Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [RELIGION] Good christians celebrating pagan holidays...

[Stephen Montgomery-Smith <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Rick Buford wrote:
> This one's been bugging me since I first heard it, so I did a (very) 
> little digging...
>
> Many of today's widely celebrated Christian holidays, over which much 
> debate has raged regarding nativity scenes and "Christian" decorations, 
> were at one time pagan holidays that were adapted to Christian use to 
> make the conversion of pagan to Christian more palatable.
>
> Christmas:
> http://de.essortment.com/christmaspagan_rece.htm
> http://www.origin-of-christmas.com/
>
> Easter:
> http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter1.htm
>
> So, my question/discussion point is: how do Christians feel about the 
> fact that many of the traditions widely accepted as "Christian" ones 
> appear to have been adopted from pagan religions?

I think it is a good thing.  It helped to establish Christianity amongst 
pagans.

That Christianity/Judaism takes secular ideas and converts it to its own 
purposes is well established.  For example, I believe that the first 
city was established by Cain (the murderer of Abel), and he did this in 
express violation of God's command that he should not settle anywhere. 
But since then, the symbolism of "the city of God" has been used as a 
good notion in Christianity.

An extreme example is Solomon, who was born to David and Bathsheba, it 
would seem as a blessing to their relationship.  But David and 
Bathsheba's coming together was anything but good (indeed David's 
actions, not just adultery, but murder and tremendous abuse of power, 
make the present day Clinton seem like a saint in comparison.)

--

Stephen Montgomery-Smith
EMAIL:PROTECTED
http://www.math.missouri.edu/~stephen

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