Why Is The "Christmas Spirit" So Different?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Truthseeker

It's a superficial fakelike spirit.

not always.

I think you are painting with too broad a brush.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Cindy

The only problem I have with it, is that football always interferes with the celebration.

some people think that the celebration interferes with football

[Sam]

Our church auditorium has been decorated for Christmas with greenery, etc. and a Christmas tree on the platform. I have no problem with that. Actually, I like it.

I believe that things like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Birthdays, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, etc fall into the Romans chapter 14 category.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Sam

Our church auditorium has been decorated for Christmas with greenery, etc. and a Christmas tree on the platform. I have no problem with that. Actually, I like it.

I believe that things like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Birthdays, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, etc fall into the Romans chapter 14 category.

What decorations would you like if they decorated the platform for halloween next year.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Sam

...fall into the Romans chapter 14 category.

Romans 14 and 1 Cor 8 and 1 Cor 10 got me, as well. If Paul ate meat offered to idols, and it was only eating food to him... go figure.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

What decorations would you like if they decorated the platform for halloween next year.

good question.
Our church does "Trunk of Treat" on Halloween.
My wife and I stay home and give out candy to the neighborhood kids.
We don't include tracts in goodie bags but I would have no problem with it.

Some churches have like a "haunted house" to try to scare the hell out of people.

[missourimary]

My church recreated Narnia this Halloween and had a special night for children in the area in a safe setting. Each game they played had a Biblical emphasis, as well as a treat. Sam, there are three trees on our platform right now. I got to help decorate them.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Romans 14 and 1 Cor 8 and 1 Cor 10 got me, as well. If Paul ate meat offered to idols, and it was only eating food to him... go figure.

I will comment on this. I'm not looking for an argument but I see this applied often and I don't think that the application is true to the intent of the scripture nor to the point being made.

The scripture speaks of eating meat offered to idols and that it isn't a problem but if someone is weak then we should refrain from it for their sakes... in so many words.

Now I am aware of Brother Blume's notion that these practices have been in christianity so long that their pagan origins are no longer an issue but I am simply speaking to the inference that was made by him on these scriptures.

So... let's label a few things.

Meat offered to idols... this is a by product of a pagan practice... a food product which is solely there because of a pagan practice.

Offerings to idols... these are ACTUAL pagan practices.

I can go into this deeper but I am going to try and keep this short. So lets get straight to the point and I'll see if I can bypass lengthy discussion.

Paul is not saying taking part in pagan rituals or practices is okay. Paul would never say... if we worship God by making sacrifices like the pagans do that's okay unless your weaker brother has a problem with it then you should refrain. He is making that statement at all.

And yet the things we discuss along the lines of christmas are discussions of actual pagan practices that were "converted" to christianity.

If we were to take what Paul said and apply it to something that we could relate to today it would be this...

It's okay to buy halloween candy as long as it isn't an offense to your weaker brother. We all know that it's nothing but candy and there is no harm in eating it... it even goes on sale REAL cheap right after halloween. But if your brother is offended then you would do well to refrain.

This is in direct keeping with what Paul was saying. He is saying this is a byproduct of a pagan practice. You aren't taking part in the practice you are just taking part in the great food prices brought about by said paganism.

To say that Paul was saying that the practice itself is okay is beyond the scope, intent and purpose of the statement Paul was making.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

...
It's okay to buy halloween candy as long as it isn't an offense to your weaker brother. We all know that it's nothing but candy and there is no harm in eating it... it even goes on sale REAL cheap right after halloween. But if your brother is offended then you would do well to refrain.

This is in direct keeping with what Paul was saying. He is saying this is a byproduct of a pagan practice. You aren't taking part in the practice you are just taking part in the great food prices brought about by said paganism.

To say that Paul was saying that the practice itself is okay is beyond the scope, intent and purpose of the statement Paul was making.

I struggle with how to practice that because some Christians are offended by just about everything. For a while I took off my wedding ring and would not look at the television in my own home for fear of offending people. The only person who was offended was my wife and she was offended because I quit wearing my ring. I don't know how to practice that in a "moderate" way because I know Christians who will not go to doctors or take medicine; will not watch tv; will not wear jewelry; believe baptism should be done outside in running water; believe "Jesus Christ" (nothing more nor nothing less) should be spoken at baptism; plus other stuff.

A few months ago I traveled three hours to a hospital in another state to meet some brethren and pray for someone. All of us are Apostolic and go to different churches. I wear shorts in the summer time but I wore long pants that day. Before a couple of the others arrived I mentioned to a young man there (Bill) that I had just met there for the first time that since I was coming to pray in a hospital and since a Bishop (Kennie) would be there I did not wear shorts because I did not want to offend anyone. This young man (Bill) later mentioned what I had told him about the shorts when he (Bill), the Bishop (Kennie), the young man we came to pray for, (Chuck) and I were all together in the hospital chapel. I had only met the Bishop once and had only met the young man we were praying for once. The young man that mentioned my not wearing shorts did it in a kidding way to sort of embarrass me. The Bishop said, "Well, my girlfriend does not want me to wear shorts." This Bishop is 62 years old. He is Oneness Apostolic. His wife died and he is now going with a woman who it trinity. I was kinda glad to hear that he has worn shorts but doesn't now because his girl friend doesn't like it. I have taught Wednesday night Bible study at our home church while wearing shorts, sandals, and a tee shirt but when I went to an OP church in August to preach I wore long pants. Some may think this is hypocritical but I'm not sure just how to apply the principal of not offending.

[missourimary]

D4T, following through with what you've said, taking the day off is acknowledgement of a pagan holiday. Those who don't celebrate such holidays surely shouldn't take the day off, since the holiday is not a by-product of the idolatry, but is part of the idolatry itself.