BrotherDan, thank you once more for your thoughtful responses. Let me address my views on baptism and then Christmas .
With respect to baptism, I believe it is necessary for those who are part of the new covenant. I do not consider myself a member of the body of Christ although I believe myself to be a Christian. That is a discussion we can have later, but I am stating my view for now. So if I were learning about the Bible and wanted to serve God and follow his Son, then I believe a personal commitment and dedication alone will suffice. Baptism would be an additional step taken for someone who is or wants to be part of that new covenant arrangement.
With respect to Christmas, my opposition to it is quite firm. Yes, Christ's birth was a joyous event and angels did celebrate it. We should all be grateful that the Son of God was born as a man in Bethlehem, and marking that event makes sense. My problem with Christmas comes from my study of astronomy, mathematics (in which I hold a degree), and history. The date of 25 December was chosen for one reason only: it marked the lengthening of days in the Northern Hemisphere after the days of the winter solstice (21-24 December) had passed. Attaching the birth of Christ to this date is a falsehood, and I do not think our Lord would ever endorse such a thing. He gave no command or even a suggestion that his birth be celebrated. The New Testament doesn't mention or even hint that first century Christians held such a celebration.
Our ancestors celebrated 25 December as "sun return". The Romans even had a special name for the day: dies natalis solis invicti, the birthday of the unconquered sun. For the sun had seemingly triumphed over the forces of cold and darkness. He had not vanished from sight, but had risen over the same spot for four consecutive days (21-24 December) after six months of steady retreat from north to south. On the morning of 25 December, the spot of sunrise moved north and the days begin to grow perceptively longer from then until 21 June. That is what Christmas is really all about: celebrating the return of lengthening days.
I have no problem with any kind of seasonal observance. In fact, I wish our modern society would have more of them. To me, as a student of astronomy and mathematics, the days of the equinoxes and the solstices are very special and I would love to see ceremonies marking them as our ancestors did. If we want to call Christmas what it really is, a solstice celebration, then I am all for it. But to attach the name of Christ to something not even remotely connected to him is wrong.
With respect to the WTS approach to Christmas, I agree with you that it is not informative or upbuilding. It mostly seeks to play on guilt and anger as reasons to avoid Christmas altogether. Yet it has to be acknowledged that this celebration does bring stress and unhappiness to many. Some dread being forced to spend money they do not have. Others abhor the religious aspect of the holiday and they aren't Jehovah's Witnesses. The secularization and emphasis on materialism is disgusting to many. And it's not just Christmas that gets this kind of treatment. Other holidays that were originally instituted for very noble purposes or to honor worthy men have been turned into commercial sales events and reasons for eating and drinking to excess, just like Christmas has become.
Now when the year-end holidays come, I maintain a low profile. Some friends extend invitations to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and I gladly accept them. Others include me in family activities, and again, I am grateful for their attention. The discussions we have focus on the joy of getting together and not the holiday itself. That makes the event a joyous one for all. For my part, I give gifts and have friends over for a good meal throughout the year, and friends and family appreciate that. In that way, I can maintain a clear conscience with respect to Christmas without dirtying my hands with it, thus maintianing peace and friendship with friends and family.
