God's Answer To Unbelief

GOD’S ANSWER TO UNBELIEF

I Corinthians 1.25

S: Atheism

C: Christmas Story

Pr: THIS STORY IS TO BE OUR STORY.

Type: INDUCTIVE

PA: How is the change to be observed?

• Recognize that the stories we love find their origin in the author of the greatest story.

• Allow God to give your story the best possible ending.

Version: ESV

RMBC 25 November 07 AM

INTRODUCTION:

As I began thinking about this series on atheism, I asked myself the question…

1. What does an atheist do for Christmas?

I don’t mean to sound mean, but does it make sense to celebrate?

Is it not hypocritical?

After all, isn’t Christmas the celebration of the birth of the Christian’s Savior, Jesus?

So I did some exploring online to what atheists are saying about their celebration of Christmas.

For many atheists, they just don’t see it as a religious holiday.

As one blogger noted:

It’s not a Christian holiday anymore. . .it’s a commercial holiday that was based on a Christian concept a very long time ago. It’s not about Christ anymore, though.

It is still celebrated by many atheists because they love the party.

It is seen as a time about family, friends and eggnog.

Here is what another blogger said:

I love Christmas. I’ve been at least an agnostic for as long as I recall (even as a kid, I never really gave the whole existence re: God thing much thought), and an atheist for a fairly long time as well. While, as a kid, my parents (at my mother’s behest, her being a twice a year Christian) would take us to church for Christmas Eve service, I still never really celebrated it for the whole "birth of our savior" aspect. I just liked getting stuff and eating good food.

Of course, others see it as nothing more than a commercialized holiday, using Santa Claus (another Christian symbol) to provide a bump for the economy.

Not only that, some atheists turn the hypocrisy accusation back at us.

Another blogger says:

If anything the hypocrisy would be on the side of Christians that put up a pine tree (pagan symbol denounced as evil in the Bible), and celebrating a holiday not at all based on the actual birth date of Jesus.....wouldn’t it?

I share these, because many of us here today, do not know or understand what people who are not Christians, and atheists in particular, are thinking about Christmas.

When you hold Christmas near and dear to your hear for more than the reasons that have been noted here, you wonder who is trying to steal it away from you.

It reminds me of the Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas…

ILL Christmas (S)

Everyone who lived down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,

But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville did not!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!

Now, please don’t ask why. No one inquired the reason.

It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right.

It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.

But I think that the most likely reason of all

May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

But, whatever the reason, his heart or his shoes,

He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos,

Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinch frown

at the warm lighted windows below in the town.

For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath

Was busy now hanging a mistletoe wreath.

And they’re hanging their stockings, he said with a sneer

Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here!

Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming,

I must find some way to stop Christmas from coming.

So, as the story goes, the Grinch steals all the gifts, to prevent Christmas from happening, and here is what happens in Whoville:

It was a quarter past dawn; all the Whos still in bed,

All Whos, still a-snooze when he packed up his sled,

Packed it up with their presents, The ribbons! The wrappings!

The tag! And the tinsel! The Trimmings! The trappings!

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt Crimpit,

He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it!

Pooh-pooh on the Whos! He was grinchishly humming.

They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming!

They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do!

Their mouths will hang open a minute or two.

Then the whose down in Whoville will all cry Boo-Hoo!

That’s a noise, grinned the Grinch, that I simply must hear.

So he paused, and the Grinch put his hand to his ear.

And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.

It started in low. Then it started to grow.

But the sound wasn’t sad! Why this sound sounded merry!