The Roots Of Christmas
For the past few weeks, the news media has been filled with stories of people bickering over whether retail employees should say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” The public school systems have jumped into the fray and contributed their controversy. They don’t know whether to call the traditional two-week vacation at this time of year “winter break” or “Christmas”. Christmas keepers have inundated the editorial pages with a plea to put the spirit of Christ back into the celebration while other letter writers and columnists have gleefully pointed out that December 25th is rooted in paganism. Even these individuals who understand history advocate keeping the holiday anyway.
It seems that there is nothing but confusion and strife around this holiday. But that is the way it has always been with man and religion. Though there is more than ample Biblical proof that Christ could not have been born on December 25th and though numerous reliable historians tell us that Christmas is rooted in paganism and has nothing to do with what Christ taught or what the early church practiced, modern Christians persist in celebrating the day. Where did Christmas come from? What is the real root of this holiday celebration?
Historians’ View
Noted historians, like H.G. Wells, have pointed out how mankind has had the habit of blending gods together. In The Outline of History (pp. 305-309), he records that Alexandria, Egypt was a hotbed of religious mixing a few hundred years before Christ. Egyptian, Greek and other cultures came together and the result was a religious merger. This religious syncretism – the fusion of practices from a variety of religions into one - is a constant in man’s history. Merging religions is somewhat like today’s corporate mergers: if you mix enough of them together, surely you will get something bigger and better. It seems man has always sought a “bigger and better religion.”
Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons records the following:
Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and it may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition. "By us," says he, "who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia, are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year's day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians." Upright men strive to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostacy went on, till the Church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under Pagan superstition.
God’s Instructions
Historians record numerous instances of mankind blending religions. What is God’s opinion of this practice? Is it acceptable to worship Him any way you want to?
Leviticus 18:3-4
3 According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
29 "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods;
Nearly 800 years later the prophet Jeremiah repeated this admonition to the House of Israel.
Jeremiah 10:1- 6
1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are futile…
Man’s Actions
But what did the Israelites do after hearing God’s clear instructions? When they first came out of Egypt, it is recorded in Exodus 32 that they had hardly received the Ten Commandments and entered a covenant relationship with God when they quickly turned to making a gold calf, a new “god” to worship. Unfortunately, that was not the first time such a quick change had occurred. For that, you have to go back to the Garden of Eden, to the very creation of man.
Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."… 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
In the beginning, God gave man a simple command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But, Eve and Adam were not satisfied with what God said. Notice that even in the beginning, mankind could not accept exactly what God told them. Eve added her own words to God’s instructions when she said, “nor shall you touch it.” The Devil carefully worded a doubting question loaded with innuendo when he sought to undermine and challenge their belief and obedience. The two humans chose Satan’s alternate belief system, not satisfied with the religion God gave. Man has always sought something better, something more tantalizing.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents religious syncretism – the blending of true and false, the good and bad. Man from the beginning has been drawn to this mixture of good and evil. Early man was taught the truth, but he wanted more. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil had an appeal that played on man’s inner cravings – to be bad, to be wild, to be free to choose for himself what he wanted to do. Man has always seemed to hunger to know about and do the evil and the bad. Tell someone something tastes awful and most have to taste it themselves; tell them that you cannot do a certain act and most have a strong inner urge to do it. Many women seek out bad boys to marry. The Eagles song “One of These Nights” tells of a man “searching for the daughter of the devil himself, searching for an angel in white.” Christmas is the same. Though people know it is not mentioned in the Bible, that its origins are rooted in paganism, they still have to do it. The forbidden fruit draws them.
The Real Root
The real root of Christmas is back in the Garden of Eden and with man’s carnal nature. Romans 8:7 says “… the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot” (RSV). Man’s hostile nature cannot keep God’s commands to avoid foolish religious practices. Adam and Eve could not avoid it, neither can modern man. Man’s carnal nature has to keep holidays like Christmas.
Our Admonition
But in the Church of God, we have been blessed with something different. We can read God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 12:32 which tells us "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it,” and we can understand – because God has given us His Spirit. We can avoid the religious system of this world which is rooted in the tree of knowledge of good and evil and, instead, partake of the Tree of Life which God freely offers. At this time of year, instead of being caught up with the holiday rush, we can pause and reflect on the tremendous gifts God has given us. We can be thankful for His Spirit and truth and understanding.
It seems that there is nothing but confusion and strife around this holiday. But that is the way it has always been with man and religion. Though there is more than ample Biblical proof that Christ could not have been born on December 25th and though numerous reliable historians tell us that Christmas is rooted in paganism and has nothing to do with what Christ taught or what the early church practiced, modern Christians persist in celebrating the day. Where did Christmas come from? What is the real root of this holiday celebration?
Historians’ View
Noted historians, like H.G. Wells, have pointed out how mankind has had the habit of blending gods together. In The Outline of History (pp. 305-309), he records that Alexandria, Egypt was a hotbed of religious mixing a few hundred years before Christ. Egyptian, Greek and other cultures came together and the result was a religious merger. This religious syncretism – the fusion of practices from a variety of religions into one - is a constant in man’s history. Merging religions is somewhat like today’s corporate mergers: if you mix enough of them together, surely you will get something bigger and better. It seems man has always sought a “bigger and better religion.”
Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons records the following:
Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and it may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism half-way was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition. "By us," says he, "who are strangers to Sabbaths, and new moons, and festivals, once acceptable to God, the Saturnalia, the feasts of January, the Brumalia, and Matronalia, are now frequented; gifts are carried to and fro, new year's day presents are made with din, and sports and banquets are celebrated with uproar; oh, how much more faithful are the heathen to their religion, who take special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians." Upright men strive to stem the tide, but in spite of all their efforts, the apostacy went on, till the Church, with the exception of a small remnant, was submerged under Pagan superstition.
God’s Instructions
Historians record numerous instances of mankind blending religions. What is God’s opinion of this practice? Is it acceptable to worship Him any way you want to?
Leviticus 18:3-4
3 According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. 4 You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 12:29-31
29 "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' 31 You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods;
Nearly 800 years later the prophet Jeremiah repeated this admonition to the House of Israel.
Jeremiah 10:1- 6
1 Hear the word which the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the LORD: "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven, For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the peoples are futile…
Man’s Actions
But what did the Israelites do after hearing God’s clear instructions? When they first came out of Egypt, it is recorded in Exodus 32 that they had hardly received the Ten Commandments and entered a covenant relationship with God when they quickly turned to making a gold calf, a new “god” to worship. Unfortunately, that was not the first time such a quick change had occurred. For that, you have to go back to the Garden of Eden, to the very creation of man.
Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-6
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."… 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
In the beginning, God gave man a simple command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But, Eve and Adam were not satisfied with what God said. Notice that even in the beginning, mankind could not accept exactly what God told them. Eve added her own words to God’s instructions when she said, “nor shall you touch it.” The Devil carefully worded a doubting question loaded with innuendo when he sought to undermine and challenge their belief and obedience. The two humans chose Satan’s alternate belief system, not satisfied with the religion God gave. Man has always sought something better, something more tantalizing.
The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represents religious syncretism – the blending of true and false, the good and bad. Man from the beginning has been drawn to this mixture of good and evil. Early man was taught the truth, but he wanted more. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil had an appeal that played on man’s inner cravings – to be bad, to be wild, to be free to choose for himself what he wanted to do. Man has always seemed to hunger to know about and do the evil and the bad. Tell someone something tastes awful and most have to taste it themselves; tell them that you cannot do a certain act and most have a strong inner urge to do it. Many women seek out bad boys to marry. The Eagles song “One of These Nights” tells of a man “searching for the daughter of the devil himself, searching for an angel in white.” Christmas is the same. Though people know it is not mentioned in the Bible, that its origins are rooted in paganism, they still have to do it. The forbidden fruit draws them.
The Real Root
The real root of Christmas is back in the Garden of Eden and with man’s carnal nature. Romans 8:7 says “… the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot” (RSV). Man’s hostile nature cannot keep God’s commands to avoid foolish religious practices. Adam and Eve could not avoid it, neither can modern man. Man’s carnal nature has to keep holidays like Christmas.
Our Admonition
But in the Church of God, we have been blessed with something different. We can read God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 12:32 which tells us "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it,” and we can understand – because God has given us His Spirit. We can avoid the religious system of this world which is rooted in the tree of knowledge of good and evil and, instead, partake of the Tree of Life which God freely offers. At this time of year, instead of being caught up with the holiday rush, we can pause and reflect on the tremendous gifts God has given us. We can be thankful for His Spirit and truth and understanding.
posted by Manuel at 12:36 AM
1 Comments:
Ahhh... A Hislop critic and doubter! They are legion among the disciples of Junior Tkach, his cult and his ilk. My first reaction is "How would you know?" Have you produced a choice scholarly work or have you been scholarly-trained in how to discern choice scholarly works? Or are you just regurgitating the criticisms of those who are just a little bit uncomfortable with what old Hislop had to say?
Long before I ever heard of A. Hislop, I heard a professor in an art history course at a major state university present some of the same information that Hislop records. This professor was educated at Harvard and was highly respected. It is highly unlikely that this professor was a closet disciple of Herbert W. Armstrong and had somehow thrown scholarship to the wind and had accepted a bunch of unverified folderol.
Much of what Hislop writes is verifiable from other sources - sources that are considered by scholars as authentic. But then what does it matter? If you hate the message, it's easiest to attack the messenger.
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