Originally, the swastika was a religious symbol. Today it represents fascism; only to be found on neo nazis and white supremacy groups. It's funny how the meaning of something changes. Even amongst different cultures, the exact same thing can have complete different meanings, such as that little green thumb that is at the bottom of this comment. Here, in the US it is a sign of support and approval; in Thailand it is an extremely vulgar gesture. Even now, I bet there are atheist who celebrate Christmas, Easter, or even Saint Valentines Day (that's right Valentines Day is actually acknowledging a saint). Hope this shed some light on your question. God bless.
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It was taken from the Pagans to turn people( the Pagans) onto the Christian ways of life and their beliefs,the Christians just modified the holidays...and it worked.
Cause "the Christians and the Pagans sat together at the table, trying to find common ground the best that they were able." ever hear that song?
I don't know what a Pagan is. But Christmas is when Jesus was born. Easter I believe is when he rose from the dead after being killed threee days earlier.
easter is a pagan goddess of spring..... and all of this predates jesus
Way to go. Next you'll say theres no Santa.
Most Christians don't know the origin of these two dates Even when we do know, we can celebrate His birth and resurrection whenever we want. I celebrate His resurrection every day
King James Version (KJV)
10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
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.
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.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Easter and Christmas themselves are NOT pagan holidays. Many current ways of celebrating them are however of pagan origin... nowhere in the bible does it talk about the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. The true meaning of Christmas is the gift of the Savior Jesus Christ which is celebrated through generosity and giving. The true meaning of Easter is the celebration of the Savior's sacrifice of paying for our sins therefore enabling us to go to heaven after death. An example of a true pagan holiday would be Halloween. Hope this helps. :)
Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity. A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. They decorate it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” ...
Jeremiah 10:1-5
King James Version (KJV)
10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
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.
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.
4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
C e l e b r a t e
J e s u s
-------------------------------------
You know our Lord Jesus Christ treated us with undeserved grace by giving up all his riches, so you could become rich. (2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 CEV)
It's talking about Idols, so I am done here. You can live under legalism if you want to, looking for demons under every rock and branch, but I grew up in a church like that, where E.T. or even a simple game of war with cards was seen as wicked, where 70% of the congregation walked out on a visiting drama team because they performed choreography that was part of a musical--that was no different from the four Kids' Praise productions we'd already done, where parents yanked their kids out of youth group because we started attracting street kids with our skate boarding competitions and basketball tournaments. It's people like you, like that, who are blind, who miss the broken heart for the rule, or the invention of a rule. It took me a long time to be free. I'm perfectly happy now, living under grace and the Blood of the Lamb.
They don't know they are pagan holidays. They've adopted these celebrations as their own, probably to help convert more northern European pagans (ie. Norse, Celtic etc.) to Christianity.
Those are also federal holidays.
When Pagans were converted, they brought some of their traditions with them and worked carefully to blend them into the new traditions so that they would still feel somewhat comforted by something familiar. However the celebrations themselves were not Pagan. The following is a great article on the origins of Easter... http://www. theinformedpagan.org/2012/04/03/the-origins-of-easter/
I give thanks that Christ was born
I give thanks that Christ died for my sins and rose again. As for the day that I do it on has no particular meaning to me whatsoever ... I celebrate the event that took place..
I would pose a question to you .. you call the day "Sunday" at least once a week.. does that mean to you your worshiping the sun, from which the words meaning was derived??
certainly not :-/
God Bless
We dont. Our holidays are Christian holidays. Pagan holidays celebrate pagan gods and pagan beliefs. We dont do that. We celebrate God and family. If they happen to be on a day that used to be ir still is a pagan holiday...so what?
For example- August is National Inventors Month and National Catfish Month (among others). If i chose to celebrate national catfish month that does not mean i am also celebtating golf. I hate golf. My intention and belief was that i celebrate catfish.
There could be twenty different holidays, official and unofficial, on any given day, people celebrate what they choose. So if a particular day is both Christian Easter and pagan spring rites and fertility holiday the pagans are welcome to dance naked around poles celebrating their pagan goddess but we will be very specifically be celebrating Christs death and resurrection, NOT fertile goddesses.
Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder.
Similarly, God Looks At The Heart
Of The Person; Meaning What
Is Their Purpose For Cele-
brating Christmas and
Easter. One S i z e
Does Not Fit A l l.
I t Is Personal.
B i r t h and
Death of
Jesus.
---------
You know our Lord Jesus Christ treated us with undeserved grace by giving up all his riches, so you could become rich. (2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 CEV)
The early churches compromised to bring more people into the church; they tried to make pagan holidays into christian holidays. Compromise will destroy the church, not build up the church.
Acts of The Apostles
Broke T h e Bonds
Of Compromise
As Continues
To T h i s
D a y.
---------------------------------
Scripture Quote
---------------------------------
As we were on our way to the place of prayer, we were met by
a slave girl who was possessed by a spirit of divination [claiming to foretell
future events and to discover hidden knowledge], and she brought her owners much
gain by her fortunetelling. She kept following Paul and [the rest of] us, shouting
loudly, These men are the servants of the Most High God! They announce to you the
way of salvation! And she did this for many days. Then Paul, being sorely
annoyed and worn out, turned and said to the spirit within
her, I charge you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her! And it came out
that very moment. But when her owners discovered that their hope of profit was
gone, they caught hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities in
the forum (marketplace), [where trials are held]. And when they had brought them before the magistrates, they
declared, These fellows are Jews and they are throwing our city into great
confusion. They encourage the practice of customs which it is unlawful
for us Romans to accept or observe! He, having received [so strict a] charge, put them into the
inner prison (the dungeon) and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight, as Paul and Silas were praying and
singing hymns of praise to God, and the [other] prisoners were listening to
them, Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very
foundations of the prison were shaken; and at once all the doors were opened and
everyone?s shackles were unfastened. (Acts 16:16-21, 24-26 AMP)
