Pagan Christianity
A
Biblical and Historical Study
By Dr. J. D. Watson
From
the back cover of the printed
booklet:
The so-called “Christian
holidays”—Christmas, Easter, and all the symbols that go
with them—are at the very heart of much Christian
worship and activity. But what are the true origins of
these holidays? In this study, the author traces these
origins back in history and shows conclusively that
their origins are, in fact, not Christian at all, but
totally pagan.
But even more
important than these origins, the author also presents a
much ignored aspect of this controversial subject,
namely, that their observance violates the Biblical
principle that no manner of worship should be used that
is not instituted in Scripture. He shows from history
how many Godly Christians—such as the Puritans—have
rejected these holidays in an attempt to keep
Christianity pure.
This booklet is not
meant to attack anyone but to inform and encourage
Christians of the true history and significance of
practices that form the celebrations of Christmas and
Easter (as well as a mention of Valentine’s Day, and
Halloween). The author’s motivating force is, as always,
Sola Scriptura—The Scripture
Alone.
To call what
follows “controversial” would be an understatement to
say the least. A more accurate word would probably be
“volatile.” It is a study of what are commonly called
“the Christian Holidays.” It is not meant to attack
anyone but to inform and encourage Christians of the
true history and significance of practices that form the
celebrations of Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, and
Halloween.
May I say again, I know how “controversial” all
this is. As I’ll mention on the next page, I know from
experience how upset people get when confronted with
these facts. But I also know how vital it is that
Christians face these facts and consider the application
they demand in their lives. I pray that you the reader
will bear with me and consider prayerfully what
follows.
To begin our study, may we look briefly at two
texts of Scripture. The first text appears in I
Thessalonians 1:9:
For they themselves show
of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and
how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and
true God.
This verse
refers to the idolatry of the Greek world, which
included all kinds of superstition, endless and empty
ritual, and even immoral behavior. But Paul here
declares that the
believers in Thessalonica came out of this paganism when
they came to Christ. Therefore,
their coming out of such religion was an evidence that
they were true followers and servants of Christ.
Our second text is Revelation
2:20:
Notwithstanding I have a
few things against thee, because thou allowest that
woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to
teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication,
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
We find here a
graphic illustration of idolatry. A certain woman had
lured the church into allowing pagan practices unto the
church.
The point of
this section is to challenge every Christian reader to
rid his or her life of that which reeks of paganism. The
material presented here is not personal opinion, rather
historical
fact, which frankly cannot be denied or even
maturely argued. This information is readily available
in reference books.[1] Yes, I’ll offer personal application for the
believer, but this too is based on facts, not the
opinions of one writer. The question every Christian
will have to ask himself (or herself) is, “Am I willing
to listen to and act upon Biblical truth and historical
fact?”
As a pastor, I have taught the following facts
and applications to many Christians. I have had various
reactions. One is that some folks have gotten angry with
me, which was really quite silly since I was only
telling them Biblical and historical facts. Often anger
comes because when confronted by a particular truth we
then become responsible for that truth, and many of us would rather stay
ignorant because we are comfortable in our traditions.
I’ll also not forget the day some 20 years ago
when a fellow pastor happened to be visiting the church
I then pastored. After presenting a few of the truths
here with the sheep there that morning, he said to me
later in an incredulous tone, “I can’t believe you
taught that!” I asked him why, but he just shook his
head and walked away. As you read, I’ll let you think
about why he didn’t answer.
Thankfully, I’ve also seen the opposite reaction.
I have seen many Christians accept the counsel offered
here and as a result see their lives deepen for the
Lord. The third reaction, however, is probably the
worst. I’ve seen some who care not at all, who, with a
shrug of the shoulders, merely go on the way they did
before.
I have only one motive and goal in presenting
this material: to
lift up our Lord Jesus Christ and do away with the
things that distract from His person, work, and
glory. Mere words cannot express
the burden I have had for many years concerning what
follows. So, with this in mind, I prayerfully present
this study.
The History
of the Matter
Nimrod was the grandson of Ham, one of Noah’s
three sons. He founded the great cities of Babel
(Babylon), Erech, Accad, Calneh, and Nineveh (Gen.
10:10–11). It was at Babel that the first organized
system of idolatry began at the infamous Tower of Babel.
Semiramis, Nimrod’s wife, became the first high
priestess of idolatry, and Babylon became the origin of
all pagan religion. In the last days, “the great harlot”
will have written on her forehead, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”
(Rev. 17:5).
Let us imagine for a moment that we are taking a
trip back to Babylon. First, we encounter Semiramis,
Nimrod’s wife. She was deified and considered to be “the
queen of heaven.” In the pagan legends, Semiramis was
miraculously conceived by a sunbeam. This legend would,
in fact, eventually become the basis of the Roman
Catholic teaching of the “immaculate conception” of
Jesus’ mother Mary. Just like Semiramis, Mary became
“the queen of heaven.”
While Semiramis was a beautiful woman, she was
unimaginably depraved and lived in unbridled lust. Upon
her deification, she became the goddess Ishtar, the
goddess of sensual love, maternity, and fertility.
Worship of this “deity” included animal sacrifice, male
and female prostitution, sacrifice of virginity, and at
times even infant sacrifice. The Assyrians also
worshipped Ishtar, while the Phoenicians (including the
Canaanites) worshipped her under a different name,
Astarte. Likewise, this same goddess was worshipped in
pagan Greece under the name Aphrodite, in pagan Rome
under the name Venus, and in pagan Egypt under the name
Isis.
The Old Testament tells us that there were
several occasions when the Israelites fell into the
worship of Baal and Astarte. Two vivid examples of
Astarte worship appear in Judges 2:13 and 10:6. The
Hebrew word for this goddess was Ashtoreth. This is
significant because this word contains the same vowels
as the Hebrew word for “shame,” bosheth. This fact shows how abhorrent this worship
was.
Second, we encounter the god Tammuz, the child of
Ishtar. This, too, was paralleled in other pagan
societies. Among the Canaanites, the child’s name was
Baal (child of Astarte); in Greek society his name was
Adonis (child of Aphrodite); in Roman society his name
was Cupid (child of Venus); and in Egyptian society his
name was Osiris (child of Isis). This god was a great
hunter and was the god of pasture, flocks, subterranean
water, and vegetation. As the story goes of Adonis, he
was killed by a wild boar but was allowed to spend six
months a year with Aphrodite while the other six were
spent in Hades. The same basic story was told of Tammuz.
The apparent death of vegetation in the Middle East
during the hot, dry summer months was, in pagan
thinking, caused by Tammuz’s absence and his descent
into the underworld. His followers, lead by Ishtar,
would weep and mourn his death for forty days (the
origin of “Lent”), and in the spring he would return
bringing the spring rains with him. Worship of Tammuz
involved fertility rites such as the annual “divine
marriage” of the king to the fertility goddess by way of
the temple priestess.
This paganism infected Israel centuries before
the coming of Christ. We find at least two specific
references to this in the Old Testament. First, the
wicked and rebellious Israelite exiles in Egypt insisted
on turning to Ishtar, “the queen of heaven,” which
refers to Ashtoreth (Jer. 7:18 and 44:17–19). Second, we
find a vivid reference to Tammuz in Ezekiel 8:13-14.
While exiled in Babylon with his fellow Jews, the
prophet received a vision from God concerning the
idolatry and “abominations” of the nation of Israel.
Among the pagan practices Ezekial saw were women at the
entrance to the outer court of the Temple at Jerusalem
“weeping for Tammuz” while they awaited his
resurrection. What a terrible thing it was that God’s
people had been drawn into such pagan, God denying
worship!
The
Contamination of the Church
As we’ll outline in a moment, the pagan religion
of old Babylon contaminated the Church and became the
basis for virtually every aspect of our so-called
“Christian holidays.” But when and where did this
contamination occur? When Babylon was destroyed, the
pagan high priest first fled to Pergamum (or Pergamos,
referred to as “where Satan’s throne is” in Rev. 2:13)
and finally to Rome. By the fourth century AD, then, the
transplanted paganism of Babylon had wormed its way into
the Church. It was from that source that the ideas of
Lent, Mary’s immaculate conception, Mary being the
“queen of heaven,” and all the customs of our “Christian
holidays” originated. How tragic it is that the
“mother-child cult” infected the Church, but more tragic
still is the fact the Church continues to cling to
it.
The
Significance to “Christmas”
Returning from our little trip back to Babylon,
we now need to consider the present day significance of
all this. The first area involves the holiday we call
“Christmas.” As we view this holiday, we find that
without exception every aspect of it goes back to pagan origin. Let us
look at several of the customs observed at Christmas
time.
The Date,
December 25th. We must first realize that the Lord
Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th. There is absolutely no
doubt of this for several reasons. One reason is that
even though the winter is not as cold in the Middle East
as it is in many parts of America, the night cold is
still piercing. Therefore, the shepherds did not watch
the sheep in the open fields later than about the end of
October. Another reason is that it would have been too
cold for women and children to be traveling to the city
in which they were taxed. The date of Jesus’ birth is
not known, but without question it had to be in the
spring (probably April or May).
Why then is Jesus’ birth observed on December
25th? At this point we should carefully note that no
such holiday was ever celebrated by the early church. In
point of fact, the Roman Catholic Church adopted
“Christmas” (or “Christ’s Mass”) in the fourth century.
The Roman emperor Constantine made it an official
Roman holiday. Why did Catholicism do this? You see,
long before Christianity, there was a pagan festival
given in honour of Ishtar’s son Tammuz, that is, a
festival given to celebrate Tammuz’s “rebirth.” This was
paralleled in Rome by a festival dedicated to Sol
invictus, the “invincible sun.”
This festival occurred during the “winter solstice,” the
time when the days begin to get longer, around December
22nd. This was also the time of year when the
“Saturnalia” took place. This festival, held from the
17th to the 23rd of December, was held in honour of
Saturnus, the god of agriculture. It was a time of
merriment at the end of the harvest when sacrifices were
made and presents exchanged.
So, the Roman Catholic Church chose December 25th
to celebrate Christ’s birth to try and “offset” the
Saturnalia. It was thought that this would lead the
pagans away from the rebirth of the
“sun” to the birth of the
“Son.” But this is an age-old mistake. The Church has
made the mistake many times in history of trying to meet
the world “half-way.” But where does the Word of God say
that we are to meet the world “half-way?” Where does
God’s Word declare that we are to compromise? Do we ever
see Jesus do that? Did Paul ever do that in his travels
in the book of Acts? Indeed not! How dangerous it is to blend the world with
Christianity! Why? Because Christianity is always
weakened as a result. Paganism and the world in general
are never weakened by such a union, but Christianity is.
This will become even clearer as we
continue.
The
Christmas Tree And The Yule Log.
It is widely held that Martin Luther began the custom of
the Christmas tree in Germany. He felt that as the
evergreen was a symbol of life to the pagans, it could
be a symbol of the Savior to Christians. German
immigrants brought this custom to America in the
nineteenth century. Many Christians today seize on this
idea and even say, “Oh, the Christmas tree is a
beautiful picture of the tree of
Calvary.”
But the Christmas tree is rooted in Babylon! It
did not originate with Luther! The “yule log” was the
sun god cut down by his enemies. This log was burned,
and out from it sprang the evergreen tree, the symbol of
the god coming to life once again. There is reference to
this in Scripture. Judges 3:7, for example, speaks of
Israel serving Baal and Ashtoreth, but the crux of the
matter is found in II Kings 17:9-10, which says that
they set idols beneath “every green tree.” There is no
doubt that this refers to the “evergreen,” a symbol of
life.
I would offer an illustration at this point. Many
years ago I heard a preacher tell of an incident he
remembered from his childhood. He told of a missionary
who, during the Christmas season, was visiting the
church he and his family attended. This missionary was a
native missionary to India and was well aware of the
pagan religion of his country (the parallel of Ishtar
and Tammuz in India is Isi and Iswara). When the
missionary walked into that home and saw a Christmas
tree, he was shocked and appalled that Christians would
have the same decorations that the pagans of his country
worship. Many Christians today say, “Oh, these ancient
customs are dead,” but the fact is that they are very
much alive.
Mistletoe. This custom, which people think is so cute at
Christmas, actually comes from the Druids. The Druids
were the pagan priests of ancient Britain who existed
from the second century BC to the second century AD They
worshipped Mercury, Apollo, and Mars and practiced
sorcery, astrology, and human sacrifice. Analysis proves
that the Druids paralleled the Babylonian system.
Mistletoe was revered by the Druids; they believed it
possessed mysterious and magical powers of healing,
fertility, and good luck. To the Romans, mistletoe was a
symbol of peace. If enemies found themselves under
mistletoe, they would lay down their weapons and declare
a truce. From this came the custom of “kissing under the
mistletoe.”
Holly,
Ivy, and The Wassailing Bowl.
Holly, too, was worshipped as a sign of the sun’s
return. One legend says that Christ’s crown was made of
holly and that before the crucifixion the berries were
white, but afterwards turned red like drops of blood. It
is also thought that the Christmas “wreath” came from
this very legend.
Ivy was the symbol of the wine god Bacchus in
pagan Rome, the worship of whom was characterized by
unrestrained drinking and food orgies. Similarly, the
wassailing bowl has its roots in the drunken festivals
of Babylon.
Santa
Claus And Gift Giving. As
pointed out earlier, “gift giving” is a throw-back to
the Roman Saturnalia. The custom we see today, however,
also came to us through the actions of Saint Nicholas, a
Roman Catholic bishop of the early fourth century.
Supposedly, this bishop gave gold to three poor girls to
provide them dowries for marriage and to prevent their
having to live lives of shame and slavery. So, Nicholas
became the patron saint of children, virgins, sailors,
and merchants. From all this arose the custom of secret
gift giving on the “Eve of St. Nicholas” (December 6th).
This date is, in fact, still observed in Holland. In
America, however, it was just celebrated right along
with Christmas, since this date was close to the 25th.
Oh, would to God that Christians would realize
that “Santa Claus” is nothing but a false God! We hold
him up as one who knows all and sees all and picture him
as one who rewards those who have been good and
withholds from those who have been bad. Why don’t
parents stop and think that they are literally lying to
their children when they teach them about Santa? May we
then ask, if we lie to our children about Santa (whom we
can’t see), why do we think that when they find out it
was a lie they won’t then think that God, too, is a lie
(for neither can we see God)?
Moreover, no one can argue that Santa, presents,
and general commercialization is the emphasis during the
Christmas season. I read some statistics just prior to
the 1986 Christmas season that during the coming
Christmas season over ten billion dollars would be spent
on one and a half billion presents, which would be
wrapped in 150 million dollars worth of paper.
But there are those who object to what I’ve just
presented. Some say, “You are destroying the ‘spirit of
giving.’” On the contrary, may I submit that most giving
at Christmas is done out of obligation, not to mention
the financial debt that we incur. I have seen many
families go into unnecessary debt out of obligation.
Please think of this: If you want to give someone a
gift, you don’t need a special day to give it; give it
anytime. In fact, the gift will mean infinitely more
when given in this way than it will when given out of
obligation or in exchange for a gift given to
you.
The Terms
“Christmas” And “Merry Christmas.” “Christmas”
literally means “Christ’s Mass.” The Roman Catholic mass
is a “continual sacrifice,” a reoffering of Christ’s
body for the sins of the living and the dead. So,
“Christ’s Mass” was (and is) a special mass and feast
day. The implication and application of this is clear.
Why would any evangelical Christian want to be involved
in any way whatsoever in the Roman Catholic mass? Why
would we even want to say the word, much less do
anything that celebrates
it?
The term “Merry Christmas” comes right out of the
“merry-makers” of the feast of Saturnalia. This feasting
would literally go on for days. Not only was there the
wassailing bowl and the drunken revelry that went with
it, but the main course at the feast was wild boar. In
fact, in Medieval England the high point of the feast
was the procession of the chef and waiters carrying the
boar’s head. Why was this done? Because it was a boar
that killed Tammuz and Adonis, and the eating of the
boar was a sign that the boar had been
conquered.
Candles. The burning of candles has always been
associated with pagan religion, and may we add, they are
an integral part of Roman Catholicism. No, it is not
wrong to burn candles in our homes, as many of us do.
But when candles are used for some religions reason, we
have stepped into the shadows of
paganism.
The
“Nativity Scene.” The “Madonna
and Child” come directly from Babylon. Sad to say, and
to the disappointment of many Christians, the nativity
scene is merely a variation of the Madonna and Child.
Saint Francis of Assisi is believed to have created the
first “nativity scene” in 1223, but he certainly was not
the one who originated the
idea.
The
Significance to “Easter”
As we did with Christmas, let us look at several
things involved in the “Easter
Season.”
The Term
“Easter.” This is the most
obvious feature of this season. From whence does this
term come? I have read some historical sources which say
that the derivation of this term is “uncertain,” but we
beg to differ with these; this term is not all
uncertain. Please follow the following explanation
carefully. The first thing we must realize about this
term is that it is in no way a Christian term. It is, in
fact, nothing but a transliteration of the word
“Ishtar.”
At this point, there are those who say, “Oh, but
‘Easter’ is even used in the Bible in Acts 12:4.” This
is quite true, but the reason for this should forever
dispel all the objections that are raised against a
study like this one. The reason for the word “Easter” is
because pagan worship was introduced into ancient
Britain by the Druids (who we examined earlier). As a
matter of historical fact, this term originated in
ancient Britain. It was because of this pagan influence
that the word “Easter” tragically appears in the
venerable King James Version of the Bible. The Greek is
pascha, which everywhere else is correctly translated,
“Passover.”
Lent. As we know, Lent is a forty day season of
repentance and fasting that precedes “Easter.”
Supposedly, Lent was to be an imitation of Christ’s
forty days of fasting, and while at first it was a free
will act, it gradually became a fixed custom and
ordinance of the Church. In reality, it was the forty
days of fasting by Tammuz’s mother who awaited his
resurrection.
It is interesting to notice that the actual
length and starting day of Easter was not really known
and was, therefore, subject to debate. This is quite
typical of man; if God doesn’t tell man what he thinks
he should know, then he just takes the matter into his
own hands. It was Gregory I, the pope from 590-604, who
fixed the Wednesday of the sixth week before Easter as
the starting point of Lent. This Wednesday is called
“Ash Wednesday” because at this time the priests and
people would sprinkle themselves with dust and ashes as
a symbol of repentance. But, as we’ll see, all this is
without any Scriptural
support.
The last week of the Lenten season is called
“Holy Week,” which is devoted to commemorating Jesus’
passion and death. This week is characterized by daily
public worship, rigid fasting, and deep silence. “Holy
Week” begins with “Palm Sunday,” a celebration of Jesus’
entry into Jerusalem for His enthronement on the
cross.
Next comes “Maundy Thursday,” another Roman
Catholic invention. The word “Maundy” comes from the
Latin mendicare, which means “to beg.” So, the pope, bishops,
and priests are to wash the feet of twelve or more poor
men or beggars to commemorate Jesus’ washing of the
disciple’s feet. In the seventh century this was, in
fact, made into an official feast day commemorating the
Last Supper.
Then comes “Good Friday,” the observance of the
day of Christ’s death. This day involves the deepest
penance and fasting. All Sunday splendor and liturgical
pomp is stripped away, which is rather puzzling, for why
should this worship be different from any other? Men’s
ideas are often inconsistent. At this time the Lord’s
Supper is omitted (since it was celebrated the night
before), lights are extinguished, the people sing
penitential psalms (instead of hymns), crucifixes are
veiled, and the passion of Jesus is
read.
Finally, there comes “The Great Sabbath”
(Saturday), which is another fast day in honor of Jesus’
death and descent into Hades. In the evening, the
“Easter vigils” begin and continue to the dawn of Easter
morning, during which time there is Scripture reading,
singing, and prayer. This Roman Catholic invention is,
in fact, the origin of the “Sunrise Service,” which many
evangelical and fundamental churches think is some
important New Testament practice, or even a mandate.
I’ve seen puzzled looks on people’s faces when they find
out our church does not have such a service, but what is
more puzzling is why they do.
With all this in mind, may I point out that every
aspect of this Lenten observance is rooted in Babylon.
The early Church never observed “Lent;” it was invented by Catholicism,
which in-turn borrowed it from pagan religion. To the
pagans, this Lenten season was an indispensable prelude
to the great annual feast that commemorated the death
and resurrection of Tammuz. This observance was in the
spring of the year and involved all sorts of immorality.
Once again, the Roman Church blended all this with
Christianity.
Hot Cross Buns.
We can trace this custom as far back as the ancient
Athenians, some 1500 years before Christ. A sacred bread
called “Boun” was made of fine flour and honey and was
eaten during the festival of Astarte. But again, it all
goes back to Babylon. In fact, the prophet Jeremiah
refers to this:
The children gather wood,
and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead
their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven. . .
(Jer. 7:18; see also
44:19).
The
“Easter Egg.” Without doubt,
this is the most vivid symbol of Easter. The writings of
the ancient poets are full of the fable of the “mystic
egg of the Babylonians.” Supposedly, a giant egg fell
from heaven into the River Euphrates. The fish of the
river rolled it up onto the bank where doves could
settle upon it and hatch it. It was from this egg that
the “queen of heaven” (Ishtar, Venus, etc.) came. Hence,
the egg became one of the symbols of this goddess all
over the world. The egg was a sacred symbol in the order
of the Druids. The Greeks consecrated an egg during
their ceremonies of the mysteries of Bacchus. The egg of
the Hindus was gold in color, while the Japanese had a
brass egg. Sacred festivals in China use colored eggs as
we do in here in America.
One of the most interesting (and most
distressing) facts about the egg is how the fable of its
origin was used to pervert the Biblical record of Noah’s
ark. Of course, Babylon did not exist before the flood
and, obviously, neither did Babylonian religion. But the
Babylonian pagans taught that the goddess, in a previous
incarnation, lived in the antediluvian world (i.e.
before the flood). So, in the Babylonian teaching, it
was actually the egg, with the goddess and the world
shut up in it, which came through the
flood.
Dear Christian, this is the history of those cute
little eggs that many Christian parents color and hide
from their children. But worst of all, Roman Catholicism
adopted this egg as a symbol of Christ. Pope Paul V (1605-1621) actually taught his
subjects to pray:
Bless, O Lord, we beseech
Thee, this Thy creature of eggs, that it may become a
wholesome sustenance unto Thy servants, eating it
in remembrance of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
The first time I
read this, I was appalled beyond belief. Knowing this,
why would any Christian want to be connected with such a
terrible, blasphemous thing? Akin to this is
our next point.
The “Easter
Bunny.” The rabbit, as well as the dove and the
chicken, are ancient symbols of fertility. In fact, it
is believed that the famous armless statue of Venus was
once holding either a dove or a rabbit. But once again,
we cheerfully allow the Easter bunny and his cute little
eggs into our homes and even our churches. In my years
of ministry, I have seen several fundamental churches
provide an Easter egg hunt for the children. How
abominable and disgraceful this
is!
The Date
Of Easter. Here is a controversy
that has, quite literally, raged for centuries. Jewish
Passover was observed on the fourteenth day of Nisan in
the Jewish calendar and, therefore, could fall on any
day of the week. Some early Christians, around the
second century, tied Passover in with an observance of
Christ’s resurrection. But then other Christians thought
that Christ’s resurrection should only be observed on a
Sunday; plus, these didn’t think Christians should
identify with the Jews because they killed Christ. So,
the Roman Catholic Church “settled” the debate. The
Council of Nicea (325) declared that “Easter” was to be
observed on “the first Sunday after both the fourteenth
of Nisan and the first full moon following the vernal
equinox.” The vernal equinox occurs when the sun crosses
the celestial equator (heading north) beginning spring.
Therefore, Easter falls between March 22nd and April
25th.
Once again, however, all this goes back to
Babylon. To the pagans, the vernal equinox looked to the
resurrection and new life of Tammuz. It cannot be
argued, “Easter Sunday” is not founded upon the Word of
God, but is founded upon Roman Catholic opinion, which
in-turn is rooted in pagan Babylon.
The
Significance to “Valentine’s Day”
We mention this observance because it, too, is
rooted in paganism and because most Christians think
it’s “cute.” It is loosely connected with Saint
Valentine, who was martyred on February 14, 270. A feast
was instituted in his honour and was characterized by
boys choosing a “steady partner” for the next year. So,
Valentine became the patron saint of lovers and engaged
couples. But, more to the point, Cupid is the symbol of
the day. He is made to look so cute with his chubby
little body and his floating around on a heart shooting
his little “arrows of love” that we are lulled into
thinking that he and the holiday are
harmless.
But in reality, Cupid is the son of Venus, the
Roman parallel to the Babylonian Ishtar and Tammuz.
Valentine’s Day is nothing but an observance of
sensuality, or, at the very least, an over-emphasis of
physical attraction. There is absolutely nothing in this
observance for Christians, but tragically many
Christians observe it anyway.
The
Significance to “Halloween”
We include this short section because, tragically
enough, the vast majority of Christians today think
nothing about celebrating this day. Please recall our
reference to the Druids earlier in our study, for
Halloween actually came from them. It literally means
“All Hallow’s Eve,” that is, “the night before All
Hallows” (“All Saint’s Day”). It was at this time,
according to the Druids, that Saman, Lord of the dead,
called up hosts of evil spirits who did evil things to
mortals. To escape these, mortals would have to build
fires, offer food, and/or dress up like demons and
witches and roam about with them. Of course, it is from
this that we get “trick or treat” and Halloween
costumes. It is truly appalling that Christians allow
this to go on! It is no less than outright blasphemy
that pastors allow “Halloween parties” to go on in their
churches! Halloween comes right out of Hell itself, but
sad to say, there are Christians who think it’s
“cute.”
The
Challenge to Christians
Before getting to specifics, I would like to
offer a general challenge to Christians. If Christians
today would just stop and think with whom they are
celebrating these pagan holidays, then this alone would
cause them to throw these practices into the nearest
garbage can. Many Christians go right along with a world
that truly hates Jesus Christ but turns around and
“celebrates” his birth and resurrection. What a blatant
inconsistency! While it is true that the world
emphasizes other things over Christ at these times, we
still notice that it does get “quite religious” during
these holidays. Furthermore, during these holidays what
“Church” is in focus? What Church does the news media
flash on television as being the representative of
Christianity? Roman Catholicism, a pagan system that is
no more “Christian” than was old Babylon. Let us make a
few direct challenges with regard to each of the
holidays we’ve explored.
In Regard
To “Christmas.” It is quite
interesting to note that twice in history an attempt was
made to get rid of this pagan celebration in
Christianity.
First, there was an attempt during the
Reformation by men such as John Calvin and John Knox.
The suppression of the Roman Catholic mass by the
reformers led to a sharp change in the observance of
Christmas; many people recognized its pagan origins. The
General Assembly of the Reformed Church of Scotland, for
example, of which the great reformer John Knox was a
part, wrote in 1566:
Concerning the festival
of our Lord’s nativity, circumcision, passion,
resurrection, ascension , and sending the Holy Ghost
upon his disciples, that these festivals at the present
time obtain no place among us; for we dare not
religiously celebrate any other feast-day than what the
divine oracles prescribed. 2
Prior to
this, in 1560 Knox and other drew up the First Book
of Discipline, which not only
made a clear statement of the authority of Scripture as
it applied to doctrine and worship, but also included a
scathing condemnation of:
. . . vows of chastity,
foreswearing of marriage, binding of men and women to
several and disguised apparels, to the superstitious
observation of fasting days, difference of meat for
conscience sake, prayer for the dead; and keeping of
holy days of certain Saints commanded by men, such as be
all those that the Papists have invented, as the Feasts
(as they term them) of Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, of
Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Purification, and
other fond feasts of our Lady. Which things, because in
God’s Scriptures they neither have commandment nor
assurance, we judge them utterly to abolished from the
realm.3
One of the
most interesting things about this statement is that the
so-called Christian holidays are included in the list of
Roman Catholic abuses. Is it not odd that evangelicals
today condemn and reject all the other abuses but not
only retain but then staunchly
defend the idolatry of the
holidays?
We could cite similar quotations from Calvin and
others, but we’ll go on.
Second, and more or less in continuation of the
first attempt, there was the objections of the Puritans
in the seventeenth century. In June 1647, in fact, the
English Parliament adopted legislation abolishing the
observance of Christmas and other
holidays:
Forasmuch as the feast of
the nativity of Christ, Easter, Whitsuntide, and other
festivals, commonly called holy-days, have been
heretofore superstitiously used and observed; be it
ordained, that the said feasts, and all other festivals,
commonly called holy-days, be no longer observed as
festivals; any law, statute, custom, constitution, or
canon, to the contrary in anywise not withstanding.
4
This was carried
over to America when the pilgrims came. The image that
many Christians have that the pilgrims gather around the
fireplace while chestnuts roasted over the flame could
not be further from the truth. To the pilgrims, December
25th was just another day. With the wave of Irish and
German immigration in the nineteenth century, however,
this pagan festival was brought back into popularity as
these peoples brought their customs to America.
Christmas became a legal holiday in
1856.
At this point, we should consider a Biblical
principle that is totally ignored by most Christians
when this issue is raised, namely, that Scripture, both in
word and by example, simply forbids any form of worship
that God Himself does not institute. Theologians call this “The Regulative Principle
of Worship.” It simply means that all forms and aspects
of worship must be expressly stated in Scripture or they
are to be rejected.
Now if anyone wants to argue this point, and many
do, he’d better open his Bible and read several passages
that address man’s innovations. I strongly urge you to
read the following: Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:1-4, 29-32;
Leviticus 10:1-2; I Samuel 13:9-13; Matthew 15:3, 8-9;
John 4:24; and Colossians 2:18, 21-22. God did not
institute the “worship” that takes place at Christmas,
and this fact alone condemns
it.
In this same vein, while true Christians would
never dream of worshipping an idol, by giving deference
to certain Christian symbols, they actually do just
that. To illustrate, how many Christians hang a picture
of Jesus in their home? Is this wrong? Well think about
it. Do they give that picture more esteem or respect
than they would a Rembrandt painting? If so, that is
worship. Likewise, during the Christmas season, manger
scenes and numerous other images are erected as items of
special spiritual significance, and that is
idolatry. The Second
Commandment—“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth” (Ex. 20:4)—clearly forbids
any such practice or
attitude.
Historically, many Godly men have stood against
this pagan influence. Take, for example, Puritan William
Ames (1576-1633).
No instituted worship is
lawful unless God is its author and ordainer. . .For
every addition as well as every subtraction is a
departure from the observance and keeping of the
commandments of God, and a corruption of them, Deut.
12:32. . .The most solemn time for worship is now the
first day of each week, called the Lord’s Day, Rev.
1:10, I Cor. 16:2. . .Opposed to the ordinance of the
Lord’s Day are all feast days ordained by men when they
are considered holy days like the Lord’s Day.
5
Referring to
Leviticus 10:1, Ames also writes:
The sons of Aaron are
there condemned for bringing strange, or ordinary fire
to God’s worship; as doing that which God had not
commanded, and yet had not otherwise forbidden, than by
providing fire proper to his worship, and not appointing
any other to be used in the tabernacle; And this is the
very plea which we make against ceremonies of human
institution, in God’s worship.
6
Writing more
specifically on the Lord’s Day and ceremonial festivals,
Ames further states:
Concerning ceremonial
festivals, of man’s making, our practice cannot be
objected; because we observe none. . .I would to God
that every holy day whatsoever besides the Lord’s day
were abolished. That zeal which brought them first in,
was without all warrant of the Word, and merely followed
corrupt reason, forsooth to drive out the holy days of
the pagans, as one nail drives out another. Those holy
days have been so tainted with superstitions that I
wonder why we tremble not at their very names.7
This was exactly the position taken in the
seventeenth century by those who penned the great
doctrinal statements of The Westminster
Confession of Faith (Chapter 21, Section 1) and
The London Baptist Confession of Faith of
1689 (Chapter 22, Section
1):
. . .the acceptable way
of worshipping the true God is instituted by Himself,
and so limited by His own revealed will, that He may not
be worshipped according to the imaginations and devices
of men, or the suggestion of Satan, under any visible
representation, or any other way not prescribed in the
holy Scriptures.
Likewise did
Puritan Thomas Vincent (1634-1678), in his The Shorter
Catechism Explained from Scripture, write these powerful
words:
The Popish holidays ought
not to be observed, because they are not appointed by
the Word: and, by the same reason, no other holidays may
be kept, whatsoever pretense there be of devotion
towards God, when there is no precept or example for
such practice in the Holy Scripture.8
Even in more
recent days, some men, such as Charles Spurgeon, for
example, have stood against this corruption of worship.
On December 24, 1871, Spurgeon opened his sermon with
these words:
We have no superstitious
regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not
believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called
Christmas: first because we do not believe in the mass
at all, but abhor it, whether it be said or sung in
Latin or in English; and secondly, because we find no
Scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the
birthday of the Savior; and, consequently, its
observance is a superstition, because it is not of
divine authority.9
We could look at numerous other quotations, but
the point should be obvious by now. May I state the
challenge this way: how can it be right
for Christians, those who love Jesus Christ and who are
committed to truth, to celebrate warmed-over
paganism? Perhaps even more to
the point, why would Christians even want to do so? As
Vincent rightly puts it, these are “popish holidays.”
The facts are so clear that they simply cannot be
argued. Why then do so many of God’s people want to
cling to Babylon?
I’ve heard many objections over the years. In
fact, I too voiced many objections when I was first
confronted with these truths in my early college days.
Like most Christians, I was raised with all these
traditions and clung to them as though they were
important. But in view of our previous study, all
objections must fall.
One objection often heard is, “You are taking
away the joy and ‘spirit’ of Christmas.” I even heard a
preacher say this on one occasion. But may we ask, to
what joy and “spirit” are these folks referring? Are
they referring to the joy and “spirit” of pagan worship?
Is this what they are defending? Now, of course, they
would not say that they are doing this, but they are doing this nonetheless. I was shocked beyond
words when I heard a fundamental preacher say from his
pulpit, “I know all about the origins of Christmas,
perhaps better than anyone else, but I love my Christmas
tree and I’m going to have it.” The Christians in his
church are to be pitied indeed, for they have a shepherd
who doesn’t love the Savior or His Word enough to keep
out things that blaspheme Him. How is this man going to
explain this when he stands before the Lord
Jesus?
Another objection goes, “Oh, but I don’t
celebrate these pagan things; I don’t use these the way
the pagans did. I believe in a ‘Christian Christmas.’”
This is a common objection; at one time I used it
myself. But may we ask in response, why use these things
at all? You see, the origin of these things is the same
no matter how you use them. Why would any Christian want
to hold on to something that is as blatantly anti-God as
are these pagan practices? Further, is it really
possible to have a “Christian Christmas?” Truly, the religious
aspects of Christmas are the worst aspects of it. The
only “gospel” that is heard is one of “peace, love, joy,
and good will.” This diluted “gospel,” however, obscures
the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Everyone accepts the imitation “gospel” that is
propagated during the Christmas season, but not everyone
accepts the true Gospel.
May we also add, shouldn’t the very popularity of
Christmas cause the true Christian to question it?
Absolutely anyone can celebrate this so-called
“religious holiday” and do so without question. Unsaved
people, as well as nominal and spiritual Christians, and
even Buddhists can all gather around the same tree and
join the celebration. How can this possibly honour our
Lord?
The above objection leads to another, “Oh, but we
look at the Christmas tree and other decorations as
symbols of Christ.” But as mentioned earlier, God
strictly forbids such practices (Ex. 20:4). Symbols,
images, likenesses, relics, idols, and all such things
are part of paganism and Romanism, not Biblical
Christianity.
This brings us then to the final application:
how, then, should Christians celebrate Christmas? The
answer will be shocking to some, but it is nonetheless
clear: we should
not celebrate Christmas in any way. Let me say right away that I am not a Jehovah’s
Witness. I’ve heard Christians insult other Christians
in this way because they do not celebrate this pagan
holiday. But it matters not what the Jehovah’s Witnesses
say; they are lost because they deny the Deity of
Christ. And what an insult this is to believers who are
only trying to honor the Lord by not mixing Him in with
paganism.
The fact remains: there is no Scriptural
command or even implication that we are to
commemorate Christ’s birth. Think of it this way: if God
wanted us to commemorate the Savior’s birth, why didn’t
He give us
the date to do so instead of allowing the Roman Church
to come up with a day that came out of paganism? Also,
why didn’t He tell us exactly how to observe the day?
Why do we think that we can actually worship Christ
using pagan symbols? Indeed, God gave no such command
because of how it would be perverted in the future. We
say again, every aspect of this holiday is pagan; thanks to Roman
Catholicism, even Mary and Jesus are perverted into
Ishtar and Tammuz. As Scottish preacher David Calderwood
(1575-1651) wrote in 1619:
If it had been the will
of God that the several acts of Christ should have been
celebrated with several solemnities, the Holy Ghost
would have made known to us the of his nativity,
circumcision, presentation in the temple, baptism,
transfiguration, and the like . . . let us utter the
truth, December-Christmas is a just imitation of the
December-Saturnal of the ethnic [heathen] Romans. And so used as if
Bacchus, and not Christ, were the God of
Christians.
10
We often hear the statement today, “Oh, but we
want to put Christ back into Christmas.” But may I
submit, He was never in it. There is not one single
thing about Christmas that is Christian. What we are
really doing is putting Christ into a pagan
celebration.
Consider one other thought: what, then, should
Christians do during the Christmas season? May we offer
four suggestions. First, Realize that
there is nothing sacred or even Scriptural about
Christmas. Second, Reject all the
pagan practices of the season. Third, Rejoice in
fellowship with family and friends without the pagan
traditions. Most people are given time off from their
jobs, so may we take the opportunity to reunite and
rejoice in the things of the Lord without being
distracted by pagan custom. Fourth, Recognize the opportunity to give the world, that is, the
lost ones around us (which again may be family), the
true message of Jesus Christ.
In Regard
To “Easter.” I must truthfully admit that I
struggled with the following truths. Throughout our
Christian experience (in fact, even before we were
Christians) we have been taught to commemorate Christ’s
resurrection on Easter Sunday. But as one truly and
objectively studies, he finds that just like Christmas,
the holiday called Easter has no meaning to the
Christian whatsoever. In light of what we’ve already
seen, there are no less than four reasons why we should
not observe this pagan day. Please consider each prayerfully and honestly.
First, there is no Scriptural command to observe
this day. In fact, nowhere in Scripture is the Christian
told to observe any festival. It was Roman Catholicism
that decreed the observance of Easter, not the Word of
God. This leads directly to the second
reason.
Second, there is no proof that any such
observance existed in the first century Church. Some
church historians speculate that there was such an observance, but there
remains no proof whatsoever, either Biblical or
otherwise.
Third, the great debate over the day of Easter
discounts the validity of observing it. As stated
earlier, if this date were so important, God would
certainly have made clear on what day we should observe
it. This thought leads to the fourth, and most
important, reason.
Fourth, there is no need to observe “Easter” as
the day Christ rose from grave because we celebrate this
event every
Lord’s Day. The only thing we
need to know is that Christ rose on the first day of the
week. If we try to add to this, like Catholicism has,
then we are in essence saying that God’s Word is not
sufficient. Some Bible teachers use I Corinthians 5:7-8
to “prove” the observance of
Easter:
Purge out, therefore, the
old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed
for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and
wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity
and truth.
This is the only
place in the New Testament that we find the words,
“Therefore, let us keep the feast.” This obviously
cannot refer to the Jewish Passover; as we saw earlier,
Christians ceased observing this. Neither is this
speaking of the Lord’s Supper, for that doesn’t fit the
context. To understand this statement, one must look at
the context, which clearly speaks of church discipline.
“Leaven” is used figuratively here to picture sin (as is
true in many other Scripture references), and “feast” is
used figuratively to picture the Christian life.
Therefore, the command here is to put away all evil and
continuously live for Christ. No other view of this
passage fits the context or even makes sense.
In closing, may I repeat that my only motive for
presenting this material is to lift up our Lord Jesus
Christ and do away with the things that not only
distract from His person, work, and glory, but actually
blaspheme Him. I am the first to admit that what we have
just studied is difficult to accept. Why? Because these
holidays are so ingrained in us that we cannot even
conceive of doing away with them. Unlike the Reformers
and the Puritans who were close to all this and
recognized it for what it was, we are so far removed
from it that we no longer give it any
thought.
At the beginning of this study, I told of a
pastor who 20 years ago was incredulous that I had
taught on this subject, but who gave me no answer when I
asked him why. Do you now know why? We can’t know for
sure, of course, but I believe that part of it is that
there was no way he could
answer without openly denying the
truth.
Indeed, what we’ve seen here is very unpopular
and will bring ridicule upon those who implement it into
their lives. But the facts are clear and to ignore them
is—if we may be so blunt—sin.
Our opinions and feelings on the matter are irrelevant.
What matters is what God says. Dear Christian Friend,
will you take these facts and act upon
them?
&
&
&
NOTES
_____________________________
1
This study was the result of many hours of research, but
any committed student of the Scriptures can do the same
research. One of the most important sources on this
subject is the classic work, The Two Babylons (or
The Papal Worship), by Alexander Hislop (Neptune,
New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers, 1959). This work,
originally published in 1916, is perhaps the best exposé
of the pagan origins of Catholicism ever written. It is
technical, thorough, and truly fascinating. Other
sources include works on Church History (such as Philip
Schaff’s eight volume work), Bible Dictionaries, and
various other related reference books and encyclopedias.
Another well done, though short, work on this subject is
Christmas: A
Biblical Critique by Michael Schneider and Kevin
Reed (Dallas: Presbyterian Heritage Publications, 1993).
Other sources are mentioned in other notes
below.
2
Works,
Vol. II, p. 547-8.
3
Knox’s History,
Vol. II, p. 281.
4
Daniel Neal, The History of the
Puritans (London, 1837; rpt. Minneapolis: Klock
& Klock, 1979), Vol. II, p.
458.
5
William Ames, The Marrow of
Theology, John D. Eusden, editor and translator
(Boston: Pilgrim Press, 1968), pp. 279, 280, 287,
300.
6
William Ames, A Fresh Suit Against
Human Ceremonies in God's Worship (1633; rpt. Gregg
International Publishers, Ltd., 1971), Second Part, pp.
24-25.
7
Ibid, pp. 359-360.
8
Thomas Vincent, The Shorter
Catechism Explained from Scripture (1674, Carlisle:
The Banner of Truth Trust, 1980), p.
139.
9 C.
H. Spurgeon, Metropolitan
Tabernacle Pulpit (Pasadena: Pilgrim Publications),
p. 697.
10
Perth
Assembly,
pp. 79-81. Cited in Christmas: A
Biblical Critique (see Note 1) p.
32-33.
