Thanks for this post. You did some digging that I was going to do. What really burns my behind is Christians who insist that there were no pagan elements that the Christians were competing against and that Christ most certainly was born on December 25th.

You're welcome.

Good work Dan.

This was very informative. It is interesting to read the atheist, and muslim entries you linked us to. The Atheist site makes some strong claims against the Gospel - but that's a different story.

In any case, people forget the essence of Christmas...Christ.

Marketing Guru - Steve McKee had a short article today in BusinessWeek.com about how not saying "Merry Christmas" has really hurt sales...

" It seems companies have become so afraid of offending some mythical person out there that they're unwilling to express their true sentiments. After 20 years in the advertising business there's one thing I've learned: Every ad is offensive to someone. Still, I find it a stretch to think that wishing your customers a "Merry Christmas" is going to set somebody off. And if it does, well, there's a word for them: Scrooge (BusinessWeek.com)"

Thanks for the well summarized points. This issue gets overblown all too often.

P.S. The atheist site had some tired old alleged discrepancies. It is funny that he thinks people like Matthew fabricated stories about Jesus. To what end? Riches? Fame? Hardly. The Apostles got persecution and martyrdom for standing for the truth.

Thanks for the link to gotquestions.org. Very informative stuff and answers to questions that I had about Christmas and its traditions. Thanks for doing this research. Now I'll feel prepared if I'm ever presented with the pagan vs. Christian argument.

Christians who read and believe the Bible wage war against "Christmas" to let the truth set folks free who choose to be:

C. H. Spurgeon on Christmas

Spurgeon from a sermon preached by C. H. Spurgeon on Dec. 24, 1871:

We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First, because we do not believe in the mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English. Secondly, because we find no Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. 'Superstition' has fixed most positively the day of our Savior's birth, although there is no possibility of discovering when it occurred. ... It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the Church celebrated the nativity of our Lord; and it was not till very long after the Western Church had set the example, that the Eastern adopted it. ... Probably the fact is that the "holy" days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert, that if there be any day in the year, of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which the Savior was born, it is the 25th of December. ... Regarding not the day, let us, nevertheless, give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.
**********************************

AMEN!!!

The Pilgrims also had enough biblical sense to reject the "mass of Christ" as pagan and Roman Catholic.

What doesn't traditional Christianity understand about such a simple command not to try and modify pagan holidays to worship the true God since He says He hates it and rejects them as abominations? Why do some professing Christians permit themselves to be ensnared, carried away with heathen customs and pagan practices?

Deuteronomy 12:30-31
30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way [not the pagan gods, but modified to try and worship God - but in vain] - for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods...

Jeremiah 10:2-3

2 Thus says the LORD:

Do not learn the way of the Gentiles

IF Jesus is Lord, then why do so many professing Christians refuse to love and obey Him? (Titus 1:16, 1 John 2:4).

1 Samuel 15:22-23

"Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices [lip service/sacrifices],
As in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,
He also has rejected you..."

"Christmas" remains a pagan holiday, regardless of the whitewash and religious bull some try and dump on the masses.

Speaking of dumping on the masses...

Broad is the way of lost, Narrow is the way of the saved. Seems like the whole world is celebrating December 25, as the birth of Jesus.

The Traditions of Men are Vain.

Then why not celebrate Christmas on Jesus' true birth date? You're an idiot! Pathetic!*lol*

Hey now be nice to Rhonda. I'm not sure she knows Eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 6.

Great,
I think you give a good argument. Let me remind some of those who have commented that we have Christian freedom. Those who God commanded to- "Jeremiah 10:2-3
2 Thus says the LORD:
Do not learn the way of the Gentiles"
Were Jews under the old covenant...the gentiles had not yet entered into the the grace that we now have. They were not even supposed to communicate with Gentiles. Enjoy our freedom it's not pagan...it destroys the former "god".