Featured The commercialization of Christmas has been a very good thing...

That argument is so insipid, that something with pagan origins is to be avoided, even if the pagan origins are irrelevant. It's also so hypocritical in that you do things all day long with pagan origins and you don't care in the least. You're the best friends of pagans because you want to paganize Christmas.

 

Most assuredly, "Christ -Mass" was never celebrated by 1st century Christians.
It is an adoption of the Roman Feast of Saturnalia that came in sometime after Constantine, as I understand it.

To me, it's not wrong to give gifts to one another.
But I don't have to celebrate Christ's birthday on December 25th if I don't want to ( Colossians 2:16-17 ).

Furthermore, it isn't Christ's birthday, and it never was.

The commercialization of a Roman holiday that was re-named in honor of the Lord Jesus is just that...
The promotion of a day that is not His day, but was originally celebrated by the Romans and Greeks as a day dedicated to Saturn / Jupiter.
Money-wise, I think that it's been a very good thing for the world and for those who would make merchandise of believers.

But to me, nothing has more power among people than sitting a group of them, who have never heard of Jesus Christ, before the preaching of God's words...sin, death, Hell and Christ crucified... and seeing who responds in tears when they realize that He is their only hope.

 

Was Jerusalem an Israelite or Jebusite establishment? How could it be a holy city if it was a fortress established by people who worshipped other gods?

 

God declared it a holy city ( Nehemiah 11:1, Daniel 9:24, Isaiah 52:1 ).

Holy to Him.

 

Now do the days of the week.

 

Sunday = comes from the Old English Sunnandæg (day of the Sun). This is a translation of the Latin phrase dies solis.
Monday = comes from the Old English Mōnandæg (day of the Moon) and is a translation of the Latin name dies Lunae
Tuesday = comes from the Old English Tīwesdæg (Tyr's day). Tyr (a.k.a. Tiw, Tew or Tiu), was the Nordic god of single combat and heroic glory in Norse mythology. The name is based on Latin dies Martis (Day of Mars). Mars was the Roman god of war.
Wednesday = comes from the Old English Wōdnesdæg (day of Woden). Woden or Odin was the top Norse god, and a prominent god of the Anglo-Saxons in England. It is based on Latin dies Mercurii (Day of Mercury).
Thursday = comes from the Old English Þunresdæg (the day of Þunor). Þunor or Thor was the Germanic and Norse god of thunder. It is based on the Latin dies Iovis (Day of Jupiter).
Friday = comes from the Old English Frigedæg (day of Frige). Frige was the Germanic goddess of beauty, who is a later incarnation of the Norse goddess Frigg, but also connected to the Goddess Freyja. It is based on the Latin dies Veneris (Day of Venus). Venus was the Roman god of beauty, love, and sex.
Saturday = named after the Roman god Saturn from the Latin it was diēs saturnī (Day of Saturn).

Source:
Days of the week in English

Spanish:

Domingo = Lord's Day
Lunes = Moon
Martes = Mars
Miércoles = Mercury
Jueves = Jupiter
Viernes = Venus
Sábado = Sabbath Day

French:

Dimanche
Lundi
Mardi
Mercredi
Jeudi
Vendredi
Samedi

Take a look at some of the month names, and where they came from.
I think you might find it interesting.


May God bless you sir.

 

everyday is Christmas

 

Thank you Professor Dave!... Now if you really want get technical rearrange the letters in Santa... I know I'm a naughty boy... Brother Glen

Jeremiah 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

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.

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 axe.

10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

 

Sirius radio started 24/7 Christmas music on several channels the first of November. I like Christmas music more than most but I think that it should wait until after Thanksgiving.

On the question of secular artists singing Christmas music, I think that they are just trying to make money. I prefer Christmas music sung by Christians.

Hoosier comedian Kin Hubbard (1868-1930) noted long ago, "Next to a circus there ain't nothing that packs up and tears out faster than the Christmas spirit."

 

That shows an origin being pagan, per se, does not rule out an entity being useful to God and his people.

 

That's why I drink a quart of whiskey everyday, ha!ha!

 

Christmas predates the pagan holidays.

Early Christians established the date of December 25.

You do not have to celebrate Christmas if you don't want to. Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate Christmas.

Do you think that Saint Nicholas slapped Arius?

 

This is false. The word missa means sent, as God the Father sent Jesus to the earth on a mission. It has nothing to do with Roman Catholic service, which is a bloodless sacrifice of Christ all over again according to R. C. Sproul.

 

It looks like God says you're wrong, Jerusalem's pagan origins doesn't make it eternally unholy.

 

everyday would then be hangoverday

 

The creation of Christmas as the holiday it is now can easily be traced to Charles Dickens. I think he did a pretty good job.

In countries such as Pakistan, it provides some of the little bit of economic relief to the Christian communities which are hated by Christians in this country.

 

"Santa" is simply "saint" in Spanish, in the female sense.

The legend of Saint Nicolas, from what I've read, is basically a composite of historical figures and mythological ones.
One is out of Norse mythology, I believe.

 

Nicholas was a bishop in Myra and died in the 4th century.

 

I'm sorry, but it's not useful to me.

I see no reason to celebrate it, as to me, it's a waste of money to try and keep people happy buying them gifts that they expect me to buy them...out of obligation.
A true gift is not expected, and those are the ones that I like to give.

When they're not expected and out of my love for them...