wrong idea about chirstmas....i want to know what you think

[Super Sexy Goldfish]

Christ, bibically, wasn't even born in December. It was a pagan holiday, and the christians moved Jesus's birthday to then. The wreath and christmas tree is also pagan.

Besides, Christmas is now about good will to all and such, it is not just a Christian holiday, infact, it wasn't a Christian holiday to begin with!

[StarfyreDragon]

Diabhalta

StarfyreDragon

Diabhalta

Thank you for correcting me. I've only been going on this topic by what I've heard about it from people and different things I have read. I'm more involved in discovering fallacies of the bible at the moment.

Yea... I think that Christianity was originally supposed to just be more of an updated form of Judaism as I see it, mostly because I think that Christ was only a prophet.

I agree in lot of ways. Christ was definitely a good guy. However, Paul (who screwed up his teachings in a LOT of ways definitely wasn't.) Sad that Christianity is more based on Paul instead of Jesus. World could have been a better place. But romans like Paul better since he was a roman.

Corrupt churches have a tendency to ruin religions. I can just imagine how many lives and wars could have been prevented if everything had gone like it was supposed to. My own form of Christianity that I follow basically throws anything that the Catholic church declares law, Jesus' divinity, and most of all, Hell. It's like Judaism without Levecticus.

Ooo, sounds like you've got a good head on your shoulders ^^ I'm impressed.

Random tidbit just popped to mind that you might like. Tselem, that was the original word used for image when the bible says "Man was made in God's image" or whatever your version says. Tselem is closer to idol in a lot of ways, and a specific meaning of the word idol. It meant "That which is to be used in place of the deity/king/individual when the deity/king/individual is not around". So basically, mankind was made to be God when God is not currently giving orders and commands, according to that scripture. So just as a note, the bible encourages humankind to 'play god'. ^^

[StarfyreDragon]

Magical Mrs. Mistoffelees

Christ, bibically, wasn't even born in December. It was a pagan holiday, and the christians moved Jesus's birthday to then. The wreath and christmas tree is also pagan.

Besides, Christmas is now about good will to all and such, it is not just a Christian holiday, infact, it wasn't a Christian holiday to begin with!

I 'woot' to you.

[dawnofthelight]

Jonathan_Tan1

I THINK THAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT CHRIST

Sorry, but that conclusion violates the fact that we run in a secular government. Because of this, the "true meaning" of Christmas (or Christ mass) was taken away; it became a time of commercialization for businessmen ever since the suggestion of stretching thanksgiving into Christmas, to make Christmas longer, was made (to lengthen the Christmas shopping season and boost the economy), in the great Depression. Christmas doesn't have any significant religious denotation. Also, Christmas, once called yule, was celebrated in pre-Christian times by Germanic pagans as a holiday of the coming of the winter solstice. The date in which this winter festival was celebrated was determined by the lunar calendar, but then came the Julian calendar, and the Christianization of Yule, which was the beginning of the term "Christ mass", which then turned into Christmas. So, you guys altered the meaning of yule, just like the government and businessman altered the meaning of your Christmas. Plus, it is very Inaccurate to celebrate Christ's birth on December. But if that's what you want it to be about, personally, then fine. Whenever I hear this, it subjectively sounds to me like you're celebrating the fact that Christians stole the pagan holiday, "yule".

Jonathan_Tan1

CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT THE GIFT OF GOD, JESUS CHRIST, WHO CAME TO EARTH TO DIE ON THE CROSS FOR our SINS!!!

Sorry, not really in my opinion.

CedricOfBloodMist

i think everyone has gotten the wrong idea about christmas Christmas....

actually, there really is no REAL meaning to it, it's just a generally joyful day to buy presents, what that means to you personally is fine, but don't go around telling people their perceived meaning of the day is wrong with no explicit empirical evidence, or argument backed up behind it.

[kuro_itonami]

That's how it started except if you really know your history Jesus was not born on xmas they changed the date but whatever anyway I'm not religious so for me xmas is about friends, family, fun, and of course PRESENTS!!!!

[CarlosCruz]

I regard jesus as any other man that did his best for humanity. Yet people still think that the bible is what we should follow than love for mankind. Why just celebrate one day anyway when you can follow his teachings throughout your life?

[DeathKnell]

Christmas is about Christ, ultimately. What we celebrate it for doesn't matter. Christmas can be about whatever you want. For me, it's about family, food, and gifts. It's my favorite time of the year. Enjoy it however you want.

[unholyindulgence]

FireBreathingDragon

ghosba.sensei

jdogz1314

i think everyone has gotten the wrong idea about christmas....its supposed to be about chirsts birth not presents its a great time for family but i want people to remember the real reason we celebrate...now hehe ive given my shpeal what do you think???????

Considering that Christ's Birth actually happened sometime around August, and that Christmas as we celebrate it was originally the Winter Solstice, I think it's fine the way it is now.

Not to mention he was actually born in/around 3 BC....

What does that matter?

[orphanedhanyou]

todays "Christian" society is nothing but people that regard themselves as "moral"--they aren't Christians and hate being held accountable for their actions
and to all the people who won't allow schools and post offices and public places to put up "Merry Christmas" signs and trees because they "offend" people and it "forces" them to participate in Christianity------i can guarantee you that all of those people complaining are getting presents and decorate their houses for Christmas-----its a holiday because its a day that is significant to a majority of people----if you feel "offended" by it then you can give up your presents and your tree and have Santa Clause Day on December 26th

and of course he wasn't born on Christmas---so who cares!!!!!!!!!! its just a day to formally celebrate!!!!!!! with all the things you take for granted which God gave you: family, friends, and prosperity in which you are able to afford presents you won't ever touch again after New Years.

[Rabid SquirreI]

i would rather deny god because i wouldnt want to live in a world where you are forst to believe in something ... ninja

[orphanedhanyou]

the reason for moving Christmas to Dec. 25th is because the pagans had accepted the Christian faith but they had ancient traditions that they didn't want to give up so they were modified.



The Date of Christmas
The idea to celebrate Christmas on December 25 originated in the 4th century. The Catholic Church wanted to eclipse the festivities of a rival pagan religion that threatened Christianity's existence. The Romans celebrated the birthday of their sun god, Mithras during this time of year. Although it was not popular, or even proper, to celebrate people's birthdays in those times, church leaders decided that in order to compete with the pagan celebration they would themselves order a festival in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Although the actual season of Jesus' birth is thought to be in the spring, the date of December 25 was chosen as the official birthday celebration as Christ's Mass so that it would compete head on with the rival pagan celebration. Christmas was slow to catch on in America. The early colonists considered it a pagan ritual. The celebration of Christmas was even banned by law in Massachusetts in colonial days.

Mistletoe and Holly
Two hundred years before the birth of Christ, the Druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They would gather this evergreen plant that is parasitic upon other trees and used it to decorate their homes. They believed the plant had special healing powers for everything from female infertility to poison ingestion. Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief. The early church banned the use of mistletoe in Christmas celebrations because of its pagan origins. Instead, church fathers suggested the use of holly as an appropriate substitute for Christmas greenery.



Poinsettias
Poinsettias are native to Mexico. They were named after America's first ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett. He brought the plants to America in 1828. The Mexicans in the eighteenth century thought the plants were symbolic of the Star of Bethlehem. Thus the Poinsettia became associated with the Christmas season. The actual flower of the poinsettia is small and yellow. But surrounding the flower are large, bright red leaves, often mistaken for petals.

The Christmas Tree
The Christmas Tree originated in Germany in the 16th century. It was common for the Germanic people to decorate fir trees, both inside and out, with roses, apples, and colored paper. It is believed that Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, was the first to light a Christmas tree with candles. While coming home one dark winter's night near Christmas, he was struck with the beauty of the starlight shining through the branches of a small fir tree outside his home. He duplicated the starlight by using candles attached to the branches of his indoor Christmas tree. The Christmas tree was not widely used in Britain until the 19th century. It was brought to America by the Pennsylvania Germans in the 1820's.

Xmas
This abbreviation for Christmas is of Greek origin. The word for Christ in Greek is Xristos. During the 16th century, Europeans began using the first initial of Christ's name, "X" in place of the word Christ in Christmas as a shorthand form of the word. Although the early Christians understood that X stood for Christ's name, later Christians who did not understand the Greek language mistook "Xmas" as a sign of disrespect.

The Candy Cane
Candy canes have been around for centuries, but it wasn't until around 1900 that they were decorated with red stripes and bent into the shape of a cane. They were sometimes handed out during church services to keep the children quiet. One story that is often told about the origin of the candy cane is as follows:

In the late 1800's a candy maker in Indiana wanted to express the meaning of Christmas through a symbol made of candy. He came up with the idea of bending one of his white candy sticks into the shape of a Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols of Christ's love and sacrifice through the Candy Cane. First, he used a plain white peppermint stick. The color white symbolizes the purity and sinless nature of Jesus. Next, he added three small stripes to symbolize the pain inflicted upon Jesus before His death on the cross. There are three of them to represent the Holy Trinity. He added a bold stripe to represent the blood Jesus shed for mankind. When looked at with the crook on top, it looks like a shepherd's staff because Jesus is the shepherd of man. If you turn it upside down, it becomes the letter J symbolizing the first letter in Jesus' name. The candy maker made these candy canes for Christmas, so everyone would remember what Christmas is all about.

Santa Claus
The original Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, was born in Turkey in the 4th century. He was very pious from an early age, devoting his life to Christianity. He became widely known for his generosity for the poor. But the Romans held him in contempt. He was imprisoned and tortured. But when Constantine became emperor of Rome, he allowed Nicholas to go free. Constantine became a Christian and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325. Nicholas was a delegate to the council. He is especially noted for his love of children and for his generosity. He is the patron saint of sailors, Sicily, Greece, and Russia. He is also, of course, the patron saint of children. The Dutch kept the legend of St. Nicholas alive. In 16th century Holland, Dutch children would place their wooden shoes by the hearth in hopes that they would be filled with a treat. The Dutch spelled St. Nicholas as Sint Nikolaas, which became corrupted to Sinterklaas, and finally, in Anglican, to Santa Claus. In 1822, Clement C. Moore composed his famous poem, "A Visit from St. Nick," which was later published as "The Night Before Christmas." Moore is credited with creating the modern image of Santa Claus as a jolly fat man in a red suit.

[unholyindulgence]

CarlosCruz

I regard jesus as any other man that did his best for humanity.

Same.

[orphanedhanyou]

again you aren't "forced" to believe anything----man might try to make you, but God gave you a choice and its yours to make

[DeathKnell]

orphanedhanyou

again you aren't "forced" to believe anything----man might try to make you, but God gave you a choice and its yours to make

Could you type a little larger? I can't quite read that. Maybe in an obnoxious color.