Below is an article I put together for our local country newspaper. It is not totally original, but anyone is free to use it. - Arnold.
Even a very brief search of the history books of various nations and peoples, shows that many had a mid-winter "festival" embodying all the customs of the modern "Christmas," such as feasting, drunken revelry, sexual excess, burning a log, decorating a tree, giving gifts, etc., and it was ALWAYS done in conjunction with THE ANCIENT RELIGIOUS PAGAN CUSTOMS! When we look further into the particular day, the 25th of December, some more rather strange things are discovered.
FIRST, Christians observed no such day as "the birthday of Jesus" during the lives of the Disciples, or those that followed immediately after them.
SECOND, no one has ever come forward with even one verse of Scripture admonishing believers to observe any such "celebration" of "the birthday of Christ," nor is there any. Both Old and New Scriptures, give no instructions about celebrating Jesus' "birthday". More than that, Christians are told to remember the death of Jesus Christ in the Communion service, never His birth. So then there is no right place for any, "Come let us adore Him" by the "Come all ye faithful" in the sense of a Christmas festivity.
http://jahtruth.net/passnot.htm
THIRD, the description of Jesus' birth night tells of a time to be taxed, of shepherds in the field with their flocks at night, and the city of Bethlehem full of travellers ("no room for them in the inn" -Luke 2:1-8). Common sense and custom would have the Roman governor collect taxes at the time the people had money from the harvest. Midwinter, when the sheep were kept indoors also does not allow December 25th, to be the time when the shepherds "watched their sheep by night".
FOURTH, Are all the "goings-on" Christians subscribe to really a nebulous "spirit" they call the "Christmas spirit," and many praise as the workings of that "spirit?" If that were the Spirit of God as churches claim, would that Spirit cease to operate after the holiday period, as church people often demonstrate by their actions that demonstrate it has ceased?
In fact, the "Christmas spirit" seems to cause almost all to act in a manner that is totally out of line with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Stores raise many prices, often pushing cheap and flimsy merchandise for "gifts," men exchange bottles or cases of whiskey, beer and other mind distorting and altering drugs, employers give "Christmas parties" with free liquor often with tragic consequences in auto accidents, or with illicit sex liaisons. Tens of thousands of families, caught up in the so-called "Christmas spirit," overspend, and lay an additional burden of debt upon themselves for months and even years afterward. One does not have to be very bright to see that this is not the Spirit of God at all!
http://jahtruth.net/drugs.htm
FIFTH, In addition, untold millions of little children are deceived about the existence of a pagan creation called "Santa Claus." Parents, who under most circumstances would severely punish their children for telling lies, blithely lie to these same children, and do it with a smile on their faces and joy in their hearts! This is completely contrary to the Word of God!
http://jahtruth.net/truth.htm
SIXTH, The only birthdays celebrated in the Bible were those of pagan kings.
SEVENTH, Historically, the Christian world did not commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ until the 5th Century. Christians considered it to be a pagan practice to celebrate birthdays before the influence of Rome came into being. But later, when it encountered pagan practices, it either stamped them out or adapted the festival rites to the false Christian faith. It adopted the statues portraying Isis and the child-god Horus, merely renaming them Mary and Jesus. This same system of assimilation gave rise to Christmas as we know it.
http://jahtruth.net/robab.htm
Wherever the Christians went, they discovered that the latter half of December was the time of the Winter solstice, when the days began to lengthen was the time when the Sun-God turned in his path and started back to his people; it was Saturnalia, a time for licentiousness-revelry, drunkenness and sensual pleasures. The Romans marked the day by feasting with friends. There was a general exchange of presents; these being mostly wax dolls or tapers. Historically, Roman shops at this time resembled our own stores during the Christmas season.
Christmas music is everywhere in that season, like sin and phone solicitation. Several thousand times a day comes that insipid song about a White Christmas, and something about a snowman. It's like the Chinese water torture - it never stops. ..dingdingdinga, sleigh bells ringing? Does anyone at all want to keep on hearing it? Or is it just that the retailers found that it stimulates the shopping gland? It's probably in the pituitary. Storeowners learned that, like Pavlov's dogs salivating at the sound of a bell, when we hear Mr. Frosty we buy unneeded junk! "It's Christmas - Buy a ham! Pork is an unclean food biblically, and also one condemned violently by recent research. But then, church people have no time for either view!
http://jahtruth.net/rabbis.htm
OPT OUT OF CHRISTMAS.
If anyone wants to be free from stress over the holiday period they should opt right out of Christmas. Instead they should give un-Christmas and un-birthday gifts at other times of the year; a great thing when one person loves another! It is all very well to talk about peace and goodwill to all mankind at just one part of the year only. What hypocrisy! Things that are false can never bring peace. Of course you can "Deck the halls with boughs of holly" if you like, but do not expect me to join with you!
It's supposed to be a time of joy and "peace on earth and good will to all mankind". Yet most adults seem to regard it as an immense nuisance or tension, and the single ones are often found to be depressed. Somehow Christmas time has become, for many, a time to feel inner sadness because they don't have the warmth and love that most other people seem to have, but probably don't have either. The suicide rate goes up, and everyone seems so glad when the Christmas week is over. Of course, we hear enough about the matrimonial disharmony that is the consequence of credit-card debt. One lot of people who rejoice after the Christmas holidays are the repossession agents!
THE PROBLEM WITH CHURCHES IS IN THEIR HUMANISM.
Without realizing it, most churches today have fallen to the ways of humanism, and biblically the humanistic mind is in a sharp adversary state against the ways of God. There can be no excuse for the modern position of the churches as they may speak against humanism when they are actually practicing humanism themselves.
http://jahtruth.net/nomos.htm
Jesus said His disciples were to be "salt and light" in the community, But why do the churches not speak out upon the issues of the day as salt and light? Salt gives taste and light makes things easier to see. Could we possibly say that the churches have any effect upon society at large today? It is because churches and governments are in mutual agreement in promoting a program of humanism. They agree together about the Law of man rather than the Law of God. The churches in general subscribe to a social gospel that does not relate to the Law of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is very evident that society does not have much respect for church people of any flavour. Within the church environment there is little gravity or trace of the expressiveness and wisdom Jesus presented as He walked amongst men. There is nothing attractive in the formal conservative churches, nor is there favour in the sight of society in the clap-happy lot. Consider why! It is because humanism is operating in the churches outside what the New Testament terms "the commandments of God". Churches actually teach that these commandments are done away with, and in this they declare their humanism, Churches may quote words and then replace the Law of God with church dogma, church standards or pagan observances. One of the latter is Christmas!
http://jahtruth.net/comand.htm
The ONLY solution is to enforce The Plan and reinstate God's Law:-
http://jahtruth.net/plan.htm
