Straight John Bull
2004-12-08 06:55:32 UTC
Today, Xmas is celebrated throughout the western world by both professing
Christians and non Christians. This is strange. It is unusual for people who
are not particularly religious most of the year, to suddenly be involved in
a supposed Christian observance.
On the other hand, it seems odd that many who claim to be Christian, should
lay so much emphasis upon a celebration which:
(a) Neither Christ nor his Apostles kept, or commanded others to keep.
(b) Is so steeped in paganism.
Was Jesus born on Dec. 25th?
Many feel that this is an established fact
but, in fact, there is no historical or Biblical evidence which confirms
December 25th as his birth dates
Colliers Encyclopedia (1972. pg. 403) states:
"It is impossible to determine the exact date of the birth of Christ, either
from the evidence of the Gospels, or from anysound tradition ".
The evidence of the Bible suggests that Christ was born in the milder
weather of summer (the northern summer) and not in the extremities of
winter.
It declares that there were shepherds "abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This was not done in the open
field in the middle of winter, because the weather can be extremely cold,
even to the point of snow.
The Lord was born in Bethlehem because his mother
was of that city, and Caesar Augustus of Rome had decreed that all should
return to their hometown to be registered and taxed. It would be most
unlikely that he would compel the various populations of the Roman Empire to
travel every one to his place of birth, during the rigours of winter (Luke
2:1-3).
When Was December 25th Chosen?
Actually it was not until nearly four hundred years after the birth of
Christ that this date was officially designated as the birthdate of Christ.
Corners Encyclopedia p. 403 states:
"After the triumph of Constantine, the Church of Rome assigned December 25th
as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320
~353',.
Why Was December 25th Chosen?
Everymans Encyclopedia (p. 406) states:
"The Roman Festival of the Winter Solstice was celebrated on Dec. 25th (dies
natalis solis invicti). The Celtic and Germanic tribes held this season in
veneration from the earliest times and the Norsemen believed that their
deities were present and active on earth from 25th Dec. to 6th Jan.
Colliers Encyclopedia (p. 403) states:"The choice of December 25th was
probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the
Mithraic feast of the sun God (natalis solis invicti) and that the
Saturnalia also came at this time".
In the New International Dictionary of the Church (1978) p. 223, the
statement is made:
"Sometime before 336 the Church in Rome, unable to stamp out this pagan
feast, spiritualised it as the feast of the nativity of the sun of
righteousness ".
Clearly the celebration of Christmas on December 25 was a compromise.
Instead of cancelling out the pagan festivals and customs previously
celebrated they were merely transferred. As a result, what we have today are
pagan celebrations in shallow disguise as Christian observances.
Pagan Customs.
Many 'christians' are not altogether convinced of the pagan origin of
Christmas.
Then let them consider those old Christmas traditions. Where did they come
from?
Everymans' Encyclopedia notes:
"Many other ancient beliefs and customs about this period have been handed
down to our times, and have crept into Christian usage. The lighting of the
yule log, a custom once widely prevalent, was derived from Lithuanic
folldore. The practice of decorating houses and churches is pagan in its
origin, and the mistletoe, so widely used for that purpose, was the sacred
plant of the Druids. The custom of presenting friends with gifts at
Christmas dates back to the time of the ancient Romans ".
Without much doubt the buying and decorating of the Xmas tree is one of the
most popular of the Xmas customs we know today.
Few realise or even less care, that partaking of such a practice is directly
condemned in the Bible? Not only is it condemned but this custom actually
predates the time of Christ by hundreds of years. Consider the words of
Jeremiah the prophet who wrote about 500 years B.C
"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.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with
hammers, that it move not." Jer 10:3-4 (KJV)
The resemblance is striking is it not?
This practice was condemned because
true worship of that time, was being corrupted by the introduction of "the
customs of the people", which are described as "vain".
Today similar corruptions have permeated and undermined True Apostolic
beliefs. Xmas celebrations are only the tip of the iceberg as far as the
departure from 1st century True Christianity is concerned.
It is very evident that the 'christian customs' we know today are little
more than hand-me-downs from ancient paganism. All of this is now regarded
as harmless by most, but fail to understand that such paganism is being
equated with the Lord Jesus Christ, which in itself is a most unrighteous
participating practice.
The Apostles of the first century went to great lengths to turn men and
women away from paganism to Christ. Today the tables are turned, as the
religious leaders of our day keep turning people away from the purity of
first century Christianity, to man-made "traditions", including the
forbidden customs of ancient paganism.
JB.
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html
Christians and non Christians. This is strange. It is unusual for people who
are not particularly religious most of the year, to suddenly be involved in
a supposed Christian observance.
On the other hand, it seems odd that many who claim to be Christian, should
lay so much emphasis upon a celebration which:
(a) Neither Christ nor his Apostles kept, or commanded others to keep.
(b) Is so steeped in paganism.
Was Jesus born on Dec. 25th?
Many feel that this is an established fact
but, in fact, there is no historical or Biblical evidence which confirms
December 25th as his birth dates
Colliers Encyclopedia (1972. pg. 403) states:
"It is impossible to determine the exact date of the birth of Christ, either
from the evidence of the Gospels, or from anysound tradition ".
The evidence of the Bible suggests that Christ was born in the milder
weather of summer (the northern summer) and not in the extremities of
winter.
It declares that there were shepherds "abiding in the field, keeping
watch over their flock by night" (Luke 2:8). This was not done in the open
field in the middle of winter, because the weather can be extremely cold,
even to the point of snow.
The Lord was born in Bethlehem because his mother
was of that city, and Caesar Augustus of Rome had decreed that all should
return to their hometown to be registered and taxed. It would be most
unlikely that he would compel the various populations of the Roman Empire to
travel every one to his place of birth, during the rigours of winter (Luke
2:1-3).
When Was December 25th Chosen?
Actually it was not until nearly four hundred years after the birth of
Christ that this date was officially designated as the birthdate of Christ.
Corners Encyclopedia p. 403 states:
"After the triumph of Constantine, the Church of Rome assigned December 25th
as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320
~353',.
Why Was December 25th Chosen?
Everymans Encyclopedia (p. 406) states:
"The Roman Festival of the Winter Solstice was celebrated on Dec. 25th (dies
natalis solis invicti). The Celtic and Germanic tribes held this season in
veneration from the earliest times and the Norsemen believed that their
deities were present and active on earth from 25th Dec. to 6th Jan.
Colliers Encyclopedia (p. 403) states:"The choice of December 25th was
probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the
Mithraic feast of the sun God (natalis solis invicti) and that the
Saturnalia also came at this time".
In the New International Dictionary of the Church (1978) p. 223, the
statement is made:
"Sometime before 336 the Church in Rome, unable to stamp out this pagan
feast, spiritualised it as the feast of the nativity of the sun of
righteousness ".
Clearly the celebration of Christmas on December 25 was a compromise.
Instead of cancelling out the pagan festivals and customs previously
celebrated they were merely transferred. As a result, what we have today are
pagan celebrations in shallow disguise as Christian observances.
Pagan Customs.
Many 'christians' are not altogether convinced of the pagan origin of
Christmas.
Then let them consider those old Christmas traditions. Where did they come
from?
Everymans' Encyclopedia notes:
"Many other ancient beliefs and customs about this period have been handed
down to our times, and have crept into Christian usage. The lighting of the
yule log, a custom once widely prevalent, was derived from Lithuanic
folldore. The practice of decorating houses and churches is pagan in its
origin, and the mistletoe, so widely used for that purpose, was the sacred
plant of the Druids. The custom of presenting friends with gifts at
Christmas dates back to the time of the ancient Romans ".
Without much doubt the buying and decorating of the Xmas tree is one of the
most popular of the Xmas customs we know today.
Few realise or even less care, that partaking of such a practice is directly
condemned in the Bible? Not only is it condemned but this custom actually
predates the time of Christ by hundreds of years. Consider the words of
Jeremiah the prophet who wrote about 500 years B.C
"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.
They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with
hammers, that it move not." Jer 10:3-4 (KJV)
The resemblance is striking is it not?
This practice was condemned because
true worship of that time, was being corrupted by the introduction of "the
customs of the people", which are described as "vain".
Today similar corruptions have permeated and undermined True Apostolic
beliefs. Xmas celebrations are only the tip of the iceberg as far as the
departure from 1st century True Christianity is concerned.
It is very evident that the 'christian customs' we know today are little
more than hand-me-downs from ancient paganism. All of this is now regarded
as harmless by most, but fail to understand that such paganism is being
equated with the Lord Jesus Christ, which in itself is a most unrighteous
participating practice.
The Apostles of the first century went to great lengths to turn men and
women away from paganism to Christ. Today the tables are turned, as the
religious leaders of our day keep turning people away from the purity of
first century Christianity, to man-made "traditions", including the
forbidden customs of ancient paganism.
JB.
I choose Polesoft Lockspam to fight spam, and you?
http://www.polesoft.com/refer.html