We attended the second week of Advent service at Church this Sunday. Now I like the Christian faith, even though I know it's been corrupted by The Church over the years, but this Advent service really drives home just how much assimilating of other religions The Church did over the centuries.
Let's start with the 7 candles of Advent. Most people's experience with a Menorah occurs during Chanukah. So most people think a Menorah has 9 candles, but it doesn't. A Chanukah Menorah has 9 candles; a Shabbat Menorah has how many? Anyone? Anyone? You there in the back, with the really long sideburns. Yes, seven. That's right. A Menorah traditionally has 7 candles. While our Advent candles are less in number than a Chanukah Menorah, we're still lighting a Menorah. Don't forget that Jesus wasn't actually a Christian. He was actually Jewish. While Jesus was still alive (I mean on this earth in his manly form), guess what he did during the winter solstice (which is when Chanukah and Christmas coincidentally occur)? That's right, he lit the candles of a Menorah, just like we do during Advent.
Now, about that Christmas tree. It's an evergreen, meaning the leaves/needles don't fall off in Autumn; the tree stays green all year round. In our service last Sunday numerous references were made to "The Ancients" (which already sounds a little paganistic to me) who decided that the Pine Tree was "alive" all year long, so it somehow symbolized Jesus bringing eternal and everlasting life. That a Pine Tree was a predominate feature during the Druids' winter solstice festival, which just happens to occur around Christmas time, was not mentioned during the service.
These same "Ancients" also decided that a wreath made from the prickly leaves and red berries somehow symbolized the bloody crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his death. Do you think the Druids used Holly (also an evergreen) in their winter solstice festival? Yeah, me too.
So during Chanukah and the winter solstice we light the candles of a Menorah, we "worship" a Pine tree, and we hang up wreaths of Holly and decorate our homes with other pagan and Druidic symbols...but we do this as Christians, with the approval of The Church.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still going to be a hypocrite...of sorts...I'm still going to celebrate Christmas. Then again, it could be argued that there's nothing hypocritical about celebrating Christmas if I acknowledge where the various symbols of Christmas come from. I'd only be a hypocrite if I knew the history of Christmas symbology, but pretended it was all Christian-based.
Let's start with the 7 candles of Advent. Most people's experience with a Menorah occurs during Chanukah. So most people think a Menorah has 9 candles, but it doesn't. A Chanukah Menorah has 9 candles; a Shabbat Menorah has how many? Anyone? Anyone? You there in the back, with the really long sideburns. Yes, seven. That's right. A Menorah traditionally has 7 candles. While our Advent candles are less in number than a Chanukah Menorah, we're still lighting a Menorah. Don't forget that Jesus wasn't actually a Christian. He was actually Jewish. While Jesus was still alive (I mean on this earth in his manly form), guess what he did during the winter solstice (which is when Chanukah and Christmas coincidentally occur)? That's right, he lit the candles of a Menorah, just like we do during Advent.
Now, about that Christmas tree. It's an evergreen, meaning the leaves/needles don't fall off in Autumn; the tree stays green all year round. In our service last Sunday numerous references were made to "The Ancients" (which already sounds a little paganistic to me) who decided that the Pine Tree was "alive" all year long, so it somehow symbolized Jesus bringing eternal and everlasting life. That a Pine Tree was a predominate feature during the Druids' winter solstice festival, which just happens to occur around Christmas time, was not mentioned during the service.
These same "Ancients" also decided that a wreath made from the prickly leaves and red berries somehow symbolized the bloody crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his death. Do you think the Druids used Holly (also an evergreen) in their winter solstice festival? Yeah, me too.
So during Chanukah and the winter solstice we light the candles of a Menorah, we "worship" a Pine tree, and we hang up wreaths of Holly and decorate our homes with other pagan and Druidic symbols...but we do this as Christians, with the approval of The Church.
Don't get me wrong. I'm still going to be a hypocrite...of sorts...I'm still going to celebrate Christmas. Then again, it could be argued that there's nothing hypocritical about celebrating Christmas if I acknowledge where the various symbols of Christmas come from. I'd only be a hypocrite if I knew the history of Christmas symbology, but pretended it was all Christian-based.
Posts
7 comments:
hahahhaha!
"You there in the back, with the really long sideburns."
you a funny funny man. lol...
Yes, it is a well documented fact, but the Church won't necessarily admit it, hence the reference to "the Ancients", the Christmas tree during the winter solstice, which was NOT when Jesus was born, etc.
I agree with the philosophy of Christianity, although if I take one of those religious quizes (should that have two Z's?) I end up being more buddhist than anything else.
yes, quizZes would be right.
:-)
Is JE's school doing the "happy holidays" thing? No Merry CHRISTmas? The poor kids don't have a tree this year at our school either, as some parent or other complained that it was promoting religion.
Though I did noticed today that the Kwaanza and Chanukah things are still up...
Why are people so stupid? How can we promote and teach children tolerance if the kids learn that one holiday/belief is better/worse than another by leaving one or more of them out? Especially at the age my children are now, as it seems to be middle school years where things kids think/believe become pretty much cast in stone.
**sigh**
Good thing stupidity isn't terminal, eh?
:)
Nope, JE's school has trees. 2 actually. One in the school office, one in the auditorium. They are even going to have a christmas party and performance, like they did for T-day.
And some white trash at Walmart greeted me Merry Holiday. WTF?
Not only did they use evergreen trees (which seemed to live on when other plants died) but they put candles on them to symbolize the return of the Sun God as winter solstice is when the days begin to grow longer again.
Did the druids do the tree thing? I thought it was a Germanic tradition.
And we all know what happened to the Germans... go watch the start of Gladiator if you need a refresher on that story :-)
Makes me feel better that JEs' school can have a tree.
Ours is many ways to the screwed up ~ they are trying to hard to please everyone now. Kwaanza and chanukah are now gone too.
:p
Post a Comment