Dear Andy,
We were wondering when this question was going to come up. Once children grow out of the infant stage, they become aware of Christmas with its gifts, trees, lights and excitement. Their awareness will become even more acute once they start school. You will find projects centered around Christmas and maybe even a Christmas party at school.
Up until now, you have been able to ignore the holiday with its excess of materialism and its customs that can be traced back to some pagan festival. But now you’ll have to decide whether to deprive your children of the excitement and fun or to handle it in some way that is not offensive yet permits to them have a special time of year.
The problem is not new and has come up in the family before. Following is a letter from your great-grandpa that may be useful.
Just to refresh your memory, he had nine children –five boys and four girls — all of whom have been vigorous Christadelphians and raised their children (my generation) so that all have been baptized. He was a conservative brother who was baptized in Birmingham, England (you will note he was in Bro. Robert’s ecclesia). When he immigrated to Canada, employment put him in semi-isolation. He worked hard at proclaiming the Truth and there are now two ecclesias in that town totaling over 100 brethren and sisters.
Dear ones, December, 1942
I am very glad to help you in the matter of whether it is right or wrong in the sight of God and the Lord Jesus Christ to “hold Xmas.”
I would say we are at liberty to do as we please about it — within reason, of course.
In Birmingham, under Bro. Roberts, we used to have what was called “The Sunday school Xmas treat.” This was a tea meeting followed by a magic lantern showing of a variety of pictures regarding travel, etc. and/or some funnies and did we ever enjoy it? Old and young?
Trees were a luxury; many had to pass them up — couldn’t afford it. I never thought of a tree for 30 years or more. Then our dear gals introduced it, and I enjoyed it with them, and do yet. Trees will always be popular; they speak of the fields, and the colored lights speak of sunsets and the tinsel of winter icicles, etc. God’s work. Mary has bought one for this season, though smaller, which is better.
Xmas as now kept has no connection with paganism. No one thinks of it. Indeed, very few knew anything of its beginnings and there is nothing about it to suggest paganism anymore than Sunday. Sunday, you know, has its origin in paganism, being named in honor of the Sun-God. Seventh Day Adventists accuse the rest of us of paganism because we observe Sun-day. So what do you think of that?
Of course, trees, decorations, hanging up stockings, etc., belong chiefly to youth and childhood. But what shall we say about the wonderful loosening up of the purse strings, and the heart strings, at this season of the year?
Xmas is Christ-mass, not Jupiter-mass. True, Christendom is in the Laodicean state but that doesn’t warrant linking up Xmas with the paganism of the first century.
There is no more paganism about the tree than in the other decorations, or hanging up stockings, or the toys, or plum pudding, mince pie, turkey, games and the round of general rejoicing. And what shall we say of the “Song of the Angels,” “Come all ye Faithful,” “Silent Night,” the “Hallelujah Chorus,” the special lectures stressing Christ and the gifts to the poor, etc..
It is the “weightier matters of the law” that count– “justice mercy and truth” and the fruits of the Spirit.
Come to think of it, Easter and Good Friday also date back to pagan times. Yet we enjoy a hot X bun and the fraternal gatherings without any thought of pagan days, much less of honoring some pagan deity.
It’s all in the way you look at it: “One eats all things, another (who is weak) eateth herbs” — but — “Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not, and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth.” It is to Christ that we stand or fall. (Rom. 14:2-3,12)
Paganism was destroyed 1600 years ago when “Michael and his angels fought against the dragon…and his angels” so that the latter’ s place was found no more in the Roman heaven (Rev. 12:7). This event refers to the war between the Christian forces under Constantine and the pagan defenders under Licinius. So no wonder Xmas has really nothing to do with paganism.
We are given to “straining at gnats and swallowing camels.” Aiming too high, or rather I should say putting of old heads on young shoulders, or trying to, is both impossible and impracticable.
“There is a time for everything” as the wisdom of God puts it. A time to laugh as well as weep, there is the joy of a wedding and the grief of a funeral, the prattle of the infant and the sober words of the aged, and so on. It takes it all to cover God’s purpose with us and the earth He has created for us.
Striving for the unattainable always ends in misery , failure and sometimes disaster. However, I would suppose the criticism you refer to was not intended to be taken too seriously. It is no harm to speak. Youth is bound to overestimate, or vice versa — at times. We may disagree without suggesting sin. We may criticize without intending any offense. We may oppose and yet be merely feeling for the truth. And so I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and all that goes with it and give God thanks. Rom. 14:6.
(That’s the end of the letter, ,I don’t know how he signed it but it’s word for word as he wrote it.)
Grandpa’s use of Xmas instead of Christmas was his own peculiarity. I asked him about it and he said using “Christ” all the time in connection with “Mass” made him a little uncomfortable. But he certainly had no objection to other people saying “Christmas.”
You will note, too, his implication that extreme views about Christmas usually come from younger rather than older brethren and sisters. I have noticed this, too. As we get older, we encounter more really serious issues both in our own life and that of others. We see some pretty gross sins, so we are not looking for any more problems than necessary. And we see children grow up unharmed by the little pleasures of childhood. We also see some children soured on the Truth by parents who are unnecessarily severe and deprive them of fun times without good reason. Remember “there is that is destroyed for want of judgment.” (Prov. 13:23)
With deep affection,
Dad
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One