Lecrae receives flak for tweeting 'Xmas' instead of 'Christmas'

Known Christian rapper Lecrae has been receiving flak from fans after he tweeted that he was watching "#NBAXmas." Several people called him out for replacing "Christ" in "Christmas with an "X."

One Twitter follower who was using the name The Jesus Man questioned his Christian faith, stating, "@lecrae XMAS ??????? & you claim to be a CHRISTIAN," as quoted by The Christian Post.

Other comments were less incredulous. A fan using the Twitter handle Millie Roman, for example, posted, "Love ya but why are you Xing out Christ in Christmas? #NBAChristmas."

The 37-year-old rapper did not address bashers nor delete his "Xmas" post, but a look at the history of how "Xmas" came to be indicates that the criticisms that his post generated may be unfounded.

R.C. Sproul, chairman and founder of Florida-based Christian education ministry Ligonier Ministries, recently published on the organization's website an article titled "What Does the X in Xmas Mean?" According to the evangelical leader, the "X" in "Christmas" does exclude Christ from the word. In fact, the "X" is a shorthand symbol for the name of Christ as it is the first letter of the Greek name for Christ. He also emphasized that replacing "Christ" in "Christmas" does not disrespect the Lord.

"There's 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," Sproul wrote.

Lecrae has several awards and recognitions under his belt, including two Grammy awards, one Billboard award, two Soul Train Awards, and seven Dove awards. He has also made seven albums, and he is currently working on his eighth, which is expected to be out within the first quarter of 2017. Lecrae's 2014 album titled "Anomaly" simultaneously topped the Billboard gospel music charts and the Billboard 200.