Do you believe Christmas is pagan?

Kit Sigmon

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Just my personal opinion. Perhaps the day of the year has pagan roots, but the object of celebration during Christmas is far from being Pagan. I am of the persuasion that there is nothing wrong, biblically, with celebrating Christmas for the purpose of honoring the birth of the Savior.

However, I try to lead my family out of the pagan elements that still persist in the tradition, such as Santa Claus, the mythology of elfs and flying reindeer, etc. in order to "purify" the holiday in a sense, to sanctify it unto the Lord rather than giving into the idiosyncrasies of our culture; hopefully by doing that my kid(s) will grow up always associating Christmas with the birth of Jesus Christ the Messiah, as opposed to associating it with Santa Claus and presents.

In the Bible...
Deuteronomy 12:29 "When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, 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.
32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

God does not want His people to make up additional religious days to celebrate, 'specially if they have any ties to paganism.

Pagan religion Mithras...
December 25th be the day of celebration of the birthday of the sun-god Mithra.
Perhaps it should also be mentioned that one of the key features of Mithraism was Sunday observance. The reason that this seems to be relevant is that the Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to make a profession of Christ, was also the first Emperor to make Sunday laws...which he began to do on March 7, 321.
A few years later, Emperor Constantine(former follower of Mithras?) convened the Council of Nicea in 325 AD that declared: 1) The Roman Sun-day or day of the Sun was to be the Christian sabbath.
2) Rules regarding seasonal prayers, penance, and indulgences.
3) That the Catholics believed that Jesus was God in some fashion.
4) Passover would be on Sunday and not the biblical date of Nisan 14.

Constantine, only one year after convening the Council of Nicea, had his own son Crispus put to death.
Later he suffocated Fausta (his wife) in an overheated bath.
Then he had his sister's son flogged to death and her husband strangled.
Throughout his reign, Constantine treated the bishops as political aides.
He agreed to enforce whatever opinion the majority of the bishops formulated.

sources: Babylon Mystery Religion, 1981, Ralph Woodrow Association, pp. 55-59.
Ibid., pp. 47-54 Also, Seymour, The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art, 1897, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, pp. 9-26.


And another part to Mithraism is birthday celebration.
The Bible show birthdays be celebrated by pagans... Genesis 40:20-22; Matthew 14:6-11.

The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952) by Ralph and Adelin Linton, on pages 8, 18-20 had this to say:
The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life.
This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods.
The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune...


 
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AFrazier

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6th month in that passage does not have anything to do with a calendar...it was the 6th month of Elizabeth's pregnancy with John. If the angel came to Mary on the 6th month and Elizabeth was already pregnant for 6 months, then John was conceived in the month of nisan.
It says, "And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth." (Luke 1:26) It does not say, "in her sixth month ...," but "in the sixth month ..." The sixth month of the year was also "the sixth month with her, who was called barren." (Luke 1:36) Just because Elisabeth was in her sixth month of pregnancy per v. 1:36 doesn't mean that it has any bearing on the interpretation ten verses earlier in v. 1:26 when it says the angel came in the sixth month.

You are making an assumption about the text.

So, yes, according to the text, John was conceived in the month of Nisan. You say that like it's a problem. Am I missing something?
 
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8484838

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In the Bible...
Deuteronomy 12:29 "When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land,
30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, 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.
32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

God does not want His people to make up additional religious days to celebrate, 'specially if they have any ties to paganism.

Pagan religion Mithras...
December 25th be the day of celebration of the birthday of the sun-god Mithra.
Perhaps it should also be mentioned that one of the key features of Mithraism was Sunday observance. The reason that this seems to be relevant is that the Roman Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to make a profession of Christ, was also the first Emperor to make Sunday laws...which he began to do on March 7, 321.
A few years later, Emperor Constantine(former follower of Mithras?) convened the Council of Nicea in 325 AD that declared: 1) The Roman Sun-day or day of the Sun was to be the Christian sabbath.
2) Rules regarding seasonal prayers, penance, and indulgences.
3) That the Catholics believed that Jesus was God in some fashion.
4) Passover would be on Sunday and not the biblical date of Nisan 14.

Constantine, only one year after convening the Council of Nicea, had his own son Crispus put to death.
Later he suffocated Fausta (his wife) in an overheated bath.
Then he had his sister's son flogged to death and her husband strangled.
Throughout his reign, Constantine treated the bishops as political aides.
He agreed to enforce whatever opinion the majority of the bishops formulated.

sources: Babylon Mystery Religion, 1981, Ralph Woodrow Association, pp. 55-59.
Ibid., pp. 47-54 Also, Seymour, The Cross in Tradition, History, and Art, 1897, New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, pp. 9-26.


And another part to Mithraism is birthday celebration.
The Bible show birthdays be celebrated by pagans... Genesis 40:20-22; Matthew 14:6-11.

The Lore of Birthdays (New York, 1952) by Ralph and Adelin Linton, on pages 8, 18-20 had this to say:
The Greeks believed that everyone had a protective spirit or daemon who attended his birth and watched over him in life.
This spirit had a mystic relation with the god on whose birthday the individual was born. The Romans also subscribed to this idea. . . . This notion was carried down in human belief and is reflected in the guardian angel, the fairy godmother and the patron saint. . . . The custom of lighted candles on the cakes started with the Greeks. . . . Honey cakes round as the moon and lit with tapers were placed on the temple altars of [Artemis]. . . . Birthday candles, in folk belief, are endowed with special magic for granting wishes. . . . Lighted tapers and sacrificial fires have had a special mystic significance ever since man first set up altars to his gods.
The birthday candles are thus an honor and tribute to the birthday child and bring good fortune...
Christ Jesus abolished the ordinances of the law with his death, burial and resurrection.
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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Your argument is against the paganism of a holiday in which I as a Christian do not celebrate, unless you are willing to say that celebrating the birth of Christ is paganism. I've already admitted that I choose (out of faith) to sanctify that day unto the Lord, to show thanks and gratitude unto God for the birth of his Son, that we are saved by him. I do not give into the grievous traditions of our culture, but instead choose to celebrate a day (whether accurately showing the birth of Christ or not) in order to esteem it unto the Lord. In my house, we honor God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ with this holiday, which is not sin. We do so in faith, believing that we are not condemned by God for doing such a thing.
Keeping a birthday is Paganism, as it is a Pagan custom(Gen 40:18-22 Pharaoh, Herod Mark 6:26-27,Matt 14:6-10) not kept by the Jews of the Old or New Covenant. By keeping this Pagan custom you enter into sin.

We as Christians only are to keep two days the Sabbath day and the Lord's supper. As those are the only two commanded by the Lord. To keep another holiday is to add to the traditions fully preached on by the Apostles and Christ.
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

There was no "Bible" as we know it when the early Churches were founded. They taught everything in person - not by circulating a book. And recorded in what would become NT Scripture that we should hold to those teachings delivered as well as the written ones.
Exactly we should stand firm in what was taught by them and written down in the Gospel and in the Apostles writings(as those are the words of God fully preached by them). Everything taught to the separate branches of the Church(by the Apostles) we have today written down.

Nothing within this written word tells us we are to keep Pagan traditions, in fact we are told to remove ourselves from such practices.
 
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Not David

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Yes brother, here are three of the most prominent places that speak of it.
Fully known the Doctrine, continue in things learned(2 Tim 3:10, 14-15)
Fully preached the Gospel of Christ(Romans 15:19,29)
Declared all the counsel of God(Acts 20:26-28)

They taught the full doctrine and all the traditions of Christ, leaving out nothing. If they did not speak of it, or say we are to do it(concerning spiritual things) then we have no basis to.
The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have Traditions passed down from the Apostles.
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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The Catholic and Orthodox Churches have Traditions passed down from the Apostles.
So you believe, but they are not found in Scripture. Any church practice that does not agree with God's word is not of God.
 
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~Anastasia~

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Exactly we should stand firm in what was taught by them and written down in the Gospel and in the Apostles writings(as those are the words of God fully preached by them). Everything taught to the separate branches of the Church(by the Apostles) we have today written down.

Nothing within this written word tells us we are to keep Pagan traditions, in fact we are told to remove ourselves from such practices.
No, I'm afraid that's not what it says.

It says to keep ALL of the teachings delivered, whether they were delivered in person (by word) or written down (by Epistle).

The Church wasn't spread and established by mailing out a bunch of Bibles. It was planted by the Apostles living with the people and teaching them how to "do Church", what to believe, and how to live. The epistles were (mostly corrective, sometimes encouraging) letters sent after the fact. They are and never were intended to be a complete how-to manual.
 
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Not David

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So you believe, but they are not found in Scripture. Any church practice that does not agree with God's word is not of God.
And yet you take the books of the Bible chosen by them.
 
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So you believe, but they are not found in Scripture. Any church practice that does not agree with God's word is not of God.
There is nothing in Holy Tradition that disagrees with the Holy Scriptures. That isn't possible. The Scriptures are the highest authority we possess (in tangible form).

But they aren't a how-to manual. They tell us to baptize, but not how to baptize, for example. And much, much more.
 
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JackRT

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Keeping a birthday is Paganism, as it is a Pagan custom(Gen 40:18-22 Pharaoh, Herod Mark 6:26-27,Matt 14:6-10) not kept by the Jews of the Old or New Covenant. By keeping this Pagan custom you enter into sin.

We as Christians only are to keep two days the Sabbath day and the Lord's supper. As those are the only two commanded by the Lord. To keep another holiday is to add to the traditions fully preached on by the Apostles and Christ.

Celebration of birthdays is a human custom not necessarily a pagan custom. In any such custom any evil is to be found not in the custom itself but in the intent of those keeping it. If you regard a custom as evil, by all means avoid it but do not judge those who do it innocently and out of respect.
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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And yet you take the books of the Bible chosen by them.
They were books not written by them, in fact I disagree with several of the books added/chosen by them.

The word of God existed in written form well before Catholicism, giving them credit for making the bible is absurd. All they did was put the already existent books together, many of which are not the word of God which is why they were taken out by Christians.

I take, use, and believe in the books inspired by God.
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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Celebration of birthdays is a human custom not necessarily a pagan custom. In any such custom any evil is to be found not in the custom itself but in the intent of those keeping it. If you regard a custom as evil, by all means avoid it but do not judge those who do it innocently and out of respect.
Brother,
Nowhere in the bible do we see any man of God keeping this Practice, only Pagans and Satan worshipers. Unless it can be shown to have been kept by either the OT Jews or NT Jews, we can only say that it was/is a Pagan custom not spoken of/kept by the Apostles and Christ therefore should not be kept.

I judge all things by the word of God alone, as we are all commanded to do.
 
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Xmas to me is a day to enjoy family and friends I don’t care if it’s pagan in origin. My family is multicultural anyway not every one is the same religion nor are they all one race
 
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StephenDiscipleofYHWH

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I agree Christ and the Apostles fully preached the Doctrine and traditions of Christ leaving out nothing.

If we have any questions as to what these traditions were all we have to do is read God's word.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
 
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Yeshua HaDerekh

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I agree Christ and the Apostles fully preached the Doctrine and traditions of Christ leaving out nothing.

If we have any questions as to what these traditions were all we have to do is read God's word.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Just as in Judaism, some traditions were given orally. The Church has preserved these as traditions within the Church.
 
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Keeping a birthday is Paganism, as it is a Pagan custom(Gen 40:18-22 Pharaoh, Herod Mark 6:26-27,Matt 14:6-10) not kept by the Jews of the Old or New Covenant. By keeping this Pagan custom you enter into sin.

We as Christians only are to keep two days the Sabbath day and the Lord's supper. As those are the only two commanded by the Lord. To keep another holiday is to add to the traditions fully preached on by the Apostles and Christ.
I am fully persuaded in my own mind that keeping the holiday of Christmas is not sin, in that I am assured that the grace of God abounds unto all that believe. I would, for your sakes, forsake the celebration of such a holiday, if it were to cause you to stumble; but as for me, I honor the Lord with it, thereby fulfilling the scripture which says, "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."
 
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I agree Christ and the Apostles fully preached the Doctrine and traditions of Christ leaving out nothing.

If we have any questions as to what these traditions were all we have to do is read God's word.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Do you understand what the "whether by" means here? It explicitly means "even if we didn't write it down in the epistles".
 
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