Re: Asian natural disaster or evolution in action?
From: Terry/Anti (terryrd_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 12/31/04
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Date: Fri, 31 Dec 2004 12:06:50 -0600
"Precision" <precision@Usenet.com> wrote in message
news:41d54c2f_1@Usenet.com...
>
Snip
> >
> >
>
> I'll compliment you on the many good points and counterpoints you raised.
>
> I just want to clarify that the basis of my argument on Christmas
coinciding
> with the date of Mythra's birthday is not that Mythra's birthday
> historically just happens to coincide with the early church's choice of
date
> to celebrate Jesus Christ. For example, if Halloween falls on a meeting
> night at the Kingdom Hall you are correct that we wouldn't preempt the
> meeting to another night. I'm also not suggesting that a "neutral" day of
> the year is a day where nothing of anything of pagan historical
significance
> has ever happened.
>
> Rather, my understanding is the early church in the 4th century
specifically
> chose December 25th to celebrate Christ's birthday because at the time
they
> were also celebrating Mythra's birthday on that same date. They decided to
> consolidate the two dates so they could celebrate BOTH birthdays at the
same
> time.
>
I do not think this is right. I believe they celebrated Christ's birthday
in place of Mythra's.
> I'll give you an analogy as to why I find this offensive. Imagine if a
> family member was adopted from a foreign country where the parents were
> killed (such as an infant orphan from the current tsunami crisis whose
> parents were killed and birth records destroyed, adopted by an American
> couple). Since the couple doesn't know the infant's exact birthday,
lacking
> birth records destroyed in the disaster, they decide for personal reasons
it
> would be nice to celebrate that birthday on the same date as their own
> child's birthday on February 17th. In other words, in lack of knowing the
> exact birthday (as is the case of Jesus) the couple makes a conscious
choice
> of dates, in this case, it's the same birthdate as their own natural
> child's, so they can celebrate both birthdays together.
>
> Now, in the case of Jesus, the early church in the 4th century made a
> conscious choice of dates for another reason. Having abandoned pure
> Christianity and having turned to false gods as did the Israelites
> chronicled in the book of Exodus (chapters 33 and 34), the early church
> celebrated Mythra's birthday on December 25th already.
>
> Not knowing Jesus Christ's birthday, the church leaders decided, why not
> consolidate the two birthdays into one? We can honor the god Mythra and at
> the same time honor Jesus Christ, they reasoned! And so was born
Christmas.
>
Wrong!
> This is NOT the same as my making a big to-do about Christmas because it
> coincidentally happens to fall on the same day as some pagan celebration!
> Rather, the very church that was supposed to be Christ's prophesied
faithful
> and wise servant or faithful and discreet slave (compare Matthew 24:45-51)
> turned to celebrating a false god, a practice which Jehovah abhors.
Instead
> of setting aside a separate date for the celebrating of Jesus Christ's
> birthday, they decided to consolidate the two, almost as if they viewed
> Mythra and Christ as siblings who should be honored together as equals.
>
> Interestingly, the only birthday ever mentioned in the Bible was king
> Herod's, who received a gruesome gift: the head of John the Baptist!
>
> (Matthew 14:1-13) 14 At that particular time Herod, the district ruler,
> heard the report about Jesus 2 and said to his servants: "This is John the
> Baptist. He was raised up from the dead, and this is why the powerful
works
> are operating in him." 3 For Herod had arrested John and bound him and put
> him away in prison on account of He·roŽdi·as the wife of Philip his
brother.
> 4 For John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to be having
> her." 5 However, although he wanted to kill him, he feared the crowd,
> because they took him for a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was being
> celebrated the daughter of He·roŽdi·as danced at it and pleased Herod so
> much 7 that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8
Then
> she, under her mother's coaching, said: "Give me here upon a platter the
> head of John the Baptist." 9 Grieved though he was, the king out of regard
> for his oaths and for those reclining with him commanded it to be given;
10
> and he sent and had John beheaded in the prison. 11 And his head was
brought
> on a platter and given to the maiden, and she brought it to her mother. 12
> Finally his disciples came up and removed the corpse and buried him and
came
> and reported to Jesus. 13 At hearing this Jesus withdrew from there by
boat
> into a lonely place for isolation; but the crowds, getting to hear of it,
> followed him on foot from the cities.
>
> No other mention of anyone's birthday celebration appears in the Old or
New
> Testaments of the Holy Bible. I find this very interesting in light of
what
> I just said above.
>
>
I believe you are wrong on that too.
Gramps
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