About "Christmas"
I read with interest Brother Floyd Thompson's article on "Christmas" (November 12, 1953 issue of GG). It is my considered thoughts that he left some erroneous impressions.
"Can a man close his store on Monday without paying homage to the moon? Can a man worship Christ on Sunday without doing service to the sun? Can a man take his children on a picnic or give them gifts on Saturday without worshipping Saturn?" Those questions serve only to cloud the issue as to whether a Christian can celebrate Christmas or not.
I certainly would answer each of his questions in the affirmative, that is, that a man could do all of those things without worshipping the false gods. Now, let me answer by asking some more questions. Suppose a man, either by himself, with his family, or with his friends goes through all the ceremonies and rituals that pertain to the worship of the moon, or the sun, or Saturn? If he is not worshipping those deities, then at least he is leaving a peculiar impression on his friends.
"Have I told a lie if I tell some child, 'Old Santa brought it'?"
Consider the origin of "Santa." Is it not a corruption of "Saint Nickolas," one of the Catholic idols? Is it not from the worship of "Saints"?
"Is the mother telling a lie when she sings to her baby" a lullaby?
Very likely not, for in the one Brother Thompson picks out, daddy has gone a-hunting, not with a gun, perhaps. Daddy has gone after a "skin" to wrap the baby in, not a literal rabbit skin.
"And while I'm thinking of it, Jeremiah 10:1-5 does NOT refer to a Christmas tree."
Naturally, Jeremiah was not referring primarily to a "Christmas" tree, for the idolatrous customs of Christmas had not been thought of. But the tree that Jeremiah was describing is the one that was later adopted for the Christmas tree. So, in a round-about way, Jeremiah was describing a Christmas tree, although it was several centuries before the Catholics began using the tree described by Jeremiah as a Christmas tree.
"Can I send my friend a card or give my wife a present on December 25 without holding mass for Christ?"
Certainly you can. But suppose you condescend to the Catholic idea and send pictures of what they think the birth of Christ looked like? Or suppose that in your actions on that day you made it clear that you were attempting to celebrate the birth of Christ?
I believe that we can rightfully celebrate the Christmas season as a civil or national holiday, but if we inject any religious significance into the celebration of the day, then we do err. The day cannot be rightfully observed as a religious holiday (holy day) by Christians, for the Bible gives us all the instructions concerning the observance of religious days that we need.