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View Poll Results: Do you celebrate Christmas?
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YES - Jesus + tree/Santa, etc
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20 |
66.67% |
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YES - Jesus only, no tree/Santa etc
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0 |
0% |
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YES - purely as a secular holiday/tree, Santa etc
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0 |
0% |
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NO
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10 |
33.33% |
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11-25-2013, 05:45 PM
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Isaiah 56:4-5
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SOUTH ZION
Posts: 11,307
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for Randy
A spir-RIT of AHHH. COM PRO MISE is AHHHH sweeping across chur ches ALL ACROSS THE LAND AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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11-25-2013, 06:04 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 184
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Esaias
I have no idea what you are talking about in this part, though. Not keeping Christmas doesn't make us 'so separate from the world' that we 'lose connection and common ground with those whom' we are trying to reach...But I've never had our not doing Christmas being a stumbling block for anyone except for other Christians who think if you don't do Christmas you must be antichristian or something....
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I guess this is where our experiences diverge. I have never seen someone won to Christ through our explanation of not celebrating the holiday, but have only seen it create bigger wedges between our family and the "non-saved" (both family and friends...and co-workers...and anyone else we'd have to explain it to). I've seen people look at me like I had three heads as I explained it. I've seen it shut down not only conversations, but relationships.
I have experienced doors to witness and mentor opening up when we use days common for our culture to celebrate as an excuse to reach out and talk and be interested in their lives and families. I'm not saying your a hermit for not celebrating Christmas...nor was my family. But our experience was that it was more cause to distance ourselves from people and be unrelatable, no matter if that was anything but our intention.
I am not a fan of Halloween at all. But we live in a huge neighborhood with a lot of foot traffic, and decided that the neighborly thing to do was to hand our candy. Our neighbor, seeing us out, decided to come over and talk. In doing so, she told us of her experiences studying her Bible and praying this year - and that in doing so, she received the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues. In her home. On her own. And she wants to know more about the Pentecostal experience (they're Methodist), so it's opened up more avenue for us to reach out to their family. It's not that we never talk to our neighbors at other times of year, but because we had a shared cultural experience (handing out candy on October 31), it opened up a door to talk that might not have been there or so timely. Just one anecdotal experience, for what it's worth.
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11-25-2013, 06:07 PM
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Administrator
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 13,829
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by houston
Miss B backslid into pagan idolatry. Sad.
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Cry for me, Argentina.
__________________
"God, send me anywhere, only go with me. Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. And sever any tie in my heart except the tie that binds my heart to Yours."
--David Livingstone
"To see no being, not God’s or any, but you also go thither,
To see no possession but you may possess it—enjoying all without labor or purchase—
abstracting the feast, yet not abstracting one particle of it;…."
--Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, Song of the Open Road
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11-25-2013, 06:10 PM
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Repent and believe the Gospel!
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,089
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Praxeas
I think Christmas and "Easter" (I prefer Resurrection) should be taken advantage of to reach out to our communities for Christ
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__________________
Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)
Scripture is its own interpreter. Nothing can cut a diamond but a diamond. Nothing can interpret Scripture but Scripture" Thomas Watson.
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11-25-2013, 06:44 PM
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Isaiah 56:4-5
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SOUTH ZION
Posts: 11,307
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
Cry for me, Argentina.
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I lit a candle for you today.
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11-25-2013, 06:44 PM
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Isaiah 56:4-5
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: SOUTH ZION
Posts: 11,307
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Quote:
Originally Posted by navygoat1998
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another backslider
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11-25-2013, 11:03 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,888
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissBrattified
I think my Dad regretted that later in life, also. He felt he was right about Christmas, but it was a point of contention with the rest of the family. I'm not so sure that being "right" was worth it.
I can appreciate that, Esaias. Family traditions are important, and it probably doesn't matter which ones you choose to observe.
Yes, and where it really gets sticky is in situations where you have the non-celebrating family gathered with the celebrating family which makes people feel odd about giving/receiving gifts. Some people feel that they can't accept gifts, which makes the giver feel bad. The people who aren't celebrating don't buy gifts, so they may feel bad for only being a recipient. It makes the whole thing awkward and stilted, at the very least. At its worst, (and I've been present for worse) the family argues over the issue, the non-celebrating family condemns those who celebrate or those who celebrate criticize those who don't celebrate and everyone's holiday is spoiled. It does end up separating family, because people aren't going to have you to their home and risk having their valuable family time ruined. Or, worse, there's some sort of incident or fight and the separation occurs due to hurt feelings.
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Die he celebrate now?
__________________
Today pull up the little weeds,
The sinful thoughts subdue,
Or they will take the reins themselves
And someday master you. --Anon.
The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
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11-25-2013, 11:10 PM
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Registered Member
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 6,888
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
I have come a little bipolar about it these days. As some know here I have posted much anti Christmas stuff on aff. Personally, I don't care much for it but do agree it causes separation and a stumbling block for most not saved.
__________________
Today pull up the little weeds,
The sinful thoughts subdue,
Or they will take the reins themselves
And someday master you. --Anon.
The most deadly sins do not leap upon us, they creep up on us.
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11-26-2013, 12:16 AM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,791
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by houston
I lit a candle for you today.
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__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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11-26-2013, 12:17 AM
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Go Dodgers!
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 45,791
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Re: Do you celebrate Christmas?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Truthseeker
I have come a little bipolar about it these days. As some know here I have posted much anti Christmas stuff on aff. Personally, I don't care much for it but do agree it causes separation and a stumbling block for most not saved.
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What causes a stumbling block? Christmas or your anti-Christmas stuff?
__________________
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
- There is One God. This one God reveals Himself distinctly as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
- The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (1Tim 3:16)
- Every sinner must repent of their sins.
- That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
- That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
- The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
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