do you think God cares if people celebrate pagan celebrations?

Question

Here's how he felt with the early israelites (Jews) his then chosen people
*** rs p. 178 - p. 180 Holidays ***

Is there any objection to sharing in celebrations that may have unchristian roots as long as it is not done for religious reasons?

Eph. 5:10, 11: “Keep on making sure of what is acceptable to the Lord; and quit sharing with them in the unfruitful works that belong to the darkness, but, rather, even be reproving them.”

2 Cor. 6:14-18: “What fellowship do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what sharing does light have with darkness? Further, what harmony is there between Christ and Be′lial? Or what portion does a faithful person have with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God’s temple have with idols? . . . ‘“Therefore get out from among them, and separate yourselves,” says Jehovah, “and quit touching the unclean thing”’; ‘“and I will take you in, . . . and you will be sons and daughters to me,” says Jehovah the Almighty

The Catholic Encyclopedia tells us: “A great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring. . . . The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility.”—(1913), Vol. V, p. 227.

In the book The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, we read: “What means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, . . . as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar. . . . Such is the history of Easter. The popular observances that still attend the period of its celebration amply confirm the testimony of history as to its Babylonian character. The hot cross buns of Good Friday, and the dyed eggs of Pasch or Easter Sunday, figured in the Chaldean rites just as they do now.”—(New York, 1943), pp. 103, 107, 108; compare Jeremiah 7:18.

Answer 1

Yes.

For example, Jehovah's Witnesses love and respect and honor Christ. They do NOT celebrate so-called "Christmas" because "Christmas" does NOT celebrate Christ; "Christmas" celebrates the pagan Saturnalia. Jesus was not even born in December. Nearly all so-called Christmas customs dishonor Christ.

(Jeremiah 10:2-5) This is what Jehovah has said: "Do not learn the way of the nations at all... 3 For the customs of the peoples are just an exhalation, because it is a mere tree out of the forest that one has cut down, the work of the hands of the craftsman with the billhook. 4 With silver and with gold one makes it pretty. With nails and with hammers they fasten them down, that none may reel. ...the doing of any good is not with them."

http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20001215/
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/19981215/
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/index.htm?article=article_11.htm


By contrast, it's tragic that the one holiday Christ actually *DID* ask Christians to commemorate is entirely ignored by almost all of Christendom. It is, of course, the Memorial of Christ's death, sometimes called "the Last Supper" or "the Lord's Evening Meal".

(1 Corinthians 11:23-25, NWT) The Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a loaf... Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” 25 He did likewise respecting the cup.. Keep doing this... in remembrance of me.”

(1 Cor 11:24, 25, NEB) "Do this as a memorial of me.”


Christ Jesus himself personally celebrated and explained the significance of that Last Supper to his followers (see Matthew 26:26-29). Christians who commemorate the Last Supper have done so on the same Jewish calendar date as Jesus did, Nisan 14, which generally falls between late March and mid-April. Interestingly, Christians in the centuries immediately after Christ's impalement were sometimes called "Quartodecimans" which literally mean "Fourteen-ers", because the early Christians were well-known for this true holy day.

How would Jesus feel to learn that the holiday he commanded was widely ignored, while his so-called followers chose to celebrate a pagan false god and their own traditions of men? We don't need to wonder.

(Matthew 15:6-9) You have made the word of God invalid because of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. 9 It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/article_08.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/rq/article_11.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20041215/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20011115/article_02.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/20050101a/
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

God cares about every decision you make, but some decisions certainly weigh in more heavily than others.

As for the celebrations that may have un-Christian roots, it would be difficult to provide a blanket statement. You should research each on an individual basis. For example, if you are talking about an easter egg hunt for children, have a great time! If you are referring to a celebration like a bachelor/bachelorette party that you are quite sure is likely to get raunchy, then the answer should present itself clearly.

The question is does a decision move you closer to Him or further away.

Be careful what others tell you about what is pagan and what is not. And what has pagan "roots." Those that would scorn you for letting your children hunt for easter eggs or dress up a cowboy or princess have no interest in you. THEY have an agenda, and its only to tear you and your faith down. On the other hand, if you're dressing your children up as witches and vampires, and have a bubbling cauldron in the middle of your kitchen, you may want to re-think that. ;)

Know that the Bible is your ulitmate source for an answer here. Based on the Scriptures you've cited, sounds like the answer is pretty clear. God's Word isn't designed to leave you confused. The problem people have with it's authority is when it provides information that goes against what they WANT to do. Human nature can successfully (in the immediacy of a situation) "justify" just about any action its wants.

Answer 3

Well if one is a follower of a God, that is not considered open to all paths, then clearly that God would want His followers to follow the path, He originated, which makes sense since they are "His" followers.

I am a Christian, one of Jehovah's Witnesses. Based on the Bible, I feel Jehovah clearly cares about what ALL people do.

PS This seems more of a sermon than querie, you might want to move it to Yahoo 360.

Answer 4

Yes I think he cares and these holidays which are called weaker and beggarly elements ..I believe these things exhaust the greater grace that is intended for us to have.. We might have far more knowledge and advancement into the things of God then we do because our focus is more towards fleshly elements... These things have nothing to do with salvation though so you can get away with celebrating but I believe there's a cost!

Answer 5

no longer me. what's the beginning of Easter and the customs linked with it ? The Encyclopædia Britannica comments: “there is not any indication of the observance of the Easter competition interior the hot testomony, or interior the writings of the apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of particular circumstances improve into an theory absent from the minds of the 1st Christians.”—(1910), Vol. VIII, p. 828.

Answer 6

Why does God still fill those who celebrate Christmas or Easter with his spirit? Why does he continue to have a relationship with them? Why does he continue to bless them?

Perhaps in celebrating Christmas and Easter, Christians are not celebrating heathen Gods in their hearts. When you say the days of the week and the months of the year you are not worshipping the gods they are named after are you?

Answer 7

It's against his policy. It's one of the 10 Commandments in fact.

Answer 8

sorry but christmas is not a pagan celebration.. the christmas was converted in christian.. it has another sense.. as well the passover and other holidays from the bible were pagan..but they were converted to judaism.. almost those kinds of holidays can be found in the ancient cultures

Answer 9

I think the Christian God would not be happy to see His people celebrating other holidays; he does state that he's a jealous god. However, the gods with whom those holidays are associated with would undoubtedly be cool with it.

Answer 10

This is how Jesus himself felt. In prayer to his Father, he once said: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) He said that “true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for, indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him.”—John 4:23.

(John 4:24) “God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.””