The immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Very Rev. Prof. J.O.Y. Mante, has clarified that using "Xmas" instead of "Christmas" is not blasphemous, dispelling recent misconceptions circulating on social media, graphic.com.gh.
Addressing the misinformation in a Christmas Day sermon at the Trinity United Church in Accra on December 25, 2023, Prof. Mante emphasized that there is no validity to claims associating "X" with evil or blasphemy in the context of Christmas.
He urged against succumbing to such beliefs and set the record straight during his sermon.
"Today we have come to celebrate, as I have said, the birth of Jesus Christ; he is not born today, we are celebrating his birthday. Nobody knows when he was born. We have created this day for him for a long time, and we celebrate it," Prof. Mante stated during the sermon.
The former Moderator shared an incident where he received a WhatsApp message advising against using "Xmas" due to its alleged association with evil.
Promptly addressing the issue, he clarified, "Please, I beg you, there is nothing wrong with it. It is just that when we say 'Christmas,' the 'Ch' in the Greek, it is 'X,' that is all. And that is why Christians all along will use the letter 'X' to represent 'Christ.'"
Contrary to the misconception that "Xmas" removes "Christ" from "Christmas," Prof. Mante highlighted the historical significance of using 'X' as an abbreviation for Jesus' name.
He explained that the tradition originated from the Greek language and the historical church's frequent use of symbols.
"There is a long and sacred history of the use of 'X' to symbolize the name of Christ, and from its origin, it has meant no disrespect," Prof. Mante affirmed.
4He emphasized the importance of understanding the linguistic context, stating, "Jesus was not born into an English world; he was born into a world where they spoke Greek and Latin. If we understand that, it will be helpful for us."
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Very Rev. Prof. J.O.Y. Mante, the immediate past Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana