A.C.Pike
Introduction
In this modern world with it’s stresses, consumerism, and commercialization, Christmas time to most people is about worry, debt, and the constant financial pressures that people face. – But the most important thing to a lot people at this time of year is family. It is meeting-up with their loved one’s and spending time together. Due to all of these varying factors, the nativity of Christ has become second place in most people’s lives!
However, most Christians will be surprised to earn that the first century church never celebrated Christmas. They will be even more surprised to learn that the origins of Christmas have nothing to do with Christianity at all. In fact, this festival was brought into Christianity at a later date (the 4th Century) by Christians who had embraced and adopted pagan practices.
The early Reformers of the 16th century and the Puritans of the 17th Century knew the pagan origin of this festival, and as a result they never practiced/celebrated Christmas. In fact, both England and America had banned Christmas celebrations altogether. But due to mass demand, the public of the day protested that they wanted Christmas to be re-instated.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day itself is mentioned nowhere in the bible. In fact the early church originally thought that Christ’s birth day had fallen on the 6th of January, and not in the month of December. Base on the destruction of the temple in 607BCE and the events after it, some scholars have even dated the birth of Christ to late September to early October.
The birth of the sun god “Sol Invicti” occurred on the 21st /22nd of December, the Winter Solstice. It was 3 to 4 days after this that the temple in honour of this sol invicti was dedicated to him in they year 270AD. Most scholars have dated the temple dedication to the 25th of December.
Christmas Decorations
At Christmas time people decorate their homes and Christmas trees with various types of festive decorations. But where did this practice of decorating the home come from? To the surprise of many it has it’s origins in ancient Rome. In the month of December in ancient Rome the Romans took part in a celebration known as, ‘Saturnalia.’ This was in honor of the Roman deity, Saturn. This festival commenced on the 17th of December and ended on the 24th of December. It was a time of over eating, drinking, and wild sex! It was at this festival that the people of Rome would decorate their homes with lavish decorations.
The historian, Tertullian (155-220AD) documented the following with regard to Christians, “We Christians neither cover our doorposts with wreaths, nor…decorate our house like some new brothel. We…do not celebrate along with you the holidays” (3).
Tertullian tells us that it was common practice for the pagan Romans to adorn their homes with decorations at the time of the festival of Saturnalia. He also made it clear that the early Christians did not follow this practice.
Gift Giving
Just as homes were decorated at the time of Saturnalia – gifts were given too. It was at this time of year that Romans gave and exchanged gifts with one-another. It was believed that these gifts would serve as charms bringing good fortune to the one receiving the gift. It is from this ancient practice that our modern day Christmas gift giving arose. According to H. Wilcox, “Gift Giving – during the Roman festival of Saturnalia, gifts were given as good luck emblems and houses were decorated with greenery. The early Christians, however, frowned on this pagan ritual, and wouldn’t have any part of it” (4). So, as we can see, the early church objected to the pagan practice of gift giving that took place at this time of year that brought honor or praise to a false deity. So according to Wilcox the first century Christians had nothing to do with this pagan practice of gift-giving over the period of Christmas time.
Elves
At Christmas Eve it is believed that father Christmas is helped by a groups of elves when distributing gifts to homes. In Norse and Germanic folklore elves are woodland creatures. It was believed that these elves possessed special magical powers. It was also believed that these little elves could cast spells on people. The very early beliefs about father Christmas portrayed him with a demonic type elf like creature. This hideous monster was known as, Krampus. This horrid being looks similar to the mythical Greek god, Pan. It was believed that he (Krampus) would accompany Santa around to people’s homes on Christmas Eve. His job was to reward children who had been bad with coal.
This demon has a special day where he is honored: “Saint Nicholas Eve is known as Krampus Day in some parts of Austria. Krampus is an evil fertility demon that has a long tail, fur, rattling chain, birch branch, and big black bag” (5).
As Christians would we want to partake of a celebration that brings honour to this demonic creature?
Nativity
Maybe of the most shocking things to learn with regards to Christmas is the fact that the popular view of events concerning Christ’s nativity are out of synchronisation with the biblical version. If we take an in-depth look at the nativity, we will see the following:
The bible doesn’t say that there were ‘three’ wise-men, just three types of gifts.
The bible doesn’t say that the wise-men visited Jesus at his birth.
The bible doesn’t say that angels were present at Jesus’ birth.
The bible doesn’t say that Mary rode to the inn on a donkey.
Were shepherds watching their flocks of sheep/lambs in winter/December (Luke 2:9)?
Did Mary and Joseph travel in the colder months to register Jesus (Luke 2:1-4)?
The bible doesn’t mention an Innkeeper.
The bible doesn’t say that Mary gave birth the same night she came to Bethlehem.
The bible doesn’t say that Jesus was born in a stable.
As Christians we must resolve in our heart to believe, follow, and practice the truth. So the question we must ask ourselves is this: “Do we place the traditional view of the events of the nativity (the commonly held “traditions of men” Mark 7:8) over the true biblical facts?
Holly and Ivy
Holy and ivy have been used in ancient times by both Druids and Romans. Holly and ivy feature prominently in paganism. Holly represents masculinity and femininity, and are therefore symbols of sexuality. The Romans used ivy in relation to the worship of Bacchus, the god of wine. They would parade in the streets wearing ivy garlands in honor of this deity. Holly was used by the Romans at the time of the festival of Saturnalia where the Romans would decorate their homes with it. Dr.L.Perry wrote, “Ancient pagans fashioned ivy “into wreaths and garlands for decorations during the winter months.” Ivy had close ties with the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Holly, meanwhile, figured prominently in the Roman celebration of the Saturnalia (upon which the Christmas holiday was directly modeled), as it was considered sacred to the god Saturn” (6).
So we can see that holly and ivy were used in paganism and the worship of false gods long before their use at Christmas.
Lies are wrong!
Each year parents tell their children that Santa is coming to bring them presents, when in fact parents know that Santa doesn’t even exist! What does the bible say about people telling lies: “Liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Mistletoe
In modern times people kiss each other under the mistletoe at Christmas as a sign of love, but most people are unaware of it’s original usage and significance. In Britain the Druids used Mistletoe in their many ceremonies. It’s principle use was in human sacrifices! Sir J.Frazer wrote, “The Druids gather the mistletoe with solemn ceremony. A priest clad in a white robe climbs the tree and with a golden sickle cuts the mistletoe, which is caught in a white cloth. Then they sacrifice the victims” (7).
Why would any true Christian want to engage in something that was once associated with this ancient Druid practice. They wouldn’t.
Santa Claus (Satan’s Claws), Reindeer, and Sleigh
Have you ever wondered where the modern day image of father Christmas came from? If we look at how Santa is portrayed in pictures and compare them to images of the Norse god Thor, then we will see striking similarities. It should be no surprise to us that the image that we think is Santa is in fact a modern up-dated version of Thorn! Not only was Santa’s look patterned after (taken from Norse mythology) Thor, but so was his riding on a sleigh (chariot):
“Thor was the god of the peasants and the common people. He was represented as an eld erly man, jovial and friendly, of heavy build, with a long white beard. His element was the fire, his color red. The rumble and roar of thunder were said to be caused by the rolling of his chariot,for he alone among the gods never rode on horse back but drove in a chariot drawn by two white goats called Cracker and Gnasher. He was said to live in the ‘North land’ where he had his palace among icebergs. The fireplace in every home was especially sa cred to him, and he was said to come down through the chimney into his element, the fire” (8).
So every time we bring something (e.g: a card) into our home with a picture of Santa on it. We are bringing an image of Thor into our homes!
Service
To a Christian the most important thing is the worship, praise, and honour of God. Although our spirituality isn’t measured on the duration of our church services, why do churches hold shorter services at Christmas time than they do throughout the rest of the year? One website made the following statement: “Secondly, it never ceases to amaze me that on the Sunday in Christmas week, the vast majority of churches, at least in the UK, shorten their usual services, many severely curtailing the sermon or dispensing with it altogether, and they cancel all their other midweek meetings” (9).
We have to ask ourselves the question, “If Christmas and the birth of Christ are one of the most important (sacred) times of the year, they why are services cut short?”
Tree
Trees have been the object of worship in many cultures from Druids and Celtics to the New Age movement. All of these religions view trees as something to be worshiped. All of these religions pay homage to creation and nature, rather than the creator God.
“Evergreen trees were important fertility emblems for pre-Christian ceremonies marking the winter solstice. The decoration of Christmas trees is a survival of pagan tree veneration” (10).
Do we worship the creator or the creation?
Yule Log
In the northern hemisphere and in Wicca calendars the yule is used to denote a heathen month of the year, that is part of the Wicca circle, but probably one of the most disturbing of origins associated with that of the Christmas ‘Yule Log’ is that of sacrifice. In ancient Chaldea in the month of December the Chaldeans would sacrifice people/animals to their gods by tying them to a giant yule log and setting fire to it.
There were also other meanings and uses attached to the word ‘yule.’ The goddess of Babylon, known as, ‘The Queen of Heaven’ was venerated with her child in December time. The Babylonians worshiped the mother goddess along with her child. In Chaldea the name ‘yule’ meant, ‘child.’ J.A.Sarkett writes:
“December 25 is when the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven was celebrated 2,000 years before Jesus was born. The name of the day itself — “Yule” — is the Chaldean (Babylon) name for “infant” or “little child,” the pagan counterpart… In ancient Babylon (Nimrod)…the “divine” child. There is obviously no connection with the birth of Christ” (11).
It was later on that the joint worship of Mary and the child Jesus (in the church) was borrowed from these Chaldean and Babylonian religions.
Wreaths
The adorning of the front door with wreaths at Christmas time is probably a less common held practice nowadays. Yet, even this practices’ origins can be traced back to ancient Rome.
“Holly was the sacred plant of the god Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honour him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it” (12).
As we can see the use of wreaths was originally used in processions that honoured the Roman deity, Saturn.
The Bible’s view of Paganism
In light of the above – what is the bible’s view with regards to celebrating these pagan feasts such as Christmas? Well, from studying the scriptures we can see that God gave strong admonish to the nation of Israel against the worship of false gods! In Exodus he said to the children of Israel that, “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images” (Exodus 23:24). He gave Israel strict instructions ‘NOT’ to learn pagan ways, he said, “Thus saith the LORD (Jehovah), Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2). Further to these, the Apostle Paul warns the early Christian church with regards to giving praise to demons, he said, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). So the bible is clear with regards to what God thinks of pagan festivals that bring honor to false gods. As Christians we cannot willing participate in any of the above knowing that they have their origins in paganism!
The bible is clear that we are not to pollute our Christian worship with other religions or pagan practices. The high-priest Aaron had made the “molten calf” (Exodus 32:4) and then declared the worship of it as “a feast to the LORD (Jehovah)” (Exodus 32:5). Aaron and the Israelites foolishly believed that as long as they honoured Jehovah with a feast, it would be alright to incorporate the worship (custom) of another god. However, as a result of their comprised form of worship to God, “THREE THOUSAND” people died that day (Exodus 32:28).
As we can see, we are not to pollute our worship to God with pagan. Do we as Christians want to pollute our worship of Jesus with that of man made tradition, occultism, and paganism?
Conclusion
Time and time again we are told throughout the bible that we are to worship one God only.
When the house of Israel had sinned against God by worshiping other gods, Samuel told them that, “If ye do return unto the LORD (Jehovah) with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD (Jehovah), and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3). – So by worshiping other gods the Israelites had gone away from the LORD (Jehovah). To return to him they were told to “put away the strange gods” (v3).
When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, he responded with the following, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8). So, Jesus told Satan that it is God and God only that we should worship.
So as Christians should we not follow the examples of both Samuel and Jesus and “put away these strange gods” (1 Samuel 7:3) and “worship the Lord they God…only” (Luke 4:8).
References
All Bible quotations are taken from the ‘King James Version’ of the bible.
1) Tiglath Chibo, Ishtar Eggs and Tammuz Trees.
2) David Pollina, ‘Guess who’s not coming for Christmas dinner.’
3) (Tertullian 155-220AD).David Bercot, ‘A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, 1998, p. 342).’
4) HFCWillcox, ‘Christmas Traditions & Trivia’ (1999).
5) Christine O’Keeffe, ‘St. Nicholas Page.’
6) Dr. Leonard Perry, ‘The Green Mountain Gardener.’
7) Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941), ‘The Golden Bough. (1922). Chapter 65 – LXV. Balder and the Mistletoe.’
8) Francis X. Weiser, ‘Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs’ (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 1958).
9) http://nesherchristianresources.org/blog/
10) John Williamson, ‘”Christmas Greenery”, The Dallas Morning News (December 6, 1986).’
11) John A. Sarkett , ‘After Armageddon -Chapter 4, Where do we get our ideas?’
12) ‘All About Christmas, Mistletoe and Holly.’
Introduction
In this modern world with it’s stresses, consumerism, and commercialization, Christmas time to most people is about worry, debt, and the constant financial pressures that people face. – But the most important thing to a lot people at this time of year is family. It is meeting-up with their loved one’s and spending time together. Due to all of these varying factors, the nativity of Christ has become second place in most people’s lives!
However, most Christians will be surprised to earn that the first century church never celebrated Christmas. They will be even more surprised to learn that the origins of Christmas have nothing to do with Christianity at all. In fact, this festival was brought into Christianity at a later date (the 4th Century) by Christians who had embraced and adopted pagan practices.
The early Reformers of the 16th century and the Puritans of the 17th Century knew the pagan origin of this festival, and as a result they never practiced/celebrated Christmas. In fact, both England and America had banned Christmas celebrations altogether. But due to mass demand, the public of the day protested that they wanted Christmas to be re-instated.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day itself is mentioned nowhere in the bible. In fact the early church originally thought that Christ’s birth day had fallen on the 6th of January, and not in the month of December. Base on the destruction of the temple in 607BCE and the events after it, some scholars have even dated the birth of Christ to late September to early October.
The birth of the sun god “Sol Invicti” occurred on the 21st /22nd of December, the Winter Solstice. It was 3 to 4 days after this that the temple in honour of this sol invicti was dedicated to him in they year 270AD. Most scholars have dated the temple dedication to the 25th of December.
Christmas Decorations
At Christmas time people decorate their homes and Christmas trees with various types of festive decorations. But where did this practice of decorating the home come from? To the surprise of many it has it’s origins in ancient Rome. In the month of December in ancient Rome the Romans took part in a celebration known as, ‘Saturnalia.’ This was in honor of the Roman deity, Saturn. This festival commenced on the 17th of December and ended on the 24th of December. It was a time of over eating, drinking, and wild sex! It was at this festival that the people of Rome would decorate their homes with lavish decorations.
The historian, Tertullian (155-220AD) documented the following with regard to Christians, “We Christians neither cover our doorposts with wreaths, nor…decorate our house like some new brothel. We…do not celebrate along with you the holidays” (3).
Tertullian tells us that it was common practice for the pagan Romans to adorn their homes with decorations at the time of the festival of Saturnalia. He also made it clear that the early Christians did not follow this practice.
Gift Giving
Just as homes were decorated at the time of Saturnalia – gifts were given too. It was at this time of year that Romans gave and exchanged gifts with one-another. It was believed that these gifts would serve as charms bringing good fortune to the one receiving the gift. It is from this ancient practice that our modern day Christmas gift giving arose. According to H. Wilcox, “Gift Giving – during the Roman festival of Saturnalia, gifts were given as good luck emblems and houses were decorated with greenery. The early Christians, however, frowned on this pagan ritual, and wouldn’t have any part of it” (4). So, as we can see, the early church objected to the pagan practice of gift giving that took place at this time of year that brought honor or praise to a false deity. So according to Wilcox the first century Christians had nothing to do with this pagan practice of gift-giving over the period of Christmas time.
Elves
At Christmas Eve it is believed that father Christmas is helped by a groups of elves when distributing gifts to homes. In Norse and Germanic folklore elves are woodland creatures. It was believed that these elves possessed special magical powers. It was also believed that these little elves could cast spells on people. The very early beliefs about father Christmas portrayed him with a demonic type elf like creature. This hideous monster was known as, Krampus. This horrid being looks similar to the mythical Greek god, Pan. It was believed that he (Krampus) would accompany Santa around to people’s homes on Christmas Eve. His job was to reward children who had been bad with coal.
This demon has a special day where he is honored: “Saint Nicholas Eve is known as Krampus Day in some parts of Austria. Krampus is an evil fertility demon that has a long tail, fur, rattling chain, birch branch, and big black bag” (5).
As Christians would we want to partake of a celebration that brings honour to this demonic creature?
Nativity
Maybe of the most shocking things to learn with regards to Christmas is the fact that the popular view of events concerning Christ’s nativity are out of synchronisation with the biblical version. If we take an in-depth look at the nativity, we will see the following:
The bible doesn’t say that there were ‘three’ wise-men, just three types of gifts.
The bible doesn’t say that the wise-men visited Jesus at his birth.
The bible doesn’t say that angels were present at Jesus’ birth.
The bible doesn’t say that Mary rode to the inn on a donkey.
Were shepherds watching their flocks of sheep/lambs in winter/December (Luke 2:9)?
Did Mary and Joseph travel in the colder months to register Jesus (Luke 2:1-4)?
The bible doesn’t mention an Innkeeper.
The bible doesn’t say that Mary gave birth the same night she came to Bethlehem.
The bible doesn’t say that Jesus was born in a stable.
As Christians we must resolve in our heart to believe, follow, and practice the truth. So the question we must ask ourselves is this: “Do we place the traditional view of the events of the nativity (the commonly held “traditions of men” Mark 7:8) over the true biblical facts?
Holly and Ivy
Holy and ivy have been used in ancient times by both Druids and Romans. Holly and ivy feature prominently in paganism. Holly represents masculinity and femininity, and are therefore symbols of sexuality. The Romans used ivy in relation to the worship of Bacchus, the god of wine. They would parade in the streets wearing ivy garlands in honor of this deity. Holly was used by the Romans at the time of the festival of Saturnalia where the Romans would decorate their homes with it. Dr.L.Perry wrote, “Ancient pagans fashioned ivy “into wreaths and garlands for decorations during the winter months.” Ivy had close ties with the Roman god of wine, Bacchus. Holly, meanwhile, figured prominently in the Roman celebration of the Saturnalia (upon which the Christmas holiday was directly modeled), as it was considered sacred to the god Saturn” (6).
So we can see that holly and ivy were used in paganism and the worship of false gods long before their use at Christmas.
Lies are wrong!
Each year parents tell their children that Santa is coming to bring them presents, when in fact parents know that Santa doesn’t even exist! What does the bible say about people telling lies: “Liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
Mistletoe
In modern times people kiss each other under the mistletoe at Christmas as a sign of love, but most people are unaware of it’s original usage and significance. In Britain the Druids used Mistletoe in their many ceremonies. It’s principle use was in human sacrifices! Sir J.Frazer wrote, “The Druids gather the mistletoe with solemn ceremony. A priest clad in a white robe climbs the tree and with a golden sickle cuts the mistletoe, which is caught in a white cloth. Then they sacrifice the victims” (7).
Why would any true Christian want to engage in something that was once associated with this ancient Druid practice. They wouldn’t.
Santa Claus (Satan’s Claws), Reindeer, and Sleigh
Have you ever wondered where the modern day image of father Christmas came from? If we look at how Santa is portrayed in pictures and compare them to images of the Norse god Thor, then we will see striking similarities. It should be no surprise to us that the image that we think is Santa is in fact a modern up-dated version of Thorn! Not only was Santa’s look patterned after (taken from Norse mythology) Thor, but so was his riding on a sleigh (chariot):
“Thor was the god of the peasants and the common people. He was represented as an eld erly man, jovial and friendly, of heavy build, with a long white beard. His element was the fire, his color red. The rumble and roar of thunder were said to be caused by the rolling of his chariot,for he alone among the gods never rode on horse back but drove in a chariot drawn by two white goats called Cracker and Gnasher. He was said to live in the ‘North land’ where he had his palace among icebergs. The fireplace in every home was especially sa cred to him, and he was said to come down through the chimney into his element, the fire” (8).
So every time we bring something (e.g: a card) into our home with a picture of Santa on it. We are bringing an image of Thor into our homes!
Service
To a Christian the most important thing is the worship, praise, and honour of God. Although our spirituality isn’t measured on the duration of our church services, why do churches hold shorter services at Christmas time than they do throughout the rest of the year? One website made the following statement: “Secondly, it never ceases to amaze me that on the Sunday in Christmas week, the vast majority of churches, at least in the UK, shorten their usual services, many severely curtailing the sermon or dispensing with it altogether, and they cancel all their other midweek meetings” (9).
We have to ask ourselves the question, “If Christmas and the birth of Christ are one of the most important (sacred) times of the year, they why are services cut short?”
Tree
Trees have been the object of worship in many cultures from Druids and Celtics to the New Age movement. All of these religions view trees as something to be worshiped. All of these religions pay homage to creation and nature, rather than the creator God.
“Evergreen trees were important fertility emblems for pre-Christian ceremonies marking the winter solstice. The decoration of Christmas trees is a survival of pagan tree veneration” (10).
Do we worship the creator or the creation?
Yule Log
In the northern hemisphere and in Wicca calendars the yule is used to denote a heathen month of the year, that is part of the Wicca circle, but probably one of the most disturbing of origins associated with that of the Christmas ‘Yule Log’ is that of sacrifice. In ancient Chaldea in the month of December the Chaldeans would sacrifice people/animals to their gods by tying them to a giant yule log and setting fire to it.
There were also other meanings and uses attached to the word ‘yule.’ The goddess of Babylon, known as, ‘The Queen of Heaven’ was venerated with her child in December time. The Babylonians worshiped the mother goddess along with her child. In Chaldea the name ‘yule’ meant, ‘child.’ J.A.Sarkett writes:
“December 25 is when the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven was celebrated 2,000 years before Jesus was born. The name of the day itself — “Yule” — is the Chaldean (Babylon) name for “infant” or “little child,” the pagan counterpart… In ancient Babylon (Nimrod)…the “divine” child. There is obviously no connection with the birth of Christ” (11).
It was later on that the joint worship of Mary and the child Jesus (in the church) was borrowed from these Chaldean and Babylonian religions.
Wreaths
The adorning of the front door with wreaths at Christmas time is probably a less common held practice nowadays. Yet, even this practices’ origins can be traced back to ancient Rome.
“Holly was the sacred plant of the god Saturn and was used at the Roman Saturnalia festival to honour him. Romans gave one another holly wreaths and carried them about decorating images of Saturn with it” (12).
As we can see the use of wreaths was originally used in processions that honoured the Roman deity, Saturn.
The Bible’s view of Paganism
In light of the above – what is the bible’s view with regards to celebrating these pagan feasts such as Christmas? Well, from studying the scriptures we can see that God gave strong admonish to the nation of Israel against the worship of false gods! In Exodus he said to the children of Israel that, “Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images” (Exodus 23:24). He gave Israel strict instructions ‘NOT’ to learn pagan ways, he said, “Thus saith the LORD (Jehovah), Learn not the way of the heathen” (Jeremiah 10:2). Further to these, the Apostle Paul warns the early Christian church with regards to giving praise to demons, he said, “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). So the bible is clear with regards to what God thinks of pagan festivals that bring honor to false gods. As Christians we cannot willing participate in any of the above knowing that they have their origins in paganism!
The bible is clear that we are not to pollute our Christian worship with other religions or pagan practices. The high-priest Aaron had made the “molten calf” (Exodus 32:4) and then declared the worship of it as “a feast to the LORD (Jehovah)” (Exodus 32:5). Aaron and the Israelites foolishly believed that as long as they honoured Jehovah with a feast, it would be alright to incorporate the worship (custom) of another god. However, as a result of their comprised form of worship to God, “THREE THOUSAND” people died that day (Exodus 32:28).
As we can see, we are not to pollute our worship to God with pagan. Do we as Christians want to pollute our worship of Jesus with that of man made tradition, occultism, and paganism?
Conclusion
Time and time again we are told throughout the bible that we are to worship one God only.
When the house of Israel had sinned against God by worshiping other gods, Samuel told them that, “If ye do return unto the LORD (Jehovah) with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD (Jehovah), and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 7:3). – So by worshiping other gods the Israelites had gone away from the LORD (Jehovah). To return to him they were told to “put away the strange gods” (v3).
When Jesus was tempted by the Devil in the wilderness, he responded with the following, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Luke 4:8). So, Jesus told Satan that it is God and God only that we should worship.
So as Christians should we not follow the examples of both Samuel and Jesus and “put away these strange gods” (1 Samuel 7:3) and “worship the Lord they God…only” (Luke 4:8).
References
All Bible quotations are taken from the ‘King James Version’ of the bible.
1) Tiglath Chibo, Ishtar Eggs and Tammuz Trees.
2) David Pollina, ‘Guess who’s not coming for Christmas dinner.’
3) (Tertullian 155-220AD).David Bercot, ‘A Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, 1998, p. 342).’
4) HFCWillcox, ‘Christmas Traditions & Trivia’ (1999).
5) Christine O’Keeffe, ‘St. Nicholas Page.’
6) Dr. Leonard Perry, ‘The Green Mountain Gardener.’
7) Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941), ‘The Golden Bough. (1922). Chapter 65 – LXV. Balder and the Mistletoe.’
8) Francis X. Weiser, ‘Handbook of Christian Feasts and Customs’ (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 1958).
9) http://nesherchristianresources.org/blog/
10) John Williamson, ‘”Christmas Greenery”, The Dallas Morning News (December 6, 1986).’
11) John A. Sarkett , ‘After Armageddon -Chapter 4, Where do we get our ideas?’
12) ‘All About Christmas, Mistletoe and Holly.’
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