Everything you want to know about Christmas.!!!!! ......... So many Christians are fighting amongst themselves whether or not we should celebrate Christmas because of the supposed Pagan beginnings. They complain that modern Christmas celebrations are nothing more than repurposed Pagan traditions. Although there is little evidence to substantiate this other than what everyone thinks they know, let me first say this: So what if that was the case? Hasn’t Jesus Christ “repurposed” each of us worthless sinners into workers for His Kingdom? Isn’t that what He does? Should He not use us because we were once filled with sin? The Bible states that what is meant for harm, God can change for our good (Genesis 50:20, paraphrase mine). “Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelation 21:5) If we continue to argue amongst ourselves on whether or not we should celebrate the birth of our Savior aren’t we doing exactly what the Atheists and God-haters want anyway? If there is no one to celebrate Christmas AS it should be FOR WHOM it should be then we really will have a Pagan holiday every December 25th. Whether it ever was in ancient times will become a moot point because that is certainly what it will become. When we argue amongst ourselves, it divides us as a faith which makes us easy to conquer. The Hebrews and Samaritans had differing views on where to worship our God(see John 4:20), and for that reason they became enemies even though they were really both children of God. I am not telling anyone to celebrate, or how to celebrate if you choose to do so. But with half of us running around championing Christ-centered Christmas music, Nativity scenes, and Merry Christmas as opposed to Happy Holidays and the other half arguing that we should just ignore the day all together we are not presenting a united front to the unsaved. Let God lead you in this season, and let us celebrate His birth all year. For so many in the world, this is the only time of year they even give thought to the one Person who can save them from eternal Hell. Why not take that opportunity when their hearts may be open to use Christmas to witness in song and Spirit to those in need of Him. Colossians 2:16 King James Bible Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Colossians 2:17 King James Bible Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. That is, if we must avoid all things associated with pagan worship, then we will need to give up far more than we expect. For example, the days of the week are named after various pagan gods: Sunday for the sun, Monday for the moon, Tuesday for Tiw (Norse and German god of combat), Wednesday for Woden (Odin), Thursday for Thor, Friday for Frigge, Saturday for Saturn. Using the rationale of those who say we cannot celebrate Christ’s birth on December 25 because it is associated with Saturnalia or Sol Invictus, we could argue that we can never celebrate any holiday—even those mentioned in Scripture—since they must necessarily fall on one of these days with pagan Just because pagan rulers celebrated their birthdays does not mean that Christians cannot celebrate their own birthdays or the birth of Christ. Pagan rulers also slept in beds with roofs over their heads; must we avoid those things too? Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything Im just doing this for learning purposes it was interesting Feedback: Christians Celebrating by ken ham.we need to stop picking on each other Jesus left us with a new commandment love one another. Matthew 5:20 King James Version (KJV) 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. .... I don’t claim to have the monopoly on truth but will attempt to give a rational opinion based on historical evidence and scripture. Paganism is a highly controversial subject. Can we use pagan customs in the church of God? We already do. Simply because something has a pagan origin does not mean that it is sinful to use it, even for a religious use. Wedding rings were and are a pagan custom, and there is no biblical command for them, but we use them in church-sanctioned ceremonies. Wedding ceremonies themselves were also a pagan custom, and are not commanded in Scripture. Funerals include pagan customs, too, based on erroneous ideas about the afterlife. Scripture says nothing about putting flowers on graves, etc. Egyptian mythology said that the dead should be embalmed, and Joseph participated in this custom (Gen. 50:2-3) despite its pagan origin. Pagans created statues — of animals and people, both life-size and miniatures. They had statues in their flower gardens and statues in their homes. But statues have lost their pagan connotations because people do not believe in such gods and goddesses anymore. Money has pagan designs on it. Some U.S. coins used to have the goddess Liberty on them. Dollar bills have an eye over a pyramid. Pagans assigned days of the week to different gods, and we still use these names. So the question arises, How careful must we be in weeding paganisms out of our lives? Where do we draw the line? The answer is, different Christians draw the line in different places. We need to allow some diversity on these issues. Some conservative churches used to forbid wedding rings. Some forbid Christmas and Easter. They are careful to do what God says, and if God tells them to avoid paganism, then they carefully do it. Some are so careful that they err on the side of forbidding too much — but they err. They make commands about things that God doesnt command. That is a sin. Example of the Corinthians In the first-century Church, gentile Christians were told to avoid meat that had been sacrificed to pagan idols (Acts 15:29). However, Paul told the Corinthians that they could eat meat sold in the public market even though that meat may have been sacrificed to an idol (1 Cor. 10:25). He told them not to eat in the pagan temple. In other words, he told them to avoid blatant paganism, but they did not have to superstitiously avoid everything that paganism might have touched at some time in the past. In Corinth, some Christians were more careful than others, and some more liberal than others. Paul told them they could eat the meat, but he also told them to be cautious about causing offense (verses 32-33). However, love does not mean that we all have to abide by the strictest persons conscience. No matter how many people think we ought to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses, we dont have to (Acts 15). Even if some Christians think we should be vegetarians (and some do), we dont have to abide by their conscience (Rom. 14:1-8). Paul says that we have freedom, but we are to use our freedom in a sensitive way. Now let us imagine a first-century potluck in the Corinthian church. Everyone has brought their food and everyone has eaten a little bit of everything. Suddenly some overly zealous convert, anxious to avoid the paganism he recently came out of, starts asking questions about the meat. The Smith family, he finds out, bought their beef from Marcus Agorus, and Marcus always has his cows killed at the temple of Zeus. The casserole has been tainted with pagan-tainted meat, and everybody has eaten some of it! What should the zealous convert do with this information? Should he announce it throughout the congregation, leading to an ever-more-diligent search for pagan-tainted foods? Of course not. The sensible (and the Christian) thing to do would be to keep quiet — but overly zealous converts sometimes arent sensible. Their zeal overcomes good sense, and although they think they are acting in love, they are actually causing an unnecessary and unhelpful disturbance with their knowledge. Thats what happens today when people preach that wedding rings are pagan. It is possible to be too zealous in avoiding things that have connections with paganism. Yelling about idol-tainted meat doesnt do anything to strengthen anyones faith in Christ. All it would do is cause doubts and irritations. That is basically what some people do in their vociferous condemnations of Christmas. People today generally learn about Christmas as a Christian custom, not as a pagan custom. Its like they saw the meat in the market and there was a sign saying OK for Christians. So they bought it, and then someone comes along and tells them it was tainted. Some people dont think that the example of meat can apply to holidays; some people do. So, they draw their lines in different places. People generally consider themselves as strong and others as weak, but how are the weak and the strong to get along with each other? Not by enforcing conformity, but by allowing some diversity. Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything .. Furthermore, shepherds, angels, Simeon, Anna, and the magi rejoiced and praised God because of the birth of Christ, so there is precedence for honoring this event. Frankly, Scripture does not give a specific command whether we should or should not celebrate the birth of Christ. As such, this issue falls under the category of Christian liberty . some people believe Jesus was born on the 15th day of 7th month of the biblical calendar, the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles (a High Sabbath), which always occurs in autumn. On the Julian calendar, it was Thursday, September 26, 3 BCE. God did not see it significant to add a date for Jesus birth John 21:25 King James Bible And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen. Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything Im just doing this for learning purposes The Gnostics held a yearly party and orgy to celebrate and declare this type of teaching, and the date they chose to hold their party just happened to be December 25th. Well, as the Gnostics were denying the Nativity most loudly on December 25th, the Church decided to counter by declaring the truth of the Nativity even louder, on December 25th as well. “It’s not that the Church had any special interest in December 25th, save for the fact that if you were going to drown out the pagan Gnostics, that was the day to do it. It was when the Gnostics held their biggest anti-Nativity bash, that’s all. “Literally, the good news is that the Church’s plan worked. God was with the church when they proclaimed the truth of the Nativity, and instead of December 25th being a day the Church feared and when Christians would jump ship to join with the pagan Gnostics, December 25th now was becoming the day when wayward Christians came back to the faith, and never looked at Gnosticism again. “It’s a great story. And it’s how the birth of Jesus became associated with December 25th, though the whole world knows Jesus was most likely not born on that day. ....What is the origin of the Christmas tree? where did Jeremiah live His hometown was Anathoth (Jeremiah 1:1), and he lived in Jerusalem, where advised the kings of Judah. During the Babylonian exile, he lived at Mizpah in Benjamin (Jeremiah 40). He later went to Egypt, where he spent the rest of his life. there is no evergreens in Jerusalem cedar trees are the closest thing.. I put three different translations together .Jeremiah 10:3 King James Bible For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. New International Version For the practices of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. New Living Translation Their ways are futile and foolish. They cut down a tree, and a craftsman carves an idol. Definition for with a cutting is 4621. maatsad ► Strongs Concordance maatsad: an axe Original Word: מַעֲצָד Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: maatsad Phonetic Spelling: (mah-ats-awd) Short Definition: tool NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from an unused word Definition an axe NASB Translation cutting tool (2).....some people believe they are carved .... Colossians 2:16 King James Bible Jeremiah Chapter 10 and the Christmas Tree .... Jeremiah Chapter 10 and the Christmas Tree? Jer 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax. Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. That could only describe a Christmas tree and its ornaments, some will say. What could be more obvious? Jeremiah is clearly condemning the Christmas tree! Well, not so fast. Lets read on. Jer 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. They speak not??? They cannot go (move) by themselves??? Be not afraid of them??? They cannot do evil??? Neither can they do good??? Just how, if I may ask, can those be logically applied to a Christmas tree? I suggest they cannot, with any sense. But lets continue. Jer 10:6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Jer 10:7 Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. Jer 10:8 But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. Jer 10:9 Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. Gold and silver plates??? Blue and purple clothing??? How does that apply to the Christmas tree? It doesnt. Jer 10:10 But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Jer 10:11 Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. Jer 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. Jer 10:13 When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. Verses 10, 12 and 13 contrast the true creator God with false gods in verse 11. Jer 10:14 Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. Jer 10:15 They are vanity, and the work of errors: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. Ah, graven and molten images that confound their makers! There is no breath (life) in them! Jeremiah is talking about manmade heathen statues - idols: The idol starts as a tree cut down, and it is then carved. Though it has a mouth, the idol cannot speak! The idol is nailed down, fixed in place. It cannot move on its own, it must be carried! Be not afraid of the idol! The idol cannot do evil! Neither can the idol do good! The idol is powerless! The carved wooden idol is covered with silver or gold plate! The idol is dressed in blue and purple clothing! The idol is lifeless! The idol is vanity (futile), and the work of error! In context, Jeremiah is clearly not describing Christmas trees, he is talking about idolatrous graven and molten images of the heathen, the worthless futile powerless statues of their pagan gods, that are not to be feared. So, according to scripture, do trees have an association with idolatry and paganism? 1 Ki 14:22 And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 1 Ki 14:23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. 2 Ki 17:9 And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 2 Ki 17:10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: 2 Ki 17:11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 2 Ki 17:12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. Jer 2:20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Jer 3:6 The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. Ezek 20:47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein. Ezek 20:48 And all flesh shall see that I the LORD have kindled it: it shall not be quenched. saiah 44:14-19 gives a detailed picture of how a tree was cut down and fashioned into an idol - and the absurdity of it all. Isaiah 44:14-19 King James Version (KJV) 14 He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it. 15 Then shall it be for a man to burn: for he will take thereof, and warm himself; yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshippeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto. 16 He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast, and is satisfied: yea, he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire: 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image: he falleth down unto it, and worshippeth it, and prayeth unto it, and saith, Deliver me; for thou art my god. 18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?. Exodus 34:12-14 King James Version (KJV) 12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: Deuteronomy 16:21 King James Bible Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Micah 5:14 King James Bible And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee: so will I destroy thy cities. the definition for groves is 842 [e] ’ă-šê-rāw אֲשֵׁרָ֖יו their groves Noun 842. Asherah ► Strongs Concordance Asherah: a Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same Original Word: אֲשֵׁרָה Part of Speech: Proper Name Feminine Transliteration: Asherah Phonetic Spelling: (ash-ay-raw) Short Definition: Asherim NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin of foreign origin Definition a Phoenician goddess, also an image of the same NASB Translation Asherah (18), Asherim (20), Asheroth (2). Second, when we search the rest of the Old Testament, we find many other examples of trees being planted, cut down, or carved into idols. One of the most common examples of a tree idol was the Asherah, mentioned often in the Old Testament. Asherah was a pagan goddess that was worshiped throughout the Mediterranean world. She was considered to be the goddess of the sea, the consort of El, and the mother of Baal. She was always represented as a tree or pole, either planted or erected, then decorated. There are many warnings in the Old Testament about the Asherah tree. From the foregoing, it is abundantly clear that the decorated tree to which Jeremiah 10 refers is an idol, very likely the Asherah. Therefore, it is very superficial Bible interpretation and pure silliness to understand this passage as directly referring to the use of a fir tree for Christmas! If, and I repeat, if those who set up a Christmas tree fall down and worship it as a god or goddess, complete with altars and incense stands, then Jeremiah 10 applies here. Or if someone loves their Christmas tree more than God, then such a thing might also be considered spiritual idolatry. But apart from these exceptions, I think it is abundantly clear that Christians who erect Christmas trees are NOT worshiping them as gods or goddesses, nor are they loving them more than their Savior Jesus Christ. They are simply using the Christmas tree as a fun custom, one that can remind them of Jesus who is the branch of David (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15), the root of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1). One that can remind them of the tree that led Adam and Eve to sin, but more importantly, the tree on which Christ Jesus died to make atonement for the sins of the whole world Christians should know that they can use a Christmas tree with a good conscience. It is unfortunate and wrong when well-meaning Christians call something sin that is not sin, and enslave the consciences of their fellow believers with imaginary sin! Shame on such Christians! Those who continue to believe that the Christmas tree is pagan and sinful, even after having their conscience correctly informed, should not use them. For it is not right to sin against conscience. This is regrettable, however, since there is absolutely nothing wrong with using a Christmas tree. Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything Im just doing this for learning purposes it was interesting Feedback: Christians Celebrating in Hebrew to English. Jeremiah 10:3 ► Text Analysis Str Translit Hebrew English Morph 3588 [e] kî- כִּֽי־ for Conj 2708 [e] ḥuq-qō-wṯ חֻקּ֥וֹת the customs Noun 5971 [e] hā-‘am-mîm הָֽעַמִּ֖ים of the people [are] Noun 1892 [e] he-ḇel הֶ֣בֶל vain Noun 1931 [e] hū; ה֑וּא he Pro 3588 [e] kî- כִּֽי־ for Conj 6086 [e] ‘êṣ עֵץ֙ a tree Noun 3293 [e] mî-ya-‘ar מִיַּ֣עַר from the forest Noun 3772 [e] kə-rā-ṯōw, כְּרָת֔וֹ [one] cuts Verb 4639 [e] ma-‘ă-śêh מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה the work Noun 3027 [e] yə-ḏê- יְדֵ֥י־ of the hands Noun 2796 [e] ḥā-rāš חָרָ֖שׁ of the workman Noun 4621 [e] bam-ma-‘ă-ṣāḏ. בַּֽמַּעֲצָֽד׃ with a cutting Noun. I had to repost this with more information because King James mentions a axe and upright as the palm tree,. in the Hebrew to English Jeremiah 10:5 ► Text Analysis Str Translit Hebrew English Morph 8560 [e] kə-ṯō-mer כְּתֹ֨מֶר as the palm tree [are] Noun 4749 [e] miq-šāh מִקְשָׁ֥ה upright Noun 1992 [e] hêm-māh הֵ֙מָּה֙ They Pro 3808 [e] wə-lō וְלֹ֣א but not Adv 1696 [e] yə-ḏab-bê-rū, יְדַבֵּ֔רוּ do speak Verb 5375 [e] nā-śō-w נָשׂ֥וֹא not they must needs Verb 5375 [e] yin-nā-śū יִנָּשׂ֖וּא be borne Verb 3588 [e] kî כִּ֣י Because Conj 3808 [e] lō לֹ֣א not Adv 6805 [e] yiṣ-‘ā-ḏū; יִצְעָ֑דוּ do go Verb 408 [e] ’al- אַל־ Be not Adv 3372 [e] tî-rə-’ū תִּֽירְא֤וּ do afraid Verb 1992 [e] mê-hem מֵהֶם֙ like them Pro 3588 [e] kî- כִּי־ for Conj 3808 [e] lō לֹ֣א not Adv 7489 [e] yā-rê-‘ū, יָרֵ֔עוּ do do evil Verb 1571 [e] wə-ḡam- וְגַם־ and also Adv 3190 [e] hê-ṭêḇ הֵיטֵ֖יב [is it] them to do good Verb 369 [e] ’ên אֵ֥ין neither Prt 854 [e] ’ō-w-ṯām. אוֹתָֽם׃ in Prep 8560. tomer ► Strongs Concordance tomer: palm tree, post Original Word: תֹּ֫מֶר Part of Speech: Noun Masculine Transliteration: tomer Phonetic Spelling: (to-mer) Short Definition: tree NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origin from an unused word Definition palm tree, post s ס “All that, to say this: The pagans lost.” ... ........... As with many things in our culture, Santa has his beginnings in a Christian past. As the legends have it, the concept of Santa is rooted in the real Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, dating to the fourth century. Nicholas inherited a large amount of money and used much of his fortune to help the poor. Nicholas gave freely to meet the needs of people around him, fulfilling the commands of Christ to aid the poor.Nicholas also used his money to save young girls from a life of prostitution. Their father could not afford their marriage dowry, but Nicholas on three occasions secretly got purses full of gold into the family’s home, providing each girl a dowryAfter his death, the Catholic Church recognized him as a saint—hence the common American usage of St. Nick as a substitute for Santa. The red clothing is likely founded in the red robes worn by bishops. The white beard and other trappings (e.g., reindeer, sleighs, elves, etc.) are likely adopted from various cultural influences being mingled together over the centuries. If you study the celebration of Santa (a.k.a., St. Nick, Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, and Sinterklauss) around the world, the similarities are obvious, as shoes are substituted for stockings and the North Pole for the mountains of Lapland. The modern tradition of Sinterklaas as a childrens feast was likely confirmed with the illustrated childrens book Sint Nicolaas en zijn knecht (Saint Nicholas and His Servant), written in 1850 by the teacher Jan Schenkman (1806–1863). Some say he introduced the images of Sinterklaas delivering presents by the chimney, riding over the roofs of houses on a gray horse, and arriving from Spain by steamboat, then an exciting modern invention. Perhaps building on the fact that Sint Nicholas historically is the patron saint of the sailors (many churches dedicated to him have been built near harbors), Schenkman could have been inspired by the Spanish customs and ideas about the saint when he portrayed him arriving via the water in his book. Schenkman introduced the song Zie ginds komt de stoomboot (Look over yonder, the steamboat is arriving), which is still popular in the nation. The best-known stories about Nicholas involve him saving children. During a famine, a butcher in Myra lured three small children to his shop, where he killed them with a plan to chop them up and sell the meat. Nicholas discovered the plan and resurrected the children. This act helped . The evil butcher followed St. Nicolas in penance ever since as Père Fouettard. In France, statues and paintings often portray this event, showing the saint with children in a barrel.It is said that St Nicholas, after discovering those crimes, He vowed to follow St Nicholas as his partner forever. – Since then, Père Fouettard accompanies St Nicholas on the 6th of December on his visits to the homes of children. As Père Fouettard, the “Wipping Father”, he whips the undisciplined children, while St Nicholas offers gifts and treats to the obedient ones. thats why today we get naughty or nice. regard the Zwarte Pieten to be racist. Others state that the black skin color of Zwarte Piet originates in his profession as a chimneysweep, According to legend,[2] A Visit was composed by Clement Clarke Moore on a snowy winters day during a shopping trip on a sleigh. His inspiration for the character of Saint Nicholas was a local Dutch handyman as well as the historical Saint Nicholas. While Moore originated many of the features that are still associated with Santa Claus today, he borrowed other aspects such as the names of the reindeer.[citation needed] The poem was first published anonymously in the Troy, New York, Sentinel on December 23, 1823, some people believe he wrote it Henry Livingston, Jr., not Moore, was the author of the poem will never know 100 percent. there been some parallels draw to Odin even though scholars say theres no connections. to Odin and to Saint Nicholas some people still want to run with the idea that he is Odin we know Saint Nicholas is a real person Odin is not.!!!!!! Wintertime Worship: Santa Claus or Jesus Christ? The mythical Santa is clearly founded in a man who honored Jesus Christ with his life and his possessions. Nicholas gave freely of his riches to benefit those who were less fortunate than himself. This is clearly a fundamental Christian principle, as we see care for the poor proclaimed throughout Scripture (e.g., James 2:1–17). Is that the same idea we see in the Santa Claus celebrated today? The popular song extols children to stop shouting, pouting, and crying in order to earn Santa’s favor and his gifts. This is clearly not the attitude that we see in the biblically motivated actions of the original St. Nick—and a far cry from a biblical attitude of raising children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. I have personally overheard mothers using gifts from Santa to manipulate their children into behaving in a way that pleases the parent at the time. Such manipulation is entirely unbiblical. As Christians, we should discipline our children for sinful behavior because it is an offense against God, not because it is inconvenient or embarrassing for us. Using gifts from a mythical figure can only serve to promote a form of moralism that is alien to the gospel of Jesus Christ. If our actions are done to earn rewards for ourselves, are we not acting selfishly? This is not an attitude we should seek to instill in our children. Our motivation for being obedient to God’s commands should be out of an attitude of gratitude for the grace He has shown us. The gospel speaks of God’s work in forgiving us of our sins—not because of the righteous acts which we have done, but because of what Christ did on the Cross for us (Titus 3:4–7). Nothing that we can do can make us righteous before God or make us deserving of His good gifts. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8–10) Does the promotion of Santa lead to an exaltation of Christ? Since Jesus and Santa Claus bring competing messages, I would suggest the answer is no. As Jesus Christ continues to be marginalized by society, our goal should be to magnify Him in our homes that our children would be impressed with His kindness to us shown on the Cross. This is the message the original St. Nicholas would have communicated. Mommy, Is There Really a Santa Claus? A Christian parent must thoughtfully consider that Scripture is full of commands against deceiving others (e.g., Exodus 20:16; Psalm 101:7; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Peter 2:1–3). Persistently proclaiming the existence of a man in a sleigh with flying reindeer as fact can only lead to deceit. Please understand that I am not saying there is no place for imagination, but the level of emphasis on Santa appears to cross the line. The active teaching of Santa as a real person who performs real miracles to reward children for acting a certain way, in full knowledge that he is a myth, can only be described as deceit. Any parent who teaches their children much of what is popular about Santa knows that they will eventually learn that it was all a lie. Lying is a sin and cannot be justified on biblical grounds. Have we bowed to cultural pressures to have our children conform to the ways of the world, or do we celebrate Santa so that Christ can be exalted? Rather than dealing with the root of sin against God, who is the definition of “good,” the “goodness” promoted by Santa finds its roots in the humanistic philosophy of behavior modification. As children grow, they will undoubtedly begin to hear others speaking of the mythical nature of Santa. They will ask and will expect an answer from the parents they have trusted. Since some may not wish to totally skirt the issue of Santa Claus (and it is difficult to do anyway), consider how it is possible to allow children to learn about the real St. Nicholas—and maybe even share in some of the fun of make-believe—while remaining honest with your children. Glory Robber? If Santa Claus has taken the glory from Jesus Christ in your family’s celebration of Christmas, maybe it is time to seriously consider changing the emphasis. I understand that these are matters of conscience in many ways and that sincere Christians will come to different conclusions on Santa Claus. What I would ask is that you examine your decisions in light of what Scripture teaches. If our conscience convicts us of sin in our hearts, we can bring that to God in repentance and know that He will freely forgive us because of what Christ has done. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:5–10) Rather than offering a platform to chastise Christians with views contrary to this article, I hope you will think and pray about how to bring Jesus Christ the worship He is due during this season when we recognize His incarnation. Let us all make the Word of God the authority in our decisions about celebrating this, and every, holiday—giving God the glory He alone deserves. Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything Im just doing this for learning purposes it was interesting Feedback: Christians Celebrating.................. Twas The Night Before Jesus Came written by Unknown Author Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house Not a creature was praying, not one in the house. Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care In hopes that Jesus would not come there. The children were dressing to crawl into bed. Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head. And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap. When out of the East there arose such a clatter. I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash! When what to my wondering eyes should appear But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here. With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY! The light of His face made me cover my head It was Jesus! returning just like He had said. And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth, I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself. In the Book of Life which He held in His hand Was written the name of every saved man. He spoke not a word as He searched for my name; When He said its not here my head hung in shame. The people whose names had been written with love He gathered to take to His Father above. With those who were ready He rose without a sound. While all the rest were left standing around. I fell to my knees, but it was too late; I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate. I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight; Oh, if only I had been ready tonight. In the words of this poem the meaning is clear; The coming of Jesus is drawing near. Theres only one life and when comes the last call Well find that the Bible was true after all! ...................... What Does Deuteronomy 12:30-31 Forbid? You must not worship God in their way Some people claim that Deuteronomy 12:30-31 commands us not to borrow any custom of any kind from pagan religious practices. Nothing once used in idol worship is to be used in worshiping the true God. Absolutely nothing. Some Christians have therefore argued that all attempts to transform pagan customs into Christian customs are wrong. Those who think this way allow for no exceptions. Once pagan always pagan, they reason. We understand and appreciate the sincerity of those who earnestly seek to please God. We dont ask them to do anything that violates their conscience. Yet we must ask, Are they correct? If something is once pagan, is it always pagan? Various customs and traditions in Israels religion had earlier parallels in pagan religions — customs that God either commanded Israel to use or that he accepted, endorsed, promoted and blessed. Temples, priesthoods, sacrifices, sacred music, tithing, festivals, circumcision, all existed in pagan contexts and generally came earlier than those found in Israel. Such examples prove that although a custom may be pagan in one context, it may be commanded or permitted by God in another. Take, as an example, the temple. Pagans built temples more than a thousand years before Moses. At Sinai God instructed Israel to build a tabernacle, not a temple. Four hundred years later David decided to build a temple, though God had not instructed him to do so. David reasoned that since he was going to live in a palace of cedar, then the ark of God should be in a temple. In response, God reminded David that he never had asked Israel for a house (2 Samuel 7:6-7). Furthermore, Davids plan would set aside much of the letter of the law (those portions concerning the tabernacle, its construction, maintenance and transportation). In principle, of course, what David proposed was quite noble. God was to be given greater honor than the king. A temple was so alien to Israels thinking that Solomon had to rely on craftsmen from the pagan kingdom of Tyre. They had experience in temple construction. Nonetheless, God blessed this and other worship innovations. How then should we understand Deuteronomy 12? The context of Deuteronomy 12 is Gods command to utterly destroy the many pagan sacrificial sites that existed within the Promised Land (verses 1-3). The Canaanites, like many other pagans, had many sacrificial sites because they thought that various gods had power in various places. They believed that if the worshippers of these gods offered acceptable sacrifices, the gods would be forced to do what the worshippers wanted. Human sacrifice and temple prostitution were parts of their religion. To discourage Israel from adopting the polytheism and immorality of paganism, God commanded Israel to have only one place of sacrifice, the tabernacle. It was only to the tabernacle that Israel was to bring their sacrifices, offerings and tithes (verses 4-18). God expanded on this thought in verses 19 through 28. He told Israel where and under what circumstances certain meats were to be eaten. He emphasized that Israel was not to eat blood, and that they were to pour the blood of their sacrifices beside the tabernacles altar, not just anywhere that they pleased (verse 27). Then in verses 29 through 31 God repeated his intent to destroy the pagan nations occupying Canaan. He commanded Israel not to worship God in the pagans way of worship (verse 31). The reason? Because their way of worship included vile and hateful things, such as child sacrifice. This was not a blanket condemnation. The passage does not condemn the adoption of those things that by nature are not evil. We have already seen how the change from tabernacle to temple fit that pattern. God did not forbid prayer, even though that was a part of pagan worship. He did not forbid sacrifices or harvest festivals, although the pagans had them. The final verse of chapter 12 commands Israel not to add or take away from what God has commanded. We emphasize again that God did not think that Davids many innovations violated the spirit of this command. Other human innovations that God subsequently approved included religious holidays not originally a part of the old covenants festival calendar — including Purim and Hanukkah. These two days in particular celebrated great events in Israels history. Christians know that God abolished the Levitical system and the old covenant through Jesus sacrifice. His birth, death and resurrection are of paramount importance to our salvation history. Deuteronomys focus on the Exodus, the tabernacle and its rituals no longer applies. We are dead to and released from the law (Romans 7:4-6). We do not have to worship God in old covenant places and in old covenant ways. We may add celebrations of our salvation in Jesus Christ. gci.org/church/holidays/deut12 ....... Origins: of The abbreviation of Xmas for Christmas is neither modern nor disrespectful. The notion that it is a new and vulgar representation of the word Christmas seems to stem from the erroneous belief that the letter X is used to stand for the word Christ because of its resemblance to a cross, or that the abbreviation was deliberately concocted to take the Christ out of Christmas. Actually, this usage is nearly as old as Christianity itself, and its origins lie in the fact that the first letter in the Greek word for Christ is chi, and the Greek letter chi is represented by a symbol similar to the letter X in the modern Roman alphabet. Hence Xmas is indeed perfectly legitimate abbreviation for the word Christmas (just as Xian is also sometimes used as an abbreviation of the word Christian). None of this means that Christians (and others) arent justified in feeling slighted when people write Xmas rather than Christmas, but the point is that the abbreviation was not created specifically for the purpose of demeaning Christ, Christians, Christianity, or Christmas — its a very old artifact of a very different language. ......................... What is the origin of the Christmas tree? The Christmas tree today is a common custom to most of us. There are many interesting connections to ancient traditions such as Egyptian and Roman customs, early Christian practices, and Victorian nostalgia. However, most scholars point to Germany as being the origin of the Christmas tree. One of the earliest stories relating back to Germany is about Saint Boniface. In 722, he encountered some pagans who were about to sacrifice a child at the base of a huge oak tree. He cut down the tree to prevent the sacrifice and a Fir tree grew up at the base of the oak. He then told everyone that this lovely evergreen, with its branches pointing to heaven, was a holy tree - the tree of the Christ child, and a symbol of His promise of eternal life. In the 1840s and 50s, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert popularized the Christmas tree in England. Prince Albert decorated a tree and ever since that time, the English, because of their love for their Queen, copied her Christmas customs including the Christmas tree and ornaments. An engraving of the Royal Family celebrating Christmas at Windsor was published in 1848 and their German traditions were copied and adapted. Another story about the origin of the Christmas tree says that late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope that spring would soon come. Another legend that has not been proved but Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther who, according to the TV channel History, first added lighted candles to a tree. that Martin Luther is responsible for the origin of the Christmas tree. This story says that one Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through the snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of the snow glistened trees. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moon light. When he got home, he set up a small fir tree and shared the story with his children. He decorated the Christmas tree with small candles, which he lighted in honor of Christs birth. Research into customs of various cultures shows that greenery was often brought into homes at the time of the winter solstice. It symbolized life in the midst of death in many cultures. The Romans were known to deck their homes with evergreens during of Kalends of January 15. Living trees were also brought into homes during the old Germany feast of Yule, .. Yule yo͞ol/ noun noun: Yule archaic term for Christmas. ............................ Yule logs are thought to come from an ancient German tradition, but whether they ever had religious significance is debated. which originally was a two month feast beginning in November. The Yule tree was planted in a tub and brought into the home. But there is no evidence that the Christmas tree is a direct descendent of the Yule tree. Evidence does point to the Paradise tree however. This story goes back to the 11th century religious plays. One of the most popular was the Paradise Play. The play depicted the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, their sin, and their banishment from Paradise. The only prop on the stage was the Paradise tree, a fir tree adorned with apples. The play would end with the promise of the coming Savior and His Incarnation. The people had grown so accustomed to the Paradise tree, that they began putting their own Paradise tree up in their homes on December 24. The apples were replaced by round objects such as shiny red balls. Whatever legend you wish to pass on, remember that Christmas is the time to celebrate the birth of Jesus. The origin of the Christmas tree cant change that fact. ................ First, it has been argued that Jeremiah 10:1–5 explicitly forbids the use of Christmas trees. Although some words in these verses seem to speak against such a practice, Jeremiah was actually addressing the creation of idols. People would cut down a tree and fashion it, but through His prophet, God told the people that their idols are worthless. These verses have nothing to do with Christmas trees, since neither non-Christians nor Christians worship their Christmas trees as a god or even look to the tree as some kind of good-luck charm. And some Christians choose to use a tree as a reminder of Christ’s death on the Cross, which the Bible occasionally calls a tree (Acts 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; 1 Peter 2:24). Of course, if someone were to treat the tree as an idol or allow it to distract people from the message of Christ, that would be problematic................. Norse mythology, the oak was sacred to the thunder god, Thor. Thors Oak was a sacred tree of the Germanic Chatti tribe. According to legend, the Christianisation of the heathen tribes by Saint Boniface was marked by the oaks being replaced by the fir (whose triangular shape symbolizes the Trinity) as a sacred tree..................... By Dr. Richard P . Bucher... ...............But how did it happen that the early Christians began observing Christmas on December 25? Why this date? There are two theories about why December 25 was chosen. (1) The first theory holds that after careful research, Julius (337-352), Bishop of Rome, determined that Christ had been born on December 25; or at least he determined that December 25 was the best authenticated date in the Tradition. John Chrystostom states this in one of his writings (John Chrysostom, Homil. Diem Natal., 2; PL, 49, 552ff.). Chrysostom claims that Julius, after he had been requested by Cyril of Jerusalem, had the official records of the Roman census examined and determined that December 25 was the correct date. As Weiser points out, however, there is no evidence to back this up; in fact, it was expressly stated in Rome that the actual date of the Saviours birth was unknown and that different traditions prevailed in different parts of the world (F. Weiser, Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs - New York: Harcourt, Brace, and Company, 1958, 61.).................... (2) The second theory states that the Church of Rome deliberately chose December 25 as the date of Christs birth to turn people away from a pagan feast that was observed at the same time. Since the time of the Roman emperor Elagabulus (218-222), the god Sol Invictus (he Unconquered Sun god), had been one of the chief deities worshiped by the Romans. When emperor Aurelian (270-275) came to power, he sought to restore the worship of the Sun god to prominence and make him the chief deity. In the last years of his reign, Sol was hailed as The Lord of the Roman Empire. Sol, along, with Jupiter, appeared on the coins Aurelian had minted. In 274, the emperor built a magnificent temple to Sun god, and established a new college of senators which he named the priests of the Sun god. Finally, December 25 was observed as the birthday of the Sun god (natalis solis invicti). Because the Sun god was identifed with Mithra, a popular Persian god that also was viewed as the Sun god, pagan celebrations occurred throughout the empire on Dec. 25 (see Clement A. Miles, Christmas, New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912, 23). The Church at Rome seems to have chosen this date to counteract this pagan feast of the sun god and turn people instead to the Sun of Righteousness with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2; Luke 1:78). Or put another way, Julius chose December 25 so that the Son of God rather than the Sun god would be worshiped. Though there no direct evidence that proves that the Church of Rome deliberately chose December 25 so that Christs birth would replace the birthday of the sun, we do have sermons from fathers of the church who soon after this used this line of reasoning. For example, Augustine (354-430) in his sermon 202 and Leo the Great (440-461 -- PL 54 Sources chrtiennes 22) gives this line of reasoning. Therefore, the second theory seems to be the probable one. December 25 was chosen not because it had somehow been proven from extra-biblical sources that Christ was definitely born on December 25. Rather the date was chosen to counteract a very popular pagan holiday that already had been occurring on this date. Given what we learned about emperor Constantine in the previous section, it is likely that his embracing of Christianity and example influenced the Church of Rome in doing what they did. But there is no evidence of Constantines direct involvement. Now does the fact that the Church of Rome chose the same date to celebrate Christs birth as a popular pagan festival mean that Christmas is based on a pagan festival or that Christmas is pagan? I dont think so! What kind of reasoning is that? It simply means that they chose the same day - why, we dont exactly know. Perhaps they chose it to keep Christians from taking part in the pagan festivities, or perhaps to entice pagans to join the Christian faith. If a group of Christians chose to celebrate Christs birth on Halloween or on some well known Satanic day, would it be fair or right to accuse them of basing Christs birth on paganism, so that from then on Christmas would be forever pagan? Of course not! In this case the Christians might be doing this to give themselves something Christian to celebrate on the day. Is that wrong? Placing a Christian feast on a well known non-Christian day does not make the Christian feast non-Christian. They are merely sharing the day. We worship our God on Sunday, which in Roman times, was the day dedicated to the Sun-god. Does that make our worship on Sunday pagan? Perhaps we should worship on Saturday. But that day in Roman times was named in honor of the god Saturn. Would that make our festivals on Saturday pagan? Of course not. But this is the kind of faulty logic used by the Christmas is pagan crowd. ............ Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything ... .............The second part of this post is argument trying to say that Christmas is pagan literature bases its arguments on Hislops thesis. The Christmas is pagan argument typically asks a further question: Where did the Romans get their pagan festivals at the time of the winter solstice? Answer: From the paganism of ancient Babylon, which was initiated by Nimrod and his wife, Semiramus. A classic example of this argument is found in a tract by the World Wide Church of God entitled, The Plain Truth About Christmas, here quoted at some length. But if we got Christmas from the Roman Catholics, and they got it from paganism, where did the pagans get it? Where, when, and what as its real origin? It is a chief custom of the corrupt system denounced all through Bible prophecies and teachings under the name of Babylon. And it started and originated in the original Babylon of ancient Nimrod! Yes, it stems from roots whose beginning was shortly this side of the Flood! Nimrod, grandson of Ham, son of Noah, was the real founder of the Babylonish system that has gripped the world ever since . . . . Nimrod built the tower of Babel, the original Babylon, ancient Nineveh, and many other cities. He organized this worlds first kingdom. The name Nimrod, in Hebrew, is derived from Marad, meaning he rebelled. . . . Nimrod was so evil, it is said he married his own mother, whose name was Semiramis. After Nimrods untimely death, his so-called mother-wife, Semiramis, propagated the evil doctrine of the survival of Nimrod as a spirit being. She claimed a full-grown evergreen tree sprang overnight from a dead tree stump, which symbolized the springing forth unto new life the dead Nimrod. On each anniversary of his birth, she claimed, Nimrod would visit the evergreen tree and leave gifts upon it. December 25th was the birthday of Nimrod. This is the real origin of the Christmas tree. Through her scheming and designing, Semiramis became the Babylonian Queen of Heaven, and Nimrod, under various names, became the divine son of heaven. Through the generations, in this idolatrous worship, Nimrod also became the false Messiah, son of Baal the Sun-god. In this false Babylonish system, the Mother and Child (Semiramis and Nimrod reborn) became chief objects of worship. This worship of Mother and Child spread over the world. The names varied in different countries and languages. In Egypt it was Isis and Osiris. In Asia, Cybele and Deoius. . . . Thus, during the fourth and fifth centuries, when the pagans of the Roman world were accepting the new popular Christianity by the hundreds of thousands, carrying their old pagan customs and beliefs along with them, merely cloaking them with Christian-sounding names . . . . The real origin of Christmas goes back to ancient Babylon. It is bound up in the organized apostasy which has gripped a deceived world these many centuries! In Egypt, it was always believed that the son of Isis (Egyptian name for Queen of Heaven) was born December 25th. Paganism celebrated this famous birthday over most of the known world for centuries before the birth of Christ. December 25th is not the birthday of Jesus the true Christ! So goes the argument, which is repeated by many different anti-Christmas authors. Where in the world did such an argument come from? This was the thesis of Alexander Hislop, who in the Nineteenth Century wrote a book entitled, The Two Babylons: Or the Papal Worship Proved to be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife. It was Hislops thesis that the Roman Catholic Church was a direct descendent of the paganism of Nimrod and ancient Babylon. One of his arguments was that some of the chief holy days of the Roman Catholic Church, such as Christmas, prove this to be so. The stamp of Hislops thesis is found all over most of the anti-Christmas literature that Ive seen. But is his argument sound? Hardly. I have no doubt that Hislop consulted a vast amount of sources in writing his book. This is obvious in reading it. But some of its key arguments are flawed. He makes many philological leaps of faith to prove his points. For example, his entire argument rests on making the Babylonian Ninus the same person as the Biblical Nimrod. (Nimrod is mentioned in only three places in the Scriptures, Gen. 10:8-12, 1 Chr. 1:10, and Micah 5:6). Only then can he claim that the wife of Nimrod was Semiramis, and that both were worshiped as divine mother and son, etc. Hislop himself recognizes how important this is, in this very interesting sentence: Now, assuming that Ninus is Nimrod, the way in which that assumption explains what is otherwise inexplicable in the statements of ancient history greatly confirms the truth of the assumption itself (The Two Babylons, 25). Got that? The point is that this turns out to be a big assumption. In other ancient literature, the father of Ninus was Bel, and it is said that he built the city of Nineveh. The Bible on the other hand says that Nimrod built Nineveh, and that Cush was his father. The way in which Hislop attempts to reconcile this contradiction is a truly remarkable example of literary gymnastics that is hardly convincing. He argues that Bel is the same as Hermes/Mercury, and the same as Janus/Chaos, which is the same as Cush. Right. (See for yourself by reading the The Two Babylons, 25-29). It is possible that Nimrod, the grandson of Cush, led people into pagan worship. But the argument that all paganism, and especially that all pagan festivals at the time of the winter solstice, can be traced back to Nimrod, just doesnt hold. To say it is a scholarly stretch is an understatement. Yet most of the Christmas is pagan literature bases its arguments on Hislops thesis........ The Two Babylons, subtitled The Papal Worship Proved to Be the Worship of Nimrod and His Wife is a religious pamphlet published in 1853 by the Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland theologian Alexander Hislop (1807–65), expanded in 1858, and finally published as a book in 1919. Its central theme is its allegation that the Catholic Church is a veiled continuation of the pagan religion of Babylon, a product of a millennia-old conspiracy.[1] Hislop ultimately traces Catholic doctrines back to the worship of Nimrod, claiming that the Roman Catholic Church is the ***** of Babylon in the Bible Book of Revelation 17:5, and that the Pope himself is truly and properly the lineal representative of Belshazzar. He claims that the Christogram IHS really stands for Isis, Horus, Seth. Although scholarship has shown the picture presented by Hislop to be based on a misunderstanding of historical Babylon and its religion, his book remains popular among some fundamentalist Protestant Christians[1] and among Jehovahs Witnesses, with The Watchtower frequently publishing excerpts from Hislop until the 1980s.[2] The books thesis has also featured prominently in the conspiracy theories of racist groups such as The Covenant, The Sword, and the Arm of the Lord[3] and other conspiracy theorists.[4] Although extensively footnoted, giving the impression of reliability, commentators (in particular Ralph Woodrow) have stated that there are numerous misconceptions, fabrications and grave factual errors in the document.[5] In 2011 a critical edition was published which also contains the English book by Ralph Woodrow[6] as well as the papers by Ralph Woodrow and Dr. Eddy Lanz................but remember Im not telling anyone to celebrate anything Im just doing this for learning purposes Colossians 2:16 King James Bible Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Colossians 2:17 King James Bible Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ......
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 18:47:28 +0000
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