waterdog
12-19-2007, 05:01 AM
I ran across this interesting article in the Tennessean newspaper in the Saturday edition. I only included parts of the article here.
Christmas wasn't always Christian
Most U.S. churches rejected holiday on biblical grounds
By TOM BREEN
Associated Press
As Christmas draws near, pastor John Foster won't be decorating a tree, shopping for last-minute gifts or working on a holiday sermon for his flock. After all, it's been 50 years since Christmas was anything more than a day of the week to him.
He's one of very few American Christians who follow what used to be the norm in Protestant denominations — rejecting celebration of Christmas on religious grounds.
His church's objection is rare among U.S. Christians. Gallup polls from 1994 to 2005 consistently show more than 90 percent of adults celebrate Christmas, including 84 percent of non-Christians.
................
That's a huge change from an earlier era, when many Protestants ignored or opposed the holiday. But as it gradually became popular as a family celebration, churches followed their members.
The change didn't happen overnight. Through much of the 19th century, schools and businesses remained open, Congress met, and some churches closed their doors, lest errant worshippers try to commemorate the day.
"The whole culture didn't stop for Christmas,'' said Bruce Forbes, a religious studies professor at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. "Government went on as usual, business went on as usual, school went on as usual.''
.............
Holiday banned in Boston
That rejection was rooted in the lack of biblical sanction for Dec. 25 as the date of Jesus' birth, and suspicion toward traditions that developed after the earliest days of Christianity.
In Colonial New England, this disapproval extended to actually making the holiday illegal, with celebration punishable by a fine.
.......
"In America, the saying is that the minister follows the people, the people don't follow the minister,'' Restad said. "This was more of a sociological change than a religious one. The home and the marketplace had more sway than the church.''
That's partly why Christians like the United Church of God reject the holiday: They say divine instruction, rather than culture and society, should determine whether the holiday is appropriate.
Link to article:
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/NEWS06/712150351/1023
First off, I am very surprised to hear that Christians did not support celebrating this holiday in times past, or that the United Church of God still rejects the holiday now. I've always heard how this is a "Christian Holiday" and that Christians are upset about non-Christians trying to take God and Jesus out of the Holiday.
It appears from this article that Christians were late in coming to the party and accepting the holiday. :think
Second, I feel very sad for this man, pastor John Foster, who has not celebrated Christmas since he was 8 years old. Quite sad indeed.
Christmas wasn't always Christian
Most U.S. churches rejected holiday on biblical grounds
By TOM BREEN
Associated Press
As Christmas draws near, pastor John Foster won't be decorating a tree, shopping for last-minute gifts or working on a holiday sermon for his flock. After all, it's been 50 years since Christmas was anything more than a day of the week to him.
He's one of very few American Christians who follow what used to be the norm in Protestant denominations — rejecting celebration of Christmas on religious grounds.
His church's objection is rare among U.S. Christians. Gallup polls from 1994 to 2005 consistently show more than 90 percent of adults celebrate Christmas, including 84 percent of non-Christians.
................
That's a huge change from an earlier era, when many Protestants ignored or opposed the holiday. But as it gradually became popular as a family celebration, churches followed their members.
The change didn't happen overnight. Through much of the 19th century, schools and businesses remained open, Congress met, and some churches closed their doors, lest errant worshippers try to commemorate the day.
"The whole culture didn't stop for Christmas,'' said Bruce Forbes, a religious studies professor at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. "Government went on as usual, business went on as usual, school went on as usual.''
.............
Holiday banned in Boston
That rejection was rooted in the lack of biblical sanction for Dec. 25 as the date of Jesus' birth, and suspicion toward traditions that developed after the earliest days of Christianity.
In Colonial New England, this disapproval extended to actually making the holiday illegal, with celebration punishable by a fine.
.......
"In America, the saying is that the minister follows the people, the people don't follow the minister,'' Restad said. "This was more of a sociological change than a religious one. The home and the marketplace had more sway than the church.''
That's partly why Christians like the United Church of God reject the holiday: They say divine instruction, rather than culture and society, should determine whether the holiday is appropriate.
Link to article:
http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/NEWS06/712150351/1023
First off, I am very surprised to hear that Christians did not support celebrating this holiday in times past, or that the United Church of God still rejects the holiday now. I've always heard how this is a "Christian Holiday" and that Christians are upset about non-Christians trying to take God and Jesus out of the Holiday.
It appears from this article that Christians were late in coming to the party and accepting the holiday. :think
Second, I feel very sad for this man, pastor John Foster, who has not celebrated Christmas since he was 8 years old. Quite sad indeed.