Is celebrating Christmas Blasphemy?
Blasphemy
noun: blasphemy; plural noun: blasphemies
The action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.
"he was detained on charges of blasphemy"
Synonyms: profanity, profaneness, sacrilege, irreligiousness, irreverence, taking the Lord's name in vain, swearing, curse, cursing, impiety, impiousness, ungodliness, unholiness, desecration, disrespect; formalimprecation; archaicexecration
"he was condemned for his blasphemy"
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We are in the Advent Season when Christians look forward to Christmas. When Christians celebrate the birth of the messiah, or Christ child Jesus. Most churches the first part of the first chapter of John is read out.
John 1 English Standard Version (ESV)
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own,[b] and his own people[c] did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[d] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.[e] 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God,[f] who is at the Father's side,[g] he has made him known.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=ESV
If you wish you can use the above link for the full translation.
But in many Muslim majority Countries the simple act of celebrating Christmas is banned, or one can only celebrate Christmas in private. [Unlike in the west were Muslims are free to openly celebrate their religious festivals] Indeed the simple act of reading aloud the above passage and it his heard by a Muslim is deemed as blasphemous. Because Muslims only accept Jesus as a prophet and do not recognise him as the Son of God.
Anyone who disagrees is deemed to be anti-Islam and as such is committing a blasphemous act and should be punished. Indeed many Muslim majority countries have called for the UN to implement and enforce blasphemy laws worldwide. This was eventually dropped at the UN in 2013. But individual countries still impose their own blasphemy laws including the death penalty for blasphemy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation_of_religion_and_the_United_Nations
If you wish you can use the above link for the full translation.
Indeed the blasphemy law in the UK was only repealed in 2008 again for further information take a look at the following link;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_law_in_the_United_Kingdom
It would have made for interesting legal and religious debates on blasphemy laws if they were still on the statute books. Eg what is deemed blasphemous by Muslims and what Christians deem blasphemous could differ? Or Jews, or Atheists, or Gays, or Feminists etc the list is endless.
As we all inhabit a small world and one that is getting smaller. What happens in one country [an act of intolerance for example] can have a knock on effect in another country. One should always remember the golden rule.
“Treat people as you would like to be treated yourself,” Or people might just start to treat you like you have treated others and no one wants that.
I won’t wish anyone a happy Christmas it just might be deemed offensive. I shall just say Shalom or salaam instead.
Comments
Yesterday, following the Islamic lunar was the 12th of Rabbi ul Awwal – the day of the birth of the final Prophet (saw).
It is celebrated by many Muslims and there would have been celebrated by many Muslims around the world. (others suggest that the best form of celebration is not by marking events, which they disagree with, but by emulating the example of the Prophet (saw)).
In relation to other Prophets (and we consider Prophet Isa as a major Prophet, which you disagree with ofcourse), there are multiple examples.
On the one had we should not emulate other religions and copy them so as to not be distinguishable.
On the other hand there is the example of the Jews of Madinah fasting on the Ashurah to give thanks for their escape from Egypt. When encountering this, the Prophet
recommended that we fast two days – in effect celebrating and distinguishing from the celebrations of the Jews.
So my personal view is that while Muslims should appreciate the celebration of Christmas by Christians (and no Muslim will be offended by Christians or others celebrating Christmas), our appreciation of the actual event of birth of Prophet Isa (as) should be markedly different.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
I did not know that, the birth date of Mohammed, but I note your point that Muslims would have celebrated it in various ways around the world. Some quietly and reflectively and others more of a overt celebration of his life and birth.
Christmas is sometimes seen as a chance to have a good binge on food and drink. Whilst totally forgetting what we, are celebrating. Hence the criticism “it is a pagan mid winter festival hijacked by Christian missionaries, to convert pagans many centuries ago”. Also that the birth date of Jesus is unknown, we can know the approx year by looking at Roman history, but that is all.
The above I did know, this was the day the Jews, call Yom Kippur, or the day of atonement. It is the day when God delivered the children of Israel from their enemy; and, Moses fasted on that day. The reason for second name atonement, was when Moses returned to the Israelite camp with the stones bearing the Ten Commandments, he found them celebrating in a pagan manner around a golden calf. On seeing this he, “Moses” smashed the tablets and condemned them.
I agree Muslims should appreciate, or accept, the celebration of Christmas by Christians, but as you say it is your personal view. Not one accepted by many of your fellow Muslims. It is seen as contrary to the teaching of the Quran, “Jesus, or Isa was just a Prophet” and to disagree with the teachings of the Quran is blasphemy. Hence my comments, Christians cannot openly celebrate Christmas in Muslim majority countries, to do so could lead them to be charged with blasphemy.
Then again, once in the Christian west it was considered blasphemous to say that Jesus was Jewish, which was true, but things do change. But how to reconcile the way the two, maybe three, faiths see Jesus. Requires a tolerant acceptance of each other’s faiths and beliefs and leave it at that. Not using it as a stick to beat each other with.
I havent lived in the Arab world, but I am surprised at the sugestion that Christians are not allowed to celebrate christmas there.
Many of these countries have large Christian populations.
Admittedly I have dont no research and Saudi is a special example of intolerance to others (which also stops Muslims from other celebrations), so I wouldn’t base anything in the wider Arab world based on what it does.
I also don’t think it is just my personal view that we are not offended with Christians celebrating Christmas – I do not know any Muslim who is offended by it, though some will try to focus on the pre Christian pagan elements of it
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.