Since they are questioning everyone else's right to meet up with their family and mark the start of winter, I wonder if any of them would like to justify why Christians observe the Pagan festival of Saturnalia at the winter solstice (when the day and night are of equal length)? It's not a Christian holiday at all, the early Christians just appropriated it to get new believers to mark Christ's birth, even though Christ is reckoned to have been born in October 4BC. No doubt they all know this.
2006-10-04 03:01:22 · 16 answers · asked by Bad Liberal 7 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
GREAT QUESTION!! The answer is that true Christians have nothing to do with Christmas, Easter, Halloween or any other pagan holiday. Jesus' commanded his followers to celebrate his death, not his birth or his resurrection. The Bible tells us to "stick to the things written."
2006-10-04 04:32:49 · answer #1 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You're right to say that Christianity arbitrarily settled upon the established festival of Saturnalia as a good time of year to celebrate their new festival, but it's sophistry to suggest that Christians are actually celebrating the winter solstice.
2006-10-04 10:07:49 · answer #2 · answered by bonshui 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would celebrate Christmas no matter what time of the year it is. It is not about winter soltice for me, its about Christ's birth. Even if we celebrated it on June 6, Feb. 22, or Sept 17...it would not matter. Who cares if it used to be a pagan holiday. The early Christians wanted a day to celebrate and why not use a day that they were already celebrating, and envelope their new belief system into it. The world changes...so do holidays.
2006-10-04 10:06:18 · answer #3 · answered by Venus M 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I had no idea that Jesus was thought to be born in October. I had actually heard April. I also had no idea of Saturnalia. I am assuming most Christians don't know that either. You are right in the fact that everyone has a right to celebrate with their family. But Christmas is a celebration of Jesus's birth, as the name suggests, no matter what day it is on.
2006-10-04 10:07:50 · answer #4 · answered by Mujer Bonita 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The birth of Christ is not a pagan holiday. It is the birth of Jesus Christ. The part that becomes pagan is when you put up christmas trees, and buy gifts for each other, and putting a stupid red suit on and call yourself santa clause, instead of praising the Lord, feeding the hungry or helping the homeless.
People and businesses have comercialized the birth of Christ for profit, and that part becomes a ritual of pagans. Real born again Christians do not do that. Personally, I celebrate Jesus every day of my life, and not just one day a year.
2006-10-04 10:07:07 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Most Christians are ignorant of the fact that December 25th celebrates the birth of Nynus, the son of Semiramis, who was the wife/mother of Nimrod (master mason of the tower of Babel).
Christmas is a commercial enterprise that has both the ignorant and the cunning entangled in it.
The leaders of commercial Christianity, for the most part, are aware of the fact that Christmas is Pagan. But if they stopped promoting it, they would lose members from their congregation and they would lose income (donations). They run greedily after the error or Balaam (Jude 1:11) for the same reason Balaam did - cash.
Peter spoke of cursed children "Which have sorsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam: the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15).
2006-10-04 10:02:59 · answer #6 · answered by onelm0 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Good question. That's what i keep telling them,that originally its for the celebration of the winter solstice but they seem to think it was always in celebration Christs birth. I'm just glad the daylight is gradually coming back by then. December is a horrible dark month.
2006-10-04 10:05:58 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Good question. Why do they celebrate Halloween or Easter, both are also pagan holidays. The bible says absolutely nothing about celebrating these days. The church supplanted these pagan holidays with christian ones in order to convert pagans. I'll keep my pagan holidays thank you very much.....they're much more fun and meaninful.
2006-10-04 10:10:02 · answer #8 · answered by PaganPoetess 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sweetheart, Christians do not practice any paganist rituals on Christmas, regardless of dates, times and places. It is the celebration of Christ's birth. Look at the whole picture. Not just from your viewpoint, but from your heart. Christmas is about loving, caring, giving(not taking), and togetherness. Any religion will give you faith, you should search for one so you can learn acceptance, tolerance and patience. I would rather assume that the pagans chose this date for Satunalia, not the other way around.
2006-10-04 10:10:30 · answer #9 · answered by Maybe 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Very true. Many "Christians" do know that Christmas is a pagan holiday, and yet still choose to celebrate it. I am going to include a link that talks about Christmas Customs. I think you will find it interesting.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2000/12/15/article_01.htm
Unfortunately, there are many customs that people participate in that are not pleasing to God. The sad part is that people don't care what God thinks.
http://www.watchtower.org/library/rq/article_11.htm
2006-10-04 10:09:30 · answer #10 · answered by izofblue37 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋