Or How About Christian AND Pagan?

<Background: A friend of mine was visiting people in the neighborhood here in Baguio. He met a man who is part of a religious group here in the Philippines known as Iglesia ni Cristo (INC). This group was founded over here. Theologically, it is basically Arian. Soteriologically, it is Particularist (meaning salvation is mediated through …

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Christmas. It’s Okay… Really.

christmas 2007 (Photo credit: paparutzi) A few thoughts on Christmas. May as well get the thinking started now. 1.  It is OKAY to Christianize a pagan holiday. <An Issue of Contextualization.> Some are bothered by this and make this a big issue at certain times of the year. But Christianization is simply the subversion or …

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Can Christians Celebrate “Pagan” Holidays?

Living in the Philippines, Christmas is a big event. It has at least as much noise, food, gifts, parties, songs, and fellowship as the United States. But there are two major groups here (groups that draw from a common Christian heritage) that do not celebrate Christmas. One of these is "Jehovah's Witness" while the other …

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