Barna Research Group findings from 2009 contained the following quote.
"The problem facing the Christian church is not that people lack a complete set of beliefs; the problem is that they have a full slate of beliefs in mind, which they think are consistent with biblical teachings, and they are neither open to being proven wrong nor to learning new insights."
Yep, that pretty much sums it up.
There was another aspect of the posts that was the most important detail of all. It was how the Father, according to the Scriptures, views our pagan holidays. And that was the part that brought me the greatest amount of sadness. It still does.
All of this was brought to the forefront of my thinking again when I received an e-mail last week that contained the following video clip from youtube.
One wonders if part of Kirk Cameron's premise for this movie would be that he is trying to save Christmas from progressive atheists who, in part, would rather replace the greeting "Merry Christmas" with "Happy Holidays". However, the truth of the matter is, that even though some people don't like the word Christmas, atheists around the world celebrate it. I am convinced that if the holiday was truly God-given, most atheists wouldn't have anything to do with it. Leviticus 23 bears this out. His Feast Days are ignored by most of the world.
If an effort of the movie includes trying to sway the opinion of the general public, including schools, to allow the singing of hymns and the setting up of nativity scenes on government property, we need to remember that the "powers that be" have declared this to be a post-Christian nation and they are not backing down.
However it was this last premise that I clearly picked up from the trailer that states what the real message of this movie is, and it is a premise that has been supported by subsequent reviews. The message of the movie is trying to convince believers that regardless of what they may have heard from a few of their friends or family members, there isn't anything wrong with the holiday and that everyone should enjoy all of its fun traditions; and in that respect, Mr. Cameron has not only the support of Christian laity but also the resounding approval of church leaders all over the world. It is that characteristic of the movie that made me sick at heart.
Personally, I think that Kirk Cameron is a sincere man who is trying to do what he thinks is right. Since this all goes much deeper than one man, in essence, it has little to do with him. Those of you who know me and read this blog know that I tend to cut to the heart of a matter pretty quickly. So it is the heart of the matter that caused me to sit down before the computer this morning.
The practice of the pagan holiday that came to be known as Christmas was well established for approximately two thousand years before the birth of the Messiah and it has absolutely nothing to do with Him! Roman Emperor Constantine and Pope Julius in 349 AD saw it as a way to blend the pagan practices of winter solstice and the birthdays of the sun gods, including Tammuz - the first to be called Baal - with the followers of The Way. All that was essentially changed were the names. For believers to think that Christmas is about Christ, is a lie, no matter who tells us it isn't, how much reverence we give to it, or how good it makes us feel to participate in its traditions.
YHVH through the prophets expressed throughout Scripture that He would not share His glory with another and that we were not to worship Him as the pagans worshiped their gods, in idolatry. Ironically enough, Christmas wasn't even allowed in this country until the 1800's because of that reason and because of the debauchery that surrounded the celebrations. Although the roots go all the way back to Babylon, the Christmas tradition has only been in our midst, so-to-speak, for less than a couple of hundred years but its grip is tight. So much so that when believers try to shed light on the matter that is based on biblical commands and historical evidence, they are the ones who are either laughed at, scorned and pitied, or worse yet shunned and called heretics.
Saving Christmas? From where I sit, it still looks very much alive.
For further contemplation:
Deuteronomy 12:28-32
Isaiah 28:9-13
Jeremiah 16:19
Matthew 15:8-9
Ephesians 5:5-17
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
2 Peter 3
Revelation 22:18-19
The Berean: John 4:23-24
I welcome you to read the posts I put up last December which include biblical as well as historical references. Of course these posts are just a representation of the evidence that is available to all who would humble themselves and pray to be open to the truth of the Bible as well as that of history, and then look for it. Finding out the truth isn't easy to deal with. But ...when did He promise it would be?
"Ho Ho Ho!" An Introduction
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Beginning - Part 1
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Impostor - Part 2
"Ho Ho Ho!" The Choice - Part 3
