Yes, it is only August, but since my employer Wal-mart has already felt the need to place Holiday Barbie and other seasonal toys on the shelf, why not make mention of the buzz surrounding Wal-mart’s Sam’s Club chain of stores?
Apparently, Sam’s is guilty of using “holidays” instead of “Christmas.”
Umm, yay? Personally, I’d opt for “festival days” as there isn’t much in the way of holiness associated with the days in question. Adding “holy” to the title would seem to make something religious out of it, and anything religious that isn’t found within Scripture must be definition be traditions of man, which are repeatedly denounced and which have no place in a sola Scriptura belief system. (There’s a great denominational title for ya… Sola Scripturists. That’d be the church to join, I tell ya!)
It honestly escapes me why so many brothers want to fight to keep Christ associated with a day that He never associated Himself with. Certainly, there is no Scripture to defend this tradition, and yet it seems so much time and effort are spent fighting for this non-cause. Why? Are there no more important things to be working toward?
Look at all the time God spent describing the festivals of the Jews, and then look at how much time was spent in the New Testament describing Christmas trees, special Easter services, gift giving, egg hunts, holiday decorations, and so on. List out all the verses that describe our Christian festivals, and you’ll see just how important they are to God. ;)
I’ve no beef at all with esteeming certain days above others. Go for it. Give gifts, find eggs, decorate your house, and be joyous. But the moment you make something religious out of it, the moment you bring Christ down to the level of the traditions of man, you are in danger of adding unto the word of God. If making a religious tradition out of something as simple as hand washing was reason enough for Jesus to rebuke the Pharisees, you can imagine what He’d say to large scale embellishments like the winter and spring festivals.
Thanks for reading.