B
blacktiger057
Guest
oops typo. No, the pagan religions are much older than CHristian ones. Candlemas did originate from paganism. Fact, not belief.
- Status
K
KofC660
Guest
The Incarnation was around Passover, 2 BC, meaning the Nativity was around the Festival of Lights, 2 BC. The fact that there are seasonal, pagan holy days around both times is no proof that Christian Holy Days are “pagan”. To argue otherwise is a logical fallacy; a syllogism.
B
blacktiger057
Guest
No Christian holidya sare christians. pagan holidays are pagan. but the christians did use many of the dates that the pagan holidays fell on. That is one of the ways that Christianity spread among mostly pagan nations.
K
KofC660
Guest
Incorrect. Christian Holy Days are what they are, and fall on the calendar where they fell. Some pagan traditions were swept up and “baptized” by the Church, but pagan holy days weren’t “copied” or “used” by the Church to promote the Faith. Like I said, to argue otherwise is a logical fallacy, which you are undertaking with much gusto.
K
KarenNC
Guest
Well, statements like:
“Christmas is not pagan. Candlemas is pagan. They both fall on the same day. When Christians merged with the pagan people, they made Candlemas(a much older celebration) into Christmas.” pretty much gave me the impression that you were saying they fell on the same day, yes.
I know of no historical research that speaks of a holiday named Candlemas before the beginning of the Christian religion, so I would say that Candlemas is definitely a Christian holiday, wherever on the calendar it falls and whatever other holidays may be or have been celebrated on that day. The word itself “Candle Mass” refers to the practice of blessing the candles for the rest of the church year on that holiday. Now if you want to instead say that Neopagans have co-opted the name to use for their own holiday that falls at the same time, I will be more than happy to agree with you.
Whatever use the word is put to today, it helps no one’s credibility to insist on the absolute historical accuracy of claims about ways in which ancient religions were practiced that cannot be supported by the historical evidence. Now if you have historical evidence to show that the term “Candlemas” was applied to a holiday before the advent of Christianity, I will be glad to talk further about it.
J
JoyfulOne
Guest
Most of the Protestants I know that refuse to celebrate Christmas really do not refuse on the basis of what the Church says or what might have been a pagan holiday.
They are just apalled by the commericalism. Period. Can’t say as I blame them.
They have birthday cakes for Jesus or something like that, so they really do observe the day, but they reject the “cultural” idea of Christmas.
They are just apalled by the commericalism. Period. Can’t say as I blame them.
They have birthday cakes for Jesus or something like that, so they really do observe the day, but they reject the “cultural” idea of Christmas.
Y
Yanaqa1984
Guest
So you are a committed Christian and would like to meet other Christians with the same belief as you do, then this is the site for you. Whether you are just looking for a Christian friend for study and chat or you would like to meet that special someone.
samebelief.com/
samebelief.com/
L
LittleSage
Guest
Not quite. We have another holiday on the same day, with very similar practices.bec chrismass is a pagan celebration
We celebrate Yule, which is also the Winter Solstice.
Here’s a good link about Yule traditions:
witchonthego.com/yule.html
S
scooter469
Guest
Was Jesus Born in September? Someone told me that and just wanted to know if anyone would really know this. They told me that he was conceived in December.
R
reisender
Guest
To the OP.
I think you’ll understand why non-christians don’t celebrate christmas when you understand why you (probably) don’t celebrate ramadan.
For myself, I don’t celebrate any religious or commercial holidays, and christmas is both.
I think you’ll understand why non-christians don’t celebrate christmas when you understand why you (probably) don’t celebrate ramadan.
For myself, I don’t celebrate any religious or commercial holidays, and christmas is both.
R
read_me
Guest
TO THE CHRISTMAS BELIEVERS:
oh, i just want to say that most of the christian groups i think celebrates christmas right?? well, is christmas is in the bible??? i will repeat, is CHRISTMAS is in the bible? well, if that so, give me verses on the bible that says about celebrating christmas… christmas is just an addition to the doctrine in some religious groups right?? and yes, lets say christmas is a wonderful time for ourselves because we become happy and glad when christmas comes… a beautiful surroundings, because of the decorations that being decorated in our house or somewhere else… and that tradition become stronger because of lets say, its the time of other for reunion, or an occasion where we are complete in the family, the exchanging of gifts, or gifts, especially about STA.CLAUS… noticed it?? haha but if we will just search, or find the fact that it is not in the bible, maybe we will realize that that tradition we are celebrating is from a false teaching… right?? i also just want to ask if the bible contains exact dates even in every event in there? ohh… and i will get answer from someone that christmas is just a celebration that came from a pope… that the pope just find a way that christ will be remembered… or the birth of christ… well, it is pretty obvious that many invent or add an addition to the bible, even it is for the good but still, that doctrine is not in the bible… where can you find even the prophets or peter or john did a birthday with exact day, month and year?? be open minded, think of it…
oh, i just want to say that most of the christian groups i think celebrates christmas right?? well, is christmas is in the bible??? i will repeat, is CHRISTMAS is in the bible? well, if that so, give me verses on the bible that says about celebrating christmas… christmas is just an addition to the doctrine in some religious groups right?? and yes, lets say christmas is a wonderful time for ourselves because we become happy and glad when christmas comes… a beautiful surroundings, because of the decorations that being decorated in our house or somewhere else… and that tradition become stronger because of lets say, its the time of other for reunion, or an occasion where we are complete in the family, the exchanging of gifts, or gifts, especially about STA.CLAUS… noticed it?? haha but if we will just search, or find the fact that it is not in the bible, maybe we will realize that that tradition we are celebrating is from a false teaching… right?? i also just want to ask if the bible contains exact dates even in every event in there? ohh… and i will get answer from someone that christmas is just a celebration that came from a pope… that the pope just find a way that christ will be remembered… or the birth of christ… well, it is pretty obvious that many invent or add an addition to the bible, even it is for the good but still, that doctrine is not in the bible… where can you find even the prophets or peter or john did a birthday with exact day, month and year?? be open minded, think of it…
C
crisanthony13
Guest
read me is trying to defend the religion INC … catholic’s faith is the best … almost everyone here are proud catholics … read me is trying to infiltrate … he was brainwashed … and he’s trying to spread the INC virus in this site …
S
ScottishColleen
Guest
Quite a good number of Reformed hold to “no day but the Lord’s Day”. This was true of many Reformers: Puritans, Covenanters, and Huguenots to a few. Then toss in the mixing of pagan practices (regardless of intent, various other concepts were kept and simply redefined) and the vulgarity that was known to take place on certain of those days.
R
read_me
Guest
am i defending the inc?? or just telling the fact?? hehe why dont you just answer my questions where i had posted before instead of giving your accusations and opinions??
R
read_me
Guest
ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
this is my post from the other forum here,
i just post these so this post will be related to the topic.
THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF December is considered by many Catholics and Protestants as Christmas day—the birthday of Christ. It is the most celebrated holiday of the year throughout the world. It has inspired men of music to create such nostalgic and soothing tunes of “Silent Night,” the jolly beat of “Joy to the World” and other familiar Christmas carols. People could not help but listen to these tunes announcing the most awaited festival of the year. Young and old, men and women, rich and poor, all anxiously breathe the Christmas spirit and eagerly participate in one way or another in the celebration of the alleged birth anniversary of Christ.
Yet amidst all merrymaking activities of the yuletide season, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo are visibly non-participants in the worldwide commemoration of the alleged birth of Jesus on December 25.
“Why?” others would surely ask. “Don’t they believe in Jesus as the Christ, our Savior? Are they not happy about the birth of the Savior? Are they not Christians? If they do celebrate their own birthdays, why not Christmas?” These questions readily arise whenever one comes to know the beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo regarding the December 25 date of the Nativity of Jesus.
However, our non-participation in the December 25 festivities does not mean that we are against fun and merriment; neither are we anti-social nor against fostering peace and goodwill among men. Neither are we opposed to the idea that the birth of Christ is a day of rejoicing. On the day Christ was born, angels from heaven rejoiced, saying glory to God and peace among men (Lk. 2:13-14). We are one in the belief that the baby boy born in Bethlehem who was the son of Mary is Christ the Savior.
But for valid reasons, we refrain from participating with the world in activities alien to the Gospel. Christ has nothing to do with the December 25 celebration though He is supposed to be the center of the festivities. Nowhere in the New Testament is December 25 specified as the birth date of Christ. There has never been a single statement from Jesus or from His disciples commanding the commemoration of His birth. Instead, we find extra-biblical sources for the celebration traceable to pagan festivities of which the Catholic Church is fond of adopting as its own. More so, these appeared only centuries after the establishment of the Church of the New Testament.
The First “Christmas”
"How old is Christmas day?.. One would naturally think that the anniversary of so great an event as the birth of the Son of God would have been a day of religious joy from the earliest years of the Church; but it is clear that this was not the case. There is no mention of it in any of the oldest lists of the Church festivals… In the part of the Church which follows the Latin rite the celebration of Christmas on the twenty-fifth of December was begun probably about the middle of the fourth century. An ancient tradition assigned ^that day as the probable date of the great mystery of the Nativity…"l
"The first mention of Christmas as a festival of the Church on 25 December, goes back to AD 336. It comes in the Philocalian Catalogue (354), a civil and religious calendar compiled at Rome."2
If these records were accurate, the “first Christmas” would have been held on December 25,336 A.D., i.e., more than three centuries after the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Certainly, however, Christ had nothing to do with the date for He had ascended into heaven in the first century. Obviously, His Apostles could not be the source of the selection of the date of the Nativity in the fourth century since they all had died even before the second century.
The Biblical Account
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Lk. 2:1-8 Revised Standard Version)
Biblical historians know so well this narrative account of the events surrounding the birth of the Savior. On this, Catholic Bible scholars have this to say:
"Origin of Date - Concerning the date of Christ’s birth the Gospels give no help; indeed, upon their data contradictory arguments are based. The census would have been impossible in winter… Authorities moreover differ as to whether shepherds could or would keep flocks exposed during nights of the rainy season."3
this is my post from the other forum here,
i just post these so this post will be related to the topic.
THE TWENTY-FIFTH OF December is considered by many Catholics and Protestants as Christmas day—the birthday of Christ. It is the most celebrated holiday of the year throughout the world. It has inspired men of music to create such nostalgic and soothing tunes of “Silent Night,” the jolly beat of “Joy to the World” and other familiar Christmas carols. People could not help but listen to these tunes announcing the most awaited festival of the year. Young and old, men and women, rich and poor, all anxiously breathe the Christmas spirit and eagerly participate in one way or another in the celebration of the alleged birth anniversary of Christ.
Yet amidst all merrymaking activities of the yuletide season, members of the Iglesia ni Cristo are visibly non-participants in the worldwide commemoration of the alleged birth of Jesus on December 25.
“Why?” others would surely ask. “Don’t they believe in Jesus as the Christ, our Savior? Are they not happy about the birth of the Savior? Are they not Christians? If they do celebrate their own birthdays, why not Christmas?” These questions readily arise whenever one comes to know the beliefs of the Iglesia ni Cristo regarding the December 25 date of the Nativity of Jesus.
However, our non-participation in the December 25 festivities does not mean that we are against fun and merriment; neither are we anti-social nor against fostering peace and goodwill among men. Neither are we opposed to the idea that the birth of Christ is a day of rejoicing. On the day Christ was born, angels from heaven rejoiced, saying glory to God and peace among men (Lk. 2:13-14). We are one in the belief that the baby boy born in Bethlehem who was the son of Mary is Christ the Savior.
But for valid reasons, we refrain from participating with the world in activities alien to the Gospel. Christ has nothing to do with the December 25 celebration though He is supposed to be the center of the festivities. Nowhere in the New Testament is December 25 specified as the birth date of Christ. There has never been a single statement from Jesus or from His disciples commanding the commemoration of His birth. Instead, we find extra-biblical sources for the celebration traceable to pagan festivities of which the Catholic Church is fond of adopting as its own. More so, these appeared only centuries after the establishment of the Church of the New Testament.
The First “Christmas”
"How old is Christmas day?.. One would naturally think that the anniversary of so great an event as the birth of the Son of God would have been a day of religious joy from the earliest years of the Church; but it is clear that this was not the case. There is no mention of it in any of the oldest lists of the Church festivals… In the part of the Church which follows the Latin rite the celebration of Christmas on the twenty-fifth of December was begun probably about the middle of the fourth century. An ancient tradition assigned ^that day as the probable date of the great mystery of the Nativity…"l
"The first mention of Christmas as a festival of the Church on 25 December, goes back to AD 336. It comes in the Philocalian Catalogue (354), a civil and religious calendar compiled at Rome."2
If these records were accurate, the “first Christmas” would have been held on December 25,336 A.D., i.e., more than three centuries after the birth of Christ in Bethlehem. Certainly, however, Christ had nothing to do with the date for He had ascended into heaven in the first century. Obviously, His Apostles could not be the source of the selection of the date of the Nativity in the fourth century since they all had died even before the second century.
The Biblical Account
"In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
“And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.” (Lk. 2:1-8 Revised Standard Version)
Biblical historians know so well this narrative account of the events surrounding the birth of the Savior. On this, Catholic Bible scholars have this to say:
"Origin of Date - Concerning the date of Christ’s birth the Gospels give no help; indeed, upon their data contradictory arguments are based. The census would have been impossible in winter… Authorities moreover differ as to whether shepherds could or would keep flocks exposed during nights of the rainy season."3
R
read_me
Guest
continuation… about christmas…
Furthermore, a secular historian writing about Christmas noted that:
"The most widespread myth in the Christendom is that of Christmas. Those who take the Bethlehem birth-story as history readily accept the traditional date of Christ’s birthday. But all branches of the Church agree that no data exist for determining the day, month, or year of the event, nor was such festival celebrated in Apostolic or early Post-Apostolic times."4
It is evident that the Bible is silent regarding the exact date of Christ’s birth. The Gospel narrates that He was born during the period when the Roman census was in progress. Contrary to the December 25 tradition, it is argued that the census would have been impossible in winter. Some authorities pointed out that shepherds could not or would not keep their flocks exposed, during the nights of the rainy season. Moreover, it would have been absurd for the inspired writers of the New Testament to miss recording the date of Christ’s birthday if it should be commemorated by His disciples. Thus, it is not surprising for us to find neither explicit pronouncements nor implicit statements from the Bible effecting the celebration of Christmas more so on December 25, as the birthday of Christ.
The Origin Of The Date
Who was responsible for the initiation of the December 25 celebration? What were the reasons for choosing that particular date from among the 365 days of the year?
"No official reason has been handed down in ecclesiastical documents for the choice of this date… Some early Fathers and writers claimed that December 25 was the actual date of Christ’s birth, and that the authorities in Rome established this fact from the official records of the Roman census that had been taken at the time of the Saviour’s birth. Saint John Chrysostom held this opinion and used it to argue for the introduction of the Roman date in the Eastern Church. He was mistaken, however, for nobody in Rome ever claimed that the records of the census of Cyrinus were extant there in the fourth century, and much less that Christ’s birthday was registered in the lists. In fact, it was expressly stated in Rome that the actual date of the Saviour’s birth was unknown and that different traditions prevailed in different parts of the world."5
"Formerly Christmas was celebrated on January 6, but Pope Julius I, at the beginning of the fourth century, changed the day to December 25, since the date is unknown."6
Catholic authorities have not given any official statement for choosing December 25. If any biblical verse would be cited to support their claim, we should have found it in their writings on Christmas. But again, nowhere could we find substantial presentation of biblical evidences but rather their admission of the absence of any evidence at all. The fact is that a Roman Pope by the name of Julius I was responsible for assigning December 25 in the absence of a known date.
Whose Birthday Was Christinas?
Readers might have noticed that Julius I changed the date of Christmas from January 6 to December 25. Why?
"Pentecost and Epiphany were the next feasts added to the calendar; the latter, on January 6, coincided with the pagan festivals celebrating the birth of the new year. Christmas originated in the fourth century, when Constantine joined it with a pagan feast celebrating the birthday of the sun on December 25."7
“After the triumph of Constantine, the Church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about AD 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches which celebrated it on January 6.”
Obviously, Julius I not only erred in assigning the date of Christ’s birth per se but was even indecisive in moving the date from January 6 to December 25. Doing so, he tried to avoid coincidence with one pagan festival just to coincide Christmas with another but greater pagan festival.
Any diligent student of Church history can easily discern why this is so. The influence of paganism to the Catholic Church began overtly when Constantine the Great ascended to the throne as the first “Christian Emperor.” He joined the pagan festival of celebrating the birthday of the sun and the celebration of the birth of Christ. Later, Pope Julius I, officially declared December 25 as the birthday of Jesus when in fact it is the supposed birthday of a pagan god.
Paganism Over “Christianity”
What made Julius I, the alleged head of Christendom, subscribe to pagan festivals and practices?
“The pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence. The recognition of Sunday (the day of Phoebus and Mithras as well as the Lord’s Day) by the emperor Constantine as a legal holiday, along with the influence of Manicheism, which identified the Son of God with the physical sun, may have led Christians of the fourth century to feel the appropriateness of making the birth day of the Son of God coincide with that of the physical sun. The pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit or in manner.”
Furthermore, a secular historian writing about Christmas noted that:
"The most widespread myth in the Christendom is that of Christmas. Those who take the Bethlehem birth-story as history readily accept the traditional date of Christ’s birthday. But all branches of the Church agree that no data exist for determining the day, month, or year of the event, nor was such festival celebrated in Apostolic or early Post-Apostolic times."4
It is evident that the Bible is silent regarding the exact date of Christ’s birth. The Gospel narrates that He was born during the period when the Roman census was in progress. Contrary to the December 25 tradition, it is argued that the census would have been impossible in winter. Some authorities pointed out that shepherds could not or would not keep their flocks exposed, during the nights of the rainy season. Moreover, it would have been absurd for the inspired writers of the New Testament to miss recording the date of Christ’s birthday if it should be commemorated by His disciples. Thus, it is not surprising for us to find neither explicit pronouncements nor implicit statements from the Bible effecting the celebration of Christmas more so on December 25, as the birthday of Christ.
The Origin Of The Date
Who was responsible for the initiation of the December 25 celebration? What were the reasons for choosing that particular date from among the 365 days of the year?
"No official reason has been handed down in ecclesiastical documents for the choice of this date… Some early Fathers and writers claimed that December 25 was the actual date of Christ’s birth, and that the authorities in Rome established this fact from the official records of the Roman census that had been taken at the time of the Saviour’s birth. Saint John Chrysostom held this opinion and used it to argue for the introduction of the Roman date in the Eastern Church. He was mistaken, however, for nobody in Rome ever claimed that the records of the census of Cyrinus were extant there in the fourth century, and much less that Christ’s birthday was registered in the lists. In fact, it was expressly stated in Rome that the actual date of the Saviour’s birth was unknown and that different traditions prevailed in different parts of the world."5
"Formerly Christmas was celebrated on January 6, but Pope Julius I, at the beginning of the fourth century, changed the day to December 25, since the date is unknown."6
Catholic authorities have not given any official statement for choosing December 25. If any biblical verse would be cited to support their claim, we should have found it in their writings on Christmas. But again, nowhere could we find substantial presentation of biblical evidences but rather their admission of the absence of any evidence at all. The fact is that a Roman Pope by the name of Julius I was responsible for assigning December 25 in the absence of a known date.
Whose Birthday Was Christinas?
Readers might have noticed that Julius I changed the date of Christmas from January 6 to December 25. Why?
"Pentecost and Epiphany were the next feasts added to the calendar; the latter, on January 6, coincided with the pagan festivals celebrating the birth of the new year. Christmas originated in the fourth century, when Constantine joined it with a pagan feast celebrating the birthday of the sun on December 25."7
“After the triumph of Constantine, the Church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about AD 320 or 353. By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches which celebrated it on January 6.”
Obviously, Julius I not only erred in assigning the date of Christ’s birth per se but was even indecisive in moving the date from January 6 to December 25. Doing so, he tried to avoid coincidence with one pagan festival just to coincide Christmas with another but greater pagan festival.
Any diligent student of Church history can easily discern why this is so. The influence of paganism to the Catholic Church began overtly when Constantine the Great ascended to the throne as the first “Christian Emperor.” He joined the pagan festival of celebrating the birthday of the sun and the celebration of the birth of Christ. Later, Pope Julius I, officially declared December 25 as the birthday of Jesus when in fact it is the supposed birthday of a pagan god.
Paganism Over “Christianity”
What made Julius I, the alleged head of Christendom, subscribe to pagan festivals and practices?
“The pagan Saturnalia and Brumalia were too deeply entrenched in popular custom to be set aside by Christian influence. The recognition of Sunday (the day of Phoebus and Mithras as well as the Lord’s Day) by the emperor Constantine as a legal holiday, along with the influence of Manicheism, which identified the Son of God with the physical sun, may have led Christians of the fourth century to feel the appropriateness of making the birth day of the Son of God coincide with that of the physical sun. The pagan festival with its riot and merrymaking was so popular that Christians were glad of an excuse to continue its celebration with little change in spirit or in manner.”
R
read_me
Guest
continuation… about christmas…
"… the choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feast of the sun god, (Sol Invictus: the Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the ‘Birthday of the Sun/ and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire. What was more natural than that Christians celebrate the birth of Him Who was the TJght of the World’ and the true ‘Son of Justice’ on this very day?.."10
Obviously, December 25 as Christmas is not the birthday of Christ but of the pagan sun god, Sol Invictus.
Hence, the December 25 tradition with its practices is a Christianized pagan festival. The riot and merrymaking is dedicated no longer to Sol Invictus but now to Christ Jesus! What were once dedicated to a pagan god are now dedicated to Christ as birthday presents. What insult can be greater than this?
Yet Catholic authorities neither mind nor prohibit lay Catholics from participating in pagan festivals. Why? John F. Sullivan, a noted Catholic theologian states:
"It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans, and which owed their origin to their appropriateness for expressing something spiritual by material means… she has often found that it was well to take what was praiseworthy in other forms of worship and adapt it to her own purposes, for the sanctification of her children. Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those of pagan creeds; but they are the taking of what was best from paganism, the keeping of symbolical practices which express the religious instinct that is common to all races and times."11
Catholic authorities admit their interest in adopting customs and traditions from pagan rites and ceremonies in their worship allegedly for the sanctification of her members.
What’s Wrong With Paganism?
The meaning of the term pagan gives us reasons to reject anything pagans do and practice. Webster’s New World Dictionary states:
“Pagan -… .the opposite of Christian. … a person who is not a Christian. … not a Christian.”
It is interesting to note that even the etymology of the term pagan would show the incompatibility of Christianity and paganism. Any good book on church history would contain the origin of the term.
"Churches were first established in the cities. The people in the country continued to be heathen when the people in the cities had already become Christians. The Latin word for country people was pagani. So the name pagani of pagans became equivalent to heathen. From the cities Christianity spread among the heathen, or pagans, in the country."12
Yes it would be unwise for true Christians to base their positions on secular history and not on the Holy Scriptures. How do true Christians view pagans and their practices? In Ephesians 4:17-18, 20, Apostle Paul states:
"In particular, I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Intellectually they are in the dark, and they are estranged from the life of God, without knowledge because they have shut their hearts to it.
“Now that is hardly the way you have learned from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus.” (Jerusalem Bible)
The most traveled among the Apostles attested to the fact that pagans live an aimless life, being estranged from the life of God. Living the way as they do is hardly the way of Christ and Apostle Paul urged all Christians not to go on living as the pagans do.
The supposed celebrant of Christmas has this to say:
“And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get around the commandments of God in order to preserve your own tradition!’” (Mk. 7:9, Ibid.)
To the Catholic claim that pagan forms of worship could sanctify her children, God said:
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’.” (Mt. 15:8-9, Revised Standard Version)
The Christmas celebration is pagan and anything pagan is abhorrent to Christ. To make this as an activity honoring Him on His birthday is not only erroneous and unscriptural but a great insult to Him as well. How can one, in his right mind, offer a person something which the latter abhors?
"… the choice of December 25 was influenced by the fact that the Romans, from the time of Emperor Aurelian (275), had celebrated the feast of the sun god, (Sol Invictus: the Unconquered Sun) on that day. December 25 was called the ‘Birthday of the Sun/ and great pagan religious celebrations of the Mithras cult were held all through the empire. What was more natural than that Christians celebrate the birth of Him Who was the TJght of the World’ and the true ‘Son of Justice’ on this very day?.."10
Obviously, December 25 as Christmas is not the birthday of Christ but of the pagan sun god, Sol Invictus.
Hence, the December 25 tradition with its practices is a Christianized pagan festival. The riot and merrymaking is dedicated no longer to Sol Invictus but now to Christ Jesus! What were once dedicated to a pagan god are now dedicated to Christ as birthday presents. What insult can be greater than this?
Yet Catholic authorities neither mind nor prohibit lay Catholics from participating in pagan festivals. Why? John F. Sullivan, a noted Catholic theologian states:
"It is interesting to note how often our Church has availed herself of practices which were in common use among pagans, and which owed their origin to their appropriateness for expressing something spiritual by material means… she has often found that it was well to take what was praiseworthy in other forms of worship and adapt it to her own purposes, for the sanctification of her children. Thus it is true, in a certain sense, that some Catholic rites and ceremonies are a reproduction of those of pagan creeds; but they are the taking of what was best from paganism, the keeping of symbolical practices which express the religious instinct that is common to all races and times."11
Catholic authorities admit their interest in adopting customs and traditions from pagan rites and ceremonies in their worship allegedly for the sanctification of her members.
What’s Wrong With Paganism?
The meaning of the term pagan gives us reasons to reject anything pagans do and practice. Webster’s New World Dictionary states:
“Pagan -… .the opposite of Christian. … a person who is not a Christian. … not a Christian.”
It is interesting to note that even the etymology of the term pagan would show the incompatibility of Christianity and paganism. Any good book on church history would contain the origin of the term.
"Churches were first established in the cities. The people in the country continued to be heathen when the people in the cities had already become Christians. The Latin word for country people was pagani. So the name pagani of pagans became equivalent to heathen. From the cities Christianity spread among the heathen, or pagans, in the country."12
Yes it would be unwise for true Christians to base their positions on secular history and not on the Holy Scriptures. How do true Christians view pagans and their practices? In Ephesians 4:17-18, 20, Apostle Paul states:
"In particular, I want to urge you in the name of the Lord, not to go on living the aimless kind of life that pagans live. Intellectually they are in the dark, and they are estranged from the life of God, without knowledge because they have shut their hearts to it.
“Now that is hardly the way you have learned from Christ, unless you failed to hear him properly when you were taught what the truth is in Jesus.” (Jerusalem Bible)
The most traveled among the Apostles attested to the fact that pagans live an aimless life, being estranged from the life of God. Living the way as they do is hardly the way of Christ and Apostle Paul urged all Christians not to go on living as the pagans do.
The supposed celebrant of Christmas has this to say:
“And he said to them, ‘How ingeniously you get around the commandments of God in order to preserve your own tradition!’” (Mk. 7:9, Ibid.)
To the Catholic claim that pagan forms of worship could sanctify her children, God said:
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’.” (Mt. 15:8-9, Revised Standard Version)
The Christmas celebration is pagan and anything pagan is abhorrent to Christ. To make this as an activity honoring Him on His birthday is not only erroneous and unscriptural but a great insult to Him as well. How can one, in his right mind, offer a person something which the latter abhors?
- Status