Posted on 04/03/2007 6:31:28 AM PDT by DouglasKC
You’d need a Greek font, of course, or maybe you can switch symbol encoding to get a Greek font.
which affects a meeting of 330 Christian Bishops from England to modern-day Iran how excatly?
And when we say also that the Word, who is the first-birth45 of God, was produced without sexual union, and that He, Jesus Christ, our Teacher, was crucified and died, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those whom you esteem sons of Jupiter. For you know how many sons your esteemed writers ascribed to Jupiter: Mercury, the interpreting word and teacher of all; Aesculapius, who, though he was a great physician, was struck by a thunderbolt, and so ascended to heaven; and Bacchus too, after he had been torn limb from limb; and Hercules, when he had committed himself to the flames to escape his toils; and the sons of Leda, and Dioscuri; and Perseus, son of Danae; and Bellerophon, who, though sprung from mortals, rose to heaven on the horse Pegasus.Justin Martyr gives a point, by point, by point, accounting of the similarities between paganism and the 'new religion'. Its the same thing under a new name.But far be such a thought concerning the gods from every well-conditioned soul, as to believe that Jupiter himself, the governor and creator of all things, was both a parricide and the son of a parricide
Moreover, the Son of God called Jesus, even if only a man by ordinary generation, yet, on account of His wisdom, is worthy to be called the Son of God; for all writers call God the Father of men and gods. And if we assert that the Word of God was born of God in a peculiar manner, different from ordinary generation, let this, as said above, be no extraordinary thing to you, who say that Mercury is the angelic word of God. But if any one objects that He was crucified, in this also He is on a par with those reputed sons of Jupiter of yours, who suffered as we have now enumerated.
And if we even affirm that He was born of a virgin, accept this in common with what you accept of Perseus. And in that we say that He made whole the lame, the paralytic, and those born blind, we seem to say what is very similar to the deeds said to have been done by Aesculapius.
From the Council of Nicea (325):(excerpted)
It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded.In rejecting their custom,(1) we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter, which we have observed from the time of the Saviour's Passion to the present day[according to the day of the week]. We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Saviour has shown us another way; our worship follows a more legitimate and more convenient course (the order of the days of the week); and consequently, in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews, for it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them?
They do not possess the truth in this Easter question; for, in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements, they frequently celebrate two passovers in the same year. We could not imitate those who are openly in error. How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are most certainly blinded by error? for to celebrate the passover twice in one year is totally inadmissible. But even if this were not so, it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communications with such wicked people[the Jews].
That's why the church needed to change the calendar, needed to do away with the Sabbath and started Sun-day worship, in 'honor of the venerable Sun'. Why they needed to distance themselves from Passover and celebrate Easter, a name derived from the pagan godess of fertility, widely known at the time.
The church has done nearly all it could to distance themselves from the root that they 'claim' to be grafted unto. Yet, it resembles nothing of the root anymore.
The part I want to specifically point out is this: for the Saviour has shown us another way;
An actual admission that the church has deviated from 'the way' and gone after 'another way'!! And to top it off, they give credit to Yehoshua for this 'new way'. The church admits that this 'other way' is more CONVENIENT!
Please don not presume anything about me. You've already presumed enough about Christians who worship God on Sunday. Your presumptions are why you have alienated some on here.
????
Do you take exception that I pray for you to receive guidance for the Spirit of Elohim?
Nobody at Nicaea knew of any festival called "Easter" (they called it by a word derived from the Hebrew for "Passover") and "Easter" is not named after a pagan goddess of fertility.
Sheesh. Read the flippin thread before dredging up this nonsense again.
Hardly. No one is preventing you as a Christian from interacting as an apologist for Christ in the public square.
The Church, however, has a responsibility before God to keep His worship pure and undefiled. Picking up the worship refuse from other traditions and adorning Christ's Church with them is not the solution.
I take exception to you posting that I seek guidance, implying that I now don't have it. I will take exception to you posting that I receive guidance, implying that I now don't have it. If you are going to pray for me, do it in private. You don't need to advertise it; that buys you nothing with the Lord or me.
No seriously.
Under Christian governments folks had tons of days off to go to church and worshipped and were encouraged to.
This notion that Christian holidays are ‘evil’ and this drive for secularization ahs led to people working 7 days a week and having zero time for God.
This is where the drive to get Christianity out of society began, and it builds and builds today!
Mazol TovHave a nice journey.
OK, seriously, the only universal day is the weekly sabbath, the Lord's Day. Blue laws protected that at one time. No more, at least not in this country.
Having to work on Christmas or "All Souls' Day" does not impact my worship of God. I don't want the goverment protecting everyone's holy days. Where does one draw the line?
However, if I were forced by my employer to work regularly on Sunday, then I would protest and/or find another employer.
Anything those "other traditions" had is either objectively evil, or objectively good.
If it is objectively evil, it is sin and Christians should avoid it.
If it is objectively good, it was created by God, belongs to him, and can be, and ought to be, devoted to his worship. Those "other traditions" stole it from the true God; they have no right to it.
Mighty odd that if the recognized religion up to 380AD was pagan, that those in Nicea at 325AD knew nothing of the pagan festivals!
What was wrong with “Passover” and celebrating it when it is supposed to be celebrated? Why did the church change that? Why did they go after ‘another way’. Other than ‘convenience’ of course.
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