A number of people responded to my Kwanzaa column, asserting that Christmas itself is pagan in origin.
While some arguments have been reasoned, others have been flat out attacks (some personal). God entering the world through the person of Christ is the most significant event in history, but some feel it necessary to attack the very foundation of the celebration of that birth.
Christmas does not have pagan origins; however, there are other winter celebrations that are pagan. The cynical have seized every opportunity to claim that Christmas began as one of these pagan rituals and to deny the deity of Christ. Their aim is to cast doubt (or attempt to) on the miracle of the ages, which began 2000 years ago when Christ walked the earth.
Many talented Christian writers can say it much better than I, so I’ve provided a few links about the origins of Christmas from a Christian point of view, naturally.
Rebecca Hagelin, vice-president of the Heritage Foundation, very succinctly writes about the meaning of Christmas.
A wonderful evangelical site called Stand to Reason has a number of commentaries on the subject. Here’s one.
Finally, although I’m totally biased toward the birth of Christ, I’m aware that Christmas has become tainted. Men incorporated pagan symbols into the celebration, and the holiday itself has become commercialized. But that’s man’s doing, not God’s. I’ve linked to a site run by someone named William Rose — who believes Christians should not celebrate Christmas — with many informative articles. Read and judge for yourselves.
Most importantly, read God’s word, the Bible. Don’t let anyone’s writing or opinion — mine included — trump what God has to say.
