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Holy Days?

Would it shock you to learn that I, a Christian and a pastor, do not observe Christmas or Easter as Christian festivals? I make no special provision for these times, nor do I hold special services. Yet, I thoroughly enjoy the Christmas period - which is unusual for someone who does not observe it! Let me unravel what may at first appear to be a most odd (some say 'heretical'!) situation...

I enjoy the Christmas period simply for its cosiness. That's all. I enjoy it because, usually, I have time off from my work (but not my pastoral office, which is ongoing) and the family are all together - brought about mainly by the way all the world seems to stop dead in its tracks! No, I do not like the drunken activities of many in society. No, I do not like the commercial rubbish which surrounds the Christmas period. Indeed, as a family, we stopped the sinful buying-in of rich stores of food which was really a waste and a shame. Nowadays, we buy-in the amount of food that is normally consumed in any other period, plus a treat or two. As for buying presents...we have nothing against that. But we certainly do not place ourselves in debt to buy presents for all and sundry, just because they buy presents for us! In fact, we told our families that we would not be buying them presents at Christmas time anymore, because it gets out of hand. And they all agreed, with a sigh of relief! How many readers wish they could do this? You CAN! Just be honest with each other.

Way back, when our own children were very small, we never indulged them in an orgy of expensive toys. Throughout the whole year we explained to them how everything costs money and that we had very little of it. Thus they grew to understand the value of money and knew that we did not get things for nothing. Even as tiny tots they never used the blackmail so commonly seen in children today to get the toys they want. As grown men, they still display the same understanding and restraint.

We enjoy singing Biblical carol-hymns. We enjoy our Christmas dinner, too. But we do not 'celebrate' Christmas. Why not? Because it is not a Christian festival at all, but a thinly-disguised pagan one, invented and propagated by the Roman Catholic cult. Jesus Christ could have been born anytime during the five or six months of winter. Fixing the date at 25th December was a concession by Roman Catholic popes to an existing pagan rite...it had nothing to do with the birth of Christ.

But if we put that aside, can we legitimately call Christmas a Christian festival? I would ask you why you want a 'festival' and what is its meaning? I would also ask you if your festival can be supported by scripture and by personal deep-held conviction?

Paul tells us that each Christian must answer to his own conscience on matters of holy days. Thus, one man may count a certain day as 'holy' whilst another may not. The only holy day we must all observe is the seventh-day 'sabbath' (even this day must be properly understood). All other observations are up to the individual Christian. Even so, no Christian is at liberty to follow something which is clearly not appropriate to his standing as one saved by Grace.

Christmas is certainly not appropriate as a holy day! Firstly, it has no substantial link with Jesus Christ or His birth-date. Secondly, it is an invention of the Roman Catholic institution, a cult. Thirdly, (and the most important reason) the Bible itself does not require us to observe the day or the event. Certainly we are not instructed to 'celebrate' it or to hold a 'festival' or to call it an 'holy day'. Fourthly, the false 'love' which inevitably oozes from (often drunk!) people at Christmas is sickening, given their disregard or even hatred for each other at other times. Fifthly, to celebrate a holy festival which has no basis in fact or command, is to give a wrong impression to others; it also teaches as doctrine what is not doctrine. Knowing all that, can we honestly still 'celebrate' Christmas? Let us all get back to scripture...

But what about Easter? Is this a genuine holy day? Easter is not a required observance either! It is yet another invention of Roman Catholicism, which has nothing to do with Christianity. It is, then, absurd for Christian leaders to publicly say that the world has lost the "true meaning of Christmas". It is equally ridiculous for them to talk of the "real meaning of Easter". Both are absurd! What on earth is the "real meaning" of Christmas and Easter? If these festivals are products of a cult and they have no basis in scripture...then all talk of their "real meaning" is spurious, irrelevant and meaningless.

Other so-called 'Christian' festivals are just as nonsensical. They keep people in bondage to priestly inventions and helps Romanism to keep its power. Let us get back to what God's word says and leave the countless festivals to the cults!


Bible Theology Ministries

© June 1992


PO Box 415, SWANSEA SA5 8YH

Wales

United Kingdom