John Calvin, in his famous Christmas day sermon in 1551 said, “When you elevate one day alone for the purpose of worshiping God, you have just turned it into an idol. True, you insist that you have done so for the honor of God, but it is more for the honor of the devil” (Roach, Dec 13, 2016). Harsh words indeed, but Calvin’s message was a caution, first, to believers that the church ought to celebrate and honour Christ’s birth, but that it should be a day of worship that is restrained by moderation. Secondly, Calvin brings a message of caution to non-believers that if this is not a day of worship of Christ, you are essentially committing idolatry. Shall we dare to lift the veil of ignorance. | In this podcast, Dr Rod Eadie, from Philosophy and Faith, interviews Jesse Baker about the message, origin, and idolatry of Christmas.
