Not to offend my dear Christian family members and friends, but really--the idea that pagans stole Christmas from Christians is just . . . silly. By the way, the wise men are often called magi, who were followers of Zoroaster. They practiced magic (magic and magicians are derived from magi), were astrologists, and members of what might be the first monotheistic religion after Akhenaten and his failed attempt in Egypt. December 25 is the birthday of Mithras, a Roman god adopted from Persia who predates the birth of Christ. In Zoroastrianism, Mithras was the mediator between Ahura Mazda and humans, was born of the virgin goddess Anahita in some traditions (in Roman myth, he was born from a cave), and had a last supper with his closest friends before ascending to paradise. It is widely agreed that according to context in the Christian Scriptures, Jesus was not born in winter; the time was selected because it was when other religions/cultures celebrated the birth of the sun gods after the winter solstice.
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 15:25:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015