Pilgrim
(are you the same pilgrim in Praize.com??)
If you are, I respect your input, and think highly of yopur comments-  but hear me out ok?
There are many holidays that are quite bogus.  Holloween being the worst. (im sure u agree) and yes there are lots of bad points of christmas,. the commercialism especally!  it makes most grown ups dread it.  and the rip-off artists enjoy the profits.  but let me make a statement for christmas nonetheless.

Holoween for example make most people concious of demonic stuff, and practice in it too.  its awful.  but consider the effect christmas has on people...,
Yes its covered in Santa claus and presents, trees ect.. but it DOES make people think at least some of Christ.  It seems to be a time when families get together and express love for eachother in some way.  It is used by the church to reach out to the unsaved via christmas plays, caroling in malls ect.

I personally was saved at a christmas play.  I am a by-product of the christmas celebration, and I dont think I would have been open to going to the church for a play if it werent for christmas.
same goes for Easter.  it may have an easter bunny and eggs as pasrt of the celebration, BUT it does at least provoke some kinda thought of Christ in most who dont even know Him.

so.. dont down Christmas alltogether.

Guys
The question was posed as to what we are to do w/ contradictions in scripture. and the example given was law vs grace. Thanks to God, I believe I have a good explanation.
Though the bible is inspired by God via His vessels who wrote it, those who wrote it had different degrees of revelation of what was revealed to the church at the time of thier writings.
The Church didnt know of the gifts of the Holy Spirit until Pentecost.  They did not know the revelation of the gentiles coming to Christ, until Cornelius got saved.  In fact, in Acts its reported that the jewish church (jerusalem) was still teaching the law to the jewish christians while the gentile church was not required to do so.

Acts 21:
[17] And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
[18] And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
[19] And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
[20] And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
[21] And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs.
[22] What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come.
[23] Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them;
[24] Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.
[25] As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.

So, There are some books in the NT, such as James that encourage practicing the Law, .. and if you see the 1st verse of James youll see it is written to the 12 tribes.  the jewish christians.

I personally believe that the reason Paul went to jerusalem, was to convince the elders of the church of the gospel of grace.  but he never got that far.
nonetheless, from the book of hebrews we can see that Paul (who I believe wrote it) did reach those in the church of jerusalem via the book.  and we see from the later books of 1+2nd Peter and John and 1,2,and 3rd John that they later embraced grace.