I came across this and find it very interesting. It is from http://www.prime.org/holiday/ I always knew that there was something wrong about christmas and easter etc. The Saviour’s Birth Time Revealed At Last! X-mas Before Christ? Positive Biblical Proof: The Wise Men Never Went To Bethlehem! Moderator's Edit: This post was edited to remove the very large copy/paste of text that is in direct violation of forum rules. See the original text in its entirety at this link: http://www.prime.org/holiday/Who Says X-mass Is Wrong.html But, since the Xmas season is upon us, let's have an open thread on all things Xmas: origin of Xmas & the Yule, Christian mythology, Pagan mythology, the so-called war on Xmas in modern American culture, the commercialization of the holiday season, etc.
As far as I know, many Europeans in colder areas celebrated the Winter solstice as a major turning point. Also, the Mithrans celebrated around that date for the birth of their saviour. The whole single great god sending his son down to help us out, and him dying for our sins and being resurrected and all that crap, it was all ripped off from Mithraism. As with many other traditions, rather than try to change peoples' beliefs, the christian churches chose the easier path and absorbed these other beliefs and celebrations into their own mythology.
Thanks For Teaching The Truth I would like to thank you for the article on: What is Christmas. It was absolute truth. I am going to let my 8 year old son read it a little at a time. He is old enough to understand the truth. We are members of Faith Apostolic Church of Elizabethton Tenn. There are those around us who think we are wrong and are being cruel to our 8 year old son for not putting up a christmas tree, and by not celebrating christmas, but we don't care because we have truth. They are the ones being cruel for teaching a lie. We will keep you in our prayers always.
The Christmas tree is part of pagan rituals, not Christian. I'm not saying you are wrong not to have a Christmas tree, that is entirely up to you. But I feel it's totally harmless to put up a tree even if you don't believe in it.. You don't have to teach your kids anything religious about it, let it just be part of the 'Christmas feeling'.. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Lana, I think if you look into it, the whole notion of apostolic succession is also a lie. Why emphasize the male disciples over Mary? Why does Thomas always get sidelined?
All that we now celebrate at xmas time comes from the Victorians. Good. Let the christians spend the day on their knees grovelling to their imaginings while the rest of us enjoy it. I shall be out shopping in Bangkok, where it is just another day, and a hot one at that.
Mithraism? I wish that rumor would just finally die. http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?p=575950#post575950
What's wrong with celebrating winter solace even as a Xian? The Roman's did it, the Chinese did it, everyone's doing it - Just Do It Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Note1: Lana, yeshuwa's death is spring equinox - are you going to forgo that "holiday" for similar reasons? Note2: It's impossible to have 3 days and 3 nights from Good Friday to Sunday (two nights).
christmas and easter are both pagan celebrations that the catholic authorities attempted to take over by giving them non pagan significance. Jesus was not Born on dec 25 and the easter bunny has absolutely nothing to do with the resurrection of the Messiah Jesus. All Praise The Ancient Of Days
Christmas is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7tXO0B-nXg&feature=related :worship:
No that's Valentines day! Because you must show us how much you love us Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
A winter festival has been a traditional festival in many cultures due to the winter solstice. In part, the Christmas celebration was created by the early Church in order to entice pagan Romans to convert to Christianity without losing their own winter celebrations. Most of the most important gods in the religions of Ishtar and Mithra had their birthdays on December 25. Various traditions are considered to have been syncretised from various winter festivals. It is unknown exactly when or why December 25 became associated with Christ's birth. The New Testament does not give a specific date. Sextus Julius Africanus popularized the idea that Christ was born on December 25 in his Chronographiai, a reference book for Christians written in AD 221. This date is nine months after the traditional date of the Incarnation (March 25), now celebrated as the Feast of the Annunciation. March 25 was considered to be the date of the vernal equinox and therefore the creation of Adam; early Christians believed this was also the date Christ was crucified. The Christian idea that Christ was conceived on the same date that he died on the cross is consistent with a Jewish belief that a prophet lived an integral number of years. Thus, the date as a birthdate for Christ is traditional, and is not considered to be his actual date of birth. The mythological aspects of the birth narrative of Christ in the gospels have been interpreted by those who ascribe to the Jesus myth hypothesis such that the figure of Christ is seen as an ahistorical construct of various forms of ancient mythology, and that there was no historical Christ, and thus no birth. ~Wikipedia
A simple and quite provable factual comment. Yet completely ignored. Enmos too gave information that is most enlightening. Belief is a powerful thing. Children who've been swamped by gifts all they're lives give thanks to Santa Claus not to Christ. Notice thought the believing in evolution doesn't stop you from celebrating Christmas as long there is something to gain from. Gain is very powerful influence to belief.
Very true, and mostly that gain is nothing more than acceptance from your family/loved ones/community.. which I find rather sad to be honest.
My daughter, who has no belief in the religious aspects of the holidays, might currently believe in Santa Clause, but she also has a belief that the winter holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving through New Years, are a season to remember family and friends, give to others, and find a sense of renewal and a rejoice of living. Being 6 years old, she probably wouldn't word it that way, but she definitely understands the concepts as evidenced by her participation in family events, her desire to share with others, the expectation of being with extended family members, and need to plan for the coming year's events ranging from birthdays to family time during spring vacation and her reading club at her school among others. The winter holiday season may be religious for those that believe in superstition, but it is wholly satisfying and useful and can be a time for selflessness for secular humanist whether they have religious beliefs or not. With regard to Santa Clause, my wife and I had discussions years ago about whether or not to perpetuate this belief in our child. I argued against, she argued for. I lost. However, as I raise my daughter to be inquisitive, skeptical and to question things, I'm eager for the day she comes to the realization that Santa Clause isn't a real being. I think even today, she probably realizes that there isn't a real "Santa" but enjoys the show and drama that create the excitement for her about Christmas too much to openly admit it. For her, perhaps it's too much fun right now to believe that there is a Santa in spite of the counter-intuitive reasons she might have to dismiss the idea. Or maybe she believes it wholeheartedly. But the day she asks me, I'll tell her the truth. After I make her think it through out loud, that is.
It never ceases to amaze me how many people still believe that Christmas has anything to do with Christ. Ten minutes of research should suffice to debunk this tenacious myth. For those who are enlightened to the truth, please erect your "Christmas" tree in keeping with the age-old, pre-Christian tradition which celebrated the the Winter Solstice—the long awaited day when the sun would replenish the earth with greenery and nourishment. That's all the evergreen tree symbolizes. The round wreathe and festive lights (originally candles) represent the sun. As an atheist, I am proud to celebrate this wonderful holiday for what it truly represents. If only the religious takeover of this celebration was exposed, the world could, once again, be united in celebration.
