> General Discussions
Christmas
Kat:
Hi Gena,
I sympathize with your situation. Going against the flow is not easy :)
I too am in a difficult situation.
I was in a church 10 yrs ago, where we did not celebrate christmas at all,
I was in that church for 15 yrs, not keeping christmas.
But I left and went back to a mainstream church, and gradually but totally was involved with christmas again, that's been the last 10yrs.
So now I have to stop all over again, and my 3 girls (17,19,and 23) are not happy about it.
Well, it was kinda simple for me, I just told them I would not do any of it myself,
but they could do it all on there own and I would not oppose them.
It really does not bother me that other people, even my girls, want to do it.
I feel like it really matters how I deal with the situations as they come along.
I love my family and I will not try to force them to do or even understand, what I have to do.
So just do what you feel is the right thing, God will guide you as you go.
Hope you can have peace and trust God to help you through it.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
gmik:
Thank you Kat! :-*
gena
mongoose:
Gena,
You didn't tell your kids about Santa? Sorry for the curiosity. My husband and I don't have kids but if God brings kids into our lives, we dont' want to tell them all that garbage either. Did your family object? What did you say to them? We made a brief foray into saying we didn't believe in teaching kids fairy tales about santa and the tooth fairy and 4-5 of our relatives all decided to yell at us at once. Sorry if this is inappropriately curious.
mongoose
gmik:
Hi Mongoose, Yes, I got a similar reaction from the family as you did. We didn't deny the fact of Santa to the kids, they just knew he was pretend, so I never forbade Santa dolls and what not. My kids went to a Christian school and even there lots of kids Believed in him! But they got thru it....the worst was Halloween! My family thought we were nuts- my kids couldn't dress up or go trick or treating-and they thought we were depriving them of so much! One year when the kids were older, church started offering an alternative type party and we let them attend that.
I have a "christian" aunt who would fill me in on all the gossip that my family was saying about me. I always sent Christian greeting cards, birthday cards etc. They would even comment about that-Oh, guess who this is from?? sneer sneer. I always was pleasant around them and never brought up anything controversial. After awhile (years) things calmed down.
One time, the kids were staying at my mom's and she showed them a scary movie called the Devil Dog...they had never seen anything like that! She knew I would be mad but did it anyway. My kids still talk about how scaird they were!!
It is not always easy to know the best thing to do with your kids. I wish I knew then all the stuff I know now- you will have it easier I think when your kids come along.
My kids never felt deprived, or wierd, or anything. But I found out years later that as teens when they went to a sleep-over they would trick or treat or toilet-paper houses!!!!
;D
gena
Andy_MI:
Good thread eveyone!
My 27 year old son called me about a month ago and we got on the subject of beleifs and such. He thanked me that I never taught him the whole "christmas" lie about santa claus and all the gift giving rutuals that most people like to partake of. He said that he really appreciated me telling him the truth about christmas being a pagan holiday.
Back when I made that decision (prayfully) to not go along with my family's desire to teach my son to believe in santa claus I was given a lot of grief from my mom and dad and sister. They thought it was such a horrible thing not to tell my son that santa claus is real. They wanted me to tell him the same lie that they told me as a child.
I shared with my parents how much that lie messed me up as a child when I found out that it was all a lie! I felt angry, confused, let down etc. Because of that I refused to follow that same trend and rather give the truth. And I was rewarded last month with my son's phone call to me thanking me for that. He also has two children of his own and he is going to be truthful with them as well. That really blessed my heart!
I think our Father is always pleased when we want to please Him and do what's right and true in His eyes. Even and especially when it goes against the majority.
I like what Kat brought out in Ray's teaching on the subject especially this quote:
--- Quote ---SO WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
What does God think of the religion and wisdom and customs of Egypt?
It means that virtually everything about Christendom—from its name ‘Church,’ to the architecture of their buildings, to the origin of their holy days and doctrines, is all straight out of heathenism,
of which God Almighty declares:
"LEARN NOT THE WAY OF THE HEATHEN… inquire NOT after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? Even so WILL I DO LIKEWISE" (Jer. 10:2 & Deut. 12:30).
--- End quote ---
I feel that if we are lacks concerning one pagan holiday than participating in others becomes easier also. Can anyone say Halloween??? Easter???
The only holiday we have that isn't pagan in it's roots seems to be Thanksgiving.
We and I mean (me) should make pleasing our Father the number one priority in our life.
Peace,
Andy
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