Christians, Christmas And Santa Claus
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Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. ~Exodus 34:14.
Santa Claus isn’t a god, but he sure is idolized and worshiped by both children and adults alike. I wonder how you would feel if on your birthday your parents, family members and friends paid more attention to your sibling or a stranger than they did you. Perhaps they even ignored you all together.
I wonder how you might react to your spouse giving your neighbor’s husband or wife roses or maybe one of your co-workers a night out on the town on your anniversary.
Just doesn’t seem right does it? Well, even though we know Jesus was probably born in late summer or fall; December 25th is the day we as a planet have chosen to set aside and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Common sense dictates we then give honor to the Son of God, Jesus Christ on that day.
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:1-11).
It’s obvious to me that Santa Claus has no place in the life of a Christian. Christmas Day is a religious observance about the birth of Jesus and yet a fictitious and morbidly obese man called Santa Claus, is who we credit for not only supplying the gifts for everyone but also for the ‘joy’ the season brings.
Lying to our children from a very young age about Santa Claus is wrong. Whether Christian or not, lying is really the only way to perpetuate the Santa Claus myth and dishonor Christ. Anyway I look at it, for a Christian parent to include Santa Claus in any way, shape or form is wrong. Wrong and more wrong.
I understand fully that Santa is based very loosely on Nicholas of Myra. He had a reputation of giving away coins. The Catholic Church lifted him to sainthood and that is why Santa is also known as St. Nick, the patron saint of pawnbrokers. Nicholas gave his gifts anonymously. After he died, people still gave gifts anonymously thus the legend began.
I see nothing wrong with the exchanging of gifts to one another on Christmas. As long as it’s done unselfishly and not with the desire to get something in return. Giving gifts on Christmas symbolizes the greatest gift God the Father could give anyone; the gift of love and salvation through Jesus Christ.
Even more obvious is the need to keep Jesus Christ at the forefront of this Christian holy day, Christmas. God is indeed a jealous God. It is wrong for Christians to replace the supernatural act of God taking on human flesh, being born from a virgin for the sake of all humanity and replace God with the mundane materialism of Xmas.
I would also like to mention that most of the traditions that we today associate with Christmas, have no basis in biblical history and are in fact remnants of pagan rituals that began long before the birth of Christ. In 336 AD, aspects of many different pagan rituals were combined together by Constantine and have become the secular Christmas of today.
It’s a bit cliché but nonetheless true, Jesus Is The Reason For The Season! If you really want to honor Jesus, spend some time in prayer earnestly praying for others and then go out and give of yourself. Bake a birthday cake for Christ. Dispense with the tree and the credit card debt that you still haven’t been able to overcome from the last five Christmases.
Merry Christmas.
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the bottom line, as you say, is remember the reason for the season. i've read so many moody fb statuses about christmas and the season in general. i know many lose sight of the true meaning and reason we celebrate. but the rest of us, haven't forgotten which makes the holidays that more merry for me. i love this time of the year.
but i'm not parting with my tree or the other few decorations that i've finally put up. it doesn't cloud my reality of the real significance of christmas. it's just celebratory!
I don't know about this one.
My parents, who are definitely my example for soldiering for the Lord, used Christmas trees. When it comes to Christmas trees and reindeer and such, I'm reminded of a Sunday School lesson I read as a teenager, which has stuck with me all these years.
The lesson was promoting prayer and openness with God, aiming to teach teens that it is more important to talk to God plainly and not to be intimidated by prayer, thinking they needed to use certain words or phrases to communicate with the Father.
In the lesson, a teen is lamenting the fact that the comic book they want to read is secular. Not inappropriate or sinful - but secular and not spiritually based. The teen says something along the lines of, "I want to read it, but I know I should only read spiritual books."
And God answers, "Why can't you read it? I never ordered you to stop reading comic books, I just want you to read them with Me."
God wants to be included in our lives, and He wants us to enjoy the experiences afforded to us while we are on earth. He doesn't want us to replace Him with these experiences or symbols of celebration, but He doesn't require us to shun them altogether. We are to invite him to the party, to the present opening, to the songs around the Christmas tree. Yes, many of our modern Christmas rituals are based on the rituals of the pagan holidays of yesterday, but is God not capable of making everything clean and new? Should we not see the replacement of the pagan rituals with customs celebrating family and togetherness as the work of an awesome God?
I think we should.
As for Santa... I didn't tell my older child that a man flew around the globe in a sleigh - although plenty of other people did. I prefer to think that there is a Santa in all of us, and that the spirit of the sentiment, especially for very young children, is at stake. I haven't decided yet - I'll have to ask my dad what he thinks for guidance. But bottom line - in the spirit of What Would Jesus Do - I think anything that is causing you to raise your shackles and bristle during such a time of celebration is something to ponder further.
It's Christmas - embrace the gifts of the experience while remembering the reason.
Very well written. I am a Christian mother of a two and a half year old who recently just rededicated my life to Christ(I have always been a believer but never actually lived for him.)This season I have been trying to focus on the Lord and have been debating whether or not to included Santa Claus in the festivities. Your article has helped me make my decision!
It is a bit disturbing how much they promote Santa Claus in the schools, my six-year old knows a lot about him but she doesn't learn it at home. One day I tried to convey to her that Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus's birthday to which she responded, "can we make Him cupcakes?"
mrs. halimah 2 years ago
perfectly put!