p. 28 | TO CORRESPONDENTS by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 23, 1879

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

By Editor

1. “Is there any undisputed history that the 25th of December is the birth-day of Christ? If not, why should S. D. Adventists fall in the wake of the rest of the world in observing it, any more than they should keep Sunday or St. Patrick’s day? Wm. James.”

Ans. 1. No; there is probably no proof that Christ was born on the 25th of December; at least we know of none.

2. Then why should S. D. Adventists pay any regard to that day? On this part of the inquiry let us look at a consideration or two.

1. It will be conceded on all hands that if the day of Christ’s birth was known, it could very properly be regarded with special honor, as an anniversary day of joy and gladness.

2. Since the day is irrecoverably lost, can we not still celebrate the occasion, as an occasion, without any particular regard to the day?

3. Since custom has largely, throughout Christendom, fixed on the 25th of December as the day, and since there is no positive proof against it, any more than there is in its favor, and since we hold it to be wrong to differ with our fellow-men unless there is some clear and positive reason for so doing, do we sacrifice any principle in concurring with this custom so far as to perform on that day whatever services we may think it proper to perform in honor of the birth of Christ into our world.

4. The difference between Sunday and Christmas is this: Men have set up Sunday as the Sabbath of the Lord. But the Bible plainly tells us that another day is the Sabbath. We therefore reject the Sunday and take the other day. For Christmas, on the other hand, men have designated the 25th of December. But neither the Bible nor history points out any other day as the true one. It may be this, it may be some other. We do not know and cannot determine. We would like to celebrate the day of Christ’s birth, if we knew which one it was. We would like to celebrate the occasion anyway. Then why not do this on the day which others have come to regard as the day in question, even if there is no evidence for it, seeing there is none against it?

If Sunday stood upon a foundation in some respects similar to this, we would keep Sunday. For instance, it being desirable to observe one day of the week as a day of rest, if no day had been designated for that purpose, and it was impossible, aside from custom, to produce any evidence for one day over another, common practice having, under these circumstances, centered upon Sunday, we would keep it, too.

The celebration of Christmas is, of course, only a voluntary matter. There is no obligation upon any one in regard to it; but there is certainly no harm that we can see in a sober and rational observance of the day, if the object in view is a good one.

St. Patrick’s day, or any day regarded by the Roman Catholic church alone, is not a parallel case, and need not be considered.

D. Norton: You will find in “Man’s Nature and Destiny” a full discussion of the subject of the resurrection of Moses, in the chapter on the Transfiguration.