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Is Christmas Pagan?

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
Just saying that many things about the church were taken from previous or concurrent religion, then say they made it up to begin with. A little humility is in order.
Well, it's "made up" in the sense that the symbols take on new meanings. A tree has been used symbolically within numerous religions, so does that make trees intrinsically evil, thus not to be used in any new way in a religious context? The same is true with water, and Jesus did much the same with bread & wine.

IOW, I don't go along with a "guilt by association" scenario.
 

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
Well, it's "made up" in the sense that the symbols take on new meanings. A tree has been used symbolically within numerous religions, so does that make trees intrinsically evil, thus not to be used in any new way in a religious context? The same is true with water, and Jesus did much the same with bread & wine.

IOW, I don't go along with a "guilt by association" scenario.
Well, it's "made up" in the sense that the symbols take on new meanings. A tree has been used symbolically within numerous religions, so does that make trees intrinsically evil, thus not to be used in any new way in a religious context? The same is true with water, and Jesus did much the same with bread & wine.

IOW, I don't go along with a "guilt by association" scenario.

When you look at Christianity at it origins it is a sect of the Jewish faith. When Saul decided to change the targeted people to the gentiles then Christianity began to evolve into a different religion influenced by the cultures and religions of those it incorporated. This is inevitable as a religion expands into new territories. I am more familiar with Celtic, Norse, and Germanic pre-Christian religions and there are so many things that were intentionally adapted and re-invented into the growing Christianity to increase the rate of conversion. Christmas happens to be a holiday that contains many adapted aspects. So if you take a goddess then make her into a saint they still carry with it the pre-Christian symbols and meaning just adapted with Christian meanings.
 

metis

aged ecumenical anthropologist
I am more familiar with Celtic, Norse, and Germanic pre-Christian religions and there are so many things that were intentionally adapted and re-invented into the growing Christianity to increase the rate of conversion. Christmas happens to be a holiday that contains many adapted aspects. So if you take a goddess then make her into a saint they still carry with it the pre-Christian symbols and meaning just adapted with Christian meanings.
There really is no such thing as a pure religion since we all learn from each other in this and most other areas. Not only is there nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it often has positive benefits.

So, we learn from each other and adopt and then adapt, so none of these religions exactly mimic other religions, and religious symbols are no exception to the rule. So, again, a symbol takes its meaning not from what it may have been but what it now means.
 

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
There really is no such thing as a pure religion since we all learn from each other in this and most other areas. Not only is there nothing intrinsically wrong with that, it often has positive benefits.

So, we learn from each other and adopt and then adapt, so none of these religions exactly mimic other religions, and religious symbols are no exception to the rule. So, again, a symbol takes its meaning not from what it may have been but what it now means.
You are right religions to blend beliefs and adapt them. And yes they take on a different meaning such as the votive practices in Great Briton which shifted from military or objects of importance to the owner to religious objects. Sacred springs changed from the goddess associated to a saint, encasing a bird into the home to prevent misfortune to the home changed to honor Jesus, avoiding disturbing well known mounds to avoid disturbing the spirits of the mound and changing religious days that were pagan and renaming them for a Christian holiday as well as many other events.
Yes the people may see these as Christian beliefs just as people now seeing the Christmas tree and the symbols associated with the holiday including love and peace without the Christian ties as a part of their celebration. Thus Christian practices can be adapted to a new religion or return to an old one as long as the person believing it sees in in the context of their religion.
 
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