why celebrate xmas?

enoughisenough

Many on here are ex JW....they have left the JWs because of coming to find out the many false indoctrinations. One of the things learned as a JW is that there isn't anything true about xmas being the birth of Jesus. ( Matt Chapter 2 tells a whole different narrative about the baby Jesus than what is portrayed by the Christian churches) They learn the ways that are celebrated are pagan practices Jesus told the Samaritan woman that God wanted to be worshipped in spirit and it truth. My question is, if you left JWs because of learning of false hoods, and you know God wants to be worshipped in truth, why would you practice xmas of which there is no truth in?

truth_b_known

This line of thinking is a typical Watchtower exercise in leaps of logic.

When was Jesus born? No one knows. We don't even know if Jesus ever existed. Let's assume Jesus was born. Again we don't know when.

Is that sufficient reason not to celebrate Jesus' birth? That is to say, is that sufficient reason to believe the alleged Almighty God/YHWH of the Bible does not want the birth of His son on Earth celebrated? Is it a sin in itself to celebrate the birth of the Messiah? Short answer - No.

Many cultures in the past had celebrations during the winter solstice. These celebrations honored gods other than the God/YHWH of the Bible. At some point these cultures converted to Christianity. These cultures enjoyed their winter festivals, but wanted to honor Jesus rather than their old gods. The church sanctioned this.

Is the stopping of the honoring of old gods and starting of honoring Jesus a sin?

Now, some might argue that the Bible does not record any command to honor Jesus birth on Earth? The concept of "it must be in the Bible or it is false" was a heretical teaching of Martin Luther. It is known as Sola Scriptura or "By Scripture Alone". Luther's Reformation movement started in 1517, 1,484 years after Jesus' death and alleged resurrection. As early as 125 CE Christians were celebrating Jesus' birth.

I no longer believe in the Bible as a book of historical fact, the existence of the God of the Bible, or that the historical Jesus was immaculately conceived or the literal son of God. I do know that the Watchtower attack on Christmas is full of logical fallacy.

DesirousOfChange

First of all, we do not practice Christmas even though we've left WT/JWs behind. We just don't need it.

I think former JWs that choose to celebrate Christmas don't give a rat's ass about "spirit & truth" of the foundations of the holiday. Christmas is no longer a "religious" holiday as it has been hijacked by secular society including non-Christian cultures. Only a very small percentage of celebrants are "glorifying the baby Jesus". No, the vast majority are enjoying time with family & friends. They are reaching out to friends with small gifts or even just a note/card to stay in touch and reconfirm their friendship. It's just too late to "put Christ back into Christmas".

enoughisenough

" As early as 125 CE Christians were celebrating Jesus' Birth." ....if important, why didn't the diciples? why wasn't the date recorded? It seems to me some JW go from one false doctrine to another. Then there are those who cease belief in God, Jesus, the Bible altogether. "Is the stopping of honoring old gods and the starting of honoring Jesus a sin?" --my question would be is it worshipping in spirit and in truth? and if not, what would you call it?

TonusOH

I'm not a religious person anymore, so for me it's just a festive time where you can engage in some fun rituals, including the gift exchange and decorations. I don't have to worry about the religious meaning of it, or if I am taking part in something that God may disapprove of. I don't think that God is any more real than Santa Claus, so I'm free to celebrate as I wish.

I'm honestly not even conversant with the reasons why Christians celebrate it because all I ever knew was the JW approach. Would God find the celebration of His/His son's birth to be a problem, even if much of it is borne of other cultures and celebrations? I don't know. Jehovah is not the most predictable personality, to me.

punkofnice

I don't bother with X-mas myself.

1. Because I was raised in the mentally destructive JW cult, I have no childhood memories of X-mas. I have no anchors in it. It is totally meaningless to me.

2. Nothing to do with what the Bible says because I really can't believe all that stuff. The Bible is just a book of fairy tales and mind numbing nonsense to me. You have some way to go to even convince me that Jesus actually existed. Then you'd have to provide evidence he was as the Bible says. Even then it's not proof that he was the Son of God. It's to silly to comprehend.

3. I don't follow the commercial trail like a sheep.

jhine

Enough may l ask how what the Christian churches teach about the Birth of Jesus differs to Matthew ch 2 ?

I am a member of a Christian church and we take all of the Gospels seriously.

Jan

LV101

EIE -- Perhaps some JWs jump from one false doctrine to another but I returned to my life-long celebration of Christmas. Didn't realize how krazy their interpretation of scripture was and sensed immediately they were Pharisees (quite a pecking/power order inside) and did my own thing thus technically was not a witness.

Vanderhoven7

Christians can celebrate the birth of Christ as did the angels and the shepherds and later the Magi regardless of what day of the year Jesus was born. Every day belongs to the Lord whether pagans have attached their deities names to them or not. So we can reclaim every day for the Father and the Son and worship Christ, not only for his birth and his death but also for his life, his promises, his word, his grace his resurrection, his Ascension and his rule in our lives by His amazing Holy Spirit.

peacefulpete

enough .....you made similar negative comments about Xmas a month ago that suggest you haven't yet shed the sectarian bigotry of the WT. Anyone who studies religious history understands that every religion is indebted to those that came before. Every religion is a syncretic admixture of old and new. Last month I said:

baah humbug. Ludicrous. Jesus is depicted as celebrating Hanukah. An apostate religious holiday (with Solstice lights and delayed to match the Roman event) if there ever was one. He is also depicted as celebrating the Passover reclining not standing up like the Bible says. Jews had by then adopted the Roman tradition of reclining at ease. He drinks 4 glasses of wine, not part of the OT instructions in fact prohibited due to the yeast. Sanctimonious puritanism is not a reflection of the Jesus of the Bible.

Have you considered what that ought to suggest? Did the writers of the Gospels see it as an issue? What about Paul saying not to be concerned about "eating food sacrificed to idols"? Doesn't that also suggest Paul felt that the religious use of something doesn't "taint" the object? Even former JWs who identify as Christians need to ask how much of my belief system is the product of sectarian JWism,

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-and-the-winter-solstice/

why celebrate xmas?

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