Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?

My family always has a Christmas tree every yearDecember.Secondly, Luke 2:1,3 tells us that at the
because it was the popular thing to do. We havetime of the birth of Jesus Christ it was decreed that,
ornaments, holly wreaths, presents and everything"all the world would be taxed...And all went to be
else that goes along with the Christmas celebration. Itaxed, every one into his own city." This couldn't
know it was borderline but in that everyone liked ithave taken place in the winter. Caesar Augustus, the
so much and it's supposed to be in honor of ourruler of Rome, would certainly not call for such a
Lord's birthday I went along with it all these years.taxing in the depth of winter. Travel at this time of
This year I have looked at the weight of Scripturalthe year is extremely difficult; hence, it would be
evidence that has caused me to reconsider howvirtually impossible for everyone to comply with the
harmless and good this holiday is. Just where in Thedecree if it had been given then. The Lord Himself
Bible does it tell us not to celebratetestified to the rigors of traveling in winter, for He
Christmas?Christmas Not a Bible DoctrineIn the firsttold the people to pray that their flight at the end of
place, Christmas is not a Bible Doctrine. If our blessedthis age would not be in winter (Matthew 24:20).No
Lord had wanted us to celebrate His birthday, Heone knows the exact day when Jesus Christ was
would have told us when to celebrate it and how toborn, but in all the probability He was born sometime
celebrate it. But Christ never told anyone to celebrateduring September. We can be reasonably sure of this
His birthday. Furthermore, we know from the Biblebecause His earthly ministry lasted approximately 3 1
and from church history that the apostles and the2 years, and He was crucified on the 14th day of the
early church never celebrated Christ's birthday.Themonth of Nisan, which corresponds to our April (John
Bible is God's complete and final revelation to man,19:31, Leviticus 23:5). If we go back about 3 1/2
and it tells us everything we need to know for ouryears to the time when Jesus Christ was 30 years
spiritual lives (II Timothy 3:16). We don't have to goold - when He began His public ministry - we come to
outside the Bible for anything. God's Word tells usthe month of September. This was probably the
how we're to worship, how we're to give money formonth when our Lord was born into the world.Origin
the support of the Lord's work, how to evangelizeof ChristmasThousands of years before Jesus Christ
the lost, how to observe the Lord's Supper andwas born, heathens in every country observed
everything else pertaining to the Christian life. But notDecember 25th as the birthday of a god who was
once in the Bible does God tell us to celebratecalled the sun-god. Semiramis, the widow of Nimrod,
Christmas! We're told to remember the Lord's death,was his mother. She claimed to be the queen of
but nowhere are we told to celebrate His birth.God'sheaven. And she had a son who was supposed to
people are supposed to be Bible people. We arehave been born on December 25th; his name was
supposed to live by the teaching of the God's HolyTammuz.According to all the heathen religions of that
Word. So the very fact that Christmas is nevertime, Tammuz had a miraculous birth; and for
mentioned in the Bible is sufficient reason for us notcenturies his birthday was celebrated with feasts,
to have anything to do with it. But that's not all.Christrevelry and drunken orgies. The heathen celebrated
Not born on December 25The second reason I notTammuz birthday according to the very example he
to celebrate Christmas is that Christ was not born onset for them. He was the world's greatest lover of
December 25th. Notice:"And there were in the samewomen, strong drink, dirty jokes and other sensual
country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watchfun. It is said that he loved everybody and that
over their flock by night." Luke 2:8Don't miss theeverybody loved him. And it was on December 25th
point: the shepherds WERE IN THE FIELDS takingthat all the pagan religions celebrated the birthday of
care of their flocks on the night Jesus Christ wasTammuz, the son-god.This is all clearly brought out in
born. As the shepherds were watching their sheep,Alexander Hislop's great book, "The Two Babylon's".
the message came to them of the birth of JesusAny reputable encyclopedia will also verify these
Christ.It's a well known fact that December falls infacts.It's plain to see, isn't it, that Christmas is a
the middle of the rainy season in Palestine, and thepagan holiday that came out of old pagan
sheep were kept in the fold at that time of the year.Babylon.Christmas: A Catholic HolidayThe fourth
The shepherds always corralled their flocks fromreason I not to celebrate Christmas is because
October to April. They brought their sheep from theChristmas is a Catholic holiday. Why should I steal
mountainsides and the fields no later than OctoberChristmas from the Catholics? They got it from the
15th to protect them from the cold, rainy seasonspagans, and I'm happy to let them keep it.Notice
that followed that date. So the birth of Christ couldwhat Encyclopedia Americana has to say about
not have taken place at the end ofChristmas and Catholicism.