Christians, why do you celebrate Christmas?

Why do Christians use the trappings of a pagan festival to celebrate the birth of Jesus when the Bible commands believers to avoid such things?

Song: "Christmas Alphabet" sung by Dickie Valentine

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[markedwardindc]

From what I have read, for the first few centuries of Christianity, Easter was the big celebration, and Jesus' birth, being divine, was downplayed. It is only within the last 300 years that Christmas has become an equal (if not more important) holiday than Easter in the lives of Christians.

[ProfMTH]

@markedwardindc Even if that were true, so what?

[firebirdhome]

Good Lord, what is wrong with everyone? ANY object in Creation - is a THING. It has no life or magical powers. ANY day is just a cycle of the sun going up and down. NOTHING more. It is ONLY what you desire to do with them. If Satanists came up with a delicious moose burger for the BBQ and sell it in grocery stores only on Anton Leveys birthday and worship Satan while eating it - I would buy one, thank Christ for such good food, and devour it on a bun. Just a burger with spices - NOTHING more...

[d007ization]

@ProfMTH Sure thing. Tektontv might know more on the subject, though

[ProfMTH]

@d007ization "You do actually have a point there. I'm not an expert on the subject...."

Thank you.

[d007ization]

@ProfMTH You do actually have a point there. I'm not an expert on the subject but the only objection I can find for this is that the pagan custom was replaced and that the pagan customs were distorted (doing a disservice to the pagan gods).

[ProfMTH]

@d007ization So Christians *do* worship their god on Christmas. At last we're getting somewhere! So a pagan holiday that had been used to engage in the pagan custom of celebrating the birth of a god was imported into Christianity so that Christians could worship their god in celebration of the birth of their god-man, correct?

[d007ization]

@ProfMTH Incorrect. All the pagan practices aren't meant to worship the Christian god.

[ProfMTH]

@d007ization So Christians don't worship their god on Christmas, is that correct?

[d007ization]

@ProfMTH Now that's actually an interesting point. It's true that commemoration isn't an israelic practice that I'm aware of (at least direct ones. They did celebratrate their exodus from Egypt with 7 food courses).

But again: commemoration isn't worship.

Furthermore Jesus was only God in the sense that:

a)he was His descendant

b)he was supernatural