In a conversation I was told that Christianity derived from the Pagan beliefs in the ancient times. Also that the tree we put up at christmas and the eggs we hunt at easter are pagan symbols. So why do we put up a tree to celibrate a birth and hide eggs because Jesus rose from the dead? Any thoughts?
2006-07-24 16:07:45 · 25 answers · asked by Jade2000 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
becouse christains is a cult that made up things like the bible
2006-07-27 14:11:05 · answer #1 · answered by jmatt_inc 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Yule tree and the eggs were Pagan traditions and when the Roman Catholic Church outlawed Witchcraft and Paganism, they took Christmas and moved it to the time of year when the Pagans celebrated Yule. During the holiday merge, some Pagan traditions didn't go away. Traditions like the Yule tree, the mistletoe, and holly leaves. The same goes for Easter. The bunny, the chick, the eggs, those are all part of Ostara, a Pagan Holiday that marks the Vernal Equinox.
Blessed be.
2006-07-24 16:12:01 · answer #2 · answered by Maria Isabel 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The devil loves to tell half truths and mix a little bit of fabrication with it. Christianity as you know is from the belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Great I Am. Early christians in an attempt to attract the pagans to their religion in order to save them, took up a few of the pagan celebrations so it would be a little more natural for them. The tree is mentioned in the book of Job I believe (always be like the Bereans and check EVERYTHING someone tells you!). Eggs were to symbolize fertility. Christians embraced them and made those celebrations their own with the christian symbolism with it instead of the pagan. I hope this was helpful.
2006-07-24 16:13:46 · answer #3 · answered by Mommymonster 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Christianity, along with many other religions derive from Pagan beliefs. The Christmas tree, mistletoe, Easter egg dying, the trinity symbol, etc., are all Pagan symbols that Christians have adapted into their religion, also Halloween, the pumpkin, the Easter bunny, the list goes on..
2006-07-26 04:23:38 · answer #4 · answered by trinitarianwiccan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because when converting the pagans to Christianity, several symbols and traditions were adopted into Christianity in order to make the conversion more palatable. The pagans still had their traditional festivals, they just "meant something else" in terms of Christianity.
Easter eggs, Christmas trees, Yule logs, Mistletoe, the dates of some holidays... all of these have historically pagan roots and have been worked into Christianity.
For those who would like scriptural references, Jeremiah 10:1-4 says:
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.
2006-07-24 16:11:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
as christians were converting other peoples..i think that those peoples decided instaed of celebrating this tree why not celebrate Christ instead? they kind of changed the symbol to accomodate their new belief...unlike some christians spreading the word, who decide to destroy any trace of past paganism or any part of the culture they thought was not christian like... its a complicated thing..some christians let some peoples keep thier traditions to make the transition from secular to christian a little easier....the point is Jesus is still the way the truth and the light no matter what people thing about christmas trees and easter eggs...
2006-07-24 16:16:31 · answer #6 · answered by yellabanana77 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The early church saw this as a way to make converts. They just added a Christian interpretation to local pagan holidays, so their new converts could still have their traditional yearly events. So they celebrate Christmas "the son is born" at the time "the sun is born" (the winter solstice). Easter is all about rebirth, which was already observed as a spring festival, etc.
You can see the same kind of synthesis in Santeria: All the Voodoo gods are transformed into Catholic saints!
2006-07-24 16:17:27 · answer #7 · answered by pondering_it_all 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is true. I believe that the Christians took some of the symbols and practices and tried to change them just slightly. You see, most people were what is now called Pagans before there was Christianity. So Christians took some of the symbols and holidays and practices to put in their service so that the Pagans would be more likely to come to their churches and change over. That way they would maybe feel a little more welcome. They wouldn't feel like they had to change totally to fit into this new religion. Those things just stuck after that.
2006-07-24 16:14:53 · answer #8 · answered by Mawyemsekhmet 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many of the holiday traditions celebrated in this country, including "Christian" holidays and Holy Days, have their roots in paganism. That's a historical fact.
The celebrations of these traditions by "Christians" today have zero, nada, zilch, zip, pagan thought or bearing.
Our country is comprised of immigrants from all over the world and many of these "pagan" traditions were brought over with the folks who celebrated them.
Most of the "pagan" traditions introduced into "Christianity" were initiated by the Roman Catholic religion as a means of including pagan peoples into the "flock".
The religion of Christianity is focused on Jesus and God.
The religion of Wicca is focused on witchcraft, sorecery, divination, spells and "magick" (all gifts of the devil).
We don't "hide eggs because Jesus rose from the dead". We hide eggs because little kids enjoy finding them and parents enjoy taking pictures of the same.
We don't "put up a tree to celibrate a birth". We put up a tree to have a place to pile the presents, an American self indulgent tradition.
There are many "Christians" who deny these celebrations for the specific reasons you mention; they lines are blurred. I don't have a problem with that. Christmas in America today has culturally nothing to do with the Christ Child; it's a fantasy to hang onto that belief that it does.
The celebration of Jesus birth by the Christian community, apart from the gift getting mania, is a different story altogether. This celebration is in our hearts, not on our hearths. It just happens to also be celebrated on December 25th.
None of these "Christian" celebrations are Biblical.
2006-07-24 16:31:41 · answer #9 · answered by steve 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of early Christian Traditions were modeled to contradict the pagan traditions or to change something that was Pagan to something good. Christmas is even celebrated on Dec. 25th to challenge the pagans who celbrated the winter solstice--no one knows the actual date of Jesus' birth so they chose this one. There are many more examples--it is very interesting and kind of a neat little strategy on the Christians' part.
2006-07-24 16:16:21 · answer #10 · answered by CatholicMOM 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Judaism gave us Christianity. Which adopted alot of pagan beliefs and rituals such as Christmas(Jesus was born in September) and Easter(which is really Passover)in which Jesus died on a cross and He resurrected. The pine tree represents Jesus by showing everlasting life(pine trees almost live forever unless disease ridden) as for the eggs they represent new life
2006-07-24 16:15:44 · answer #11 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋