Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple
I was one of the first on the internet on Apostolic forums to come out against the doctrine of tithing. I still believe it was done away as part of the law. Yet for saints who pay tithes because they want to I respect that as long as they don't teach it as a part of the New Covenant.
What is stunning to me is how strong some are against tithing and yet approve and condone such practices as celebrating Christmas. Something that can be easily researched by way of internet.
It would be interesting to see how the strong attackers of tithing stand about Christmas. Do they take offence to the fact that men have made up a holiday and put Jesus into it fully apart from any direction of the Lord?
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Christmas isn't addressed in the Bible, tithing is. To my knowledge no one makes Christmas a heaven or hell issue (though I'd bet there is an OP somewhere that does).
I don't think we're obligated to celebrate Christmas anymore than we're obligated to celebrate Thanksgiving, Easter, or 4th of July.
I do believe this is a matter of Christian liberty. If someone wants to commemorate the Lord's birth during this time, I don't see a problem with it. Christmas is both a religious (albeit not original to the early church) and a secular holiday. In our country it is much more secular than religious (the religious aspects are given lip service). But I don't see anything wrong with someone having a family get together at that time of year, exchanging gifts, and listening to some magnificent theology rich Christmas music (Hark The Herald Angels Sing has phenomenal theology). I love Christmas music (about Jesus, not about santa and Rudolph).
Again, i see it as a matter of Christian liberty. I don't think we are commanded not to observe cultural holidays as long as we don't have to sin to do it. Its not as if Christmas in 20th-21st century America and Saturnalia in 2nd century Rome are one and the same. The drawback to American Christmas is the greed, materialism, mythology, and commercialism. However the Christian is not obligated to observe these elements, and it is possible to observe Christmas without getting caught up in all those things.
So for me, Christmas isn't a problem.
NOW, if you don't celebrate Christmas, my question would be do you celebrate 4th of July? or Labor day? If you say we shouldn't celebrate Christmas, a holiday in our culture, do you have the same righteous indignation over other cultural holidays?
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