I read it and let me say up front I won’t debate this again for long.  You who do not desire to acknowledge Christmas are not under any obligation to do so, but I won’t consume all my time with your views of it.

I say the write-up you provided a link to is historically inaccurate.

The term "Mass" does not necessarily mean what someone can dig up in one book.  In the definition of the term "Mass" this is included in the notes:

Note: In the Middle Ages in England, mass meant a religious feast day in honor of a specific person; thus, “Christ’s Mass,” or Christmas, is the feast day of Christ; and Michaelmas is the feast day of the angelMichael.

You don’t want to do it, fine, but end your harping about it on my blog NOW.

1. I don’t desire to close comments to this thread.
2. We could go back and forth all year and it would be the same circular debate.
3. Acting as if I celebrated Satan as a child is ridiculous.
4. You never answered my question about if you are a hypocrite in the celebration of your own birthday.
5. Appreciate your concern, but your feeling that I’m trying to praise Satan with Christ and could go to hell is basically to claim I was never sealed by the Holy Spirit in the first place.  Which although you don’t really understand is to claim I’m not saved.
6. Not that I care to get into it, but I’m sure the fictional characters on your approved list I could connect to  folklore.
7. Great you’d have time to continue the back and forth, but go find someone who cares to devote time to continue with you.

Good bye and God Bless you.

I’ve read Melvin’s post regarding essentials, but have not had time to engage in any of the dialog there.

I do not keep them from any fiction character. But any demonic character (Tarot) , or false god, or anybody in the way of Christ is a no.

Ah, so you’re upset I let my kids take a pic with a fictional character, but don’t keep your kids from them.  Because you’ve got a view of Santa beyond being a simple fictional character, you feel I need to avoid it.  Well Dru, Santa is nothing more than another fictional character in my household although fun for pictures.  I’m sorry, but I don’t select the fictional characters my children can enjoy from your pre-approved list. 

Where are your scriptures that encourage your practice?

I’m sorry, you must have missed all the scriptures already posted that grant me the Liberty to do so.

When did Jesus say to worship his birthday?

When did Jesus say I’d be in sin if I did?

What Law of Moses am I promoting IC?

It’s more like, what law have you created of your own fears?  You’ve created one that says "thou shalt not do it if others like it".

Where did it say thou shall not celebrate Christmas?

Well that’s a question I should be asking you, don’t ya think?

Christmas is not Biblical.

Christ’s birth is recorded in the Bible.  What’s not in the Bible is God seeking anyone to treat it as a special day to honor annually.  And there is no scripture forbidding it either, hence the reason I noted Romans 14:5-6 and put Christ as the main focus of the observance for my own.  Believe it or not, we didn’t even get around to a pic with Santa this year.  No big deal, because it’s not a major concern for us.

Where did it ever even LOOK acceptable to take a idolatry pagan holiday and put Jesus in it and give it to God in the Bible? Scripture please, because all I can find is ‘STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY, STAY AWAY!’ both Old Testament (Legal) and New (Grace). Please show me a scripture, don’t worry, I’ll wait.

Romans 14:5-6 grants me the Liberty to observe any day for the Lord.  Now let me say what I said to you before.

Here’s the deal and it’s how we have Christmas in the first place.  If I speak to some Muslims about Christ and those Muslims who used to fast during Ramadan because of what Islam teaches accept Christ and desire to fast at that same time of year for Christ, I’ve got no problem with that.  You’re going beyond the bounds of Christian Liberty into legalism.  If this is how you feel for yourself that is fine, but not a burden for you to place on others.

Do you celebrate your own birthday?  What in scripture says for you to celebrate your own birthday?  And if you do celebrate your own birthday, wouldn’t you be a hypocrite for admonishing anyone for having such a celebration for Jesus coming to earth in flesh?

So I’m a bad dad for not celebrating Christmas with the kids?

My question to you was not about Christmas, let’s see what I asked:

Do you keep them from taking pictures with any fictional characters?

That is what I asked, now will you answer?  I have no idea why you’re asking me about you being good or bad as a parent in relation to Christmas.  But you can answer my question.

You desire to bind saints in legalism to the bone, that’s my only issue.  It is my blog, do I not have the right to respond on what is my own?

You claim there can only be right and wrong, but perhaps promotion of legalism is not right if that be the case?  A picture with a fictional character that is treated as such is no sin.

But why take the risk of involvement in a at least potential false god worship in one degree or the next?

Because it’s not false god worship.  I don’t tell my kids some magic man is doing anything.

You have everything to lose but nothing to gain, and only satan likes them odds.

Brother, if you like life in a box, don’t try and pull others in the box of your own creation.

And PLEASE tell me how, my position on opposing false god worship in all its form, adds up to legalism?

Because something that is not in any way being treated as a god of any sort is something you’re admonishing saints about as if our souls are at stake over it.  That would be LEGALISM.  Because you ARE WRONG.

Isn’t He enough? Why cant He be their hero? Why teach them a pagan myth for presents and not salvation? God should be glorified not satan….sorry santa. The Kids will be unpopular for one day for the year, but they will be unpopular as Christians IC.

Of course Christ is enough.  Can I not eat a cheese pizza?  Must I eat unleavened bread my whole life?  Children having fun, playing and enjoying some fiction is not a turn from Christ.  Sure they will face things for their beliefs, as did I, but just as my own parents were able to manage raising me I’m confident I can do the same for my children.  And I am able to grasp that Santa is not real.

By the way, I did a little more research than a Wikipedia article for my post where I note the background for the character that is Santa.

Dru, you simply took yourself into a box for fear of judgment.  If that works for you fine.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus

But if I am right, and Santa is the German Odin wodan, or the Dutch saint nick or the 17th century father Christmas or the Santa goblin, or even Satan miss spelled,  and this is the same thing that Paul was talking about, then I know I do not need to tell you the repercussions. But why take the risk of involvement in a at least potential false god worship in one degree or the next? You have everything to lose but nothing to gain, and only satan likes them odds. And PLEASE tell me how, my position on opposing false god worship in all its form, adds up to legalism?

YES IC, They are Children, and WE are the parents, by God and all that is holy, me and my house will worship the Lord, it is not cute if they worship santa. Jesus said to suffer the little children to come unto me. Isn’t He enough? Why cant He be their hero? Why teach them a pagan myth for presents and not salvation? God should be glorified not satan….sorry santa. The Kids will be unpopular for one day for the year, but they will be unpopular as Christians IC.

Wait, am legalistic because I don’t conform to the world and practice worldly rituals? is that it? because I denied who I was and gave up false god worship (Worldly music and pagan celebrations) when I came to Jesus? I don’t get it……..
 

You mention 2 Corinthians 6:14-17.  Whether one of my kids takes a picture with a man in a red suit, a character such as Spider-Man or any other, these are fictitious figures and to my children they are treated as such.  Not as God.  How is it that my own parents were able to help me see the difference between Santa and God, while you feel a picture with a Santa figure is to partner with darkness? You don’t see it, but you really are holding to a form of legalism. 

You’ve also cited Ephesians 5:5-10.  I think reading Ephesians 5 in full blows away any notion that God has the apostle Paul referring to a pic with some guy in a red suit that nobody (in my house) is looking to as a god.  Although there are people who worship trees.  I guess I should not have my kids take a picture outside in front of a tree either.

Brother, you’re really off into forbidding things that are nothing more than play for children.  Dru, do you have children?  Do you keep them from taking pictures with any fictional characters?

And in regards to fictional figures, Santa is the only one based on someone who tried to give as noted in Matthew 6:1-4.  It’s play for children, did you play as a child?

You’ve taken children play things and turned them into evil.  Plenty of Christian households are able to let their children play with toys, eat candy, take a picture with some guy acting like Santa and still realize those are for fun while there is a real God in Heaven who sent His Son for us.

Again Dru, you don’t care for these things, keep away from them.  You’ve offered terrible reasoning for trying to forbid others though.  Why do I let them take pictures with Santa, BECAUSE THEY ARE CHILDREN.