What view do Christians take of religious holidays?
How can you explain your beliefs to others without
offending them?
SUPPOSE you found out that your whole
neighborhood has been contaminated. Someone has secretly been dumping poisonous
waste in the area, and now the situation is life threatening. What would you
do? No doubt, you would move away if you could. But after doing that, you would
still face this serious question, ‘Have I been poisoned?’
A
similar situation arises with regard to false religion. The Bible teaches that
such worship is contaminated with unclean teachings and practices. (2 Corinthians 6:17) That is why
it is important for you to get out of “Babylon the Great,” the world empire of
false religion. (Revelation 18:2, 4)
Have you done this? If so, you are to be commended. But more is involved than
just separating yourself or resigning from a false religion. Afterward, you
must ask yourself, ‘Do any traces of false worship remain in me?’ Consider some
examples.
IMAGES AND ANCESTOR
WORSHIP
Some
have had images or shrines in their home for years. Is that true of you? If so,
you might feel that it is strange or wrong to pray to God without such a
visible aid. You may even feel attached to some of these items. But God is the
one who says how he should be worshiped, and the Bible teaches that he does not
want us to use images. (Exodus 20:4, 5;
Psalm 115:4-8; Isaiah 42:8; 1 John 5:21) So you can take a stand for true
worship by destroying any items you own that are connected with false
worship. By all means, come to view them as Jehovah does—as something “detestable.”—Deuteronomy 27:15.
Ancestor worship also is common in many false
religions. Before learning Bible truth, some believed that the dead are
conscious in an invisible realm and that they can help or harm the living.
Perhaps you used to go to great lengths to appease your dead ancestors. But as
you learned in an earlier article, the dead have no conscious existence
anywhere. Thus, attempts to communicate with them are of no use. Any messages
that seem to come from a dead loved one really originate with the demons.
Therefore, Jehovah forbade the Israelites to try to talk with the dead or to
participate in any other form of spiritism.—Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
If the
use of images or the practice of ancestor worship was part of your former way
of worship, what can you do? Read and ponder over Bible passages that show you
how God views these things. Pray to Jehovah daily about your desire to take a
stand for true worship, and ask him to help you to think as he does.—Isaiah 55:9.
CHRISTMAS—NOT CELEBRATED BY
EARLY CHRISTIANS
A
person’s worship could be contaminated by false religion as it relates to
popular holidays. Consider Christmas, for example. Christmas supposedly
commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, and nearly every religion that claims
to be Christian celebrates it. Yet, there is no evidence that the first-century
disciples of Jesus observed such a holiday. The book Sacred Origins
of Profound Things states: “For two centuries after Christ’s
birth, no one knew, and few people cared, exactly when he was born.”
Even
if Jesus’ disciples had known the exact date of his birth, they would not have
celebrated it. Why? Because, as The World Book Encyclopedia
says, the early Christians “considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be
a pagan custom.” The only birthday observances mentioned in the Bible are those
of two rulers who did not worship Jehovah. (Genesis
40:20; Mark 6:21) Birthday celebrations were also held in honor of pagan
deities. For example, on May 24 the Romans celebrated the birthday of the
goddess Diana. On the following day, they observed the birthday of their
sun-god, Apollo. Hence, birthday celebrations were associated with paganism,
not with Christianity.
There
is another reason why first-century Christians would not have celebrated Jesus’
birthday. His disciples likely knew that birthday celebrations were connected
with superstition. For instance, many Greeks and Romans of ancient times
believed that a spirit attended the birth of each human and protected that one
throughout life. “This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose
birthday the individual was born,” says the book The Lore of
Birthdays. Jehovah certainly would not be pleased with any observance
that would link Jesus with superstition. (Isaiah
65:11, 12) So how did Christmas come to be celebrated by many people?
THE ORIGIN OF
CHRISTMAS
It was not until several hundred years after
Jesus lived on the earth that people began to commemorate his birth on December 25.
But that was not the date of Jesus’ birth, for it evidently took place
in October. So why was December 25 chosen? Some who later claimed to be
Christian likely “wished the date to coincide with the pagan Roman festival
marking the ‘birthday of the unconquered sun.’” (The New Encyclopædia
Britannica) In winter, when the sun seemed weakest, pagans held
ceremonies to get this source of warmth and light to come back from its distant
travels. December 25 was thought to be the day that the sun began its
return. In an effort to convert pagans, religious leaders adopted this festival
and tried to make it seem “Christian.”
The
pagan roots of Christmas have long been recognized. Because of its unscriptural
origin, Christmas was banned in England and in some of the American colonies
during the 17th century. Anyone who even stayed home from work on
Christmas day had to pay a penalty. Soon, though, the old customs were back,
and some new ones were added. Christmas once again became a big holiday, and
that is what it still is in many lands. Because of the connections that
Christmas has with false religion, however, those who want to please God do not
celebrate it or any other holiday that has its roots in pagan worship.
DO ORIGINS REALLY
MATTER?
Some
agree that such holidays as Christmas have pagan origins but still feel that it
is not wrong to celebrate them. After all, most people are not thinking about
false worship when they observe holidays. These occasions also give families
opportunities to draw close together. Is this how you feel? If so, likely it is
love of family, not love of false religion, that makes taking a stand for true
worship seem difficult. Be assured that Jehovah, the one who originated the
family, wants you to have a good relationship with your relatives. (Ephesians 3:14, 15) But you can
strengthen such bonds in ways that God approves. Regarding the matter that
should be our chief concern, the apostle Paul wrote: “Keep on making sure of
what is acceptable to the Lord.”—Ephesians
5:10.
Maybe you feel that the origins of holidays
have little to do with how they are celebrated today. Do origins really matter?
Yes! To illustrate: Suppose you saw a piece of candy lying in the gutter. Would
you pick up that candy and eat it? Of course not! That candy is unclean. Like
that candy, holidays may seem sweet, but they have been picked up from unclean
places. To take a stand for true worship, we need to have a viewpoint like that
of the prophet Isaiah, who told true worshipers: “Touch nothing unclean.”—Isaiah 52:11.
DISCERNMENT IN DEALING
WITH OTHERS
Challenges may arise when you choose not to
participate in holidays. For example, fellow employees may wonder why you do
not engage in certain holiday activities where you work. What if you are
offered a Christmas gift? Would it be wrong to accept it? What if your marriage
mate does not share your beliefs? How can you make sure that your children do
not feel deprived because of not celebrating holidays?
Good
judgment is needed to discern how to handle each situation. If a holiday
greeting is casually extended, you could simply thank the well-wisher. But
suppose you are dealing with someone you see or work with regularly. In that
case, you might choose to say more. In all cases, be tactful. The Bible
advises: “Let your utterance be always with graciousness, seasoned with salt,
so as to know how you ought to give an answer to each one.” (Colossians 4:6) Be careful not to show
disrespect for others. Instead, tactfully explain your position. Make clear
that you are not against gift-giving and gatherings but prefer to participate
in these activities at a different time.
What
if someone wants to give you a gift? Much depends upon the circumstances. The
giver might say: “I know that you do not celebrate the holiday. Still, I want
you to have this.” You may decide that accepting the gift under those
circumstances is not the same as taking part in the holiday. Of course, if the
giver is not familiar with your beliefs, you could mention that you do not
observe the holiday. This would help to explain why you accept a gift but do
not give one on that occasion. On the other hand, it would be wise not to
accept a gift if it is given with the clear intention of showing that you do
not stick to your beliefs or that you would compromise for the sake of material
gain.
WHAT ABOUT FAMILY
MEMBERS?
What
if family members do not share your beliefs? Again, be tactful. There is no
need to make an issue of every custom or celebration that your relatives choose
to observe. Instead, respect their right to their views, just as you want them
to respect your right to yours. (Matthew
7:12) Avoid any actions that would make you a participant in the holiday.
Still, be reasonable when it comes to matters that do not amount to actual
celebration. Of course, you should always act in a way that will leave you with
a good conscience.—1 Timothy 1:18, 19.
What
can you do so that your children do not feel deprived because of not
celebrating unscriptural holidays? Much depends on what you do at other times
of the year. Some parents set aside times to give presents to their children.
One of the best gifts you can give your children is your time and loving
attention.
PRACTICE TRUE WORSHIP
To
please God, you must reject false worship and take a stand for true worship.
What does this include? The Bible states: “Let us consider one another to
incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves
together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the
more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24, 25) Christian meetings are happy occasions for
you to worship God in the way that he approves. (Psalm 22:22; 122:1) At such meetings, there is “an interchange of
encouragement” among faithful Christians.—Romans
1:12.
Another way that you can take a stand for true
worship is to speak to others about the things you have learned from studying
the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Many people truly are “sighing and groaning”
over the wickedness that is taking place in the world today. (Ezekiel 9:4) Perhaps you know some
people who feel that way. Why not speak to them about your Bible-based hope for
the future? As you associate with true Christians and speak to others about the
marvelous Bible truths you have learned, you will find that any desire for the
customs of false worship that may have remained in your heart will gradually
disappear. Be assured that you will be very happy and will receive many
blessings if you take your stand for true worship.—Malachi 3:10.
WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES
▪ Neither images nor ancestor worship have
any place in true worship.—Exodus 20:4, 5;
Deuteronomy 18:10-12.
▪ It is wrong to take part in celebrations
that have pagan origins.—Ephesians 5:10.
▪ True Christians should be tactful when they
explain their beliefs to others.—Colossians
4:6.
For more information please go to www.jw.org
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