Nativity Scenes

I think they are fine at private homes and churches. Not on public property.

 

Nativity scenes are opposed to scripture and are a primarily Romish creation and tradition.

 

Our city park has one set up, along with other displays.

 

I want to disagree with you but I know you're right. Unfortunately, freedom means if the city puts up a nativity scene then we need to tolorate 6 muslims praying in the airport. It's a shame what 9/11 has done to our nation...

 

We have none on public property, but many churches have them. One church even has a 'live' nativity scene each year.

Many homes have them in their yards. We have a large lighted nativity scene that stretches out for 30 feet on our front lawn.

You can see it by clicking on the 'My Christmas Page' link in my signature. The picture is at the bottom of that page. I think it's beautiful! Many cars go very slowly past the house and some even stop for a few seconds. We call it our silent testimony...

 

This year a SS group from our church got together with their counterparts from other churches and set up a "community nativity" on our town square. It is quite lovely and fits in well with the decorations the city puts up.

Of course when the city gave permission for this they were quite clear that they would provide other religious groups space for their own displays. I for one wouldn't mind such for it brings a nice opportunity to discuss what other folks believe with my children and point out the deficiencies of each. No one has taken the city up on that offer though.

 

Our town has one, but we are a small place in the Bible Belt. In our home, we always leve the wise men in the distance, as they werent there at the birth. Thats a biggie for me - that we teach wrong things just beacuse thats been the tradition, but thats prob a rabbit that doesnt need to be chased.

 

Wow, how do they get a virgin to have a baby each night? :laugh: :wavey: :laugh:

 

It takes lots of planning! :laugh: :laugh:

 

We did that at a previous church and it was so awesome.

 

Opposed to Scripture how?

 

Graven images of the Godhead.

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." - Acts 17:29​

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." - Exodus 20:4​

 

We are not worshipping the nativity scene like the catholics worship Mary in a grotto.

My nativity scene is to remind others what CHRISTmas is all about.

Would a bowl or dinner plate be deemed a graven image? I think Jesus used one to eat out of didn't He?

 

Those verses don't mention worship.

 

Perhaps you think so because you have pulled them out of context. The passage Acts 17:29 comes from, deals entirely with how and who the people of Athens were worshipping. And who were they worshipping? "The unknown god" How? "with objects of worship".

Exodus 20:4? What is God really telling the Isrealites? Not worship a graven image. Why? Because He is a "jealous God" and won't tolorate idol worship. From the context of the passage, God is not talking about making statues of God. Man can't do that because no man has seen the face of God. He is specifically talking about man creating "other gods".

You'll have to find better scriptures than those if you wish to convince us that we are opposing scripture by recreating Jesus' birth with a nativity scene.

 

I would say that most "nativity scenes" are unbiblical for another reason. That is, what they portray is far different from what we find in the bible. So often, the manger is shown as a cosy little cot, trather than the animal feeding-trough which it was. Indeed, my online dictionary tells me that the word "crib", which originally meant "manger", "animal's feeding-trough", is used in American English to mean a baby's bed, the same as the British-English "cot". Animals are shown apparently gazing intently at Jesus, and the wise men are there by the manger, in spite of the fact that by the time they visited Jesus, He was in a house, and He was not a new-born baby. Hence King Herod had all the young boys killed in and around Bethlehem 2years old and under. Matthew 2.16:

Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

Such nativity scenes make the Incarnation of our Saviour appear to be cosy rather than emphasizing the great contrast between where Jesus came from, and the place of His birth. What was involved in Jesus Christ coming into this world to save sinners is truly amazing!

Every blessing,

 

I wouldn't worry that Nativity scenes are "Romish". Not everything that the Roman Catholic church has done is to be despised. But I like the comments of our British brother -- the traditional Nativity paintings or displays show Mary and Joseph et al well dressed and peaceful. How about one which portrays them as poor, humble, and distressed? Wouldn't that better demonstrate what the older theologians used to call God's "condescension"!

I too have no need to see Nativity displays in public sponsorship, not in an officially secular nation whose population includes many religious traditions and people of no faith at all. It is not the business of the state to do the church's work.

 

Paul said we ought not think that the Godhead can be represented by art and man's device. If we ought not think it, then we certainly ought not to do it.

"4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."​

Please notice the period that follows the word earth. The thought in this command is that we should not make any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above. If it is all about "worshipping" these images then why didn't God leave this part out? Why did He say "thou shalt not make"...That's the command and it doesn't need additional context to try to read in to what God says in order to appeal to our Catholic traditions.

Here's the expression of a second thought. Not only should you not make them but you shouldn't bow down to them, nor serve them. Here's your worship stuff but it doesn't change that we shouldn't make them to begin with.

"5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;​