MERRY MITHRA - Christmas is pagan.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by good samaritan

I wonder what the intent was initially. For instance, if you are a Christian convert from a pagan society, the religion has become part of your culture and not just your religion.The people who have lived under that false religion cannot simply cut out certain things. To permit pagan converts to continue in some of their customs provided they are no longer worshiping those false gods seems like their liberty. Although, as the church grew in a society, culture would progressively change in a direction that brings glory to God.


Our calendar may have pagan connections, but the U.S. Government would have to officially change our calendars. It is too interwoven into our way of life to just say I am going to quit using it and go to another calendar. I Dont advocate Santa teaching

I think people can go into fanatical directions with this.

For example, the days of the week are named after pagan gods. When we speak those words on those days, those who claim it doesn't matter what intent's in the heart. if we do the same action they did, it's false worship to false gods, we are honouring those gods according to some.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by mfblume

I think people can go into fanatical directions with this.

For example, the days of the week are named after pagan gods. When we speak those words on those days, those who claim it doesn't matter what intent's in the heart. if we do the same action they did, it's false worship to false gods, we are honouring those gods according to some.

The issue isn't using pagan names for things like the days of the week. The Bible itself uses Babylonian names for certain months. Israelites occasionally were given and used names derived from pagan gods - like Mordechai (variation of Marduk) and Esther (variation of Ishtar), Belteshazzar (which includes the name Bel), etc.

The issue is taking pagan religious rites and trying to apply them to the worship of God, attempting to worship God by means of pagan religious rites, taking the core elements of heathen demon worship and trying to adapt them to the worship of God. That is explicitly forbidden by God.

In the case of Christmas, we have the pagan holy day of the Nativity of the Invincible Sun (Mithra, Helios, Baal, etc) being "adapted" to the worship of God in the form of a Catholic Mass feast day, which in itself is a variation on pagan religious rites (Mystery rites, especially of Mithra, the number 1 rival of Christianity in the first several hundred years after Christ). Protestants want to keep the Catholic tradition because "muh funz" but don't want to look all vatican-y so they strip out some of the overt catholic stuff but keep the core ideas along with the entirely secular "buy stuff" motif.

Pentecostals have taken stands against purely secular stuff like sports and tv and women wearing makeup and men's neckties and most don't bat an eye. But point a knife at the sacred cows of CATHOLIC AND PAGAN RELIGIOUS RITES and hoo boy watch the fur fly.

Really makes a person think. IF they're a thinking person, that is.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The issue isn't using pagan names for things like the days of the week. The Bible itself uses Babylonian names for certain months. Israelites occasionally were given and used names derived from pagan gods - like Mordechai (variation of Marduk) and Esther (variation of Ishtar), Belteshazzar (which includes the name Bel), etc.

The issue is taking pagan religious rites and trying to apply them to the worship of God, attempting to worship God by means of pagan religious rites, taking the core elements of heathen demon worship and trying to adapt them to the worship of God. That is explicitly forbidden by God.

In the case of Christmas, we have the pagan holy day of the Nativity of the Invincible Sun (Mithra, Helios, Baal, etc) being "adapted" to the worship of God in the form of a Catholic Mass feast day, which in itself is a variation on pagan religious rites (Mystery rites, especially of Mithra, the number 1 rival of Christianity in the first several hundred years after Christ). Protestants want to keep the Catholic tradition because "muh funz" but don't want to look all vatican-y so they strip out some of the overt catholic stuff but keep the core ideas along with the entirely secular "buy stuff" motif.

Pentecostals have taken stands against purely secular stuff like sports and tv and women wearing makeup and men's neckties and most don't bat an eye. But point a knife at the sacred cows of CATHOLIC AND PAGAN RELIGIOUS RITES and hoo boy watch the fur fly.

Really makes a person think. IF they're a thinking person, that is.

...

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by Esaias

The issue isn't using pagan names for things like the days of the week. The Bible itself uses Babylonian names for certain months. Israelites occasionally were given and used names derived from pagan gods - like Mordechai (variation of Marduk) and Esther (variation of Ishtar), Belteshazzar (which includes the name Bel), etc.

The issue is taking pagan religious rites and trying to apply them to the worship of God, attempting to worship God by means of pagan religious rites, taking the core elements of heathen demon worship and trying to adapt them to the worship of God. That is explicitly forbidden by God.

In the case of Christmas, we have the pagan holy day of the Nativity of the Invincible Sun (Mithra, Helios, Baal, etc) being "adapted" to the worship of God in the form of a Catholic Mass feast day, which in itself is a variation on pagan religious rites (Mystery rites, especially of Mithra, the number 1 rival of Christianity in the first several hundred years after Christ). Protestants want to keep the Catholic tradition because "muh funz" but don't want to look all vatican-y so they strip out some of the overt catholic stuff but keep the core ideas along with the entirely secular "buy stuff" motif.

Pentecostals have taken stands against purely secular stuff like sports and tv and women wearing makeup and men's neckties and most don't bat an eye. But point a knife at the sacred cows of CATHOLIC AND PAGAN RELIGIOUS RITES and hoo boy watch the fur fly.

Really makes a person think. IF they're a thinking person, that is.

Amen! I agree that pagan rites should never be amalgamated with worship to the Lord. I never said different.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by mfblume

Amen! I agree that pagan rites should never be amalgamated with worship to the Lord. I never said different.

(insert highfive smiley here)

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Esaias

(insert highfive smiley here)

Yet, he celebrates Christmas.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by diakonos

Yet, he celebrates Christmas.

Partial paganism?

[diakonos]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Partial paganism?

Good one.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Partial paganism?

.

[mfblume]

Originally Posted by diakonos

Yet, he celebrates Christmas.

I engage in no pagan festivities to worship Jesus.