Taking into consideration that it's roots are very much from pagan decent. So do you think God wants us to celebrate Christmas?
2007-11-01 01:53:44 · 40 answers · asked by LoveBeingAMum 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No one knows what day Jesus Christ was born on. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth probably occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible records shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night.
In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis (Goddess of Nature) was celebrated on December 25. Raucous partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.
In Rome, the Winter Solstice was celebrated many years before the birth of Christ. The Romans called their winter holiday Saturnalia, honoring Saturn, the God of Agriculture. In January, they observed the Kalends of January, which represented the triumph of life over death. This whole season was called Dies Natalis Invicti Solis, the Birthday of the Unconquered Sun. The festival season was marked by much merrymaking.
2007-11-01 02:01:46 · update #1
It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of the Mummers was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.
In 350, Pope Julius I declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25. There is little doubt that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans (who remained a majority at that time) to convert to Christianity. The new religion went down a bit easier, knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.
2007-11-01 02:02:24 · update #2
Nowhere in the Bible did God tell us to celebrate the birth of Jesus, even at the right time of the year (which is not December). It's a pagan holiday and my husband and I don't celebrate it.
It's nothing but a commerical holiday anyhow, a time for people to fall deeply enough into debt that they can't get out for months. Bah humbug.
Edit: Re your addition, Biblical scholars have pretty much agreed that he was born as you described. Also, there is one feast that the Old Testament says every nation will one day celebrate, the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). If we were going to celebrate his birthday, Sukkot would be the more logical time.
2007-11-01 01:58:10 · answer #1 · answered by theark 2 · 7⤊ 3⤋
Not a fair comparison. If you update the Utopian world of A&E to fit today's times, you could imagine a world without disease, where no person is hungry, suffering or homeless. Imagine if God actually appeared, granted all this and even provided every person or family a free home that cost nothing to maintain. What would happen? About 10 minutes after God was done, someone would say, "hey, how come that guy got the house with the really good view", people would start fighting, killing each other and complaining that God didn't care. So I guess a fair comparison of God to parents would be if the parents did everything within their power to keep bleach from the kid but the kid breaks into the neighbors house, steals an ax, and then spends an hour smashing open the cabinet where the bleach is locked so he can drink it.
2016-05-26 06:44:46 · answer #2 · answered by abbie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although I would love Christmas to be a continuation of pagan lore into modern times it is not.
Before the celebration christmas became popular people celebrated the day of Sint Nicholas. Luther after his rebellion believed that saint worship was wrong and proposed celebrating the birth of Christ instead for his followers. To compete with st Nicholas (his day is the 5th of december) he wanted a nearby, but not identical date. It is not imposible, but unlikely he picked the date because of pagan feasts.
The funny thing ofcourse is that people decided to celebrate both the birth and christ and venerate the saint at the same time leading to the creation of santa claus and not as Luther has hoped venerating the angel of christ's birth(except in some places in Germany where it is done according to Lutheran tradition).
2007-11-01 02:25:31 · answer #3 · answered by han_ko_bicknese 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Xmas is a package of LIE$, beginning Macy's Day
Eg: Seven Fallacies of Christmas:
1. It's NOT birth time of Jesus, nor Christ, as many @ss u me.
2. It's NOT the nicest time of the year, but the worst time.
3. There were NOT 3 magi, but 3 gifts from Baby-lon Jews.
4. Wise men did NOT visit babe, in a manger, at Bethlehem.
5. Shepherds do NOT abide flocks in field by night at Xmas.
6. Xmas Tree NOT Godly. Vain (Babylonian) custom (Jer10).
7. King of the Jews (Law worketh wrath) NOT King of Kings.
2007-11-01 02:06:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
God and Christmas. Why would He have objection to the concept of celebration. He may have objection to the way it is abused by so many and the concept is wasted.
But then again does God actually worry.........I somehow doubt it......He presents the choices and we do as we will with them. His hands are not tied.
2007-11-01 09:36:59 · answer #5 · answered by eagledreams 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Christ, which is not pagan at all. The only pagan element is that the date 25th December is close to the Winter Solstice or Yule which is a pagan festival. Apparently a Roman Emperor had Christmas put on this date to coincide with the older pagan festival. Mid-Winter Day (Yule) is usually on 21st December. The only thing that I think that God would disapprove of would be the commercial nature of Christmas today. It seems to be all about buying presents and spending money not about the birth of Jesus.
Vot Ana; the root of Christmas is "Christ" obviously it is about him!
2007-11-01 02:00:36 · answer #6 · answered by A-chan 4 · 2⤊ 5⤋
You're right about the pagan thing. Basically the Pagan festival of Yule was stolen by Christians in the 4th centuary by Pope Julius.
I think God (The Divine if you will) is probably more concerned about the commercial aspect of Christmas, santa, lights, reindeer and all the bollox that has nothing to do with Yuletide. I don't think that the Divine Spirit of the Universe is bothered about the fact that it's origins were pagan.
Seeing as The Divine is Mother Earth too!
2007-11-01 02:02:49 · answer #7 · answered by Pagan Pip 4 · 0⤊ 5⤋
From what the Bible indicates, God does NOT approve of the Christmas celebration.
Example...we are told not to mix the clean with unclean; isn't Christmas from unclean orgin?
2007-11-01 02:16:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think God would worry too much about which date we celebrate on, it's only people that get hung up on that stuff. Whatever the original meaning of the date, the spirit is now very much a Christian one.
2007-11-01 03:38:50 · answer #9 · answered by good tree 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I think that God wants us to know Him well.
In the Bible we can find the period of time that his bith took place in summer..june, july..(because of the three shepherds).
So the celebration is rong..
No is not good to say that God wont mind when we know the truth.
Is like you are calling a friend to tell him happy birthday ...in some months from the event.
2007-11-01 02:11:49 · answer #10 · answered by AnGe 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋