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Do Christians know difference between truth and tradition?
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
It was interesting to hear the secular and pagan history of Christmas from Brian McClinton from the Humanist Association (Write Back, December 20).
His point that its origins have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus is, in fact, correct.
Although it has become a most beloved holiday bringing warmth and light in the cold of winter to many families, there is no mention in the Bible of December 25 being the day of Christ's Birth.
The fact that most Churches and Christians accept this inaccuracy without even a thought is worrisome.
It was a pagan tradition to celebrate birthdays in the time of Jesus and the only mention of a birthday in the New Testament is of Herod's wife who demanded the head of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, as her birthday present.
Jews did not celebrate birthdays, neither did the first Christians. There is no record of the early Church celebrating Christmas until at least the 3rd century and when it was introduced it was on a pagan holiday to keep both the nominal Christians and secular humanists happy.
It seems we are still keeping both camps happy today with our secular and religious celebrations of Christ's Mass and Yule Tide, a reference to the Norse god, Jul, from where we get our yule log.
At least the Humanist Association has a clearer history of the true origins of the festive season than many Christians do who cling tenaciously to man-made traditions invented by Roman emperors and misguided early Church fathers.
If the Humanist argument is correct in asserting the outright pagan connections of Christmas, should we Christians really be celebrating it at all?
Of course we can still revere the story of the Incarnation of Jesus in the Gospels, but we should discern between truth and mere tradition.
The majority of people leave Jesus out of the holiday anyhow these days. It's all about gratification.
The story of Bethlehem is the opposite — a King being born in poverty and humility.
In Hebrew He was given the Name ‘Yeshua' which means ‘salvation', but we have even changed that to the Hellenised form, ‘Jesus'.
Would He be comfortable with all our overspending in His Honour?
And would He recognise us calling Him by a name other than His own?
Colin Nevin,
Bangor
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Frank, where is "holly land?"
Posted by conor | 30.12.08, 08:12 GMT
dear colin,
God bless you for this article and for sharing the truth about Christmas. May many more read this article and be blessed and come out of the paganised tradition of celebrating Christmas.
Posted by grace clement | 29.12.08, 05:06 GMT
why does this god you all talk about not stop all the trouble that is happening in the holly land at this moment, if he created all this universe in 6 days surely he can do that, can any one out there prove there that there is a god, if so let me know.
frank
Posted by frank mc Cracken | 28.12.08, 04:40 GMT
I'm a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. I know the difference and keep at an arms length with Christmas traditions accordingly. However, it's yet the one time of the year that the subject of the Gift of God is at least commemorated, albeit though having been originally introduced via deceptive means, through the church of Rome.
Curiously, many wonderfully profound and precious carols and works of music have been created through the influence of the tradition, whose merits cannot be denied. Anything that genuinely exalts the Person of Christ has real merit.
However, the means of Salvation from sin comes through His CROSS, not His manger, and so we "glory in His Cross" upon which He completely paid for my sins, and the "sins of the whole world".
THAT'S A GIFT WORTH RECIEVING!!
Posted by k.tait | 27.12.08, 16:02 GMT
Here is a surprise, the misserable Christians are out in force.
Posted by M Spence | 27.12.08, 13:54 GMT
As Jesus/Yeshua, or whatever you want to call him, is just a made up character unsupported by any historical evidence, celebrating his birth or death is moot.
Posted by Alan Crowe | 26.12.08, 14:10 GMT
wonderful to read one aspect of truth in Belfast Telegraph that is backed up by Mark's Gospel chapter 7 verse 7 In vain do they worship the teaachings of men
Posted by sam millar | 26.12.08, 02:11 GMT
My family and i are all born again believers in yeshua. We used to celebrate this pagan festival until the Lord showed us, that we should not be part of this pagan festivalYeshua was most diffiently not born on the 25th of December. Christians around the world celebrate this day,as the birth of yeshua. No where in the scriptures does it tell us to do so. The earliest reference to Christmas being marked on Dec. 25 comes from 200ad. It is considered likely the first Christmas celebrations were in reaction to the Roman Saturnalia, a harvest festival that marked the winter solstice—the return of the sun—and honored Saturn, the god of sowing. Saturnalia was a rowdy time, much opposed by the more austere leaders among the still-minority Christian sect. Christmas developed, as a means of replacing worship of the sun with worship of the Son. By 529 A.D., after Christianity had become the official state religion of the Roman Empire, Emperor
Posted by bev | 25.12.08, 18:01 GMT
I am a Christian and since coming to the full knowledge of the truth in regard to the origins of Christmas (over 30 years ago), I have not celebrated this pagan holiday. When I was twenty I was blessed to be led to a fellowship of dear Christians who also saw this truth and refused to participate in paganism. Many dear believers when confronted with this truth have a hard time (I also did) giving up something that has been a precious tradition to them. They say that even though these may be the origins of Christmas, they are not why they celebrate the holiday. My response has been that we all know the Bible says that 1000 years are as a day to the Lord. So even though just under 2,000 years ago these practices became entrenched in Christianity and therefore over time they have lost their meaning. In reality, they are and always have been offensive to the Lord, and in His calculations its a fresh offense--just 2 days ago! May the Lord give us grace to follow Him in all things.
Posted by Mia | 25.12.08, 17:36 GMT
I'm 25 years old and the third generation in my family to not celebrate Christmas for these very reasons. Christ asked us to remember his death/resurrection through communion, and he never asked us to recognize his birth.
Posted by Lovenmercy | 25.12.08, 16:46 GMT
this is so true. I am a christian and I and my brothers and sisters of ou fellowshp do not celebrate christmas we very much believe it has pagan origins and the celebarations that take place on the 25 december has nothing to di with the birth of Christ. Many churhes and so called christians hang on to this traditions some being ignorant to the fact or know the truth and don't want to let go.
Lets hold fast to the traditions of the pure truth of the Holy Scriptures that make no mention of the birth of christ as tthis day.
even the pagans an humanist know the truth.
the pure and ture answer is no christians should not be celebrating it at all!!!!
Posted by S | 24.12.08, 21:56 GMT