by hibiscusfire 405 Replies latest jw friends
Well, If you're that fired up about X-mas being blasphemous, how do you feel about Easter being called easter?
OUTSTANDING point, Avishai. An excellent way to (one would hope) give pause to someone whose petty legalism is completely out of control. Let's see what happens.
Kid A
Gift-giving at Christmas is a relatively new idea. Until a couple of centuries ago, Christmas was reserved as a religious holiday on a noncommercial basis. Many of our forefathers would have believed that trading presents on the day set aside to observe Christ's birthday was near blasphemy.
However, gift giving became a generally accepted practice and was used primarily to show appreciation to loved ones.
Gifts were usually simple, regardless of the means of the giver so as to not embarrass those who couldn't afford to give very much. For a long while in most countries, gifts were exchanged on New Year's Day (not a bad idea today--think of the great buys you could get!).
Christmas gifts were limited to food for the poor or special gifts to pastors and missionaries.
Hibiscusfire
Except for the Catholics and their cousins the Episcopalians and Lutherans, I wonder how many people observe the latter part of the word? Christmas stands for Christ's Mass.
Confession/Avishai
OUTSTANDING point, Avishai. An excellent way to (one would hope) give pause to someone whose petty legalism is completely out of control. Let's see what happens.
Easter is another topic I'm talking about Christmas and X'ing Christ out of it....and I'm very passionate about that!!!
HF
Slightly off topic, what did ya'll get for Xmas last year?
GBL
finallyfree:
We don't have the option of going in to work. Just about everything is closed - you can't even go out to a restaurant or donut shop. This holiday is imposed on people whether they're Christian or not, so they should not be criticized for celebrating it in whatever way they choose.
And I'm sure you're one of those who is glad for the holiday so why are you complaining?
BESIDES I don't believe anyone would say a holiday is imposing. Who is going to eat in a restaurant when you have so many things a cooking in the kitchen??? Come on!!!
Christmas is special and holy.
HF
Well don't you think this a great opportunity to learn the truth about the X in Christmas and now do the right thing?What you regard as "the truth about the X in Christmas" does not equal "the truth about the X in Christmas." Your insistence that it does suggests a fascinating delusion of grandeur.
How would you like it if lets say your name is Abraham, would you like if you were to receive some award and they presented your name on the flyer as X receives award for "The most outstanding and dedicated worker. People wouldn't know who X is.
If this example you've cited had anything to do with what we were talking about I might agree, but it doesn't. The truth is that many people do in fact abbreviate their names. For instance the name people use for me is actually an abbreviation of my full name. So they actually eliminate five whole letters from my real name when they use this abbreviation. How scandalous!!! Not... People DO know what that abbreviation stands for, don't they?
Wouldn't you feel stupid in front hundreds of people who never even saw you far less know your stupid name.....No, no, I would not feel stupid, Hibiscus. What I WOULD feel stupid about is backing myself into the silly, narrow-minded, legalistic, arrogant, Pharisaical corner you've just found yourself in.
This has GOT to be a joke....
I am LAUGHING so HARD!!! X Christ out of Christmas! LMAO. tooooo funny.
And if it is serious, which I can't believe it could be... what about the posts about Saturnalia, the REAL holiday, why hasn't HB responded about those? "X"mas is a relatively new phenomenon, while mid-winter celebrations that far more closely resemble the modern "X"mas have been around for millenia.
Heehee. too funny.
Oh look, my post got ignored. What a surprise. Still, what was I thinking, posting information on what the X in Xmas actually means. Can't have any of those annoying facts flying around.
honesty:
Hibi, you have to remember that most on this board have been damaged beyond belief by the WatchTower/JW cult. Therefore, our perspective is based partly on the abusive relationship we have had with the Mother organisation. Just a thought for you to consider when your views are not taken very seriously.
Then don't you think it's better to know the truth than hide it?
sincerely ,
Hibiscusfire
