Christmas is a pagan holiday?!

[Jesus4Ever]

I happened to read up online that Christmas is a pagan holiday that the Catholic church adopted to convince pagans to join their church. That it actually originally worshiped the Sun God or something like that.

Is it true? And if so, are we not to celebrate Christmas?

This troubles me because I have always looked at Christmas a time of joy, of goodwill, of spending time with family. And even though I didn't grow up that religious, I do recall praying in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve one year to God. And I felt really good doing so, I thought He was listening.

Plus...my family celebrates and meets on Christmas and I don't really get to see the one side of my family until Christmas.

So yeah, what do you think? What is the truth?

 

[Brian Mc]

Two examples of the mass deception currently in the world today are,

1 Easter .. which is a pagan term, Throughout the world it is recognised that Christ Jesus was placed in the tomb on Friday evening & arose on Sunday morning ...... a maximum of 36 hours ( 6+24+6) ... whereas Jesus stated ... Matt 12:40 For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. .... this indicates that He was placed in the tomb by Wednesday evening after being crucified, & arose at mid-night Saturday .... so the tomb could be seen open early Sunday morning (6+24+24+18 =72 hours ... three days and three nights) Relying on “Jewish thinking” of part of a day/night is a full day/night is deception ... it was the Jewish elders that had Christ Jesus crucified,

2. Birth date of Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible does it give an accurate mention of the day ... or even the year of Jesus’ birth. I believe so that “a big deal” is not made of His birth date .... His death & resurrection is when He overcame sin & death. Based on Bible information it indicates a likely date would be late September.

But, Constantine set December 25 as Jesus’ birth date (chosen to fit between to pagan festival times). Today, throughout the world, for many, many millions it is a time of lying to children about Santa (Satan) bringing presents “if you have been good” & thinking this is Jesus birth date.

December 25 could not have been anywhere near Jesus’ birth date .... in Bethlehem it snows in late December & Scripture tells us “the shepherds watched their flocks by night.”

Luke 2:7 And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room {or} place for them in the inn. Luke 2:8 And in that vicinity there were shepherds living [out under the open sky] in the field, watching [in shifts] over their flock by night.

This year it is predicted that on 23 September, that a once in 7000 year even will happen ... star constellations will be visible over Israel (& surrounds) depicting a virgin giving birth ... key in 23 September 2017 into your web browser for full details.

 

[Saucy]

Technically, yes, it is. There is no mention of when Christ's birth is in the bible. And the fact that there were animals and stuff out, they say it was probably around spring time when Jesus was born.

Also, all the stuff about the wise men? Didn't happen at his birth. The start didn't show up until His birth, meaning it would've taken the wise men several months to get there.

But December 25th is near start of winter, and it's when the days start getting longer again, so the pagans had a festival around that time in honor of the sun and the days getting longer. In order to spread the gospel into the paganized world, the Catholic church created these holidays on or near the pagan festival days to make it easier for them to celebrate the Catholic holidays.

The Christmas tree is a pagan symbol.

Why do we call Easter "Easter"? Well, Ishtar is the goddess of fertility. Ishtar=Easter. That's why we have the Easter bunny, Easter eggs, etc. All symbols of fertility. I was able to talk my church into stopping Easter egg hunts because of this fact. Easter is a pagan holiday, but Christ did die during Passover, which is typically the same time.

Another Catholic invention is Good Friday. Jesus didn't die on Friday. Christ said the sign of His return will be as Jonah, 3 days and 3 nights in the heart of the earth. But, you can't get three days and nights from Friday.

 

[JackRT]

The origin of our celebrations is not the point at all. Christmas, or any other celebration, is what we make of it.

 

[Serving Zion]

I happened to read up online that Christmas is a pagan holiday that the Catholic church adopted to convince pagans to join their church. That it actually originally worshiped the Sun God or something like that.

Is it true? And if so, are we not to celebrate Christmas?

This troubles me because I have always looked at Christmas a time of joy, of goodwill, of spending time with family. And even though I didn't grow up that religious, I do recall praying in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve one year to God. And I felt really good doing so, I thought He was listening.

Plus...my family celebrates and meets on Christmas and I don't really get to see the one side of my family until Christmas.

So yeah, what do you think? What is the truth?

To the pure, all things are pure;
Titus 1:15a

Everyone just needs to be careful to not become legalistic, judgemental and stodgy, joy-robbing and turning people away from pursuing Christ because all the Christians they know just are against even celebrating His birthday and therefore not having the freedom to live and contribute goodwill during the season of goodwill.

It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
Romans 14:21

and do not give the devil an opportunity.
Ephesians 4:27

Beware the yeast of the Pharisee that puffs up the whole loaf!

 

[Serving Zion]

The origin of our celebrations is not the point at all. Christmas, or any other celebration, is what we make of it.

Agree! 'tis the season to be jolly!

 

[Albion]

I happened to read up online that Christmas is a pagan holiday that the Catholic church adopted to convince pagans to join their church. That it actually originally worshiped the Sun God or something like that.

Is it true? And if so, are we not to celebrate Christmas?

This troubles me because I have always looked at Christmas a time of joy, of goodwill, of spending time with family. And even though I didn't grow up that religious, I do recall praying in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve one year to God. And I felt really good doing so, I thought He was listening.

Plus...my family celebrates and meets on Christmas and I don't really get to see the one side of my family until Christmas.

So yeah, what do you think? What is the truth?

That isn't true, although the way people tell the story can make it seem true. In history, Christians often intentionally upstaged pagans by putting their own celebrations on or near the pagan ones and also did something of the same thing with symbolism. Of course they wanted to celebrate and commemorate the birth of the Savior. Since there was an old theory that he was crucified on the anniversary of his conception, nine months after April would put his birth at late December or so.

There was a pagan holiday in the Roman Empire that was celebrated then too, but there was no merging of the two or replacing one with another. By the way, the Romans had a hundred holidays a year, so almost any Christian celebration would seem to be imitating one of them, if one wants to argue that way.

Later, the tree was chosen in order to show an important message to pagans in northern Europe. They worshipped in front of trees that they associated with their gods, who retreated to their heavenly homes in winter but returned, like all life, in the spring. But the Christian God never dies, said the missionaries, and a good symbol for that is a coniferous tree like a spruce that is green year round. Apparently, that made an impression on the pagans.

All that being said, the most important thing here that you be informed, Jesus4ever, that your question be answered. After you've read all the replies, some from members of well-known churches and others from individuals with their own theories on the subject, be aware that if Christmas and Easter and Sunday and trees and almost everything a person can associate with Christianity were actually pagan, there would be SOME Church other than the Jehovah's Witnesses that you might join which would agree to that thinking. But they aren't out there. Why not? Well, because it's all just another conspiracy theory.

 

[JackRT]

Agree! 'tis the season to be jolly!

Don we now our gay apparel. Fa la la la.

 

[MustardSeeed]

It seems as though December 25th is the birthday of the deity Tammuz. Semiramis's/The Queen of Babylon's son - which is the reincarnation of Nimrod. Jesus was born in September supposedly

It's pretty crazy how Pagan Christmas is

"The Christmas tree is based on mythology that originated in Babylon. For those who do it in the traditional manner, the Yule Log is thrown onto the fire on Christmas Eve, representing death and destruction. Then on Christmas Day there is the tree, covered in decorations and surrounded with presents, representing new life, the resurrected Nimrod."

There's a lot to it. Anyway, I don't idolize Christmas like many people seem to do, and I celebrate the birth of Jesus everyday so it's a non-issue

 

[Ken Rank]

The question is what is pagan? If a pagan day honors a pagan god, then that day is pagan. Does Christmas intend to honor Ba'al, Mithras, Zeus, or Yeshua? Same with Easter.... somebody above said the word has a pagan origin and I can prove that to be false. But forgetting the word itself, what is the day designed to do? Is it designed to honor the rising sun or the risen son?

I don't celebrate Christmas, I actually believe that the Scriptures point to a fall birth and since the feasts are all tied around the work of Yeshua anyway... I tend to view his birth as having happened at the beginning of Sukkot (Tabernacles) and his circumcision on the 8th day, the last "great day" as it is known. But that doesn't mean I view other Christians as pagan because they celebrate the birth of Yeshua in December. Many facets of Christmas DO have a pagan origin, but those meanings are lost today. And by lost I mean they no longer point to whatever they once pointed to. Again, I don't keep it... I would rather see all Christians keep the holy-days of God.... but I don't view my brothers and sisters as doing something pagan.

I also think many people are going to find out that God was not behind the finger pointing and accusations that surround this topic. Many believers have been condemned and demeaned by other believers over ignorance of facts, not intent of the heart.

Respectfully.
Ken

 

[Acts2:38]

I happened to read up online that Christmas is a pagan holiday that the Catholic church adopted to convince pagans to join their church. That it actually originally worshiped the Sun God or something like that.

Is it true? And if so, are we not to celebrate Christmas?

This troubles me because I have always looked at Christmas a time of joy, of goodwill, of spending time with family. And even though I didn't grow up that religious, I do recall praying in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve one year to God. And I felt really good doing so, I thought He was listening.

Plus...my family celebrates and meets on Christmas and I don't really get to see the one side of my family until Christmas.

So yeah, what do you think? What is the truth?

#1 = Yes, it is true. Same with Easter.

#2 = You can celebrate Christs birth any day you wish too. However, if you try to bind it religiously to anyone else, you would be sinning. I refer you to Romans 14.

#3 = As stated in #2, so long as you do not bind it as a must do religious practice on anyone else, according to Romans 14, it would be fine to do. I celebrate Christmas myself, but for me I leave out religious factors such as the star on the tree and the nativity scene, because to me, I find no command or precept for Christmas or Easter. I do not bind on anyone who does differently, my standard on it. Celebrate it if you wish, just don't push it on someone who does not wish to.

Happy celebrating

 

[Der Alte]

Two examples of the mass deception currently in the world today are,
1 Easter .. which is a pagan term, Throughout the world it is recognised that Christ Jesus was placed in the tomb on Friday evening & arose on Sunday morning ...... a maximum of 36 hours ( 6+24+6) ... whereas Jesus stated ... Matt 12:40 For even as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. .... this indicates that He was placed in the tomb by Wednesday evening after being crucified, & arose at mid-night Saturday .... so the tomb could be seen open early Sunday morning (6+24+24+18 =72 hours ... three days and three nights) Relying on “Jewish thinking” of part of a day/night is a full day/night is deception ... it was the Jewish elders that had Christ Jesus crucified,

The Christmas is pagan posts started early this year. They usually don't start until November. Jesus and all of His disciples were Jews and used Jewish idioms all the time.

Jewish Encyclopedia – DAY
In the Bible, the season of light (Gen. i. 5), lasting "from dawn [lit. "the rising of the morning"] to the coming forth of the stars" (Neh. iv. 15, 17). The term "day" is used also to denote a period of twenty-four hours (Ex. xxi. 21). In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the afternoon, is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the seventh day is counted as the seventh day; circumcision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day. Again, a man who hears of a vow made by his wife or his daughter, and desires to cancel the vow, must do so on the same day on which he hears of it, as otherwise the protest has no effect; even if the hearing takes place a little time before night, the annulment must be done within that little time. The day is reckoned from evening to evening—i.e., night and day—except in reference to sacrifices, where daytime and the night following constitute one day (Lev. vii. 15; see Calendar). "The day" denotes: (a) Day of the Lord; (b) the Day of Atonement; (c) the treatise of the Mishnah that contains the laws concerning the Day of Atonement (See Yoma and Sabbath).E. G. H. M. F.
DAY - JewishEncyclopedia.com​

2. Birth date of Jesus. Nowhere in the Bible does it give an accurate mention of the day ... or even the year of Jesus’ birth. I believe so that “a big deal” is not made of His birth date .... His death & resurrection is when He overcame sin & death. Based on Bible information it indicates a likely date would be late September.

There is just as much, if not more, evidence that the birth of jesus was in December as there is for any other month.

But, Constantine set December 25 as Jesus’ birth date (chosen to fit between to pagan festival times). Today, throughout the world, for many, many millions it is a time of lying to children about Santa (Satan) bringing presents “if you have been good” & thinking this is Jesus birth date.

Nonsense. The only thing Constantine did was legalize Christianity which had been outlawed before .

December 25 could not have been anywhere near Jesus’ birth date .... in Bethlehem it snows in late December & Scripture tells us “the shepherds watched their flocks by night.”

Some have said that Jesus couldn’t have been born in December because shepherds did not keep their sheep in the fields past late autumn. But Alfred Edersheim, in his classic work “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883) ,” cites ancient Jewish sources to the effect that flocks of sheep “remain in the open alike in the hottest days and in the rainy season – i.e. all the year round” (Book 2, p. 186). There was also a special class of Levitical shepherds who kept sacrificial lambs in the field all year round because they were used for sacrifice every month of the year.

 

[All4Christ]

A Christmas is Pagan thread in June? I thought we had until mid-November before this would show up again...

 

[Der Alte]

It seems as though December 25th is the birthday of the deity Tammuz. Semiramis's/The Queen of Babylon's son - which is the reincarnation of Nimrod. Jesus was born in September supposedly
It's pretty crazy how Pagan Christmas is
"The Christmas tree is based on mythology that originated in Babylon. For those who do it in the traditional manner, the Yule Log is thrown onto the fire on Christmas Eve, representing death and destruction. Then on Christmas Day there is the tree, covered in decorations and surrounded with presents, representing new life, the resurrected Nimrod."
There's a lot to it. Anyway, I don't idolize Christmas like many people seem to do, and I celebrate the birth of Jesus everyday so it's a non-issue

All total nonsense. All this stuff gets circulated around the internet back and forth and there is no credible, verifiable, historical evidence for any of it.

 

[MustardSeeed]

All total nonsense. All this stuff gets circulated around the internet back and forth and there is no credible, verifiable, historical evidence for any of it.

maybe, either way it's a non-issue (imo)

 

[Brian Mc]

The Christmas is pagan posts started early this year. They usually don't start until November. Jesus and all of His disciples were Jews and used Jewish idioms all the time.

Jewish Encyclopedia – DAY
In the Bible, the season of light (Gen. i. 5), lasting "from dawn [lit. "the rising of the morning"] to the coming forth of the stars" (Neh. iv. 15, 17). The term "day" is used also to denote a period of twenty-four hours (Ex. xxi. 21). In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the afternoon, is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the seventh day is counted as the seventh day; circumcision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day. Again, a man who hears of a vow made by his wife or his daughter, and desires to cancel the vow, must do so on the same day on which he hears of it, as otherwise the protest has no effect; even if the hearing takes place a little time before night, the annulment must be done within that little time. The day is reckoned from evening to evening—i.e., night and day—except in reference to sacrifices, where daytime and the night following constitute one day (Lev. vii. 15; see Calendar). "The day" denotes: (a) Day of the Lord; (b) the Day of Atonement; (c) the treatise of the Mishnah that contains the laws concerning the Day of Atonement (See Yoma and Sabbath).E. G. H. M. F.
DAY - JewishEncyclopedia.com​

There is just as much, if not more, evidence that the birth of jesus was in December as there is for any other month.

Nonsense. The only thing Constantine did was legalize Christianity which had been outlawed before .

Some have said that Jesus couldn’t have been born in December because shepherds did not keep their sheep in the fields past late autumn. But Alfred Edersheim, in his classic work “The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883) ,” cites ancient Jewish sources to the effect that flocks of sheep “remain in the open alike in the hottest days and in the rainy season – i.e. all the year round” (Book 2, p. 186). There was also a special class of Levitical shepherds who kept sacrificial lambs in the field all year round because they were used for sacrifice every month of the year.

 

[Brian Mc]

The Truth will set people free (so as NOT to be deceived by men that Satan has/ & still is working through) .... I am believing that on September 23, 2017 a series of stellar constellations will be seem above Israel & Middle East depicting a birth from a Virgin ..... this event will be broadcast ALL OVER THE WORLD & with the "teaching" that goes with it, should spark quite a bit of interest. FATHER IS IN CONTROL.

All true believers should be complying with His request ... joining the Holy Spirit & Lord Jesus in intercession for all the saints (Rom 8:27, 34) when fully clad in His Armour (the Holy Spirit) .... see Eph 6:10-18

 

[Der Alte]

maybe, either way it's a non-issue (imo)

If so, why did you post all that stuff attacking Christmas etc. with no, zero, none credible evidence?

 

[MustardSeeed]

If so, why did you post all that stuff attacking Christmas etc. with no, zero, none credible evidence?

I'm not attacking Christmas. I'm for some aspects of Christmas, and not for some aspects of Christmas. This is why in my original post that you are referring to I used the words "it seems as though" and "supposedly" - they have a purpose . I'm not saying that anything I said was a fact. It's speculation. If Christmas is near and dear to your heart swell. Celebrating it is personal choice. I celebrate it by default. I'm saying I don't idolize it and it's not some sacred holiday to me. That's the point. Evidence or no evidence it doesn't make a difference to me

The fact that the vast majority of Western worldly society celebrates Christmas... says something. I'm directing my response to the OP's question. In my view, Christmas is pagan just like a lot of other things in the world. We live in a pagan driven society by default. I'm not going to debate with you if that is your intention. If that isn't your intention... then have a great day

 

[Brian Mc]

I happened to read up online that Christmas is a pagan holiday that the Catholic church adopted to convince pagans to join their church. That it actually originally worshiped the Sun God or something like that.

Is it true? And if so, are we not to celebrate Christmas?

This troubles me because I have always looked at Christmas a time of joy, of goodwill, of spending time with family. And even though I didn't grow up that religious, I do recall praying in front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve one year to God. And I felt really good doing so, I thought He was listening.

Plus...my family celebrates and meets on Christmas and I don't really get to see the one side of my family until Christmas.

So yeah, what do you think? What is the truth?