Banning Christmas

  • Thread starter Thread starter Petertherock
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
One problem is, as C.S. Lewis says somewhere, people cannot be divided into Christians and non- Christians, but into Christians, those who are becoming Christians, those who are ceasing to be Christians, and those who are starting to think about becoming Christians.
There are many gradations of Christians, maybe as many as there are people. To deny those who think they are Christians, but maybe don’t have strong faith, the chance to celebrate and contemplate Christ’s birth, is not in Christ’s spirit.
 
40.png
Viki59:

One problem is, as C.S. Lewis says somewhere, people cannot be divided into Christians and non- Christians, but into Christians, those who are becoming Christians, those who are ceasing to be Christians, and those who are starting to think about becoming Christians.
There are many gradations of Christians, maybe as many as there are people. To deny those who think they are Christians, but maybe don’t have strong faith, the chance to celebrate and contemplate Christ’s birth, is not in Christ’s spirit.​

Click to expand...
:amen:
 
When I was a kid being raised athiest/agnostic, Christmas was a bright spot in my life. Though I didn’t really understand its true significance, I sensed the deep meaning and hope in this holy day. It’s appeal was similar to that of JRR Tolkien’s writing; the Catholic worldview at the root of it made it spiritually nourishing and meaningful, even to someone who didn’t understand it. Christmas is one of the last vestiges of Christianity left in our popular culture; as much as some may try to separate Christ from Christmas, it still presents an opportunity to evangelize. We simply must not let them “shut us up” with political correctness; we need to continue to draw attention to Christ as the reason for the season, in spite of persecution we may face. As for wreaths, trees, etc., these are symbols which help to convey the message; symbols of eternal life and hope. Symbols speak to a part of us words cannot reach; to do away with symbols simply because they may be used in a non-Christian manner is to fall into a puritanical, protestant error and to dry up and weaken our experience of our faith. The Catholic Church has always taken a sacramental view; of sanctifying the secular world by bringing Christ to it, finding those things in our world which point to Christ and taking them to their conclusion. The opposite approach; that of shunning anything believed to be “tainted” with secularism or paganism, is a protestant error.
 
40.png
BlindSheep:
When I was a kid being raised athiest/agnostic, Christmas was a bright spot in my life. Though I didn’t really understand its true significance, I sensed the deep meaning and hope in this holy day. It’s appeal was similar to that of JRR Tolkien’s writing; the Catholic worldview at the root of it made it spiritually nourishing and meaningful, even to someone who didn’t understand it. Christmas is one of the last vestiges of Christianity left in our popular culture; as much as some may try to separate Christ from Christmas, it still presents an opportunity to evangelize. We simply must not let them “shut us up” with political correctness; we need to continue to draw attention to Christ as the reason for the season, in spite of persecution we may face. As for wreaths, trees, etc., these are symbols which help to convey the message; symbols of eternal life and hope. Symbols speak to a part of us words cannot reach; to do away with symbols simply because they may be used in a non-Christian manner is to fall into a puritanical, protestant error and to dry up and weaken our experience of our faith. The Catholic Church has always taken a sacramental view; of sanctifying the secular world by bringing Christ to it, finding those things in our world which point to Christ and taking them to their conclusion. The opposite approach; that of shunning anything believed to be “tainted” with secularism or paganism, is a protestant error.
Click to expand...
What a beautiful post.

Here is an article on the Puritan celebration of Christmas. In most instances they didn’t celebrate. Do we really want this?

catholic.com/thisrock/1991/9112cust.asp
 
For many people, doing away with the cultural frou frou that surrounds Christmas is their way of avoiding the near occasion of sin. Not all are called to it, but some find such aceticism neccessary.

Each must celebrate in a way that is meaningful and holy. If you do not find the trees, gifts, lights etc distracting, why let yourself be distracted by those who refrain from such?

cheddar
 
40.png
cheddarsox:
For many people, doing away with the cultural frou frou that surrounds Christmas is their way of avoiding the near occasion of sin. Not all are called to it, but some find such aceticism neccessary.

Each must celebrate in a way that is meaningful and holy. If you do not find the trees, gifts, lights etc distracting, why let yourself be distracted by those who refrain from such?

cheddar
Click to expand...
I do agree with you. It doesn’t bother me if my neighbors put up decorations or not. Heck, I could care less if they begin to worship red cabbages.🙂 The older I get the more middle of the road I become and the less I care what my neighbors do.

My problem becomes when there is the innenudo that Christians shouldn’t read certain books, watch certain movies, drink any alcohol or celebrate Christmas a certain way. This attitude offends me. Understand it isn’t their personal decisions that annoy me, it is when they try and claim that their decisions are how all Christians should act.

Plus, I come from a fundamentalist background, so I tend to have a knee-jerk emotional reaction against puritanicalness.
 
40.png
deb1:
I do agree with you. It doesn’t bother me if my neighbors put up decorations or not. Heck, I could care less if they begin to worship red cabbages.🙂 The older I get the more middle of the road I become and the less I care what my neighbors do.

My problem becomes when there is the innenudo that Christians shouldn’t read certain books, watch certain movies, drink any alcohol or celebrate Christmas a certain way. This attitude offends me. Understand it isn’t their personal decisions that annoy me, it is when they try and claim that their decisions are how all Christians should act.

Plus, I come from a fundamentalist background, so I tend to have a knee-jerk emotional reaction against puritanicalness.
Click to expand...
Me, too. What I sometimes call the “burn them at the stake” mentality. Scary.
 
Often when I find myself reacting, over reacting to someones faith idea, it is a case of itchy conscious. I’m wondering if maybe they aren’t right and I don’t want to have to overhaul my way of doing things etc so I get mad, irritated instead.

It is sort of a test of faith for me. If I truly can hear them, understand where they are coming from and move on, it is usually a “settled” issue in myself. When I get all worked up, I am usually struggling with the issue myself inside.

Perhaps that is part of the reason many of us find it easier to accept others beliefs as we grow older. We have become more comfortable and mature in our own and no longer feel threatened by the way others live their faiths.

Anyway…just my musing this holiday season.

cheddar
 
[deb1]“I come from a fundamentalist background, so I tend to have a knee-jerk emotional reaction against puritanicalness”
[koda]“Me, too. What I sometimes call the ‘burn them at the stake’ mentality. Scary.”

From
newyorker.com/printables/critics/051107crbo_books
The larger significance of events is, of course, often
obscure to those busy living them out. Exactly what
seemed most ridiculous about [Phyllis] Schlafly in
the early seventies-- her antiquarian views, her
screwball logic, her God’s-on-our-side self-
confidence-- was by the end of the decade revealed
to be her political strength. First the ratification
process for the E.R.A. [Equal Rights Amendment]
slowed, then it stalled out entirely. The last state to
approve the amendment was Indiana, in January,
1977. Meanwhile, five states that had already voted
to ratify rescinded their approval, a move of
uncertain legal force but of ominous implications. As
it became clear that the E.R.A. was going down, the
tone of the Schlafly jokes began to sour.
Code: 
 "I just don't see why some people don't hit Phyllis
 Schlafly in the mouth," a well-known feminist lawyer,
 Florence Kennedy, told a Miami radio station.

 "I'd like to burn you at the stake," Betty Friedan
 blurted out during a debate with Schlafly in
 Bloomington, Illinois.  "I consider you a traitor to
 your sex.  I consider you an Aunt Tom."
 
davidford said:
[deb1]“I come from a fundamentalist background, so I tend to have a knee-jerk emotional reaction against puritanicalness”
[koda]“Me, too. What I sometimes call the ‘burn them at the stake’ mentality. Scary.”

From
newyorker.com/printables/critics/051107crbo_books
The larger significance of events is, of course, often
obscure to those busy living them out. Exactly what
seemed most ridiculous about [Phyllis] Schlafly in
the early seventies-- her antiquarian views, her
screwball logic, her God’s-on-our-side self-
confidence-- was by the end of the decade revealed
to be her political strength. First the ratification
process for the E.R.A. [Equal Rights Amendment]
slowed, then it stalled out entirely. The last state to
approve the amendment was Indiana, in January,
1977. Meanwhile, five states that had already voted
to ratify rescinded their approval, a move of
uncertain legal force but of ominous implications. As
it became clear that the E.R.A. was going down, the
tone of the Schlafly jokes began to sour.

“I just don’t see why some people don’t hit Phyllis
Schlafly in the mouth,” a well-known feminist lawyer,
Florence Kennedy, told a Miami radio station.

“I’d like to burn you at the stake,” Betty Friedan
blurted out during a debate with Schlafly in
Bloomington, Illinois. “I consider you a traitor to
your sex. I consider you an Aunt Tom.”
Click to expand...

I fail to understand how your comments relate to either mine or Koda’s post. Although I don’t agree with everything Schlafly says I certainly don’t want to punch her in the mouth or have any harm happen to her. I am also shaking my head as to what this has to do with Christmas decoration.:confused:
 
40.png
deb1:
I fail to understand how your comments relate to either mine or Koda’s post. Although I don’t agree with everything Schlafly says I certainly don’t want to punch her in the mouth or have any harm happen to her. I am also shaking my head as to what this has to do with Christmas decoration.:confused:
Click to expand...
Ditto.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top