[Lyn Ling]

Is Christmas a belief or a practice? Jesus was not born on December 25 and I don't know where to look. I'm reading a Good news book and it states Christmas is not a religion, but a pagan belief.

[Fr_Chuck]

Chirstmas, it is a day used to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

It is not his real birth date no one knows what day he was really born.
There are several reasons this date was chosen, it was chosen by the Bishop of Rome back when being a Christian was still illegal. So a roman holiday date was used, this did two things, first if christians did not celebrate, then they would stand out, and if they celebrated another day, they stood out. So Christmas is a Christian holiday, if you wish to celebrate a day celebrating the sun returning, on that day, then that is not Christmas, but a pagan holiday, if you were to worship elves in the woods on that day, that is not Chistmas. There are varoius other pagan groups that would celebate other things on that day. But that does not make the celebation Chrsitians do pagan.

Now the use of Santa, flying reigndeer and elves in the north pole is not christian but traditions of the world that have taken the place of the real christian faith.

[donf]

First, I need to take some time and identify the who and why behind this information I have for you.

Between the years 1991 and 2005 my wife and I were extremely active in our small Catholic Community in Lancaster, Kentucky. We had just moved from a Catholic Church in Bedford, TX with a total community of 3500 +/- families. Our new church had a total of 60 +/- families. Our church was so small by staffing guidelines that we should not have had a resident priest, but we did. In fact as the priestly draught wore on, it was decided that our church would be “Twinned” with a sister church St. Sylvester's in Ottenhiem, Kentucky. In time, our resident priest withdrew and we the church communities were left without a priest for at least six months. The diocese of Lexington, Kentucky was very understanding and pledged all the “Lay” assistance they could give us. But the then leaders of these communities would have to decide to pull together and manage until a priest became available or dissolve and be absorbed by other parishes.

Enter into my life, Mrs. Margaret Rolf(?) – “Marge” was and is still a formidable person. She was at the time responsible for monthly article for our local Catholic Diocese newspaper and ran the Adult Studies along with a fellow named Pat Bischel, I believe.

Marge was and hopefully still is a Theologian, forced to study her passion of religious studies under the guise of “Literary Studies”, why, she is a female, horror of horror, can we imagine that, a woman with a very sharp brain, guys we are in trouble yet again!

To Marge, I say once again, I cannot thank you enough for your labors! She and I battled for hours on end as we entered deeper and deeper in to the Catholic Adult Studies Program. Thank you for you Marge! Don

Lyn Ling,

Get other books Preferably, The Roman Catholic Bible, Roman Catholic Study Bible and of course the "Infancy Narratives and Commentaries.” I'll bet you can't tell that I'm a Roman Catholic yet, can you ? :)

The Infancy Narratives, and I have to defer too much more learned theologians than me, are STORIES, written backward in time after the Crucifixion and Resurrection. To set up the just past recent event's

Had Jesus just lived and died as a Jew in Roman controlled lands there would not even be a footnote about him in History. However, thank you, God, he did live a remarkable life and one that I believe that is still present among us today.

Now, picture yourself as a pious Jew, in that era in time, wondering, who was this mere man, where did he come from, what set him apart from me, another holy person. How could the Jewish nation missed so badly on their target of the Messiah?

The authors of the Nativity Stories now saw that there is a need to reach back into a time that no one had previously cared about and find the historical youth named Jesus and His Family. They can do that because they have access to people who knew Jesus the child, Mary and Joseph. People who knew and lived through the life changing events of the Roman Occupation, the Roman census and so on.

Unlike our present times, spoken word was as good as carved in stone then, that's why it was so vehementally guarded and protected. Now-a-days, you better have a web blog if you are to believe anything, even if it is wrong but not then. If you said it, it was true, period!

So the infancy narratives are a precursor of the events of the Gospels, to show that although the entire peopled world did not realize what happened that night, the world itself did in fact sit up, take notice and settled back down so that history would become history.

Pagans – Ah there's a word to strike fear into any one's heart, “That man is a Pagan!” Oh, golly do you mean he's a member of a motorcycle gang that kills and rapes? “Get out of our town, you PAGAN!”get out!”

No, no, a pagan is someone who is not of your faith. They have religious feasts and holidays other than what we hold to be true. For example, let's look at our conquerors the Romans, why just look at all the gods they have, we have one. Our God has three distinct Personalities within the one God. No, I don't understand how and why, but as an article of my faith I believe that to be true.

Now, we are a small group of people who understand and claim Jesus and his beliefs as He taught them to us. We need to find ways to draw other believers and non-believers into our faith system. How can we use elements of their truths to draw on too help them to believe as we do?

Let's see, the Romans have a feast of the Sun to celebrate the gifts of their Sun God has give them.

We have the Son of God, can we teach or pagans neighbors how blend their belief in Sun to make their SUN god in the image and understanding of our belief in the Son Of God?

Marge, I truly hope I have not butchered all your work beyond recognition. You were an inspiration to me then and you are still with me even now.

With Love and a great deal of respect to you Marge!
Don

[Choux]

In present day America, Christmas is both a cultural holiday that is celebrated not only by Christians, but by some Jews and atheists, and it is a religious holiday that signifies the day of Christ's birth, a very joyous day!

[simoneaugie]

So, many celebrate, with great joy, a person, part of God, the belief in whom causes war and hatred? A Pagan is defined as anyone who does not belong to one of the three "big" religions. Those three are Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

[Fr_Chuck]

The belief in God does not cuase any hatred or wars, The evil in man causes it, and evil men will use religions as a reason, but it is not the religion that cuases it.

[simoneaugie]

Any religion that teaches that it is the only way to salvation, that it is the one true religion and better than others promotes hate. Hate and feeling superior to other cultures, greed and control promotes war. People were created in the image of Love. Admittedly, love is poorly understood by humans. Love in its highest form shows no jealousy, need or conditions. Love is honesty.

Most organized religions only make sense if lies are taught. "Mankind is evil" is just such a lie. Don't Catholics teach that their religion is the one true faith? Don't Muslims do the same?

Many wars are fought over religious differences. Men make up religions that promote hate. It does not ring true. We are not evil, nor are we better than "those people over there." If we are honest with ourselves, we see that we live in perpetual fear that others will judge us as we judge them.

Yes, the simplest way for the Church to enforce its celebrations was to overlap them with existing holidays. That is a form of control through coercion. A pagan has never told me that God will send me to hell if I do not worship him correctly. Many Christians have. It does not feel right to me.

[simoneaugie]

You're right Don, most religions, by their very nature believe they are correct. I just do not believe that God only hangs out in one church or the other. God loves all of us, even when we disagree. Even when we paint Him to be jealous, angry and mean to support our own lack of acceptance of one another. My religion does not think that yours is wrong. I do not want to change your path, but to support everyone in their quest to understand who they are.

[mrah]

Back in the day when christians were trying to convert pagans to their ways ( a very long time ago mind sorry I don't have a date for you) they were being nice about it. So they took a bunch of pagan holidays and held their own (christian) holidays on or close to the day of the pagans. Thus encouraging the pagans to come and celebrate and see what their religion was all about. Christmas easter and halloween are a few good examples. Some people converted over peacfully. Eventually though somebody rose up (a christian) and decided that it was time to force the pagans, infidels, to accept the one true god. And if they didn't they should die. Then come the crusaides, and the rest, as they say, is history.

[Credendovidis]

Dear Lyn Ling

Of course Christians wanted to celebrate the birth of their inspirational religious leader.
As nobody was really sure about what date that should be, and to further their own interests, they choose for a pagan celebration - the mid-winter festival - and converted that into the birthday of Jesus. Christmas trees are still a remainder of the original pagan origin of the Christmas celebrations.

Unfortunately today most people - including many Christians - have hardly any idea what Christmas (as the celebration of Jesus' birth) is about. Commerce has high-jacked that religious celebration and basterdized it into a wave of spending on expensive presents nobody really needs. Christmas should be the celebration of the new life, and sharing that thought within the family and with the greater community around you. In that way it fits perfectly with it's humble pagan origins celebrating the return of the sun higher into the sky, and the start of the next year.

Christmas is not a belief but a practice.

;)

[De Maria]

Is Christmas a belief or a practice?

Both. As Christians, we practice what we believe. Therefore, on Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Jesus was not born on December 25

He was born around that time.

and I don't know where to look.

For what precisely?

I'm reading a Good news book and it states Christmas is not a religion, but a pagan belief.

Not true. Although many cultures have celebrated the Winter Solstice around the time that Christans celebrate Christmas, it is a different celebration.

Sincerely,

De Maria

[Credendovidis]

He was born around that time.

There is no objective supported evidence for that claim. We simply do not know the exact date that Jesus of Nazareth was born.

... Although many cultures have celebrated the Winter Solstice around the time that Christans celebrate Christmas, it is a different celebration.

The winter solstice was celebrated thousands of years BEFORE Christians invented their Christmas celebration.

I do not know many people who are bothered much by Christianity highjacking wintersolstice for their Chistmas. It are some Christians however who go ballistic when non-Christians correctly point out that the Christmas celebrations originate from pagan history, and that it are the Christians who changed the subject of celebration their own cause.
Of course, having totally different origins , Wintersolstice and Christmas are not the same celebration. Just a celebration held around the same time.

:)

[Red-Cam]

Like other discussions of scripture or the bible - we get caught up in proof. It's a historical fact that Christ lived! When he was born is indifferent. Let's just say He was not born on 12/25. My readings of scripture, history and other evidence would place His birth sometime in our spring. We celebrate His birth not when he was born... I comfortable with the fact I don't when, I doubt that will affect my relationship with Christ or His with me. Remember, 12/25 is a fixed date. Good Friday & Easter are based on the Passover. The most important day in the Christian life is moveable; I don't think I've ever heard anyone argue that date. Christmas is important to acknowledge His birth; His ministry on earth is celebrated at Easter.

[Speedy_Sites]

If you are looking for reasons to celebrate, or looking for reasons to condemn, you can find answers that will support either one. But, if you are a born again Christian, spoken of in the Bible (those following Christ), it is best to dump all pre-conceived ideas about the meaning of Christmas and go to God in prayer.

Any sought out explanation from man is sure to have (that mans) desires and motivations attached to the answer. However, God is faithful to those who trust in Him, ask and he will show you what you really want to know.

[Speedy_Sites]

If you are looking for reasons to celebrate, or looking for reasons to condemn, you can find answers that will support either one. But, if you are a born again Christian, spoken of in the Bible (those following Christ), it is best to dump all pre-conceived ideas about the meaning of Christmas and go to God in prayer.

Any sought out explanation from man is sure to have (that mans) desires and motivations attached to the answer. However, God is faithful to those who trust in Him, ask and he will show you what you really want to know.