The TRUTH about Christmas

Tue Dec 16, 2014

Editor: Those of us who choose not to celebrate Christmas are sometimes seen as “boring and pitiful”. However, there is nothing boring and pitiful about rejecting idolatry and following the truth, even when you may be in the minority. {{more}}

Many, including renowned historians, admit that December 25 was the date that the pagan celebrated the birthday of their sun-god or the winter solstice. These festivities were taking place long before the birth of Jesus. Moreover, there is no biblical evidence to show or even suggest that Jesus was born on that date. It was a pope, not God, who decreed that Christians should keep Dec. 25 as the birthday of Jesus Christ. History tells us that ” within the Christian church no such festival as Christmas was ever heard of till the third century… the choice of December 25 was made by Pope Julius 1 in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of the winter solstice, or Return of the Sun.” Good old time religion p.3.

Winter-solstice celebration was characterised by lewd reveling, human sacrifice, orgies and drunkenness – all in honour of the pagan sun-god. Even symbols like the Christmas tree, mistletoe and santa claus can be traced back to idolatrous practices of those who worshiped creation instead of the Creator. Despite attempts made, namely by the Roman Catholic Church (Babylon.), to ‘Christianized’ sun worship calling it ‘ Christ-mas’, the real nature of the festivity is often revealed through the drunkenness, revelry, extravagance, gluttony and the very symbols used in idol-worship remain today.

Jesus Christ has not given any command, neither directly or indirectly, that we should celebrate a particular day as His birthday. Historian, Alexander Hislop informs us that ” there is not a word in the scriptures about the precise day of His birth…” The Two Babylons p.91.What we know for certain is that Jesus Christ came to save the world from sin. This truth, he wants us to accept and receive the spiritual change that He willingly gives to make us holy and loving every day. When we accept Jesus Christ, we would have genuine love and care for each other throughout the year whether January, February, March…or December. Through sacrificial love, we would do all that is possible by the grace of God to bring cheer to the heart of all our fellowmen-friends, family, neighbours, the poor and needy etc.

Those who are sincere in their research and their love for the truths of God would admit that Jesus is not the real reason for the Christmas season. Many of us have been taught this error from childhood and have ignorantly accepted it. Now, especially in this age of information where knowledge is at our finger tips, we have no excuse to continue in falsehood. Neither should we borrow the way that the heathens worshipped their false gods and say that we are worshipping Christ. God, through His servants Jeremiah and Moses warns us long ago- “…learn not the way of the heathen…”(Jerimiah 10:2). “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.” Deuteronomy 12:30-31.

As we near the end of this earth’s history, we need to take a more spiritually conscious view of things. The word of God should be exalted above every vain tradition. We should no longer be satisfied to say ‘I am doing it because it feels good… this is what I met my parents doing’ or ‘the whole world is doing it…’ We have to individually give an account to God for every choice we make. We must learn the truths from God’s word for our salvation and reject vain traditions. Christ says ” in vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:9

Ann-Marie Ballantyne

svgpatriot@hotmail.com