When Christ was born
By GARY TOOLE
Some religious groups celebrate Christ's birthday at different times other than December 25 as most Christian groups do. In my opinion, what's a better time to celebrate Christmas than when Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, when there's a chill in the air. It just seems more like Christmas to me.

As a child, I thought Christ was born in December. I started researching this matter when a lady told me that she didn't believe in celebrating Christmas because it was too commercialized (that I agree with.) Christ was not born in December and the holiday itself was derived from a Roman pagan holiday.

How could I argue because I didn't know? So, I began to study and research to get to the bottom of this controversy. Here's what I found according to Finis Dake, a noted theologian. He states, "Concerning St. Luke 2:8, where the shepherds were abiding in the field keeping watch over their flocks by night, this is clear proof that Christ was not born in December because shepherds never kept their flocks out in the open during the winter. It was the custom to send them out after the Passover to stay until the first rain in October. Religious groups have listed every month of the year as speculation, but it cannot be proved exactly when He was born."

To most Southern Protestants when He was born is not so important as to the fact that He was born and is the Savior of the world. Now that's what we truly celebrate.

December 25 is a day set aside in recognition of a Holy Day as is Sunday, which of course is not the Sabbath, which is Saturday, but is

a day to give respect and r e cogni t ion. So it is with Christmas. We as a Christian founded nation have set this time to celebrate Christ's birth.

Now, to deal

with Christmas being derived from a pagan holiday. According to many history books the origin of Christmas including the brightly colored tree was taken from a Roman holiday celebrated hundreds of years before Christ. The Romans observed it in a pagan fashion until one of their emperors, Constantine, a converted Christian declared it to be a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Of course, we still use the Christmas tree in our celebration, but old Santa Claus came along much later and that's another story within itself.

I thought these things over in my mind and concluded, "What could be pagan about the beautiful Christmas tree?" Then the thought occurred to me, "It's not the tree that we idolatrously worship but the way we over commercialize Christmas; our want for more and more."

When I was a boy back in the 1950s, a used bicycle repainted and fixed up under the Christmas tree made my eyes light up like 50 cent pieces. Now, television commercials tell us we've got to have this, that, and the other, to have a happy Christmas. Well, maybe not. To quote an old adage, "Happiness is not always having what you want, but rather wanting what you have." Amen.

And speaking of happiness, I think all Christian believers would be happy if we could change all pagan holidays to Christian Holy Days and keep them holy, not so commercialized that we fight over fad goods like they did years ago with the Cabbage Patch Dolls.

Also, that we do not lose sight of Christ the Savior in a web of controversy over differences of opinions, dogmas, and creeds. When Christ was born has no bearing on the fact that He made such a great impact on this world that even emperors, kings and wise man called Him Lord of Lords and King of Kings; The Son of the Most High God.

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior which is Christ the Lord." St. Luke 2:11.

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