Are we ashamed to say MERRY CHRISTMAS?

[Vizion]

I noticed at work that almost no one - including other Christians I know seem to be going politically correct and excluding Christmas wishes.

I hear "Happy Holidays!" and almost never "Merry Christmas". It seems even Christians would sell Christ out in a heartbeat in order to appease the world who hate him.

I wonder what they would think of this verse - or better yet, what they would do with it in this case bc let's face it: even one of Jesus' greatest disciples denied him before men.

"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven" Matt 10:33

[NateR]

I've heard plenty of 'Merry Christmas' wishes this year. It seemed that there was enough "happy holidays backlash" a couple of years back that most businesses are sticking with Christmas.

However, I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to claim that failing to wish people a Merry Christmas is denying Christ in any way. Christmas itself wasn't even celebrated by most American Christians until the 1850s. December 25th is not really an essential part of the faith, since there is only a 1 in 365 chance that Jesus was actually born on that day.

[Vizion]

Originally Posted by NateR

However, I wouldn't necessarily go so far as to claim that failing to wish people a Merry Christmas is denying Christ in any way.

I think it is to some. Look at Facebook - half of the people in my church won't even list themselves as Christian, but anything else you bet including acting like childish fools. To me omtting Christian says "I want to be anynomous". I thought we were supposed to be salt and LIGHT. Well, seems people love the world more than Christ, but they want Heaven not hell, so . . .

Anytime you can mention Christ's name even there is power. Saying Merry Christmas may be the only Christ a person even hears that day.

I do believe people are ashamed of Christ. I used to be one of them.

[flo]

I say "Merry Christmas" to everyone. I too think there is (finally) a backlash on this "happy holiday" business.

[MattHughesRocks]

Everyone gets a "Merry Christmas" from me. I don' care what your beliefs are they just have to put up with me
I found this store in a mall in central California. Had to take a pic.



I didn't go in but it looked like it sold teenager stuff.

[VCURamFan]

Merry Christmas is my default, but if I'm speaking to one of my Jewish friends, I do say Happy Hanukkah to them instead.

[Play The Man]

Originally Posted by Vizion

I noticed at work that almost no one - including other Christians I know seem to be going politically correct and excluding Christmas wishes.

I hear "Happy Holidays!" and almost never "Merry Christmas". It seems even Christians would sell Christ out in a heartbeat in order to appease the world who hate him.

I wonder what they would think of this verse - or better yet, what they would do with it in this case bc let's face it: even one of Jesus' greatest disciples denied him before men.

"But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven" Matt 10:33

When you are at work you should obey the policy at work. You are not being paid to evangelize. Work hard. Work to the best of your ability. Don't steal. Mind your own business. If you are paid to run a cash register, run it to the best of your ability. If you are on your lunch break and a co-worker asks you about your faith, you should be well-informed and explain it to the best of your ability. If you socialize with co-workers away from work, for example over a cup of coffee, you should not hesitate to share your opinions or beliefs. However, when you are on the clock, it should be all business.

[Vizion]

Originally Posted by Play The Man

When you are at work you should obey the policy at work. You are not being paid to evangelize.

Should we paid to evangelize? What comes first, policy, or God's will?

For the record I don't go around evangelizing at work, but I make a point to let people know who I am. The power of my witness is in Christ's reflection through me. There is no greater sermon than the one we live.

[adamt]

Originally Posted by Vizion

Should we paid to evangelize? What comes first, policy, or God's will?

For the record I don't go around evangelizing at work, but I make a point to let people know who I am. The power of my witness is in Christ's reflection through me. There is no greater sermon than the one we live.

should we be paid to evangelize? absolutely not!!!!! i would challenge you vizion, with the utmost respect and sincerity, to quit your job and evangelize full time. Much like the rich young ruler that thought he was righteous, but refused to give away all his posessions to get into heaven.

my thoughts on the other topics are that merry christmas is such a materialized part of society anymore is has lot its meaning. it is now okay to say merry christmas. If you truly want to be light and salt, we should start saying happy birthday jesus, or start celebrating st nicholas' day on the 9th or 13th of dec. we should refuse to give presents to each other, let alone buying them from the world, with God's money. NBC on air said merry christmas numerous times when they lit the tree back in november. IMHO christmas has become a secularized holiday.

there are so many christians in america today it is the "in" thing to do, including christmas. But are they christians? i dunno, but if i had to guess by the way they spend their time and money, i wouldn't warrant that they are. And like you said about how they look on facebook. We are all too happy to let the church take care or the sick and poor and orphans and needy while we spend our money paying atheletes and musicians to entertain us, and we roll into the multi million dollar sports complexes in our new rides and call it recreation. then when a homeschooled missionary kid does well in the nfl we rally behind him, and feel as though we have really served God, and done something very "salty".

But don't ask those same people to spend time with God or directly serving God instead of watching football. Don't ask them to take all the money they would spend on entertainment and spend on God.

you're far from the minority in here, unless you were meaning that you are the minority because of how highly you value a man made holiday as a witness of your chrisitanity. You think christmas is so important. Let me ask you, how was your yom kippur fast this year? How did you celebrate the day of atonement? If you want to truly be set apart and sanctified then celebrate what the bible commands and not what the retailers demands. And yes, yom kippur is still supposed to be celebrated by new testament christians according to paul, and no there was never a command to to celebrate His birth.

If anything we are commanded NOT to celebrate the first advent. If anything we should be celebrating the Second advent. We are commanded to look forward to the Lion that returns, not the lamb that came.

I saw a clip one time of will ferrell praying during taledega nights. and he was praying to sweet little baby jesus and that was supposed to be a joke, but the truth is alot of people are still praying to the meek little baby, or even the thirty three year old pale hippy looking guy that died on the cross..... fortunately or maybe unfortuantely Jesus is not a 33 year old pacifist anymore, he is an old white haired bearded man of war, with a hatred for sin in His eyes. He is a lion, He is a King.

We sing songs like "Lamb of God" and " I pledge allegience to the Lamb". Well that's not very good really. We need to be talking about the Lion of God and pledging allegience to the Lion of God.

Not meaning to rant so much, but when you exhort other Christians to a higher calling of God, you need to make sure that it is a worthy calling you are exhorting them to. Not a made up Holi-day, full of myths and cliches.

myths like the wise men were present at the birth, or that there were three wise men, or that angels sing,

Originally Posted by Play The Man

When you are at work you should obey the policy at work. You are not being paid to evangelize. Work hard. Work to the best of your ability. Don't steal. Mind your own business. If you are paid to run a cash register, run it to the best of your ability. If you are on your lunch break and a co-worker asks you about your faith, you should be well-informed and explain it to the best of your ability. If you socialize with co-workers away from work, for example over a cup of coffee, you should not hesitate to share your opinions or beliefs. However, when you are on the clock, it should be all business.

If a company allows a greeting than cannot discriminate what greeting that is. Home Depot was sued last years and lost because they released an employee for saying Merry Christmas. Most states are like this. However one should be careful if they are in an AT WILL state because they will just event another excuse to fire you. I think the best witness one can do is work your hinny off and do your job better (circa Joesph in Egypt) This will preach a lot louder than any greeting.