Big Bubba - The Holidays Threads Merged

[BlessedinHim]

I think Matt. 5:17-18 is clear that the Law has not and will not pass away until heaven and earth itself pass away. But, I think you misinterpret the consequences of that. First I want to be very clear that no one in Christ is under the Law. But, the Law still serves to condemn as it always has. This is why it is instrumental in driving the unsaved to Christ. It was created so that sins might abound, in other words so people would know just how sinful they truly are. It is guilt of sin that convinces us of the need for a Savior. Thus it drives the sinner into the arms of Christ.

For those in Christ, there has indeed been a change in law (Heb. 7:12); for He is our High Priest. We have been set free from the old letter of the Law and now serve in spirit and in truth.


I think you stated this very well. :thumb

[felixthecat]

Pagan festival celebrates harvest

8/12/08 | Craig Turpin/Somerset Reporter

Celebrate the Autumn Equinox and help your community at the Central Jersey Pagan Pride Day festival from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 16 in Lot F, Colonial Park, East Millstone.

All ages are welcome at this free event, which will feature a Pagan religious ceremony plus information on Pagan spiritual practices. Patrons are asked to share the harvest by bringing a donation of a nonperishable item to benefit Ronald McDonald House, or a monetary donation for the Central New Jersey Epileptic Fund or DeJesus Fund.

(Note what the prefix "De" means. Notice how they are trying to give themselves a smiley face.)

...

The ceremony will celebrate the diversity of the Pagan community and bless the results of the charity drive before it is given away. Participants are encouraged to bring percussion instruments for drumming. Modern Paganism, or Neo-Paganism, is a religious movement based on combinations of ancient polytheism, modern eco-spirituality and reverence for the divine as both masculine and feminine. Some common traditions found under this umbrella include Wicca or Witchcraft, Asatru, Hinduism and Druidry. Pagans are found in all walks of life from professionals to homemakers, and hold ethical standards that emphasize respect for nature, humanity and oneself.

...

http://www.nj.com/reporter/index.ssf/2008/08/pagan_festival_celebrates_harv.html

Hmmm. They want to lessen discrimination and then want you to contribute to the DeJesus Fund!

I was curious so I looked into the history of this disturbed group.

THE HISTORY OF THE PAGAN PRIDE PROJECT

Dagonet Dewr, Executive Director Brian Ewing,
Membership Director Revised: 5/25/07

Nobody really knows who first used the term "Pagan Pride". In name, it owes its origins to the Gay Pride movement, and certainly it is a term that reaches far beyond any single organization. It cannot be copyrighted; the founders have always felt it would be a breach of honor and decency to copyright it. There are rumors of single, local events using the name of Pagan Pride as early as 1992, though no documentation of these events has been found. We can, however, safely identify and document the first organized movement to support and encourage public celebrations of Pagan Pride in communities all over the world -- the Pagan Pride Project.

....

http://www.paganpride.org/what/history.html

Sure enough it has its name roots with "GAY Pride".

So it makes sense to have a "DeJesus Fund" but of course they are being "tolerant" and not showing any discrimination as they seek to erase Jesus.

I have never ever seen anything like this posted in the paper as "typical news". They are trying to mainstream this "religious" belief. There are so many other newsworthy items that were NOT posted. I find this disturbing that it isn't shocking and veiwed as benign. It's little wonder that NJ is such as cesspool ... . I know NJ has problems with witchcraft. That is a fact but I didn't expect to see this stuff touted.

[His Bride]

It's a good thing Rick Warren has his own pow wow at Saddleback this weekend or we might have been surprised to see him there too. Seriously though, Pagan Pride? Wow. We are becoming so tolerant, green, and inclusive in this nation.

[DjJen]

Is christmas actually from a pagan holiday?
Was Jesus actually born in December?
Is easter a pagan holiday since the Easter bunny and the Easter egg are both derived from pagan beliefs? and the Christmas tree?

My friend and I are discussing stuff about pagans and wiccans. She believes the majority of pagans aren't Satan worshipers at all, becuase they dont believe in Jesus doesn't mean they are worship the devil. But just because someone is pagan (or wiccan), doesn't mean they fit into this group of devil worshipers. She goes on to say the wiccans have a high moral code like the bible and that wiccans worship a god and goddess, yes its considered a false idol, but its not satanic.She also says that the catholic church has spent so long making them look like an evil group so that they could gain more control over people. This goes back centuries.
This all ties into her telling me that the Easter and Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Jesus wasn't born in Dec.

I really don't know what to say to her. Can anyone help me out?:scratch

[The Learner]

Is christmas actually from a pagan holiday?
Was Jesus actually born in December?
Is easter a pagan holiday since the Easter bunny and the Easter egg are both derived from pagan beliefs? and the Christmas tree?

My friend and I are discussing stuff about pagans and wiccans. She believes the majority of pagans aren't Satan worshipers at all, becuase they dont believe in Jesus doesn't mean they are worship the devil. But just because someone is pagan (or wiccan), doesn't mean they fit into this group of devil worshipers. She goes on to say the wiccans have a high moral code like the bible and that wiccans worship a god and goddess, yes its considered a false idol, but its not satanic.She also says that the catholic church has spent so long making them look like an evil group so that they could gain more control over people. This goes back centuries.
This all ties into her telling me that the Easter and Christmas is a pagan holiday and that Jesus wasn't born in Dec.

I really don't know what to say to her. Can anyone help me out?:scratch


We don't really know when Jesus was born, and yes December 25th was the date of the Winter Solstice celebration, and this was more of a "pagan" holiday. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire the Roman Catholic Church did pick December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus in order to edge out the pagan celebration so to speak. The church also did this to help the transition from the old religion to the new one, they also incorporated the Mary veneration and inclusion of patron saints and so forth. These activities were also carry-overs from the previous state religion of Rome (some statues of Mary were already existing statues of Roman goddesses that were just renamed "Mary" when Christianity became the religion).

Regardless this does not really matter. The Bible does not give an exact day when Jesus was born, so there really is nothing wrong with celebrating His birth on Dec 25.

As far as Wiccans being devil worshippers look at it this way. Jesus said that "I am the Way" so any other way than Jesus is of what? It is of the world, the entity that exist outside of the Church (body of Christ). The Bible says that Satan is currently in control of this world. So anything outside of Christ is of the world, and anything of the world is under Satanic influence.

So while a Wiccan may not know that they are being decieved by Satan, in reality they are. Just as someone who does not practice any faith, they are really under deception. Think of it like the movie "The Matrix". People inside the Matrix were lost and had no idea they were being used and decieved. Only until they were "unplugged" did they see the magnitude of deception they had previously been under. If your friend ever comes to Christ, she will realize the deception that she was under as well.

Does this make sense?

[felixthecat]

It's a good thing Rick Warren has his own pow wow at Saddleback this weekend or we might have been surprised to see him there too. Seriously though, Pagan Pride? Wow. We are becoming so tolerant, green, and inclusive in this nation.

It's now a manistream "news" event to be attended.

I have no intention of watching Rick Warren and his idiotic circus.

[Faithful Servant]

I lived in the NJ cesspool for 33 years. This does not surprise me at all. I pray for my family that still lives there. I thank God every day that I now live in Tennessee.

[Eagle632]

Since your friend seems to be an intellectual, I would recommend giving her a copy of a book written by C.S. Lewis. "Mere Christianity". Good read and hard for pagan intellectuals to rebut.

[His Bride]

It's now a manistream "news" event to be attended.

I have no intention of watching Rick Warren and his idiotic circus.

I'll be watching Warren only to see how he responds. Yes, we probably all know the answer to that but it may be entertaining nevertheless. Don't know whether I would watch him or share the time with the Pagan Pride Festival. Both are tugging at my heart strings.:lol2

[antitox]

As for the winter solstice thing: in December, celebrating the onset of winter is like a celebration of death. Creatures die from the winter cold and starvation. That's what evil celebrates.