Comments on: Should Christians Care About Whether Retailers Say “Merry Christmas” Rather than “Happy Holidays”? http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/ From the Leaders of The Well Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:06:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Rick Garner http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-302 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 07:53:43 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-302 Expanded on this a bit further with Reverse Discrimination of Christmas: http://richardtgarner.blogspot.com/2010/01/reverse-discrimination-of-christmas.html

]]> By: seamusa http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-290 Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:13:26 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-290 I believe a more appropriate question is “Why do Christians celebrate Christmas?” Consider the following:
• There is no biblical command to celebrate the birth of Christ.
• There is no evidence that the early church celebrated the birth of Christ.
• Christ wasn’t born in the winter.
• The establishment of Christmas was designed to “Christianize” pagan holidays (e.g. the Roman feast of Saturnalia).
• Many of the common Christmas accoutrements have pagan significance (e.g. evergreen tree symbolized eternal life, mistletoe has been linked to pagan fertility rites).
Really, with the exception of the first six letters of the word, Christ has nothing to do with Christmas. Neither He or His Father sponsored it. Perhaps its time we ought to keep Christ out of Christmas.

]]> By: MDSF http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-286 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:30:16 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-286 Dear sammy: thanks for your comment above. Can you please tell me how the pieces you describe above fit together?

In particular, how is buying gifts a religious observance? In what way are the stores removing religion? And what stores are giving money to who on the political left?

And finally, how do you erase God? The Bible says nobody has seen God at any time. How can you erase someone who is invisible?

I enjoy the benefits of living in a country that doesn’t have a state religion (unless you want to count American civil religion) and pretends that all religions are the same. The downside is that my religion isn’t the state religion and isn’t revered as being the one true religion. It’s a fiction I live with to avoid having the state pick the wrong religion and make me support and honor it.

Do you do any differently?

]]> By: Ken Eastburn http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-285 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:24:38 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-285 Sammy,

Thanks so much for your response. I always appreciate it when someone shares an opinion different from mine. Without struggle, we cease to grow.

The contention I have with what you said is that no matter how hard the Liberal Left works, true disciples will always remain. In other words, the religion that they are removing is not true religion. Saying “Merry Christmas” doesn’t make someone a Christian nor is it an indication that they care at all about Jesus Christ.

So if they want to get rid of this type of surface Christianity, why should we fret about it? You and I will still have our faith and so will all of the others who continue to actually profess Jesus as Lord. And should they turn their efforts towards actual disciples and begin persecuting us, we should rejoice.

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. In the same way they treated the prophets of old and our Lord himself. Why should we resist joining him in his sufferings?

]]> By: sammy http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-284 Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:38:06 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-284 The Liberal Left (now calling themselves progressive) is progressively trying to erase God in every way they can. Religion is slowly being removed from our way of life….schools, money, speech, organizations, student loans and grants…..Please pay attentiion to what is going on in your country. If you spend money in these stores you are giving them money to remove religion. Look at the texts books…..religion is being replaced with Global….

]]> By: Garrett http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-280 Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:33:35 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-280 I never looked at it like that…I recently started looking for a new Church because I feel like it was ran by pharassees ….God bless you for your insights and willingness to share it!!

]]> By: Rose http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-279 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:14:12 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-279 And along with saying, “God bless you”, we can hand the checker a gospel tract.

]]> By: chuck http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-278 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:32:38 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-278 in vain for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that takes HIS name in vain.
people assume that cussing and saying GODS name is all this is about. i would like to add that if we call ourselves CHRISTians and act very differently according to HIS word; are we not taking the NAME above all names in vain?
are we doing this as we insist that stores say merry CHRISTmas? how many stores are closed on sunday anymore? should that be a litmus test also? the list could be endless

]]> By: chuck http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-277 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 23:25:06 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-277 i agree with the post as well. not sure if these thoughts pertain to this post.
want to spread good cheer all year long? when you are at the checkout lane be sure to tell the cashier “GOD bless you” some people will look at you funny, but a majority will appreciate you saying it, and some will even say thank you.
the 3rd of the Ten Commandments says ” do not take the name of the LORD your GOD

]]> By: jodi helm http://leavethebuildingblog.com/2009/12/08/should-christians-care-about-whether-retailers-say-%e2%80%9cmerry-christmas%e2%80%9d-rather-than-%e2%80%9chappy-holidays%e2%80%9d/#comment-276 Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:09:45 +0000 http://leavethebuildingblog.com/?p=256#comment-276 As far as I can tell, the reasoning behind all this anger and boycotting is a basic misunderstanding of the Great Commission. Somehow, the Dominionist/ Kingdom Now/Reconstructionists/ Thocracists/PostMillenial people seem to think the command to “make disciples of all nations” means, by force. So, this world needs to be “christianized”, per Jesus’ command ,and then He will come to find an overcoming, triumphant army of Christians who have prepared the kingdom for Christ. Ican’t see the point in forcing unbelievers to act like Christians- that just makes them hostile to the true Gospel, or even immune as they may think since they are behaving correctly, they don’t need Christ.
This mindset shows why a persons end-times beliefs do matter.
Jodi

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