Andrew Tallman Show Topics: WW--We Should Not Celebrate Christmas

~It’s hopelessly bound up with things we oppose or should oppose like materialism and fables.
~It’s origins come from pagan worship rituals.
~Christmas was actually illegal in America for a long time. Do you know why?
~Jesus never told us to commemorate His birth, and the disciples didn’t do so. We are told to commemorate His death with communion.
~By saying, “Do this in remembrance of Me,” He was implying that we ought not do anything else in remembrance of Him.
~Is this a Biblical phrase?
~Christmas isn’t even really all that important to the faith, compared to Easter anyhow.
~It’s only in one Gospel and wasn’t celebrated by the early Church.
~Birthdays are not a Biblical thing to celebrate anyhow.
~Christmas and all the traditions sets people up for great depression when they are alone or when they don’t have a “good one,” whatever that means.

Post-Show Thoughts: Many of these arguments are spurious. Most notably, the Bible clearly depicts a massive celebration at Jesus's birth by angels and shepherds and the Magi. Are we to be the only ones who do not celebrate His birth? Also, the way we know that Jesus is Messiah is because He fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies concerning His birth. If His birth were not important to God and our theology, why would the OT point to Him so clearly and then show those promises satisfied in Him? As far as the roots issue, I evaluate a practice based on what it is, not based on what it was. Whether America was a Christian nation originally tells us nothing about whether it is so today. Likewise, whether Christmas was a co-opted pagan holiday (and I think it was not, actually), that's not what it is now. And what something means to the people celebrating it is the key thing. Having a statue doesn't make me guilty of idolatry, unless I bow down to it.

Bible References: Gen 40:20-22, Lev 18:21-29, Matt 1:21, Matt 14:6-10, Matt 15:7-9, Luke 1:1-2:38, John 18:37, Romans 14:5-6, 1 Cor 10:31, 1 Cor 11:23-26

Links on Celebrating Christmas:
Should Christians celebrate Christmas? (Must-read) by Bible.org

A Defense of Christmas (Another Must-Read) by Prpc-Stl.org