WHAT!?! No Christmas???

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

No sir. If I go to anyones house and they have decorations up I don't do anything different than I would any other time of the year.

I'm not sure what you're talking about concerning helping others... but I don't do anything more or less for anyone than I would any other time of the year. If anything I do for them ends up helping them in giving gifts etc then that's not a problem with me. Anything I would do to help someone would be for that reason... to help someone.

For instance, if a friend is building something to give someone else for christmas and they need my help building it... I don't have a problem helping them this time of year just as I wouldn't have a problem in March.

I don't view this as some huge spiritual boogey man to be avoided. We simply don't make the usual trappings of christmas a part of our lives.

In a nutshell... I just try to be the same christian this month as I am the other 11. No more. No less. No fear. No avoiding. I just continue to live my life as I always do

I guess I should have clarified a bit. I often hear people who claim to not celebrate Christmas say "We just have a family get together and a nice meal" which to me IS celebrating. To complete abstain would be to make a point of doing nothing different on Dec 25th that you wouldn't do on any other day.

I think I understand where your coming from and appreciate the fact that you don't seem to spend the whole month of December being offended at all the Christmas trappings surrounding you, unlike some UC's who make a big show of averting their gaze from anything that they disagree with.

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

I guess I should have clarified a bit. I often hear people who claim to not celebrate Christmas say "We just have a family get together and a nice meal" which to me IS celebrating. To complete abstain would be to make a point of doing nothing different on Dec 25th that you wouldn't do on any other day.

I think I understand where your coming from and appreciate the fact that you don't seem to spend the whole month of December being offended at all the Christmas trappings surrounding you, unlike some UC's who make a big show of averting their gaze from anything that they disagree with.

Most families get together around that time of year and there are several reasons why it works out that way. It largely revolves around the fact that we are off from work and the kids are off from school and so is the rest of the extended family.

So it makes sense to get together around christmas just as it would if everybody got off of work and school on April 15th. It is clearly easier to get together at christmas and at Thanksgiving for these reasons.

So... as I have said... I just don't give the whole process any of my mental capacity. I don't "avoid the very appearance" or anything like that. I just operate as if it isn't a part of my life (which is a truism).

I don't participate... but I'm not a-skeered of it either. It's kind of like what Paul said about eating food offered to idols. I don't participate in the process but I don't find it offensive to use the by products for my good. ie.. the extra days off to get together... stuff that I need going on sale (although you can forget me getting out there on Black Friday... I'm not insane)... the candy that goes on sale after christmas or halloween etc.

There are certain by products that I find no offense in using to benefit my daily life. I just don't participate in the process although if I had a brother who was weak and took offense at me doing these things I would consider my brothers feelings when planning my actions.

I hope this helps.