Two major objections The Watchtower's two major objections to Christmas are that Jesus was not born on December 25th and that date was originally a pagan holiday. Historic Christianity readily admits that we do not know the exact date that Jesus Christ was born, although his birth was probably in late September instead of December. The December date that Christians have chosen to celebrate the first coming of Jesus more accurately represents the approximate time of the conception of Jesus instead of his birth. Although God has not chosen to preserve the date of Jesus' birth, He has chosen to preserve the details of the miraculous gift of His Son that happened that day. Are God's people allowed to add their own celebrations? Is there any Biblical precedent for God's people to have the freedom to chose their own holiday in order to celebrate God's gift of life sent in the person of God's Son? The book of Esther reveals the answer. God's people were faced with complete annihilation shortly after Esther became Queen. Without regard for her life Esther approached the king and and made a plea for the life of her people. But the law that called for the death of the Jews had been signed with the king's name and signet ring and could not be revoked. In order to save the Jews, Queen Esther was given the king's signet ring and permission granted for her to write a law that would protect them. The new law allowed the Jews to gather together to protect their lives. Esther 9:1 says, "...On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them." The Jews instituted their own holy day or holiday calling it "Purim". "Therefore the Jews...celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another...And Mordecai wrote these things...to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun...they called these days Purim...the Jews established...that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year...they had decreed for themselves." Esther 9:19-31. What was meant for evil was turned around as a victorious celebration for the Jews! Nowhere did Jehovah ever condemn the Jews for creating the celebration of Purim. Neither did Jesus condemn the celebration when he was here on earth. And Purim is still celebrated even to this day. In the same way Christians have the freedom to chose to celebrate the marvellous gift of God's Son. Did Christianity's freedom to celebrate the first coming of Christ overcome pagan worship? The Christians who originally instituted the celebration of the birth of our Saviour believed that it was right to honor Jesus on any day, and Christians throughout the centuries have agreed. As a result December 25th the day that pagans worshipped the sun in the sky, was victoriously taken back for God in order to honor and adore God's gift of His own Son. The victory of light over darkness has been so outstanding that the pagan worship of the sun on December 25th has long disappeared. Did the Watchtower originally promote the celebration of the first coming of Jesus? Although Jehovah's Witnesses do not now celebrate Christmas, they did at an important time in their history. In 1919 the Watchtower claims that they were approved by God as the only religion teaching the truth. But this was the very time that the Watchtower was celebrating Christmas. Even the Watchtower of Dec. 15, 1926 page 371 taught that Christmas is so important, regardless of the date. If God accepted the Watchtower's practice of celebrating Christmas in 1919, how can the Watchtower justify their practice of disfellowshipping anyone who celebrates Christmas today? Who changed your mind about Christmas, the God of the Bible or the Watchtower?
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