As the holiday season comes around, many pastors are frantically trying to convince their congregants of "The true meaning of Christmas".

In the US, several department stores who substituted 'Holiday Shopping' for Christmas shopping have been pressured from coalitions of churches with threats of boycotts, forcing redesign of ad campaigns to identify with Christmas.

But, does the Church have justification for these acts? Can there really be a "true meaning" to this celebration.

Love feast

Xmas is not really a God-ordained celebration or festivities for the Church, nor can the fact of Christ's birth simply validate it as some deceptively teach. Incidentally, Christ himself did not institute or command it. The genuine remembrances that Christ established is the agape (love feast) called communion, certainly not Xmas nor Easter.

Notably, the Bible does not even hint at Xmas celebrations for 'believers' in any form or ritual, much less requiring that 'believers' observe or give credence to it. The word clearly aligns birthday celebrations with pagans - Pharaoh - Gen 40, and Herod - Matt 14:1-12, and both committed murder on their birthday. There's no Old or New Testament scripture reference to Israel, God's people celebrating birthdays, although ages are sometimes given.

Weak defence

Rom 14:5-6 is a weak defence which is used by some apologists. Xmas never existed in Paul's time, but 300 years later, therefore his discourses would have been centred around Jewish customs and laws affecting the early Christian church in Rome.

Deut 10:12-13, 12:1-4, and also Deut 16:16 specifying the three FEASTS ordained by God which Israel and the early Christian church observed should guide and inform our Christian practice and worship.

Biggest lie

Historical data on the 4th-century pagan origins of Christmas, the nine-year timeline of 5 BC to 4 AD for Jesus' birth, winter solstice, and the use of ornamental trees is now widely available to pastors. To teach, sing, and proclaim that Jesus was born on Christmas day, December 25, is the biggest lie and deception of the Christian church, and many have been deluded into believing this lie.

Christmas celebrations founded upon this lie and paganism can have no 'true meaning'. Truth is righteousness more than non-divine non-apostolic (man-made) tradition or compromise is.

I am, etc.,

DON McDOWELL (Rev.)

donmcdgodson@yahoo.com

Global Highways & Byways Mission

Kingston 19