Daniel Kolenda: Off The Record
Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?
In the latest episode of OFF THE RECORD, Daniel Kolenda will discuss the controversial viewpoints surrounding Christmas asking, “Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?”. While the question strikes some as curious (after all, why wouldn’t they?), others point to the holiday’s pagan influences, borderline worship of commercialism, and historical inaccuracies as reasons enough for true Christ-followers to eschew the celebration. In his candid, casual, and no-holds-barred style, Daniel tackles the topic head-on.
In the show’s opening, he points out that “it’s obvious that a lot of people are deeply passionate on this issue, one way or the other. I actually have a good friend who was a pastor, very beloved by his congregation, and who was recently ousted by the elders because of some areas of disagreement over doctrine. And one of the main areas of disagreement was that these elders believed that Christians should not celebrate Christmas, and the pastor wanted to take advantage of the Christmas Holiday season to reach out to their community evangelistically… this is a kind of dogmatism that needs a response.”
An engaging, well-researched, and even-handed conversation follows – replete with scriptural insights and no small dose of levity. Daniel traces the evolution of Christmas from the birth of Jesus through the Roman era and reveals how contact with pre-Christian European tribes and modern-day capitalism brought us the hodge-podge of religious and secular observance we now call “Christmas.” If you’re curious about how customs emerge, interested in history, or looking for your own answer to the controversy, this is a not-to-be-missed episode.
