christian Book of Why: “It was the feeling at that time by all Christians that the celebration of all birthdays (even the Lord’s) was a custom of the pagans. In an effort to divorce themselves from all pagan practices, the early Christians refused to set aside a date marking Jesus’ birth.”
Where, then, did the Christmas celebration of December 25th originate? The book Celebrations—The Complete Book of American Holidays by Robert J. Myers answers: “Prior to the celebration of Christmas, December 25 in the Roman world was the Natalis Solis Invicti, the Birthday of the Unconquerable Sun. This feast, which took place just after the winter solstice of the Julian calendar, was in honor of the Sun God, Mithras.”
“Besides the Mithraic influence,” Myers continues, “other pagan forces were at work.” The Romans celebrated the licentious festival of the Saturnalia during the latter part of December, and, as Myers explains: “The clergy eventually brought the upside-down world of the Saturnalia into the Church itself.” No wonder the book Christmas Customs Around the World reports: “The Puritans showed their disdain for this pagan festival by planning hard work for the day and passing a law forbidding the celebration of Christmas”!
Does Christ Approve?
‘But the Puritans were too rigid,’ some may object, ‘and so were early Christians. Now Christmas honors Christ.’ Does it really? Christ always stood for truth, but Christmas fosters untruths. (John 14:6) ‘It is Christ’s birthday,’ even schoolteachers and clergymen say. But it is not! ‘Santa Claus will bring you presents if you are good.’ But that is not true! Consider, too, the Nativity scenes.
Many of these show the Magi, or astrologers, with Jesus when he was born. Yet the Bible says that by the time the astrologers arrived, Jesus was no longer a baby but was a child living in a house. (Matthew 2:7-11) Do you really believe that Christ approves of a celebration that so misrepresents the truth?
Even more serious, however, is the false impression given by Christmas that Christ is simply a helpless baby. A little girl viewing a Nativity scene was heard to ask her mother: “Did Jesus ever grow up?” Why did she ask? “Well,” she responded, “he hasn’t grown at all since I saw him last year!” And the impression left at Christmas is just that, that Christ is a helpless babe, not the ruling King that he is, one who will soon rid the earth of all unrighteousness.—Psalm 2:9, 12; 110:1, 2; Revelation 12:5; 19:15, 16.
When you consider what goes on at Christmas, really how could Christ approve? “Alcoholics and their families have an especially rough time of it because the Christmas spirit so often comes in bottles,” Time reported. “And the lipstick worn home from the office party disturbs untold millions more.” Yes, Christmas has not changed from its licentiousness of earlier days.
The book Curiosities of Popular Customs, by William S. Walsh, observes: “In spite of the condemnation of the wise and the sane, Christmas in the early days frequently reproduced all the worst orgies, the debaucheries and indecencies, of the Bacchanalia and the Saturnalia. . . . The wild revels, indeed, of the Christmas period in olden times almost stagger belief.”
When you think about it, perhaps you will concur with the opinion voiced last December in The Sunday Express, a newspaper of South Africa. “It’s that time of year again,” the article began, “when the festive spirit comes to the fore and religious people say: ‘Let’s put Christ back into Christmas.’
“Since Christ was not there in the beginning, it would be far more appropriate to remove any reference to Him altogether and call Christmas by some other name.
“Why besmirch Christ’s name with all the associations of commercialism, excessive eating and drinking and revelry?”
What Will You Do?
Surely, Christ does not approve of Christmas. It dishonors him and his teachings. So what will you do at this season of the year?
The above-quoted South African newspaper suggested: “Let’s rather be honest and turn Christmas back into the pagan feast that it was in the beginning and relax and enjoy ourselves in partying and jollifications with all the trappings of yule-logs and wild feasting—without pretending that we’re celebrating Christ’s birth.”
True, that may be unhypocritical, yet Christ does not approve of licentious pagan feasts, whether they are carried on in his name or not. (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) So if you truly desire Christ’s approval, what will you do? The columnist Bill Hall, quoted earlier, answers: “Any genuine Christian—assuming there actually are a few of them left—would shun any association with the worldly, modern celebration known as Christmas.”
Jehovah’s Witnesses everywhere do that very thing. They take no part in the celebration of Christmas because they are truly trying to win the favor of their heavenly King, Jesus Christ. And they seek to live in accord with his teachings, not just on special occasions but every day of the year. If that also is your desire, Jehovah’s Witnesses will be delighted to help you fulfill it.
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Do Nativity scenes teach the truth about Christ?