Who cares if Christmas is Pagan?

I’m sure this is going to get likes and dislikes, but every Christmas season (and Easter, and Halloween, and…) you see a flood of internet conversation about whether or not Christians should be celebrating Christmas. Is it Pagan? Is it wicked? Does the Bible teach against decorating a tree?

I certainly do NOT want to discredit any one’s opinions. Obviously, I’m writing about my opinion as well. But I really want to ask the question, “Who really cares?”

Who actually bows down to a Tree?

UNLEARN is a popular YouTube channel that I actually like and follow often. I am forced to say, however, that this conversation is ridiculous and full of hyperbolic non-information. Admittedly, I’m young. I’m but a wee 40 years old. But in that 40 years, I’ve never once bowed to a tree (unless you count bending over to cut it or pick up presents around its base).

I’ve never taught my children to bow down to the tree in worship. They were never caused to believe that the Tree is the omnipotent source of Christmas presents. We’ve never sung a song of worship to that tree nor have we left sacrifices of praise to it.

And finally, the phrase “How does this give glory to God?” absolutely infuriates me with the hypocrisy and double-tongues manner in which it is used.  How does watching TV give glory to God? How does going fishing give glory to God? Or swimming? How about bathing? Singing? Hiking? Football? Softball? BBQ’s? Novels? Ad nauseum.

Where does the list stop? This is what drives me insane about the Christmas Conversation.

Is the idea of Christmas ‘pagan’? Well, consider the fact that ‘pagan’ actually means ‘a person who holds a religious belief outside of the main world religions‘. Having a Christmas tree, enjoying the ideas of snow, reindeer, Rudolph, A Christmas Story, Egg-Nog, family meals, and fellowship has nothing to do with religion, so it is not Pagan.

Incoming sarcasm

Hey – great question… Is going to church ‘pagan’? How do lights, smoke, shouting, concerts, loud music, money collections and shaking hands honor God? Is it possible, that it honors God because you TALK about God?

End the sarcasm

The Christian adaptation of Christmas, as a means to relate to the Birth of Christ and the Christian Gospel, is another story. It is quite obvious Christ wasn’t born on December 25th. So what? So let’s say you set a day to remember his birth and talk about it and mix a little common culture, fun, presents, and Jubilee into the mix – what have you really defiled?

Listen – my point is this. If you don’t want to celebrate Christmas (frankly, I view Christmas as money hungry greedy grab for the cash of over-sensationalized people, but that sounds a little like people demanding tithes…) then don’t celebrate Christmas. But WHY rain on the parade of millions of families, who like mine, see it as an opportunity to dress in comfy PJs, drink Egg-Nog, enjoy Holiday Cheer, give our kids gifts, spend time with family, etc?

If anything, looking at it simply from the perspective of familial love and time spent as a family unit, in the unity of either Christmas (Holiday) cheer or in the recounting and remembrance of the coming of Christ (Christian) – we are giving God honor in either way.

Merry Christmas To You!