Big Bubba - The Holidays Threads Merged

[lisa]

I'm too old to go trick or treating.

Santa doesn't bring me gifts anymore.

If I catch the Easter bunny in my garden again,
I'm going to club him to death.

:rofl

Todd, I think you need to get a job writing greeting cards for Hallmark.

[StinkerBell]

:rofl

Todd, I think you need to get a job writing greeting cards for Hallmark.

I think your right Lisa, this would make an excellent greeting card.
:heh

[lisa]

My issue is with the Fat guy in the red suit, and here is why.

Santa is a very tangible thing for kids. Parents lie to their kids about this man who brings presents. The fat man is the focus of this holiday. You have the media along with the stores supporting this man. So, you have a community that will help a parent lie to their child.

I agree with this. Christians shouldn't lie about anything, why taint the day Christ was born with a secular lie?


God is not seen. God is not allowed in schools. God is not supported by the community like Santa, So If I am willing to lie to my child about Santa and they find out around 7 or 8 years old that I have been lying, would it be a far leap for that child to believe that I am also lying about God?

This I'm on the fence about as I think it has to do with how serious a parent is about their faith. My family was one where my folks would tell us about Christ when we got up and when we'd lie down, when we were on the road... etc. But, they also went along with the Santa-story. I think partially out of weakness to their own childhood memories. When our parents "revealed" to us that Santa was a big fat lie, we never questioned if Jesus or God was real, because our faith was part of our everyday life. I do think there is a problem when families have a "God compartment" to their lives (as many American families do), instead of God and His son being the main focus of the family. I can see the questions arising easily then.

[lisa]

(Quick break from review information gathering)

The key thing for Easter, Halloween and Christmas is that there are two strong viewpoints, and for some strange reason it seems many Internet Christians (I'm going to start using this I think ;) ) end up polarizing into two camps:

Camp one:
I believe Easter/Halloween/Christmas/ToothFairy/HarryPotter/etc is plain evil, and if you celebrate one of these, you are not a Godly person, so therefore you must be corrected.

Camp two:
I believe anyone who wishes to take Easter/Halloween/Christmas/ToothFairy/HarryPotter/etc from their children is not showing true Godly love to their Children, and not celebrating Christ's Birth/Resurrection, and you must be corrected.

It seems somewhere grace is left behind as these threads turn into an "I'm a better Christian than you" game.

This is what we will see on the board for sure. How shall we deal with it? Use the "Don't judge in an unrighteous manner" rule and shut the thread down?

[lisa]

Nice siggy, Stink. :pound

[StinkerBell]

This I'm on the fence about as I think it has to do with how serious a parent is about their faith. My family was one where my folks would tell us about Christ when we got up and when we'd lie down, when we were on the road... etc. But, they also went along with the Santa-story. I think partially out of weakness to their own childhood memories. When our parents "revealed" to us that Santa was a big fat lie, we never questioned if Jesus or God was real, because our faith was part of our everyday life. I do think there is a problem when families have a "God compartment" to their lives (as many American families do), instead of God and His son being the main focus of the family. I can see the questions arising easily then.

I think your probably more correct on this then I am, I just try to see things from another persons view. In this case a child. I have encounter one child who thinks like this, make that two. Anyways, I really like Thanksgiving so much better. Man made like Christmas but clear that its a day to give thanks to God.

[lisa]

I totally see what you are saying, Stink. :hug Kids that age are concrete thinkers, it would be easy to see how a kid might think all invisible gift givers are the same- be it the Easter bunny, the toothfairy, or even Jesus. Why risk it? Why lie to them? If I had kids, I don't think I'd go the toothfairy Easter bunny route. Maybe my parents were lucky and they were really playing with fire? :noidea

I'm a giant fan of Thanksgiving over Christmas as well. I mean, I LOVE the meaning of Christmas, but the pressure of it gives me chest pains. I'd rather sit with family and friends over a meal and be thankful for what we've got than have to fight the malls for more stuff that won't fit in anyone's closet because of all the stuff they are "thankful" for being in the way anyday.

[Ladybug]

And the BEST Christians are those that don't acknowledge Christmas at all, and consider it just another day. :yay

[lisa]

And such should be the stance of the board. :nod


:heh

[Biblenuggetlady]

I am not avoiding....I am trying to think this thru, I can see how both ends of the spectrum will be an issue here on the forum, just by what goes on here now. I do lean Stinkerbells way-but then my kids did the Santa and Easter Bunny Stuff growing up, so I don't want to be a hypocrite either, but my personal walk with the Lord has changed over the last 10 years. They (Santa and EB) were not our "focus", Jesus was though. Like Lisa said her parents did...I too emphasized Jesus and the others were the "side dish" on these pagan holidays...oops did I say that out loud? LOL The last few years I have become very uncomfortable with these "holidays" so I have changed how we handle them, and we have even gone to the shelter and served, rather than have the "Easter" thing. I didn't have a tree year before last and wasn't going to put one up this year, but came home and my mom had come by and put one up and decorated it. (That is another long story...mom issues. ;) ) Anyway....this is my own personal convictions.

I am not comfortable saying someone is "sinning" for observing Christmas and Easter, I think of, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon, or the sabbath days..", I know this verse is not talking directly about our topic, but I think that being free in Christ, if we do have a "holiday" and make Him the focus...then I have a hard time calling it a sin.

Halloween however...I personally LOVE candy. "Hello, my name is BNL and I am a candyholic". It is one of my main food groups, we did the Halloween thing, but it was the CANDY dude, honest.

Ok...stepping back cautiously.