Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
By: Jamie 24 December 2009
Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion For God is not the author of confusion but of peace 1 Corinthians 14:33
How is it that everyone in the world likes celebrating Christmas? What is it about Christmas that everyone likes? Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, Muslims and Christians alike will celebrate the so called birth of Christ without any difficulty. Staunch atheists who do not believe and sometimes even hate God, will celebrate this joyous time of year with great pomp and ceremony in their homes. Why? If Christmas represents Christ, atheists should not be celebrating Christmas, and yet they still celebrate. Christmas is a time for wonderful family gettogethers, yet also allows for mass consumerism. Christians are called to read, learn and do from the scriptures that are inspired by God. Why do Christians continue to celebrate Christmas when: a) Christ’s birth date was never given in the Bible; b) the Bible does not call for its celebration; and c) distorts the truth and creates confusion.
December 25th is a date entrenched in extreme paganism with many traditions surrounding its celebration that are extra-biblical, and pagan in origin. God says: 2 You
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you (Deuteronomy 4:2). Christians must love God with all of their hearts even if this does not necessarily please the world. Essentially, Christmas condones idolatry, breaks Gods commandments and makes the God of the Bible a mockery: just another “god� like all the rest. And yet the Bible declares: 3 You shall have no other gods before Me.
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You shall not make for
yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6
but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
(Exodus 20:3-6).
Christmas has its origins in ancient pagan times centuries before Christ was ever born. There are many websites, history books and encyclopaedias that will in fact state that Christmas was a glorified pagan holiday that had absolutely nothing to do with neither Christ nor the God of the Bible. The names of the festivals and/or gods worshiped during the time of the winter solstice vary depending on the region. Nevertheless, the greatest winter solstice festival in pagan Rome was the Saturnalia during which Romans honoured the sun god Mithra. In fact, the birth of Mithra was none other than December 25th. The story of Christmas gets uglier as the truth is slowly unravelled. Daniel 12:4 states the increase in knowledge quite nicely: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase. This present age is definitely a time where anyone in the world can have
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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knowledge at their fingertips. Anyhow, Christmas is one of the darkest secrets that the Church has tried to cover up for centuries. As a result, children in this present age now grow up believing in Santa Claus and if they are lucky, their grandparents will remind their grand-children from time to time that it was baby Jesus’ birthday. Although a man in a red suit and baby Jesus have absolutely nothing in common, children nonetheless get sucked into the consumerist ideology of presents. And what child does not enjoy receiving presents…and a lot of them? If the child happens to learn something about Christ, any inquisitive child will begin to wonder how atheists can still celebrate the birthday of Christ. The fact is, children and atheists alike love receiving presents; all men naturally love to covet. [There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is common among men. (Ecclesiastes 6:1)]. An education and a study of history will uncover certain hidden truths that may take awhile to understand. Yet when the pieces of truth are all pieced together, another ugly truth emerges: the church has in fact lied about Christmas. Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things. (Jeremiah 16:19). Was the lie deliberate or sincere? Only God can say, nonetheless, Christmas has inspired an endless amount of confusion and massive world sin. Probably environmentalist atheists will allow for one day of paper waste pollution. Is that sin? Of course it is; it destroys Creation. Everyone is guilty for participating in the “Christ”-mass cover-up. Whether it is to lie about Santa Claus, or to lie about the ever looming Christmas debt into the New Year, everyone in some way, shape or form, has said a lie in order to keep December 25th a day of joy and peace where both the pagan and the Christian can feast together.
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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Anyhow, who is one to question a tradition that can be traced back to the beginning of the civilization of man? And for that matter, celebrated in the church openly for over 1,500 years? Christians have a wonderful example of someone who denounced man’s traditions and his name is Jesus Christ. Christ on a number of occasions denounced man’s tradition: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3). And another: And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men…All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. (Mark 7:6,9). Christmas is one man made tradition that completely rejects the commandments of God. Not only does Christmas reject the commandments, Christmas breaks God’s commandments. If God says: Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.(Deuteronomy 12:32) as a necessary conclusion, we are adding to the word of God through our celebration of Christmas. When the Bible says: 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:3-4).Christmas breaks the commandments and adds words or actions in its place: making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.(Mark 7:13). God is once again made a mockery by His people. The Israelites mixed pagan religion with true worship as are Christians now. If the God of the Bible did not like what the Israelites did when they mixed pagan worship with His own worship, why would He like it now? For whatever was true for the Israelite, is true also for the Christian: 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.(Romans 15:4). As one looks into all of the traditions surrounding Christmas, one can find a mirage of everything pagan: mistletoe, holly berries, Christmas trees, yule logs, etc…even questionable characters like Santa Claus, SinterKlaus, or Krampus. In Deuteronomy, God says to: take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them… and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.(Deuteronomy 12:30-31). God does not change: For I am the LORD, I do not change.(Malachi 3:6). The God of the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament. Jeremiah describes what one would today call a Christmas tree, and God says we must not learn the way of the Gentile, meaning, God does not want us to celebrate the mixing of pagan worship with the worship of God: 2 Thus says the LORD: “ Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold; They fasten it with nails and hammers So that it will not topple. 5 They are upright, like a palm tree, And they cannot speak; They must be carried, Because they cannot go by themselves. Do not be afraid of them, For they cannot do evil, Nor can they do any good.”(Jeremiah 10:2-5). Surely “our fathers have inherited lies.”(Jeremiah 16:19).
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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Christmas is an occasion for serious distortions of the facts of the Incarnation. The Magi were not there at the birth of Jesus. The Magi came to see Jesus when Jesus was a child of 1 or 2 years of age. The Bible does not say anything of how Mary traveled to Bethlehem. The tradition states that Mary traveled on a donkey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. However, common sense would put Mary in a cart or carriage pulled possibly by a donkey. It would probably be quite dangerous for an 8 to 9 month pregnant woman to ride on the back of a donkey all the way to Bethlehem. The tradition also states that Mary stayed in a barn however no one really knows because Mary could have quite easily have been outside where she laid Jesus in a manager. Which also leads to another question: shepherds could not have been watching their flocks by night in the winter. Shepherds would not be outside with the flocks in the winter because it would have been too cold. Therefore, the birth of Jesus is nothing other than the fulfillment of prophecy, which is important, but does not merit a celebration.
The celebration of Jesus’ birth on the 25th of December is idolatry which mixes pagan worship with true worship, since the sun god Mithra was also born on the December 25th. Yahweh would not have allowed the birth of Jesus to coincide with another pagan date and if it did, we really do not know because God wisely did not give us a date for Jesus’ birthday. God most likely did not want us to be distracted and idolize the birth of Christ when Christ’s greatest moment to remember was His suffering, death and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins.
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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Now, distortions of the truth lead people to not trust the words of the Bible. One popular movement that is shaking the secular world is the Zeitgeist Movement. The Zeitgeist Movement is an intellectual movement that refutes all religion most specifically Christianity. As a result of the Church’s lie about Christmas and many others that will not be discussed at this time, the God of the Bible is made to be a complete mockery. In the Zeitgeist Movie, the Zeitgeists refer to humanity’s attachment to astrology as the main reason behind the changes from one god to the next throughout history. Zeitgeists believe that Jesus Christ never really existed and that if He has existed, it has been in various forms: Horus, Dionysus, Attis, Mithra and finally Jesus Christ. Zeitgeists explain how each age begins with a different astrological sign. Zeitgeists say that Jesus is the same “god” based on the fact that he was born of a virgin on December 25th and that Magi came to adore Him. The fact is that the Bible does not give a date to Christ’s birth anywhere, and the Magi never came to adore Jesus at his birth but probably a couple of years later. As a result, Christians through their celebration of Christmas create a major misconception for the rest of the world. It is quite natural to see how Zeitgeists have increased in popularity. The Zeitgeist Movie states that the entire Bible is one big astrological book. If they Zeitgeists knew a little more about the Jewish people, they would understand that astrology is forbidden in the Bible: ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor shall you practice divination or soothsaying.(Leviticus 19:26; Daniel 2:2). None of the Biblical festivals, which are still practiced by the Jewish people, coincide with an astrological sign. God forbids this practice. How could the God of the Bible forbid astrology and yet allow for the Bible to be inspired by astrology? In the Zeitgeist Movie, the Zeitgeists say that the church determined Christ’s birth year at the
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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Council of Nicaea in 325AD convened by Constantine. Constantine who was the first “Christian” Roman Emperor based the beginning year of 1AD, according to the Zeitgeists, on the astrological Age of Pisces. Most certainly, the church or Constantine together created year 1AD, the new age of Pisces (the fish) based on the astrological calendar because the church by 325AD was heavily entrenched in Roman pagan customs. Constantine himself, who was said to be a Christian, continued to worship Sol Invictus or the sun god until his death.
The Zeitgeist Movie also quotes Luke 22:10 as proof that Jesus was making reference to the next astrological sign on the astrological calendar the “Age of Aquarius” as the moment of His return. This contradicts Jesus’ own words: But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.(Matthew 24:36). If one looks at the entire passage in Luke 22, Jesus was merely telling his disciples to follow a man with a pitcher of water who would tell the disciples where they were going to eat the Passover Supper or the Last Supper that Jesus would have on earth.
Christmas is the worship of the sun. Ancient Hebrews, disobeying God, also worshiped the sun which lead to their destruction and capture by the Babylonians. Ezekiel describes their idolatrous worship: So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east. (Ezekiel 8:16). Christians need to see the truth of their practices and return to an authentic
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faith in God and Jesus Christ. Christians need to return to a faith that was the original intent of God. We need to accept the truth, repent and come out of Babylon. Everyone is guilty of fornicating with Babylon: 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.� 4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues� (Revelations 18:3-4).
Another important point to consider, is can Christians participate in other man-made festivals that are not pagan in origin but are not stated in the Bible? Technically, we should not lest it becomes an obligation. Nevertheless, the best example of a man-made festival that is mentioned in the New Testament is Hanukah or Feast of Dedication. God does not ask in any part of the Bible to celebrate Hanukah. Some Christians use John 10:22-23 as a reason to keep the celebration of Christmas because Jesus was present at the festival of Hanukah, a man-made tradition which supposedly allows believers to add extra-Biblical festivals to their own calendar. Nonetheless, remember, Jesus openly criticized man-made traditions for teaching them as commandments of God. John 10:2223 was in fact originally used by Jesuit priests in support of Christmas against Presbyterians in Scotland, who opposed the celebration of Christmas and other festivals like Easter during the Protestant Reformation. No matter how we understand the presence of Jesus at Hanukah, it is extremely important to recognize the difference in background and intent of Hanukah when compared with Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Hanukah commemorates the defeat of Greek forces and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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after it had been defiled. To celebrate the restoration of God’s Temple, all of Jerusalem rejoiced for eight days. Hanukah is much like Thanksgiving where it is a celebration of thanks and honour to God for His intervention and blessings. Hanukah and Thanksgiving are not rooted in paganism and neither festival alters, replaces or distorts the meaning of a festival of God, or other biblical truths unlike Christmas, Easter and Halloween. There is nothing saying that some of the traditions surrounding Hanukah are not the by-product of pagan influence on the scattered Jewish people throughout the world. Nonetheless, the original intent and origin of Hanukah were not pagan nor does it occur on a fixed date connected to the solar calendar each year.
Essentially, Christmas has pagan roots that distort, make confusion and lie about the truth that is found in the Bible. One has to wonder how such pagan practices came into the Church. It is quite simple. The Church tried to take the “broad” or easy path. Instead of condemning paganism for what it was, the Church accepted it and incorporated it into church practice. Jesus says: 13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.(Matthew 7:13). It was not easy trying to change the pagans and yet even though the church made many concessions, today one can now see a return to the original pagan intent of these festivals. Halloween becomes darker every year as well as Christmas. The mere fact that there are more and more “Merry Krampus” parties during the Christmas season in Germany and Austria, show that the people in fact have rediscovered the pagan roots of the winter solstice period. In Revelations, it states that Satan “deceives the whole
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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world”(Revelations 12:9). The Church has been deceived and the passing of time as made the deception even worse. Peter the Apostle states: But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies… (2 Peter 2:1). And of course, Jude who states: For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness…(Jude 4). The Roman Catholic Church began the journey and although they were right in a few areas, they were terribly deceived in others. As Christians we cannot let ourselves be deceived by a powerful enemy who is Satan. He can deceive us into thinking he does not exist and even into thinking that we no longer need our Bibles. Christmas looks harmless, but be reminded of what Paul says: 13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.(2 Corinthians 13-15). Satan and his ministers can transform themselves into angels of light and ministers of righteousness. They can make things look too good to be true. Jesus says that Satan “was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.(John 8:44). Christmas is a lie and it has been made to look so good over the centuries. Satan is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.(Ephesians 2:2) and he is capable of deceiving even the elect.(Matthew 24:24). But really look hard and pray when
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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you decide whether to keep celebrating Christmas or not as a Christian. Therefore, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow‌(1 Peter 2:1).
It is extremely difficult to not celebrate Christmas in a world that celebrates it. The hardest is when family members do not understand why one would not want to celebrate family time together. There are many other times in the year one can spend with their families, however, this does not make not celebrating Christmas any easier. As Christians we must remember that the narrow path is hard. We must remember what Gods says: You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you. (Deuteronomy 6:14). And even though something seems right, we must remember with thoughtful and fervent prayer whether we should or should not go along with the world: You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.(Exodus 23:2). If you have not decided how you feel about Christmas, remember that even though we live in this world, we are not of the world. Christians will not necessarily be loved by the world, as Jesus says: If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.(John 15:19). We are all at different points on our spiritual walk with Jesus. Sometimes we stay in the same spot with our target on Jesus but never really moving forward. Sometimes we veer off into another completely different direction without Jesus as our main target. In fact, I cannot judge others; Paul says: 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord.(1 Corinthians 4:4) However, I can read what the Bible says and the Bible is definitely not warm to Christmas. I can understand why some
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Christians still celebrate Christmas, since we are all on different places on the path to Christ and not always well informed about the truth. God judges based on what we know and do not know: 47 And that servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.(Luke 12:47-48). If we come to an understanding of what God likes and does not like through the reading of the whole scriptures, we will be punished accordingly either in this life or at the resurrection. Nonetheless, God judges the heart. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.(Hebrews 4:12-13). And 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.(1 John 3:20-21). 8Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.(Matthew 5:8) If anything, it is my prayer that this article has touched you and that you will reconsider the celebration of Christmas. ‌ [B]e doers of the word, and not hearers only.(James 1:22)
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. (Proverbs 14:12).
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Paganism and Christmas: The Great Confusion
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Please look at the following websites. (I do not personally agree theologically with all of them, but they do present the facts about Christmas and the winter solstice festivities). The History of Christmas http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/Psychology/xmas/celeb.htm http://www.thesimpletruth.net/booklet/xmas.html http://www.wilstar.net/xmas/xmassymb.htm http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/Xmas_ch2.htm Encyclopaedia Britannica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/115686/Christmas Merry Krampus http://www.krampus.com/index.php http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7MlGD5lwWw http://www.examiner.com/x-10832-Billings-Sightseeing-Examiner~y2009m12d21Merry-Krampus-Kristmas Zeigeist http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331# Books First Fruits of Zion. Light in the Darkness: Hanukah and the Disciples of Yeshua. Rives, Richard. Too Long in the Sun. http://www.toolong.com/ Rives, Richard. Time is the Ally of Deceit. Picture Christmas – Thy Word Forever http://lacy.obeyingthetruth.com/twf/tag/christmas/
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