What About Christmas and Christians

What About Christmas and Christians?

The pagan roots of Christmas are well known as any good Encyclopedia (except Catholic edited ones, e.g. “World Book”) will let you know. However, it is the “Christian” roots that are disturbing. Of course the writers of the New Testament never once indicate that any Christian ever celebrated the birth day of Christ during the New Testament period (44 to 97 AD). For another 200 years no one ever associated December 25^th with Christ or His birth. In fact, those who later began to celebrate His birth were divided over the exact time they should celebrate it. However, no one celebrated it on December 25^th. When it came time to unify those in the Roman Catholic tradition concerning the celebration of His birth there were a variety of dates that were offered. However, the Roman Catholic Church adopted December 25^th in order to substitute it for the celebration of the winter solstice so that pagans would come into their church.

“However, most scholars believe that Christmas originated in the 4th century as a Christian substitute for pagan celebrations of the winter solstice.”

Moreover, Rome made this day their high mass and therefore entitled the celebration as “Christ-mass.” In time almost all the pagan traditions associated with this day were adopted and Christianized. Hence, Rome created a day to celebrate the birth of Christ that included all the pagan traditions historically associated with it and in addition to that, they named and identified that day with the demonic practice of mass. We say “demonic” as Paul tells us in I Timothy 4:1 that demons are the source of all false doctrine. Surely, if any doctrine is demonic it is Rome’s mass.

Baptist Christians (long called “Anabaptists) refused to celebrate this day and even for several hundred years after the Reformation, neither Baptists or Protestantism celebrated it in England or America. In England it had been outlawed by the Puritans and in America it was considered part of Catholicism. It wasn’t until about the 1850’s that public opinion began to change and Christmas very slowly became a practice among Protestants and Baptists. This change was due largely to Charles Dickens and his book entitled “The Christmas Carol.” Dickens presented a reversal of the actual truth. In that book he characterized the majority of people as those who practiced Christmas and only the minority such as Ebenezer Scrooge who did not. Dickens then toured the United States giving lectures about his books whereby he greatly popularized Christmas among Protestants and Baptists by charactering those who did not as “Ebenezer Scrooge.”

Many evangelical Christians today are returning to the non practice of Christmas as well as other pagan Catholic holidays. Why? For several reasons that are based upon clear Biblical principles.

First, Christians recognize that Rome violated clear Biblical precepts in adopting pagan customs and then christianizing them. The Bible clearly forbids doing this:

Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen….” – Jeremiah 10:2-3

Many believe that Jeremiah is actually referring to the pagan root of Christmas long before it developed into the practice it is today. In other words, what later developed into the “Christmas tree” actually began as idolatry. Baal worship was conducted in the groves of trees. Both palm trees and fir trees had long been used for such idols. This would explain the custom of placing gifts at the foot of the Christmas tree as it points back to when a tree was transformed into an idol god and gifts were offered to it.

However, the point Jeremiah 10:2-3 is making is it is wrong to adopt pagan customs as this is forbidden by God. Rome violated this command when it adopted December 25^th and the pagan customs associated with it. This command would also prohibit the Christianization of pagan customs. Nowhere in the Bible is there one example where God led His people to adopt a pagan custom or practice and then Christianize it. In fact, it is the very opposite that is found in the Scriptures. God commands His people to completely separate from all such customs and practices and have nothing to do with them.

“And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? ¹⁶And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ¹⁷Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” 2 Cor. 6:15-17

When God wanted them to practice a holy day, He invented it and designed every aspect of it to His liking. Never does He “redeem” a pagan celebration or holy day nor does He every lead His people to do such.

However, this “redemption” idea practiced by Rome is still used as the justification for celebrating Christmas by many today.

Second, there is absolutely no command found in Scriptures to celebrate Christ’s birth and neither is one example of any church or Christian ever doing so in the scriptures and yet it is one of the most important and popular “Christian” holydays since its invention by Rome. Significantly the first command as well as example of such a practice come from those who were the first apostate churches that united with the Roman state government. It is these “Christians” and “churches” that used the sword not only to force pagan’s to be baptized under a sword but later used the sword against other Christians.

Third, the direct association of the name of Christ with the Roman Catholic “Mass” is blasphemous to the person of Christ and the evangelical doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The Catholic “mass” is the open denial of the finished work of Christ on the cross. It is the presentation of Christ as an unending and continuing sacrifice still being offered over and over again.

Fourth, the Son of God warned His disciples concerning the world. He told them that the world hated Him and everything connected with Him.

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” – Jn. 15:18-19

The very fact that the whole world loves Christmas should indicate that it is not of God.

Of course, where Christmas really is powerful is in its appeal to children and family fun. However, this is not the first time such a family fun and child orientated custom has tripped up God’s people:

“Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? ¹⁸The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven” – Jer. 7:17-18

Again, Jeremiah describes the ancient customs that many scholar believe later developed into the Roman Catholic Christmas. The “Queen of heaven” was the ancient pagan goddess that originated with Semaramis the wife of Nimrod (Baal). She is depicted in Babylonian paganism as a woman holding a child. Roman Catholics concept of Mary holding the babe Jesus come directly from this pagan idea of the Mother Goddess. Alexander Hislop in his well documented book entitled “The Two Babylons” pages19-90 historically proves this beyond any reasonable question. Hislop wrote during a time when Christmas was still considered pagan by the vast majority of evangelical Christianity.

In essence, the practice of Christmas is the modernization of ancient Baal worship that gripped Israel and for which God punished her so severely. Of course, that was Baal worship without the veneer of modern Christian epitaphs. That was pure pagan idolatry whereas today what we have is Christianized idolatry. No wonder ancient Israel had so much of a problem divorcing herself from this custom in its ancient form. The same family fun and appeal to children continues to be the force that grips God’s people today.

The Church at Rome influences the whole world through its pagan traditions and is predicted to do so by the Scriptures:

“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: ²With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. ³So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: ⁵And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. ⁶And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.” – Rev. 17:2-6

This symbolic woman is identified as the ruling city over the earth in Revelation 17:18

“And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth” – Rev. 17:18

That city was Rome. However, this symbolic woman does not represent the political or civil Rome but the religious Rome. How do we know that to be true? She is said to ride upon the beast and thus is separate from the beast. Both in Daniel and in Revelation the “beast” is symbolic of pagan government. Hence, she is not the government of pagan Rome. She is described in the exact opposite terms of Christ’s faithful church – the Bride. What John sees is the rise of polluted Christianity that developed as a result of incorporating ancient Babylonian religion with Christianity in a marriage with secular world governments. This is exactly what the church at Rome did under Constantine the Great. The whole Roman college of Cardinals as well as the office of “pope” comes directly out of ancient Babylonian religion.

What John describes here is the ancient anti-Christ religion that began with Cain and developed with Nimrod and then spread at the tower of Babel unto all the earth. This ancient paganism now takes upon the cloak of Christianity and becomes a world dominating force in the latter days. Her influence over all the world is noted in the phrase:

^“With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication” – Rev. 17:2

The Vatican has an embassy in the United States and in most all other nations. All the world have drunk deep into her cup of paganism as the whole world celebrates her revived pagan christianized holidays even those countries which are atheistic. Indeed, it seems that it is the very practice of Christmas that is being celebrated by those who kill God’s two prophets in Revelation 11:

“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. ¹⁰And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.” – Rev. 11:9-11

Christians are commanded to “come out of her” and be not “partakers of her sins.”

“And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” – Rev. 18:4

What is “her sins”? Her primary sins is what she conceals under the name of “Christianity.” What is that? It is Babylonian PAGANISM. She is not merely the church married to the state/world but she is the church married to paganism, all of which, is hidden MYSTERIOUSLY under the cloak of Christian terminology. This is her great “sins.”

Last of all, Christmas not only violates the principles of Scripture in regard to adopting pagan customs; defiles Christ by its roots of paganism and by associating His name with the demonic “mass” but it also degrades him by its merchandising, greed and open carnality and drinking.

Santa Claus considered by many as a harmless myth actually robs God of His attributes and glory. Instead of God being the source of all good gifts that glory goes to Santa. Instead of God being omnipresent and omniscient those attributes are given to Santa as he is universally present at every home on Christmas night and he omnisciently knows whether all children have been good or bad. When children find out that Santa is a myth and then you try to tell them about Jesus who did things miraculous will the child believe you or wonder when your going to start telling the truth?

Many Christians see these abominable things about Christmas and so yell for reform by crying out “Lets put Christ back into Christmas.” However, the real truth is that Christ never was in Christmas. History clearly reveals that Christ was an ADDITION to this pagan custom rather than the source. Indeed the real facts of the Bible narrative of Christ’s birth indicate clearly that He was born some time in late September or early October while the shepherds were still tending their flocks in the fields. Even the Jewish Encyclopedia can see the obvious flaw of trying to put Christ back into Christmas. He never was in it in the first place. Pagan Christianity with pagan doctrine took a pagan practice merely put Christ into paganism.

Others attempt to hold to the practice of Christmas by giving the justification that it affords an opportunity to speak of Christ to the lost world that otherwise they would not hear. However, one may still take advantage of this opportunity without practicing the corruption yourself. In fact, it may be more of a witness to the world not to practice it since even atheists and all God haters practice it.

I am convinced that Christians should distance themselves from Catholic holidays as far as possible. Why? I believe we are living in the last days when the Great Harlot will soon dominate professed Christianity more than she already does. Revelation 17 clearly demonstrates that she is the result of paganism being Christianized. Hence, all her practices and holy days should be expected to characterize that same mixture. The command to “come out of her” is also coupled with “be not a partaker with her” in her paganized Christianity. Christmas and Easter are obvious pagan practices being Christianized. The Bible and apostolic Christianity is not the source of such a mixture but we know who is. That “MYSTERY BABYLON” the Great Harlot is the one who has Christianized both of these pagan holidays.

We are not to be associated with Roman Catholicism and its Christian paganism. I do not believe that Christ is honored by association with paganism, especially ancient Baalism under Christian terminology.

Yes, it is difficult to run against the public grain but isn’t that really the norm for real Christianity? Is there really any religious common ground between Christ and the world? Go back into the early history of America and England before the advent of Charles Dickens and “The Christmas Carol” and you will discover that the vast majority of evangelical Christians were the “Ebenezar Srcooge” Dickens was vilifying rather than some cult like the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Conclusion

Before you disagree with what I have said in the above article please read another article entitled “Who is The Great Whore” which you will find on our website. In that article I demonstrate that the way that the way that the Great Harlot has made others drink (partake) of the “cup” of her filthiness and fornication is by two means. First, openly and obviously bringing into the kingdom of God her raw pagan doctrines, practices and holydays. Second, by bringing them in under the disguise of the name of “Christ” and “Biblical truth” and “Christian traditions.” The name has been changed to protect the guilty and to deceive the simple and the lost professor.