The Anabaptist perception towards U.S. Holidays!

[Soloist]

Not only is there no mandate, Romans teaches believers not to judge others how they celebrate holidays.

Rom 14:5  One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
Rom 14:6  He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

Col 2:16  Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

These two verses don’t say don’t judge how they celebrate, but that they celebrate.
With that being said, if you celebrated some holiday specifically dedicated to a false god, I would definitely judge you and attempt to appeal to you to stop your pagan practices.
Likewise, I do judge certain practices such as Easter bunny, Easter eggs, Santa Claus and other like it. I don’t see anything in Scripture saying we shouldn’t address paganism.
In context, this was discussing Jewish holy days…

[steve-in-kville]

I value Thanksgiving above Christmas. Christmas tends to be more stress than it is worth, and I don't need more of that right now.

I was listening to a radio program earlier this week. The topic was "second Christmas" or basically Easter where parents are pressured into elaborate gifts for children. I never heard of this before, but does make sense.

Working in the wholesale food industry, homemade candy is a huge fundraiser for local churches and fire companies.

I would add Patrioat Day, as the events of September 11th are a big deal to me for a variety of reasons.

[Josh]

Pagan holidays are at the bottom of my list followed closely by patriot days.

What pagan holidays are listed? I suppose All Saint’s Eve (Halloween) might vaguely be that.

By practice, Christmas, Halloween, Easter and valentine’s Day.

How are Christmas and Easter “pagan”?

[Josh]

The four that stand out to me are Resurrection Sunday, Christmas, Thanksgiving and Ascension Day because we have group celebration for these. The rest I treat as times to meet with friends and neighbors or catch up on lagging tasks.

Easter and Ascension Day aren’t U.S. holidays.

[Soloist]

What pagan holidays are listed? I suppose All Saint’s Eve (Halloween) might vaguely be that.

By practice, Christmas, Halloween, Easter and valentine’s Day.

How are Christmas and Easter “pagan”?

Do I really need to detail the pagan practices promoted and endorsed by the majority of Christian churches in the US?

[Josh]

By practice, Christmas, Halloween, Easter and valentine’s Day.

How are Christmas and Easter “pagan”?

Do I really need to detail the pagan practices promoted and endorsed by the majority of Christian churches in the US?

The fact some Christians do questionable practices on Sunday doesn’t mean I don’t think we should to church on Sunday.

Commemorating Jesus’ death and resurrection (particularly with a communion service) doesn’t seem pagan at all.

Likewise, celebrating Jesus’ birth doesn’t seem pagan either.

Certain traditions like Santa Claus, whilst I don’t practice them myself, clearly come from Christian origins, in particular the giving of gifts to the magi and then Nicholas of Myra’s habit of secret gift-giving which involved into our modern “Santa Claus” or “Father Christmas”.

I have yet to see any good come from Christians who campaign against Easter and Christmas. Most people I’ve known who took a hard stance on it eventually sank into trying to observe various OT holidays, then eventually lost faith in Jesus altogether. Ironically, one of them does Santa Claus and the Easter bunny full tilt with their family now, after decades spent campaigning against it.

[Soloist]

The fact some Christians do questionable practices on Sunday doesn’t mean I don’t think we should to church on Sunday.

I never said that we shouldn’t go to church. Do you have to exaggerate a person’s stance every time?

Commemorating Jesus’ death and resurrection (particularly with a communion service) doesn’t seem pagan at all.

Likewise, celebrating Jesus’ birth doesn’t seem pagan either.

I specifically said “by practice”

Certain traditions like Santa Claus, whilst I don’t practice them myself, clearly come from Christian origins, in particular the giving of gifts to the magi and then Nicholas of Myra’s habit of secret gift-giving which involved into our modern “Santa Claus” or “Father Christmas”.

Yeah that’s one argument but far from the only one. Besides, the magi gave gifts likely when Jesus was two not at birth. I’m sure you are aware of the Roman practices of gift giving?

I have yet to see any good come from Christians who campaign against Easter and Christmas. Most people I’ve known who took a hard stance on it eventually sank into trying to observe various OT holidays, then eventually lost faith in Jesus altogether. Ironically, one of them does Santa Claus and the Easter bunny full tilt with their family now, after decades spent campaigning against it.

I have yet to see any value in condemning those who object to paganism slipping into the church.

[Josh]

I have yet to see any good come from Christians who campaign against Easter and Christmas. Most people I’ve known who took a hard stance on it eventually sank into trying to observe various OT holidays, then eventually lost faith in Jesus altogether. Ironically, one of them does Santa Claus and the Easter bunny full tilt with their family now, after decades spent campaigning against it.

I have yet to see any value in condemning those who object to paganism slipping into the church.

My life experience is that almost all people I’ve known who kept claiming that Easter and Christmas are “pagan” eventually became pagans themselves.

The simple fact is is that celebrating Easter and Christmas goes back a long, long time - Easter in particular to the time of the apostles. It is impossible to claim this is “pagan”. Some people make a habit of going to restaurants after church on Sunday, but this doesn’t make Sunday church attendance “pagan” or “worldly” by association.

The traditions around Christmas are particularly Christian and really don’t have much connection to paganism at all. The customs of Christmas trees started in Germany in the 1400s as part of passion plays, alongside customs of decorating houses with evergreen stuff in the middle of winter. Hardly a pagan practice. Christmas trees became widespread in America.

Of course, a good custom like Lent can become “backwards” and evolve into something like Mardi Gras. But that’s no reason to dispense with Easter.

[Soloist]

My life experience is that almost all people I’ve known who kept claiming that Easter and Christmas are “pagan” eventually became pagans themselves.

The simple fact is is that celebrating Easter and Christmas goes back a long, long time - Easter in particular to the time of the apostles. It is impossible to claim this is “pagan”. Some people make a habit of going to restaurants after church on Sunday, but this doesn’t make Sunday church attendance “pagan” or “worldly” by association.

No, resurrection Sunday is historical.
Easter is either Jesus rising from the dead or Easter eggs, fertility rites and bunnies. You can pick which practices are pagan and which aren’t.

The traditions around Christmas are particularly Christian and really don’t have much connection to paganism at all. The customs of Christmas trees started in Germany in the 1400s as part of passion plays, alongside customs of decorating houses with evergreen stuff in the middle of winter. Hardly a pagan practice. Christmas trees became widespread in America.

We can argue in circles but you should know that there are reasonable objections that Christians have formed both from historical and scriptural arguments.

Of course, a good custom like Lent can become “backwards” and evolve into something like Mardi Gras. But that’s no reason to dispense with Easter.

Mardi Gras is obviously pagan but not for the same reasons. What began as something that might have been a reasonable practice that became very fleshly.

[Josh]

No, resurrection Sunday is historical.

Yet most of the practice of "Sunday" around me consists of a day off from work when people go out to eat and watch football games.

Easter is either Jesus rising from the dead or Easter eggs, fertility rites and bunnies. You can pick which practices are pagan and which aren’t.[/quote[

Your objecting to Easter eggs and Easter bunnies is equivalent to objecting to going out to eat on Sunday or watching football games on Sunday (the latter being something I don't do). Whilst I don't practice it, I think children going on easter-egg hunts is harmless.

We can argue in circles but you should know that there are reasonable objections that Christians have formed both from historical and scriptural arguments.

I have indeed heard these arguments and am quite unconvinced. I am also disturbed by the fact that most people I have known who went down this path eventually dispensed with believing in Jesus altogether.

Ultimately, celebrating Jesus' resurrection and Jesus' birth cannot possibly be described as "pagan", and it seems quixotic to do battle with some of the few holidays we have left that get people's minds on Jesus at all. It is quite similar to the war I have seen some people wage on having church on Sundays, arguing that Saturdays are somehow better.