Christmas: Is it evil or sacred?

THERE seems a magic in the very name of Christmas. It is a busy race to spend money on presents. Though there many local customs and cerebrations that have developed, Christmas has now become the world's major festive occasion. It is the happiest and busiest time of the year for millions of Christians and some non-Christians throughout the world. Clearly, the birth of Christ was a historic event. The fact that angels heralded it as a herald of "peace among men of goodwill" clearly testifies to its impact. Billions of people around the globe are familiar with the full words of God's angels to the Shepherds who were looking after their flocks by night. "Glory in the heights above to God, and upon the earth peace among men of goodwill,' On this day, many nominal Christians make bizarre effort to improve their behaviour. The seasonal attention to joy, peace and goodwill, qualities mentioned in the angelic decree is habitually referred to as the Christmas spirit. Such positive sentiments even attract people who attribute no religious significance to Christmas. They too value the warm feelings that the festivity seems to foster. Where Christmas means time off from work or school, the holiday offers people an opportunity to relax and spend time with their families and friends, or simply enjoy themselves. However, many sincere people view Christmas principally as time to honour Jesus Christ. However as everyone anticipate to receive Christmas gifts it’s good to ask questions such as why do I celebrate Christmas? What is the origin of Christmas? Did the person I tend to remember on this day, command me to commemorate this occasion? What worries though is that the Inspector General of Police gives alert massages to his officers during this period. The warning could imply that this day may not be Christian oriented as evidenced by immoral and criminal activities that happen in its name. Britainica Encyclopedia of 1768 says Christmas, or Christ's Mass or old English, Cristes Maesse is a Christian festival celebration falling on December 25, commemorating birth of Jesus and to Roman almanac, the festival was celebrated in Rome by 336 AD. Pastor Benson Kafula an apostle from Bridge of Peace Ministries said Christmas originates from Rome in the days of Antioch who influenced many people in the world since Rome was by then the world super power. "Christmas has a pagan origin and this is time when Satanist offer sacrifice to their god 'SUN' who has convinced the mainstream into thinking that they are worshipping the true God. But sacrifice Satanist demand is always blood. That is why within Christmas Eve the Police chief will always issue alert massages to his officers and road accident escalates. "Satan knows our weakness and he capitalizes on our love for merry making and the love for gifts. The Bible encourages gift giving but with Satanism there is no free gift.  Every gift you receive, demands you to pay back and always in form of blood" he enlighten Pastor Kafula likened Father Christmas to a kiosk of a chain store or a sales representative of his masters Satanists, as Christmas spirit had already blinded the minds of the entire inhabited earth. He said most Satanists around this time were busy fasting, demanding for more blood. Christmas was observed on varying dates because the exact date of Christ’s birth was unknown, however, in 354 December 25 was declared birth of Christ and in 440 the Pope of Rome decreed that Christmas should be celebrated on that date. The clergy said that the popular Christmas Legend Santa Claus, whose name came from Saint Nicolas the patron saint of children, had qualities known to have originated from Clement Moore's poem 'Visit from St. Nicolas' with the beginning being the night before Christmas. Different people have different views on Christmas and the views are influenced by religion, culture, business or the environment. But according to pastor Kafula, the heart of man and merry making were inspirable. "If there was a stream that floods with partying, man would always swim in it, drink from it and sleep in it because life is incomplete without merriment. "However, Christmas is not the day Jesus was born, he was born around October. If it was in December, shepherds to whom the angels went first should not have been out of doors looking for green pasturage because December is a very cold season in Jerusalem," the pastor assumed. He said the birth of Jesus had been perverted because according to Jewish calendar every festival was based on agriculture, either sowing or harvesting. "Our emphasis must be placed on death because his death exhorted us from the dungeon in which we were. I'm not against gift giving because giving is biblical and even in our setting whenever our neighbour give birth we take gifts to such newly born babies to give them few basics." he advised Pastor Kafula words concise with words of wisdom of the Indian leader Mohandas K. Gandhi who said "I have never been able to reconcile myself to the gaieties of the Christmas season. They have appeared to me to be so inconsistent with the life and teaching of Jesus. Many would completely disagree with Gandhi. 'What,' they may wonder, 'could a Hindu statesman really know about a Christian holiday?' It must be admitted, though, that Christmas has spread all over the world, affecting all manner of cultures. Each December, the holiday seems all-pervasive. Do you at times feel that in all the insistent advertising, the harried buying of presents, the decorating of trees, the organising and attending of parties, the exchange of wines and cards—Jesus has somehow been left out of the picture? Mwimanenwa Mooto a business consultant wondered whether Jesus would tolerate such marketing in his name as evidenced by the rampant advertising towards Christmas. "Christmas has been heavily commercialized leaving one wondering whether it is meant for selling or reflection on Jesus. Remember though, that Jesus drove out the merchants who were selling in His Father's house in Jerusalem, by whipping them as he was upset. "I'm aware the influences that Jesus has on the lives of many, as evidenced by even those that are not religiously inclined seem to have been touched by the power of the good news that he preached and many other lives of countless individuals." He recalled Mr Mooto said the majority have adopted the Christian principles in every aspect of their lives even those that had centred the day on pleasure had come to recognize the importance of spiritual values and strive to show generosity and kindness in a broader sense. People who were once basically self-centred have begun to ask what Jesus might have done had he been in their situation. All in all, Christmas should be a day associated with peace and appreciation of the works of the son of God. There is no harm in exchanging gifts as generosity is Christ like. However, people should exercise limits in their merry making to avoid disastrous occurrences, which tend to shade a negative picture on the festive season. Whatever significance you attach to Christmas you will admit that any positive feelings engendered by Christmas are short lived. People quickly revert to their normal pattern of behaviour. The majority 'Christians' only qualify for that description conceptually for a few weeks every year, oozing goodwill towards their fellow men until after New Year when they go back to their dog-eat-dog existence and their indifference to the plight of others. Remember great men are remembered for what they did.