Tell your neighbors, Christmas lights are pagan!

[Nothing2CHere]

I was reading Yahoo! News stories just now, and ran across this gem. I can't keep track of where all the various fundies we follow live - are any of them around Hudsonville, Michigan?

Mich. Residents Receive Letter Calling Christmas Lights 'Pagan'

ABC NewsBy Olivia Katrandjian | ABC News – Sat, Dec 17, 2011 2:44 PM EST

Homeowners in Hudsonville, Mich., have been singled out for displaying what an anonymous letter-writer calls "pagan" lights and decorations on their properties.

On Wednesday night, residents of Vintage Drive found a letter attached to their mailboxes suggesting that anyone with Christmas lights or decorations should re-think their beliefs, because Christmas displays honor the "Pagan Sun-God" and do not pertain to the birth of Jesus, according to ABC News affiliate WZZM.

The letters start out on a friendly note, with "Hi Neighbor, you have a nice display of lights." But the self-described "love note" quickly changes tone, explaining how the "pagan tradition" of putting up lights began.

"I laughed because I think it's ridiculous that people would get upset over Christmas lights," said Danette Hoekman, who received the letter.

Besides speaking against holiday lights, the note claimed that the use of mistletoe, wreaths and yule-logs were in no way representative of Christmas.

Those who received the letters said they do not know who wrote them.

"It's a sin to judge other people and to tell people that if they have Christmas lights they are pagans. We're not pagans, we go to church regularly, my kids go to the Christian school," Hoekman said. "I think next year we should put on a huge display!"

ABC News affiliate WZZM contributed to this report.

[Burris]

Fuck's sake.

If a Christian who eschews "Paganism" - a broad term, that - nonetheless hangs colorful lights to celebrate a holiday, then that's not even remotely pagan: "To the pure, all things are pure..." - Titus 1:15

Two people can carry out an identical action in the identical situation and yet one can be right in it while the other is wrong. Their motives make the difference.

[debrand]

Fuck's sake.

If a Christian who eschews "Paganism" - a broad term, that - nonetheless hangs colorful lights to celebrate a holiday, then that's not even remotely pagan: "To the pure, all things are pure..." - Titus 1:15

Two people can carry out an identical action in the identical situation and yet one can be right in it while the other is wrong. Their motives make the difference.

This!

Ancient people did not have electricity so I don't see how Christmas lights are pagan.

If the writer of that letter wants to avoid all things pagan, he or she needs to rename the days of the week and the months of the year.

[emmiedahl]

We have "holiday lights" on our back patio. Festival of lights, y'all! I know this won't make the Christians feel better.

[Crackedeggs]

As my dearly departed late father would say:

Baloney.

:roll:

[daharyn]

The next thing will be that the multi-colored strands of lights are just a little too rainbow-ish. Obviously they are Super Ebil Gay Elf Xmas lights, designed to lead unsuspecting kiddos into NAMBLA.

(See, now I think this means Santa might have a g-string on underneath that outfit.)

:gay-color: :gay-color: :gay-color: :gay-color: :gay-color: :gay-color: :gay-color: (row of evil sodomite Christmas lights!)

(um, please pardon the strange sense of humor and the lack of caffeine yet today...)

[maybeizfundie]

Oh my heck, I am so tired of this every year.

Not only are Christmas lights "pagan", but Christians who celebrate Christmas are, in actual fact, worshipping Mithras. It doesn't matter if you're singing hymns about Jesus, reading Scripture relating to the birth of Jesus, relating everything in every way to Jesus (and annoying the rest of the world doing so). You are a pagan idolater, so there.

[Guest Anonymous]

As my dearly departed late father would say:

Baloney.

:roll:

And as mine would say, if brains were a disease, they'd be in the best of health.

[Deleted07]

and the fact that its basically been proven as fact that Jesus certainly was not born anywhere near December... :o

if you believe he exsisted at all... :whistle:

[alba]

If someone did that to me I would probably object to the assumption that I was Christian. Newsflash: not everyone is. I like Christmas lights because sunlight is in short supply at this time of year; it has nothing to do with my religious beliefs or lack thereof. I'm not religious in the slightest, yet I still celebrate, to some degree, a variety of holidays with a religious beginning: May Day, Thanksgiving, St. Andrew's Day, Christmas.

[ChunkyBarbie]

There is always going to be some fucknut that has to piss in the party punch. If I received that letter I would book it to Lowes and buy even more lights and a several blow up Santas for the yard.

[ladypuglover]

There is always going to be some fucknut that has to piss in the party punch. If I received that letter I would book it to Lowes and buy even more lights and a several blow up Santas for the yard.

My husband would do the same thing.

I have never read anywhere in the bible that x-mas trees or decor is pagan and should be shunned. I wouldn't do it anyway as I need the pretties to make it through this time until the sun returns and my depression levels off. Now I'm going to go hang more lights and see if that pisses of my fundy neighbor. Hw I really want to piss her holier than thou but is to get the leg lamp and have it up all year as it really is a major award.

[freejoytoo]

We call them fairy lights in England. Wonder what the fundies would make of that ;)

[GiGi_41]

If the writer of that letter wants to avoid all things pagan, he or she needs to rename the days of the week and the months of the year.

Some Quakers actually do this...Sunday School is referred to as First Day school.. ..when I correspond with other Quakers I try to use the numbers of the months and days, as well as Thee.

[Mama Mia]

When I was a little kid my dad would put a huge Christmas light Peace sign up on our house. Some of the neighbors would bitch that it wasn't 'right' for Christmas .. crazy

[Conuly]

Ancient people did not have electricity so I don't see how Christmas lights are pagan.

No, but many cultures have holidays where you put out lights. There were early Christians who railed against their coreligionists for following those customs instead of soberly avoiding other people's holidays. Why should the light of the world put out lanterns like the pagans and all that. Of course, pragmatically, few people want to be cut off from the major holidays in their area, especially if they're converts.

So yes, technically, putting out strings of electric lights can be seen as a variation of a custom started by non-Christians. None of which explains why it's the letter writer's business, or how it is that s/he's allowed to overlook the prohibitions on judging others.

[debrand]

Some Quakers actually do this...Sunday School is referred to as First Day school.. ..when I correspond with other Quakers I try to use the numbers of the months and days, as well as Thee.

You know what's ironic? I've never heard a Quaker telling someone how to live their life. Maybe it's because I don't come in contact with many Quakers but they seem content to live their own religion

OT Some of my ancestors were Quakers!

[jlbturtle]

I literally live down the road from this and that's a little extreme even for our community. But I guess when your town holds the record for most churches on one street you are going to have some extremeists.

[GiGi_41]

It is not my place, nor any one elses, to tell you what God looks like. That is up to the individual.

Quakers have calmed down....back in the day, the 1600's, they use to be very in your face, then they got really concerned with their members wardrobe, marriages, and jobs...people where disfellowshipped, they stopped following the most important part of Quakerism....listening for the inner light of God to speak to you. Around the late 1800's there was a split and that split became whatmost people know of Quakerism...the unprogrammed Friends (no pastor) and Programmed Friends (pastor led).

I am a liberal Friend..and they believe or not believe just about anything. In our meeting we have Atheist Friends, Christian Friends, and New Age Friends. We all just come in to sit in silence to wait for the light to speak. We do good works together and support each other as best we can.

ETA..to add punctuation because yea, its early!

[Nothing2CHere]

I have never read anywhere in the bible that x-mas trees or decor is pagan and should be shunned. I wouldn't do it anyway as I need the pretties to make it through this time until the sun returns and my depression levels off. Now I'm going to go hang more lights and see if that pisses of my fundy neighbor. Hw I really want to piss her holier than thou but is to get the leg lamp and have it up all year as it really is a major award.

Someone on our street DOES have a leg lamp that's kept in their front window all year. My husband gets such a kick out of seeing it.

[GeoBQn]

I've noticed that the trend this year online (at least when seen on the 19 Kids page and sites like One Million Moms) is for people to write "CHRISTmas." It's so weird, I feel like they are shouting at me.

[Mommy22alyns]

People never cease to amaze me. Wow, wow.

[kittypie]

Fuck's sake.

If a Christian who eschews "Paganism" - a broad term, that - nonetheless hangs colorful lights to celebrate a holiday, then that's not even remotely pagan: "To the pure, all things are pure..." - Titus 1:15

Two people can carry out an identical action in the identical situation and yet one can be right in it while the other is wrong. Their motives make the difference.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. My DVD pastor :) teaches about the pagan origins of Christmas and while the history of it all is very interesting, I just haven't had a personal conviction that enjoying lights/trees/gift-giving is wrong. I've wrestled with it for a while and I knew there was a reason why. Thank you for taking that little load off! Now I shall go enjoy another piece of peanut butter fudge :D