Question about borrowing

[Amused_despair]

God was very strict in the Old Testament about the Jewish people not mixing with other religions and adopting the foreign customs and practices as their own. He was angry with King Solomon for marrying wives of different religious beliefs and adopting some of their practices. How do you think he feels about Christianity borrowing from so many different faiths to celebrate such holidays as Christmas and Easter?

 

[PsyOps]

I'm not convinced God gives it much thought.

 

[Radiant1]

People get all het up about December 25th not being Jesus' real birthday. If it's not, so what? It was practice for some people on or around that day to celebrate the sun and lengthening of days, which meant light and life. Jesus is the light and life of the world, so in my view the symbolism is perfect and beautiful -- same goes for a yule log and all that jazz. If my family decides to celebrate my birthday four months before or after my actual birthday, does it make it any less a celebration of my birth?

Easter, again, beautiful symbolism that expresses a theological truth. Eggs = new life; Jesus Resurrection = new life. Not sure about the bunny thing, but I don't really care because I like bunnies, they're cute and cuddly and they make me feel good and salvation makes me feel good too.

I personally don't care where the symbolism or "borrowing" if you will comes from as long as it's apt. I happen to believe that Christianity is UNIVERSAL, and part of this universalism is to take from other faiths or cultures what is true or harmless and throw out the rest. I don't see a problem with this because in Christian eyes truth is truth no matter where you find it. After all, the entire world was preparing for the coming of the Savior so it's not unusual to find some truth (as opposed to the fullness of) in other faiths that pre-dated Christianity*, and there's nothing wrong with what some call pagan "borrowing" in our holy days. Baptize pagans, baptize what was good of their practices. It's not as if Christians are worshipping other gods by having a Christmas tree in their house. :shrug:

*I could go on about the 7 covenants of re-creation in the OT and how the OT was an ongoing progressive revelation in addition to the Axial Age of unrelated world thinkers being a preparation for all of this and how that ties into truth being truth no matter where you find it and how that is no threat to Christianity, but I'll spare you those details.

 

[hotcoffee]

God was very strict in the Old Testament about the Jewish people not mixing with other religions and adopting the foreign customs and practices as their own. He was angry with King Solomon for marrying wives of different religious beliefs and adopting some of their practices. How do you think he feels about Christianity borrowing from so many different faiths to celebrate such holidays as Christmas and Easter?

Personally.... since Solomon didn't listen.... I would think God thinks poking our holidays under the nose of those who celebrate the pagan holidays is a good thing. It allows us to celebrate and educate.

But that's just my opinion....

 

[foodcritic]

Have not been here for a long time. HotCoffee I hope your health is well.

 

[PsyOps]

Personally.... since Solomon didn't listen.... I would think God thinks poking our holidays under the nose of those who celebrate the pagan holidays is a good thing. It allows us to celebrate and educate.

But that's just my opinion....

I would have to find it, but I seem to remember reading that those who decided to have Christmas on Dec 25 was to coincide with the pagan celebrations in order to spread the Word among the pagans.

 

[b23hqb]

I would have to find it, but I seem to remember reading that those who decided to have Christmas on Dec 25 was to coincide with the pagan celebrations in order to spread the Word among the pagans.

There are pros and cons to that issue as well. There are a number of articles - this one is long, but really in depth about the archeological and historical aspects of it:

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/...w-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/

"In the end we are left with a question: How did December 25 become Christmas? We cannot be entirely sure. Elements of the festival that developed from the fourth century until modern times may well derive from pagan traditions. Yet the actual date might really derive more from Judaism—from Jesus’ death at Passover, and from the rabbinic notion that great things might be expected, again and again, at the same time of the year—than from paganism. Then again, in this notion of cycles and the return of God’s redemption, we may perhaps also be touching upon something that the pagan Romans who celebrated Sol Invictus, and many other peoples since, would have understood and claimed for their own, too.16"

So we remain at maybe, or maybe not.

 

[PsyOps]

There are pros and cons to that issue as well. There are a number of articles - this one is long, but really in depth about the archeological and historical aspects of it:

http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/...w-testament/how-december-25-became-christmas/

"In the end we are left with a question: How did December 25 become Christmas? We cannot be entirely sure. Elements of the festival that developed from the fourth century until modern times may well derive from pagan traditions. Yet the actual date might really derive more from Judaism—from Jesus’ death at Passover, and from the rabbinic notion that great things might be expected, again and again, at the same time of the year—than from paganism. Then again, in this notion of cycles and the return of God’s redemption, we may perhaps also be touching upon something that the pagan Romans who celebrated Sol Invictus, and many other peoples since, would have understood and claimed for their own, too.16"

So we remain at maybe, or maybe not.

It really doesn't much matter to me. None of the efforts to discount Christianity because of its ties to pagan symbols or rituals proves, at all, that God doesn't exist; and that is the only purpose behind people that use that argument. It's like using the Big Bang to prove God doesn't exist. It doesn't at all. Just like saying there is a God doesn't prove there was never a Big Bang. Since none of us have seen either how do you prove one against the other? It's pointless.