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Should Christians be celebrating Christmas at all?
12/06/04 | Perdogg

Posted on 12/06/2004 4:59:08 PM PST by Perdogg

I am a Christian, I belive in Christ. However, why do Christians knowing that Christ was born in the summer time (northern Hemisphere, celebrate Christmas in Decemeber? I know that December 25th was a holiday during the Roman Empire.

It would make sense if some astronomer could calculate when Christ was born. Also, I am sure other religions have records on when the astological event took place when Christ was Born.

I think that God intended Christmas to be treated somewhat differently than Easter. For some reason it seems in the telling of the birth of Christ, there is a lot of time discontinuity. the first three years of Christ seem to be told in a few chapters.

Easter would be probably a more sacred holiday if the date was fixed.

There is evidence that the Bible forshadowed the crucifiction in Gospel of St. Matthews. The wisemen brought the perfume, which was used in embalming.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Miscellaneous; Religion
KEYWORDS: archaeoastronomy; bethlehem; christ; faithandphilosophy; god; godsgravesglyphs; johanneskepler; religion; starofbethlehem; staroftheeast; starofwonder
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To: 7.62 x 51mm

Funny.


21 posted on 12/06/2004 6:00:20 PM PST by Perdogg (W stands for Winner)
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To: Perdogg
One of mankind's oldest celebrations is that concerning the time of night halfway between the last sun and the next sun during the period of continual darkness in areas above the Arctic Circle.

The Sa'ami (Laplanders) called it "Day of the Dead".

It's close to December 24, and somtimes is that day. For a variety of reasons having to do with Earth's orbit, it's inclination, etc. it is not also the "shortest day of the year", which occurs about December 21.

You find echoes of this ancient celebration in the use of Christmas Eve for primary gift-giving and feasting among the Scandinavians, and various Germanic tribes here and there.

Inasmuch as the Sa'ami are essentially the same people as the ancient Sumerians who gave us written language, and whose most fundamental stories seem to have served as the basis for much of the Bible, it seems quite appropriate to see their time of celebration maintained in Christian practice.

Undoubtedly this happened as a consequence of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and has absolutely nothing to do with the Roman worship of Saturn, also known as Ba'al, over whose fires so many tens of thousands of infants were sacrificed throughout the Middle East in ancient times.

22 posted on 12/06/2004 7:03:04 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

Did not know that. Interesting.


23 posted on 12/06/2004 7:06:13 PM PST by Perdogg (W stands for Winner)
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To: Perdogg

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1039640/posts
Calculating Christmas: The Story Behind December 25


24 posted on 12/06/2004 7:32:15 PM PST by swmobuffalo (the only good terrorist is a dead one)
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To: Perdogg

Someone's going to be getting a pretty raw hunk of bituminous coal in their stocking this year...


Don't piss Santa off; He sees you when you're sleeping, and he knows where all the bodies are buried...


25 posted on 12/06/2004 7:39:38 PM PST by RockAgainsttheLeft04 (PUNY FREEPERS: I am the Moderator-- bow down before me and await my orders...)
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To: Perdogg

Do historical records from the time period discuss what time of year the census was held in Jerusalem?


26 posted on 12/06/2004 8:33:23 PM PST by Choose Ye This Day (DUmmies: You keep visualizing a Kerry win...we'll lead the world and beat the terrorists. Mmmmkay?)
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To: Perdogg

Christmas becomes more commercialized each year. This isn't a good thing unless you'd consider it patriotic by helping our economy... it seems to be less about Christ and more about Santa, who, as you and I think of him, is a creation by Coca Cola ... commercialism at its best. Go figure. IMHO, Holidays are so warped these days.


27 posted on 12/06/2004 9:18:59 PM PST by sola fide gratia scriptura
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To: Perdogg

If you're positive that Christianity stole a pagan holiday, read this and remember the thing about repeating a lie until people believe it. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1044973/posts


28 posted on 12/07/2004 6:38:58 AM PST by FormerLib (Kosova: "land stolen from Serbs and given to terrorist killers in a futile attempt to appease them.")
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Easter would be probably a more sacred holiday if the date was fixed.
Quibble -- the date of Easter is fixed -- it's rooted in the Jewish calendar, which is lunar in orientation. I also wonder how Easter could possibly be any more sacred to Christians.

29 posted on 12/07/2004 10:32:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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To: Perdogg
Early Christians Hid The Origins Of The Bethlehem Star
  Posted by blam
On News/Activism 12/21/2001 5:11:00 AM PST · 155 replies · 568+ views


New Scientist | 12-21-2001 | Marcus Chown
Early Christians hid the origins of the Bethlehem star 13:15 21 December 01 Marcus Chown A US astronomer claims he has found the first mention of the star of Bethlehem outside the Bible. The reference is in a 4th-century manuscript written by a Roman astrologer and Christian convert called Firmicus Maternus. Photo: Bridgeman Art Library Michael Molnar, formerly of Rutgers University in New Jersey, is the originator of the idea that the star of Bethlehem was not a spectacular astronomical event such as a supernova or a comet but an obscure astrological one. The event would nevertheless have been ...
 

30 posted on 12/07/2004 10:38:47 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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To: blam; FairOpinion; farmfriend; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ValerieUSA

FOLLOWING THE WISE MEN
NY Post ^ | December 23, 2003 | JOHN J. MILLER
Posted on 12/24/2003 7:16:30 AM PST by presidio9
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1046052/posts


31 posted on 12/07/2004 10:39:32 PM PST by SunkenCiv ("All I have seen teaches me trust the Creator for all I have not seen." -- Emerson)
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· GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach ·
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Note: this topic is from December 6, 2004.

Blast from the Past.

Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.
 

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32 posted on 11/30/2010 6:37:25 PM PST by SunkenCiv (The 2nd Amendment follows right behind the 1st because some people are hard of hearing.)
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To: Perdogg

because what is more important is not the exact date but the reason and the meaning, a celebration of God’s love for the world that was so great He sent His only Son.


33 posted on 11/08/2011 1:08:40 AM PST by Cronos
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To: Perdogg

Got you on my own private list for prayer.

I don’t care what you think of me, but I’m going to trundle boldly unto the Throne and present your name...

Whatever your problem is: I’ve taken whatever steps I can regarding it...

It is my prayer that the Most Utmost Highest see’s thing in similiar light as I.

In Jesus’ name, amen.......


34 posted on 11/08/2011 1:17:43 AM PST by raygun (http://bastiat.org/en/the_law DOT html)
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