Yeah, our preacher hardly ever preaches on the gospel, because all the faces looking back at him are already Christians. But at Christmastime, he does lean real heavy in that direction.
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Christianity & Christmas
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turnorburn
Member
This comes from the "Did You Know Blog" by Glory To Yahweh
What's Christmas? The celebration of Yule, the Saturalina Roman feast, the birth of Mithras, Baal's celebration and a whole bunch of other pagan things. December 25th has always been the day where major pagan rituals, feasts, and practices from all different kinds of pagans were celebrated. Dec. 25th was the high-pagan day. So much paganism fall just on this day alone.
How did Christmas become known as a 'Christian Holiday' (i.e. note that it's a “holiday”, the pagan's holy day and not one of the Holy Days of the Bible)? It became known as a “Christian holiday” because the Catholic Church took the European pagan feast and intertwined their new beliefs with the pagans', and interestingly enough their ancient practices and belief fit quite well with the other pagans surrounding them. It's noted in history that: “Christmas was promoted in the Christian East as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of the pro-Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianoplein 378. The feast was introduced to Constantinople in 379, and to Antioch in about 380. The feast disappeared afterGregory of Nazianzus resigned as bishop in 381, although it was reintroduced by John Chrysostom in about 400.”
It's written in history that German tribes who were pagans, forced into Catholicism, noticed that in their new belief of this new “Christ” they felt comfortable. Why? Their feasts and practices were nearly so the same as their pagan belief, the only difference is that instead of praising Baal or observing Saturalina in their pagan views, they were now doing the same things in the Name of Christ. How interesting is that? It's written in the Bible that there will be many false Christ's and I ask you today, which Christ do you believe in? The Christ from the Bible—Son of God, or the newly-made paganized Christ?
http://deeplyknowinggod.blogspot.com/2013/12/did-you-know_6777.html
tob
What's Christmas? The celebration of Yule, the Saturalina Roman feast, the birth of Mithras, Baal's celebration and a whole bunch of other pagan things. December 25th has always been the day where major pagan rituals, feasts, and practices from all different kinds of pagans were celebrated. Dec. 25th was the high-pagan day. So much paganism fall just on this day alone.
How did Christmas become known as a 'Christian Holiday' (i.e. note that it's a “holiday”, the pagan's holy day and not one of the Holy Days of the Bible)? It became known as a “Christian holiday” because the Catholic Church took the European pagan feast and intertwined their new beliefs with the pagans', and interestingly enough their ancient practices and belief fit quite well with the other pagans surrounding them. It's noted in history that: “Christmas was promoted in the Christian East as part of the revival of Catholicism following the death of the pro-Arian Emperor Valens at the Battle of Adrianoplein 378. The feast was introduced to Constantinople in 379, and to Antioch in about 380. The feast disappeared afterGregory of Nazianzus resigned as bishop in 381, although it was reintroduced by John Chrysostom in about 400.”
It's written in history that German tribes who were pagans, forced into Catholicism, noticed that in their new belief of this new “Christ” they felt comfortable. Why? Their feasts and practices were nearly so the same as their pagan belief, the only difference is that instead of praising Baal or observing Saturalina in their pagan views, they were now doing the same things in the Name of Christ. How interesting is that? It's written in the Bible that there will be many false Christ's and I ask you today, which Christ do you believe in? The Christ from the Bible—Son of God, or the newly-made paganized Christ?
http://deeplyknowinggod.blogspot.com/2013/12/did-you-know_6777.html
tob
So you believe that Christmas is a pagan Holiday and you do not celebrate it?
Count Duckula
Member
List of Pagan gods that had "birthdays" or are associated with December 25th:
Apollo
Attis
Bacchus
Dionysus
Helios
Hercules
Horus
Jupiter
Mithras
Nimrod
Perseus
Sol Invictus
Tammuz
For me, it's a holiday that belongs to Santa, Rudolf, and friends. A notable mention to the Miser Brothers.
Apollo
Attis
Bacchus
Dionysus
Helios
Hercules
Horus
Jupiter
Mithras
Nimrod
Perseus
Sol Invictus
Tammuz
For me, it's a holiday that belongs to Santa, Rudolf, and friends. A notable mention to the Miser Brothers.
Nintentacle
Member
tim-from-pa
Member
Just an observation of mine, but as little 20 years ago, although this info was in the library and encyclopedias, people rarely indulged in books some of us used to. More of this knowledge came about to the common guy since the Internet, and atheists are having a field day poking fun (rightly so) at "Jesus is the reason for the season". This knowledge is common now, and only those asleep don't know (or maybe the elderly who live in the past).
Back in 1997, I visited Salem with my family, and I got along well with a Wiccan fellow who showed us his religion and ways. He was interesting, and the "Christmas" decorations are really from them, i.e. they have the Goddess and child, lots of greenery such as trees, wreathes, holly and ivy, mistletoe and so forth. They have their version of what we call "Santa Claus" and if you visit a Wiccan's house at Christmas time the decorations are identical to "Christian" ones and difficult to tell the difference. The slight differences are that they may top the tree with a pentagram, and no nativity, but actually many people do that as well. They celebrate on the solstice which is a mere 3-4 days earlier. They sing the same Christmas carols with their own words.
I say all this to caution those who would deny their kids to celebrate Halloween because it's the "devil's holiday", and yet keep Christmas as "the birth of Jesus" which virtually everyone is in agreement did not happen then. I say if you do the latter, then let them dress up and have their candy. That's all they want. Because both holidays are inextricably intertwined.
"The question of whether Christmas is pagan enters into the idea of cultural practices. Some have made the assertion that Christmas has pagan origins. Christmas does not have pagan origins, but there are winter celebrations that are pagan. There was, for example, a saturnal celebration around the time of Christmas that pagans celebrated, which was actually a temptation for Christians to participate in that had pagan content to it. So the church changed the day that they celebrated the birth of Christ. They used to celebrate it in the Spring. But the church said, We can celebrate it any time we want. Let's celebrate it at the same time the pagans are celebrating their pagan festival. It'll act as a contrast to that pagan festival because our celebration is the birth of the God-man, Jesus Christ. It has Biblical content. Plus it will protect Christians from being wooed away by this other celebration to participate in what was a pagan celebration.
It was really a wise thing that they did and the kind of thing that many missionaries do even nowadays. They take the momentum of a cultural practice--a cultural practice that may even have religious content to it, offensive religious content--and they redeem that for Christianity. They redefine what people have been doing. They reinvest it with new meaning. They capture the cultural form and they reinvest it with spiritual meaning."
Worth the read: http://www.str.org/articles/is-christmas-pagan#.VInozjHF9p8
It was really a wise thing that they did and the kind of thing that many missionaries do even nowadays. They take the momentum of a cultural practice--a cultural practice that may even have religious content to it, offensive religious content--and they redeem that for Christianity. They redefine what people have been doing. They reinvest it with new meaning. They capture the cultural form and they reinvest it with spiritual meaning."
Worth the read: http://www.str.org/articles/is-christmas-pagan#.VInozjHF9p8
turnorburn
Member
Nope if anything we're supposed to remember what Jesus did for us on Calvary..
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
tob
Oh I agree to totally focus on Jesus.
turnorburn
Member
When you tell someone you don't do Christmas be ready for the look, oh your one of those, actually its a great way to start witnessing to that someone.. 
tob
tob
Just saw this on Facebook:
And if that person is a Christian?When you tell someone you don't do Christmas be ready for the look, oh your one of those, actually its a great way to start witnessing to that someone..
tob
I think that is an individual choice tob.When you tell someone you don't do Christmas be ready for the look, oh your one of those, actually its a great way to start witnessing to that someone..
tob
tim-from-pa
Member
Good video BTW. Krampuses. LOL. Yeah, I was right when I related this holiday to Halloween. Seems like little sprites, goblins, gnomes, trolls and whatnot turn up everywhere.
turnorburn
Member
we used to cut our tree until i saw this.. 
Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
tob
Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
tob
Of course, context is everything:we used to cut our tree until i saw this..
Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
tob
Jer 10:1 Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel.
Jer 10:2 Thus says the LORD: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them,
Jer 10:3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman.
Jer 10:4 They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move.
Jer 10:5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good."
Jer 10:6 There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. (ESV)
It is speaking of making idols from trees which isn't remotely close to putting up a Christmas tree.
Did you read anything in the link I provided?
turnorburn
Member
Maybe you could explain what a decorated fir tree has to do with Jesus Christ?
tob
tob
Question: "Should we have a Christmas Tree? Does the Christmas Tree have its origin in ancient pagan rituals?"
Answer:The modern custom of a Christmas tree does not come from any form of paganism. There is no evidence of any pagan religion decorating a special holiday tree for their mid-winter festivals, although the Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a festival called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. The first Christmas tree was decorated by Protestant Christians in 16th-century Germany. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early German traditions, and the custom most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.
There is nothing in the Bible that either commands or prohibits Christmas trees. It has been falsely claimed by some thatJeremiah 10:1-16prohibits the cutting down and decorating of trees in the same manner as we do at Christmas. However, even a cursory reading of the text makes it clear that the passage is one in which Jeremiah sets forth the prohibition against idols made of wood, plated with silver and gold, and worshipped. A similar idea appears inIsaiah 44, where Isaiah speaks of the silliness of the idol-worshippers who cut down a tree, burn part of it in the fire to warm themselves, and use the other part to fashion an idol, which they then bow down to. So unless we bow down before our Christmas tree, carve it into an idol, and pray to it, these passages cannot be applied to Christmas trees.
There is no spiritual significance to having or not having a Christmas tree. Whatever choice we make, the motive behind a believer’s decision about this, as in all matters of conscience, must be to please the Lord.Romans 14:5-6asets out the principle in a passage about liberty: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” The Lord is grieved when Christians look down upon one another for either celebrating or not celebrating Christmas in a particular way. This is spiritual pride. When we feel that somehow we have achieved a higher plain of spirituality by doing or not doing something about which the Bible is silent, we misuse our freedom in Christ, create divisions within His body, and thereby dishonor the Lord. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-tree.html#ixzz3LfTIM2tr
Answer:The modern custom of a Christmas tree does not come from any form of paganism. There is no evidence of any pagan religion decorating a special holiday tree for their mid-winter festivals, although the Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a festival called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. The first Christmas tree was decorated by Protestant Christians in 16th-century Germany. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early German traditions, and the custom most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio.
There is nothing in the Bible that either commands or prohibits Christmas trees. It has been falsely claimed by some thatJeremiah 10:1-16prohibits the cutting down and decorating of trees in the same manner as we do at Christmas. However, even a cursory reading of the text makes it clear that the passage is one in which Jeremiah sets forth the prohibition against idols made of wood, plated with silver and gold, and worshipped. A similar idea appears inIsaiah 44, where Isaiah speaks of the silliness of the idol-worshippers who cut down a tree, burn part of it in the fire to warm themselves, and use the other part to fashion an idol, which they then bow down to. So unless we bow down before our Christmas tree, carve it into an idol, and pray to it, these passages cannot be applied to Christmas trees.
There is no spiritual significance to having or not having a Christmas tree. Whatever choice we make, the motive behind a believer’s decision about this, as in all matters of conscience, must be to please the Lord.Romans 14:5-6asets out the principle in a passage about liberty: “One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” The Lord is grieved when Christians look down upon one another for either celebrating or not celebrating Christmas in a particular way. This is spiritual pride. When we feel that somehow we have achieved a higher plain of spirituality by doing or not doing something about which the Bible is silent, we misuse our freedom in Christ, create divisions within His body, and thereby dishonor the Lord. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Christmas-tree.html#ixzz3LfTIM2tr