Pardon the interuption to the "Why Believe Anything . ." part of this blog...

War on Christmas?

I tried to post this at Facebook....... but they only allow short comments and won't let me post the rest so here it is.

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Someone wrote “Christmas is a Pagan Holiday, So Stop Whining About the War On Christmas. “ what follows are comments about this…
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Eli Dreamer wrote ….
Do mean it's origins had pagan elements? Did it have any elements that might point to Christ? Does evil only affect good things, can't good affect evil? why is there air? what happens inside the fridge when the door is closed?
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MM wrote ….
There's nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of Christ. But we can't baptize paganism and call it "Christian" by popular consensus. That's what the Romans tried to do.What happens when you add 1% strychnine to a glass of water?
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Eli Dreamer wrote…
I wasn't baptizing anything or anyone. Just because people used to think evergreen trees should used as a symbol a part of a non-Christian spiritual celebration, doesn't mean that the evergreen trees are now and forever a symbol of whatever evil non-Christian spiritual celebration they read it was associated with.

I read that Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. Well, they worshiped cats, but I don’t think I’ll keep cats out of my house or treat them in any way related to what the Egyptians did. I don’t think anyone will think I’m giving good press to Egyptian deities because of cats in my house, even if I celebrate the birthday of my cat

I read that Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.

Christians often refer to the lamp as symbolic of that which lights my path through life. Pastries make a lot of people happy, but they usually have to eat at least one for the happiness thing to work. Coins are given as positive symbols for the future without any belief that there is any ‘spiritual’ stuff at work behind the scenes. Before they were symbols, these items were what they were; a lamp was a way to make it easier to see in the dark, gifts were things given and received for any number of reasons, pastries were pastries, and coins were money. Even today, the paper money we use is only a symbol of ‘legal tender for all debts, public and private.’ I can’t think of anybody who gives gifts, lamps, or money who are even aware of a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, much less do so as some sort of celebration of Saturnus.

I also read how centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits.

They didn’t tell say what the ‘mysterious’ rituals were, but even if they were detestable things that’s what Druids did the following is still true. Holly and mistletoe are plants (just like evergreens are trees) and before the Druids did things with them they were nice (and God created them). So are these items guilty by association? I’ve hung out with a serial killer, and other sinners, I suppose some people think I’m unfit to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, but to quote Larry Norman, “Here I am, talking ‘bout Jesus just the same.”

I read about a band called Black Sabbath that played guitar, bass, and drums in what is referred to as a loud raucous type of music, and they sang and spoke of evil things. I don’t think I’ll ban guitars, bass, and drums from my house nor refuse to play them loudly (not that I’ll only play them loud). I think that Black Sabbath sometimes played Em and Am and several other chords, but the chords aren’t evil because they were used by Black Sabbath (or any other band or artist) If anything they take on the symbolism of the current user, but then meaning (like beauty) is in the eye of the beholder.

The Cross used to be a tree, later it was a despised implement of torture, later it became a symbol of Christ’s good news, sometimes it’s used to in various structures like sail boat, windows, bridges, chairs, etc…

People on all sides of the “Christmas” issue have their own agendas that are trying to push. My side is everyone should quit bitching about how someone else is doing it and learn how to love one another. (I know that sounds way to hippy like, but I digress).