I grew up hearing "yuletide" traditions but I never really knew much about how it fit in with Christmas.
It was just somehow associated with Christmas. In looking at some of these ancient traditions we that see some of them had Pagan origins.
That would not be so surprising since people had customs the Church simply used as tools to point to Christ.
We see this from the Church using large Roman architects for basilicas to the history of customs such as the yuletide.
I've had people tell me that Christians should not participate in these celebrations because God is offended by it. I can't agree with that assessment, Christianity is always adapting to the environment or rather converting it.
The transformation of the heart centralizes why we celebrate any feast. What the Church does in these celebrations I find people doing the very same thing today through Christian Contemporary Music. I think this is great because music reaches where the people are.
Just as these celebrations do. People would be horrified to learn that some of the most beloved hymns like "Amazing Grace" were taken from popular bar songs from that time period. That was what was popular at the time.
Today, when we sing old fashioned hymns today, who recalls much of the secular songs of that time? I think you would have to be a history music major to know much of that culture. As we continue to prepare for the Christmas Season, here is a fine article by Adrianne Loggins"Yuletide History" from www.ehow.com
Yuletide has come to be synonymous with the Christmas season, but it was not always a Christian celebration. The origin of yule began thousands of years before Christianity was founded.
Terminology
One linguistic theory is that the word "yule" came from "aboriginal Scandinavians," and meant the winter solstice festival or "a celebration of the cycle of nature and a reaffirmation of the continuation of life," according Candle Grove.
Solstice
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year. It also marks the march toward spring. According to Candle Grove, "many of the ancient traditions surrounding Yuletide are concerned with coping with the darkness and the evils it was thought to harbor, and helping the return of light and warmth."
Christianity
Jesus Christ is supposed to have been born Dec. 25, four days after the winter solstice. There is some controversy as to whether this date is accurate because of time discrepancies in the Gospels. Regardless, Christmas Day is celebrated Dec. 25 as the day of Christ's birth. Emperor Constantine, once he adopted Christianity as his religion, was responsible for "co-opting the December [pagan] festivals of Saturn and Mithras for a celebration of Christ's birth."
Decorations
"Trees, specifically evergreens, were a common part of pre-Christian solstice celebrations, but in England it wasn't until Victorian times that the idea of having one in the house was revived. It was the Queen's [Victoria] own family who introduced the custom to the country," according to a report in the Telegraph newspaper. The yule log, now a Christmastime pastry, was originally a fresh-cut piece of wood brought into a home to protect against evil and darkness.
Santa Claus
According to the Telegraph, Santa Claus and Father Christmas were actually two different individuals. St. Nicholas, or "Sinterklaas," is the patron saint of children and students. In Dutch legend, he was a "bringer of gifts at Christmas." He was portrayed as a chubby, bearded man. Father Christmas was the character of the joyous season. Over time, the two became one, and in the 1930s, Coca-Cola added Santa Claus' signature red suit in an advertisement, and it has stuck ever since.
Pope Telephorus is accredited with establishing the custom of celebrating the Midnight Mass (for Christmas) beginning in 125 A.D.
It is just a few more years (129 A.D.) that he began instituting songs for this Mass about angels.
It is probable that all this is true, but St. Telephorus was not the first formerly to offer Midnight Mass!
Acts 20:7 states, "On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lights in the upper chamber where we were gathered. And a young man named Eutychus was sitting in the window. He sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer; and being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and embracing him said, 'Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him. And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the lad away alive, and were not a little comforted".
Here is a written record of someone falling asleep during one of St. Paul's sermons.
God was able to show his favor with St. Paul through this as the boy fell out of a third story window.
In this case, St. Paul was going to be leaving so this was a late service.
Midnight Mass is late, but it is ushering in the day of Christmas. This tradition would branch throughout the Christian world as the Church would survive terrible persecutions.
By the 4th century it was becoming universal as December 25th became solidified. Some placed emphasis on January 6 because this is the feast of the Epiphany or "manifestation" and so the Eastern Lung of the Church has this strong tradition.
In Bethlehem, the early Christians would celebrate Midnight Mass carrying torches to the site believed to be where Christ was born.
With Constantine's "Edict of Milan", the people in Jerusalem built the Church of the Nativity over the traditional site of Christ's birth in about 326 A.D. Today, there are a number of other Christmas Masses offered earlier on Saturday, mostly for children, and Mass on Christmas day are celebrated all over the world.
My Mother would take me to Midnight Mass when I was young and so this was instilled in me very early as a family tradition.
I took my family to Midnight Mass all their growing up years as well. What a great blessing it was celebrating Midnight Mass in Saudi Arabia.
I look back at that time remembering the candles, the Humvee's, the desert uniforms, the outdoors under the bright stars touching the hearts with Christmas.
Over the years many traditions and customs developed in the many Countries around the world that reflect the ushering in the Christmas story.
Editors note- Last year I posted this story in honor of a young girl who died just before Christmas. I want to repost this in honor of all our children who are suffering today.
The following is a poem shared by deepertruth's Margie on the deepertruth Christmas show, 23 December, 2011:
(As taken from "Angelfire")This poem was written by a 13 year old boy who died of a brain tumor that he had battled for four years. He died on December 14, 1997. He gave this to his mom before he died. His name was Ben.
My First Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless
Christmas trees
around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven's stars,
reflecting on the snow
The sight is so spectacular,
please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs
that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can't compare
with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you,
the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description,
to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me,
I see the pain inside your heart.
But I am not so far away,
We really aren't apart.
So be happy for me, dear ones,
You know I hold you dear.
And be glad I'm spending Christmas
with Jesus Christ this year.
I sent you each a special gift,
from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory
of my undying love.
After all, love is a gift more precious
than pure gold.
was always most important
the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other,
my Father said to do.
I can't count the blessing or love
has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and
Wipe away that tear
Remember, I am spending Christmas with
Jesus Christ this year
Along with Ben, I want to remember Sarah (a 15 year old girl) who recently passed just before Christmas 2011. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us... (Hebrews 12:1). Merry Christmas from the deepertruth Family!
As we move closer to Christmas, this year is very important to me as I reflect the past few years.
Three out of the last four Christmas seasons I was deployed in Iraq. It's tough being deployed away from home for a year or more, but it becomes very difficult especially during the major holidays.
The Catholic Church instituted the 12 Days of Christmas in 567 through the Council of Tours.
Ever since then nations have developed their traditions and being deployed we miss the family traditions.
We do well to try and keep alive our traditions among us in a foreign land. I would use the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas" to inspire interest in the Season. For most Americans, Christmas is over after Christmas day.
We have lost the understanding of the season of Christmas for the most part. I found this out simply through the song, "The 12 Days of Christmas".
In fact, most thought that the 12 days of Christmas began before Christmas, that Christmas day ended the season.
The actual 12th day is January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany (the manifestation) with the wise men finding the Christ Child after about an 18 month journey following a star.
On December 23, 2006 from Iraq, I wrote on Defenders of the Catholic Faith:
Today, I was able to sing Christmas carols with Philippine women who work in our laundry department. It was kind of cool. These people are here to make money to send home. It is to such as these that Father began to go to for Holy Communion. These people have a strong faith and love the Church. Christmas must be a thing of the heart. That's where it plants itself to do good. God be with you all and Merry Christmas. I will be going to Midnight Mass here, I hope many of you can go!!!
I was trying to get in the Christmas spirit and inspire others to do the same. On Christmas day, 25 December, I was reminding DCF of the 12 days of Christmas.
Each day I would ask the Catholic Board (DCF) and Soldiers I served with what the song said for each day as the days passed by. Friends would ask me about the next day and I would make them wait!
What makes this song special to me is the idea that there could be hidden messages in the song for Catholics.
The Church was suffering persecution in England and it is believed William Shakespeare wrote the song in code. The following is a version of what people believed about the song:
The 'partridge in a pear tree'
means there is only one God and is also symbolic of Jesus (see Luke 13:34). I have also heard that the first verse was depicting baby Jesus in the manger.
The 'two turtle doves'
are the Old and New Testaments. Though according to Zondervan's Twelve Days of Christmas the story behind a favorite Christmas song this is the 2 turtle doves sacrificed that Joseph and Mary brought when they presented Jesus at the Temple.
The 'three French hens'
are the three Persons of the holy Trinity or the three virtues: faith, hope, and love, though according to Ace Collins' book "Stories of the Best Loved Christmas Songs", they represent the expensive gifts of the Wise Men: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The 'four calling birds'
are the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; or their Gospels. Which makes sense because they are "calling" out the story.
'Five gold rings'
are the first five books of the Bible, or the Pentateuch.
'Six geese a-laying'
refer to the six days of the Creation.
'Seven swans a-swimming'
are the seven sacraments and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
'Eight maids a-milking'
are the eight Beatitudes.
'Nine ladies dancing'
are the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit.
'Ten lords a-leaping'
are the Ten Commandments.
'Eleven pipers piping'
are the eleven faithful Apostles.
'Twelve drummers drumming'
are the twelve doctrines in the Apostles' Creed.
This interpretation is usually taught with a story, that British Catholics, suffering persecution in the 16th century, wrote the song with these hidden meanings. The song would have served as a pedagogical tool.
This particular version was taken from Wikipedia.org but there are several very close to it. Some dispute the whole idea, but as this story goes. I used the popular historical belief that the song was indeed coded for the faithful Catholics suffering persecution.
On Monday, 16 December, 2013 it was announced that Retired SGT Jerry Laine Rose had passed away in his sleep.
SGT Rose was one of my Soldiers serving with the 2-5 Cav, 1st Cav Div. and this news was a terrible shock to all of his family and friends.
SGT Rose was well liked by his teams as he served as a Senior Line Medic and he worked with the Forward Aid Station in Iraq.
He was responsible for many things supporting the Battalion and Company Elements preparing them for deployment and while being deployed. During our talks he was always respectful and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. I am proud to have served with SGT Rose, he was a true American Hero.
SGT Rose is picture standing on the far left, he might have been short in stature, but he had the heart of a lion.
He had that "Can Do" spirit, he was fully able and competent. He never froze in the heat of battle when the dead and wounded came in.
He took care of his Soldiers and at the end of the day, that is what matters most.
Many of our readers might not understand what it is to be deployed for 12-15 months at a time. The sacrifices Soldiers and their families undergo for the sake of freedom around the world. Every Soldier that we were able to help save from battle injuries, there would be a family waiting at home for their loved one.
SGT Rose retired from the Military serving four years with the United States Air Force and then 16 years in the United States Army. I am honored to have served with about 5 years with him.
I remember we had a fun debate on the Harry Potter books and movies, he really liked that series and he never wavered in his support for them. He had strong integrity and commitment to accomplishing the mission.
Occasionally I would find SGT Rose on his Facebook page and I would sometimes see how he was doing, he always looked forward to doing the things he loved. He would care for his animals and he seemed satisfied with his retired life from the service. He will be truly missed by all who knew him.
The Combat Medic Prayer
Oh, Lord I ask for the divine strength to meet the demands of my profession. Help me to be the finest medic, both technically and tactically. If I am called to the battlefield, give me the courage to conserve our fighting forces by providing medical care to all who are in need. If I am called to a mission of peace, give me the strength to lead by caring for those who need my assistance. Finally, Lord, help me to take care of my own spiritual, physical and emotional needs. Teach me to trust in your presence and never-failing love. Amen.
As of this time I am beginning my personal boycott against A&E until "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson is returned to the show.
He is being targeted because of his Christian beliefs which teaches that the practice of homosexuality is a sin.
The Magazine GQ's Drew Magary interviewed Phil Robertson and asked him about homosexuality.
Because he responded from a Christian perspective which he implied homosexuality was sinful in the same sense as "Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men. Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
I myself have refereed homosexual behavior as sin no less or no more than adultery, fornication, or any other sexual deviancy. This is what the liberal media does, they ask questions hoping to stump those who are known as Christians and twist their words. We have seen recently the same situation with the Pope Francis interviews.
A&E made this statement: "We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series 'Duck Dynasty.' His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The networks has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."
(Why would GQ Magazine's interviewer (Drew Magary) ask Mr. Robertson about Homosexuality in the first place? A&E didn't need to respond here as the question and answer had nothing to do with "Duck Dynasty or A&E? Would A&E respond in the same way if the interview were being conducted by a Christian source? Is A&E basically saying that Phil Robertson could not speak publicly WHEN ASKED by any source?)
This is an issue of religious freedom and the right of free speech.! Pure and simple. The Gay and Lesbian Task Force is really the intolerant ones.
What A&E found so offensive was that Phil Robertson remarked that "homosexual offenders" would not"inherit the Kingdom of God."He also states, "But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man," He repeats, "It's just not logical."
1 Timothy 1:8-11 states, "We know that the law is good, provided that one uses it as law, with the understanding that the law is meant not for a righteous person but for the lawless and unruly, the godless and the sinful, the unholy and profane, those who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, the unchaste, sodomites (homosexuals), kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is opposed to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted".
What Phil Robertson was defending was the teaching of the Church.
Galatians 5:21 St. Paul states, "I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God".
Phil Robertson stated, “Everything is blurred on what’s right and what’s wrong. That is the tactic of the progressive left. Isaiah 5:20 states, "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"
With the current oppression of Christian beliefs by the liberal media, we are seeing a systematic breakdown of society.
The Gay Agenda attacks people of faith calling opposition to homosexual acts as hate speech.
Bernard Whitman, an analysis for Fox News, appeared on "The Kelly File" and defends a man's right to love another man, (he claimed to be Jewish and Gay)? That is an oxymoron, that is incomparable. He called Phil Robertson's comments as hate speech because he implies homosexuality as sin.
It is getting more and more frustrating that the Christian voice is getting silenced and the left-far progressives are coming out with all authority of the State to lash out against Christians. I have personally seen first hand progressives attacking Christians in the College classroom. We are seeing the dismantle-ling of the Military who are now persecuting Christians who regard homosexuality as sinful.
The Bible and Church teaching is being silenced from being aired in the press and national television.
If the Media is so offended because of statements made in an interview, especially on homosexuality, then don't ask them about that issue! The real issue is that the progressives are out to attack people of faith. That is the bottom line.
Notice in this report by CNN, how they give the Gay Agenda telling Christians they have to get in line to accept Gay sex. Is the Country changing? Are we that far gone? Heaven help us if that would be true. Does only 44% of Americans oppose homosexual behavior? I do not believe that the United States of America is that left of center. This is the goal of public school educators for years, to challenge our Christian foundations. We need to pray for our country.
According to the Pew-Research report (18 December 2013), a Religion and Public Life Project, is just off the printing press.
This study was based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans aged over 18.
The Pew Research reveals some serious concerns.
For the Catholic Church there is good news and their is bad news. Which would you prefer first?
I'll give the bad new first. According to the survey, roughly one-third of those surveyed identified themselves as former Catholic. This would mean that nearly 10% of all Americans would statistically fall in as a former Catholic. This would clearly be the second largest group in the survey.
Clearly that is not good news but it is not anything unexpected. We have seen this the past few years.
The good news is that the Catholic Church is relatively stable because of the numbers of people converting to Catholicism each year. That is about 2.6% of the population.
Another positive aspect that was not covered in this survey was the importance of many Catholics who are returning to the Faith. I myself would fall into that category as well as many more. The basic result for the Catholic Faith in the overall percentage who claim to be Catholic remains stable.
Apologetics from Deepertruth, Catholic Answers, Catholics Come Home, Defenders of the Catholic Faith (DCF) and many other good Catholic Apologetics last year helped to bring home more than 300,000 fallen away Catholics. That is a step in the right direction.
Currently. about 25% of all Americans classify themselves as Catholic and that has been the mid-line for some times. Catholics hover around one in four Americans.
The survey also raised an important factor that has been developing is the influx of Hispanic peoples coming to America.
The Catholic Faith for the past few years have been receiving great Catholic Converts such as Steve Ray, a former Non-Denominational/Baptist Minister. They have had a great impact in reaching other Protestant Ministers of all Denominations.
EWTN, A Catholic Television Network based in Alabama features a show, "The Journey Home" that interviews many prominent conversion stories.
It is good to see the Catholic Faith being stable, but the problem of anyone leaving the Faith continues to be a challenge.
Protestantism, according to the survey seems to be on an obvious decline. Americans aged 70 and older 62% claimed Protestantism which is about six-in-ten people. The same survey shows that Americans aging 18-29 represents about 43% which is about four-in-ten. What was not questioned was the decrease in the mainline Protestant churches who are classified as liberal.
Church attendance radically drops from those denominations that have accepted women priests and pastors, who have embraced Gay marriage, embraced Gay ministers. Those who accept abortions on demand are in decline. Some of the "mega" churches (Non-Denominational) along with the Catholic Faith have been the recipients of many of these people.
According to the results of the survey, the general pattern shows a "decline in the number of Protestants and the growth of the unaffiliated population may continue."
The following are the basic highlights of the report:
Men are significantly more likely than women to claim no religious affiliation. Nearly one-in-five men say they have no formal religious affiliation, compared with roughly 13% of women.
This pattern seems to reveal a problem that is not new, men for a good while have not been supporting their role as a Father and leader of their family.
This very problem is a major reason their Children have abandoned the Catholic Faith. When the Man is leading his family being a responsible Catholic, their Children embrace the faith well over 90%. When everything depends on the Mother and the Father is out of the picture, only about 30% of the Children hold onto the Faith.
Among people who are married, nearly four-in-ten (37%) are married to a spouse with a different religious affiliation. (This figure includes Protestants who are married to another Protestant from a different denominational family, such as a Baptist who is married to a Methodist.) Hindus and Mormons are the most likely to be married (78% and 71%, respectively) and to be married to someone of the same religion (90% and 83%, respectively).
This is an issue that many Catholics find themselves.
Many who do convert to the Catholic Faith come from those who married a spouse who was Catholic.
St. Paul speaks about this issue 1 Corinthians 7:12-16.
Mormons and Muslims are the groups with the largest families; more than one-in-five Mormon adults and 15% of Muslim adults in the U.S. have three or more children living at home.
This reveals that Catholics in general have accepted the attack on marriage and motherhood.
The use of Artificial Birth Control and Abortion is problematic for a large sector of the Catholic population.
The Church has not done well in presenting the gospel message in this area as have the secularists pushing the culture of death.
The Midwest most closely resembles the religious makeup of the overall population. The South, by a wide margin, has the heaviest concentration of members of evangelical Protestant churches. The Northeast has the greatest concentration of Catholics, and the West has the largest proportion of unaffiliated people, including the largest proportion of atheists and agnostics.
This highlight shows my previous response. The Northeast is overwhelmingly liberal and many of the Catholics there voted for the Democratic Party who espouses the far-ultra left.
This is a serious problem that the Catholic Church has to come to terms with in the Northeast. The hierarchy cannot compromise the gospel for political expediency.
Of all the major racial and ethnic groups in the United States, black Americans are the most likely to report a formal religious affiliation. Even among those blacks who are unaffiliated, three-in-four belong to the "religious unaffiliated" category (that is, they say that religion is either somewhat or very important in their lives), compared with slightly more than one-third of the unaffiliated population overall.
The Black family has been largely attacked by the progressive liberal.
The NAACP continues to espouse the ultra-left which pushes for abortion, gay rights, and the attack on fatherhood.
Blacks will vote overwhelmingly more than 90% for the Democratic Party. Their religious commitment is second to their political will.
Nearly half of Hindus in the U.S., one-third of Jews and a quarter of Buddhists have obtained post-graduate education, compared with only about one-in-ten of the adult population overall. Hindus and Jews are also much more likely than other groups to report high income levels.
This is a very important statistic. This survey shows that much of the general public have accepted the liberal mentality that wealth should be dispensed from the rich to give to the poor.
The incentives to move a head and make something of yourself is disappearing. People are being raised with a right to food stamps mentality.
Our Country have clearly shifted over to a Socialistic State and freedom is being trampled. The Constitution is being reduced by a political will that empowers the Government that ultimately enslaves the masses.
People not affiliated with any particular religion stand out for their relative youth compared with other religious traditions. Among the unaffiliated, 31% are under age 30 and 71% are under age 50. Comparable numbers for the overall adult population are 20% and 59%, respectively.
This highlight reveals the impact that many young people have accepted the secular atheistic beliefs rejecting religion.
Children being taught that evolution is a fact of science as opposed to a theory, when religion is not given freedom in public schools, the results are obvious.
This is the goal of the secularist who want to push for Abortion and Gay marriage. They want to take Christ out of public life. This is where the Democratic Party derives it's war on Christianity.
By contrast, members of mainline Protestant churches and Jews are older, on average, than members of other groups. Roughly half of Jews and members of mainline churches are age 50 and older, compared with approximately four-in-ten American adults overall.
This is a serious problem and an obvious evidence of decline. I am so thankful that the Catholic Faith was not in that picture.
There are a lot of youth who are searching for the truth and the Catholic Faith is attracting many because of it's tradition, liturgy, history, and foundation.
It is the one true faith. I recently spoke with a 16 year old teenager who was unaffiliated with any church. He told me that his Mother was raised Catholic, but had not been practicing for many years.
A couple of days ago, this young man thanked me for helping him to see the Catholic Faith. His Mother went to Mass with him the past two weeks and they are excited about it.
In sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the U.S. is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts. Only one-in-three American Buddhists describe their race as Asian, while nearly three-in-four Buddhists say they are converts to Buddhism.
This movement began to change in the late 1960's when the Beatles and the Beach Boys began to follow Eastern Mysticism.
After the Beach Boys would play their concert, they would turn the stadium lights down and present Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who would then preach to the young people the ways of Transcendental Meditation and the way to Eastern Mysticism.
As a result of these appearances it is approximated that nearly 1,000,000 young people became followers.
Many young Americans began to follow the Krishna movement.
Another group that has grown recently is the Wicca Witchcraft groups, there are "neo-Pagans" and Pagans.
Much of this interest developed with the widespread interest in the Harry Potter books and movies.
Jehovah's Witnesses have the lowest retention rate of any religious tradition. Only 37% of all those who say they were raised as Jehovah's Witnesses still identify themselves as Jehovah's Witnesses.
This highlight reveals a sad truth that people eventually discover.
The Jehovah's Witnesses have no real foundation. They were founded by Charles Taze Russell in the later 1870's incorporated in 1884.
They have many early false prophecies claiming the second coming of Christ.
They have no foundation. That is a serious problem that all Protestantism has because they each have men as their founders and have lost that Catholic foundation.
Catholics in the past have been vulnerable to those visitors knocking on the door. That might be changing today as more Catholics are discovering their roots.
Members of Baptist churches account for one-third of all Protestants and close to one-fifth of the total U.S. adult population. Baptists also account for nearly two-thirds of members of historically black Protestant churches.
What this survey doesn't tell you is that there are 31 Baptist Denominations totally distinct from one another. That is a sad consequence of division within the Baptist Communities. When you add them all up together, they are a large group.
Protestantism in general, especially many of the Non-Denominational "mega" churches compete with everyone else much like a business. For one of these churches, a convert is a potential support with monetary value. That is how they pay for their expensive stage shows and bands.
Compare what the average Protestant Minister makes in his salary compared to the Catholic Priest. It is night and day. Many of your Protestant Pastors have a 6 digit income, have more bodyguards that your Government representatives. It is more than souls, it is about profit.
The Catholic Priest in comparison lives with a very modest income, Religious Order of Priests take vows of poverty. The Diocesan Priest may have a car and a rectory, but that is provided by the Church Community.
The entire Catholic structure is all about the worship of God, it is Community driven. The Protestant has far more considerations because they have to compete to appeal to followers and their support. That is why 44% of Protestants in the Pew-Research Survey revealed that they have "church-hopped" because they move where they might like the music, the preaching, the youth programs better. They drift to what might be more popular. The gospel of wealth sells a lot of material.
For Catholics, our response to all of this is the greater need to activate fathers to take their leadership role in leading their family. That Catholics change their political support for those running for office that defend the Culture of Life. That promotes the Constitution of the United States and the defense of religious freedom. That we take back our educational places of higher learning that will stand up for Christmas and religious freedom.
We do this, we would go far in turning around the direction America has been declining towards. Pray for the United States of America.
The Catholic Faith was founded by Jesus Christ nearly 2,000 years ago and from that time on many people answered the call to follow Him!
Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
We see the Great Commission of Christ at the Ascension of Jesus, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20)
Jesus taught his followers to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to welcome the stranger, to cloth the naked, to care for the sick, and to visit the prisoner.
This is the heart of the Missionary. We see this from the beginning of the Church.
There are many Orders of Religious who serve among the poorest of the poor, along with many lay volunteers to help.
One place that has need of missionaries is Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island in the northern Indian Ocean off the coast of South Asia.
It is close to India with a Buddhist heritage.
The Catholic Church continues to make inroads there largely due because of the various Missionaries there.
I am reporting on one special lay missionary serving at Sri Lanka near the village of Kanda.
Evelyn Takahashi is a Missionary from the Philippines who has been living there among the people.
Evelyn is a Facebook friend of mine and what a great blessing it is to be able to reach and support others around the world to build up the Kingdom of God.
Sri Lanka has many outlying areas where people live in small villages.
It is a hilly/mountainous terrain with a lot of rain in the rainy season.
People will walk great distances each Sunday to attend Holy Mass walking through the canons, the valleys, passing despite the great cool rainfall.
Because of the support given the Missionaries, they will give food items to the people.
I have always been taught that the Missionaries are the extension of our hands when we give to support these causes.
St. James asks this question, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well, but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?" (James 2:14-16)
St. James is bringing home the importance of Jesus teaching to do the Corporal Works of Mercy.
We are to see Jesus in each and every person.
That is the calling we each share. Evangelization begins at home. We are all involved in some fachion if we are following the Faith.
We are to toil and labor to do the Lord's work, we become His hands when we do His will, we become His feet when we go where he calls, we become His voice when we proclaim his Church.
St. James continues, James 5:7-8, "Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand."
We are the presence of the Lord to those who are in need, doing His will.
St. Peter gives this challenge, "But whoever is made to suffer as a Christian should not be ashamed but glorify God because of the name. For it is time for the judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, how will it end for those who fail to obey the gospel of God?" (1 Peter 4:16-17)
In other words, as Christians, we should not allow ourselves to become idle, to become so attached to things that we forget our real purpose in life.
To care for those who are suffering.
The need is great and there is so much to be done.
It is not so much of how successful we are, but rather, how faithful we should be.
Jesus gives us the basis for his teaching and for our participation stating: "You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lamp-stand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." (Matthew 5:13-16)
Some are called to be missionaries to go where the need is great and thank God for them.
We need people to give this kind of commitment.
We also need to renew our faith in our families. To bring back the light of faith that anchors the imagination of the mind to seek to do God's will.
Please keep in prayer Evelyn and all our missionaries serving throughout the world. They truly are the hands who serve those in great need. Many are facing persecution particularly in the Middle East because of the violence there. Please keep them in your prayers and pray that our Government will finally do something about that. You become a participant when you support them. God bless you and Merry Christmas.
(Editors note) Please check out the radio program "The case for 12/25" (blogtalkradio) located on the right of the page. Just push play and follow along with John's excellent show notes "The Case for December 25, 2 B.C."
I have been asked by a number of people, rather, told by a number of people that the Catholic Church opened the doors to pagan influence beginning with the celebration of Christmas.
Some of them have developed wild imaginative developments showing some connection with the old Babylonian mystery religion with Christmas.
Sir Arthur Weigall, a noted Archeologist, said:
December 25th was really the date, not of the birth of Jesus, but of the sun-god Mithra. Horus, son of Isis, however, was in very early times identified with Ra, the Egyptian sun-god, and hence with Mithra...
Is he correct with this assessment? Anti-Catholics say the following:
"In the end the effect is the same: "Christmas" is the birth not of the "son of God" but of the sun. Indeed, there is much evidence—including many ancient monumental alignments—to demonstrate that this highly noticeable and cherished event of the winter solstice was celebrated beginning hundreds to thousands of years before the common era in numerous parts of the world. The observation was thus provably taken over by Christianity, not as biblical doctrine but as a later tradition in order to compete with the Pagan cults, a move we contend occurred with numerous other "Christian" motifs, including many that are in the New Testament".
I know some Christians who have this mindset! John and I give what we believe strong evidence that Christ was born on Christmas Day. This is attested by what we want to show through science, the bible, Jewish tradition, and history. You can check out this radio program in the Archives and follow along with John's Christmas story.
The following is a defense for the historic truth behind Christmas. The opponents of Christmas coming from various points of view have a deep bias against the Catholic Faith. They have a canned ready response to Christmas and we see this all the time from Atheists to Anti-Catholic Protestants.
Two things to consider that is happening almost simultaneously yet independent of each other that bares much into this discussion:
October 3 B.C. The Day of Atonement-Yom Kippur, the busiest Temple day
of the Temple year (Luke 1:10) sometime late March early April. The
Angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah and announced the coming of John
the Baptist.
September 3 B.C. The planet Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus, the
brightest star in the constellation of Leo-Leo the Lion. This would be
the star the wise men would follow leading them to Bethlehem. They
followed the star for about 16 months until the Star rested over
Bethlehem for six days beginning on Dec 25, 2 B.C.
For many Catholics, it matters not the actual day, so they do not get into the arguments but are often stumped when pressed about the "pagan" roots of Christmas.
The following research points to reliable, historical facts taken from scripture, history, tradition, and science.
"The Case for December 25, 2 B.C".
Year after year, I hear the same arguments against the traditional date of December 25th as the date of the birth of Christ. Many of these arguments are based on incorrect interpretations and flawed logic. Some are downright silly.
The purpose of this article (and the accompanying show) is to refute the nonsensical claims that Christmas is derived from paganism. That case we will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Misconception #1 December 25th was only chosen because it coincided with a Roman pagan feast.
Though it is true that December 25th was a pagan feast under the Roman calendar, the same is true of just about every other day on the calendar. It is also true that the early church made December 25th a Holy day of obligation, at the council of nicea in 325 AD, as a strategic move to prevent Christians from attending that pagan feast, but that does not mean the date was chosen for that purpose.
The truth is that the celebration of December 25th as the Nativity of Our Lord can be traced back at least to 125 AD and the institution of the Midnight Christmas Mass by Bishop Telesphorus of Rome. Early Church Fathers Tertullion, Hippolytus, Cyril of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom all identified either December 25th or January 6th as Christ's date of birth. Pope Julius in the 4th century examined census documents brought by Titus to Rome to calculate the birth date of Christ and he, also, arrived at the date December 25.
In fact, as far back as we can go, only two dates were generally excepted- December 25th and January 6th, with the majority adhering to the December date. This is why the early church established this space of time as the Christmas season.
In the 2nd century, a massacre in the catacombs on December 25th was recorded as having occurred on the date of the Nativity.
Alfred Edersheim, a Messianic Jew, wrote, "There is no adequate reason for questioning the historical accuracy of this date. The objections generally made rest on grounds which seem to me historically untenable."
Again, this does not prove that December 25th was in fact the birth date of Jesus Christ. however, it does prove- beyond a shadow of a doubt- that the celebration of Christmas on December 25th, predates the edict of Milan by at least 200 years and can be placed within less than a century from the death of the Savior. Misconception #2 There is nothing in Scripture that suggests late December as the birth of Christ.
This misconception springs from the assumption mentioned above that the date was chosen out of thin air or specifically to compete with (or worse yet, to incorporate) the pagan feasts. The fact is that the Biblical case for a late December Nativity is very strong.
The biggest misconception occurs with Luke chapter 1 and Zachariah's service in the Temple.
5* In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, * of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9* according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
Abijah was one of the 24 Priestly courses established under King David. You can read about it in 1 Chronicles. The rotation began with the start of the Jewish year. Abijah would have served in the 8th and 32nd weeks of the regular rotations, excepting the three major feast days. This filled the 51 weeks of the Jewish Calendar.
The biggest mistake many people make is that they go by the Priestly schedule set forth in 1 Chronicles 24:7-10 and apply it to Jesus time. The problem is that after the Temple was destroyed on the 9th of Av, B.C. 586 (Tish’a B’ Av), and rebuilt, this day of destruction became a fast day and was established as the new beginning day of the rotation.
We know that this new rotation was still in effect in 70 AD because the first course was serving on the 9th of Av of that year when- incredibly- the Temple was destroyed on the same day. Historical records prove this.
This means that Zechariah's course would have been serving their second go around about October 2nd- 9th, commencing with the day of Atonement- YomKippor. As the busiest Temple day of the Temple year, it certainly would explain why the whole multitude was in the Temple (Luke 1:10).
The Scriptures tell us that Elizabeth was in her sixth month when Mary conceived ( Luke 1:26-35). That put us to Late March/ Early April. Add 9 months for her pregnancy and bang- Late December, Early January.
Misconception #3 The shepherds could not have been tending their sheep in the dead of winter.So Jesus must have been born in the spring or summer.
This argument really backfires on those who make it.
Southern Israel's weather in late December is actually quite mild and would have have actually been the very best time for grazing sheep. This argues for the second course of Abijah in the Temple. If it had been the first course, it would have occurred in about February. Not only is this inadequate to explain the large multitudes, it places the sheep in the fields in late spring during the dry season when the fields would be barren.
The second- and even stronger- argument is the area of Israel that is cold and snowy- the hill country. If we are to believe that Jesus was born in spring or summer, then we must believe that Mary traveled to the hill country by herself, in the dead of winter, to visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Misconception #4- Herod's deathHerod the Great died in the spring of 4 BC and this does not fit with a winter birth because the Scripture says that his death occurred soon after Jesus' birth.
It was commonly believed that Herod the Great died following an eclipse in March of 4 BC. However, the Jewish writer Josephus doesn't give the date per se. He simply mentions an eclipse and other events.
The late Father William Most, one of the preeminent Scripture scholars of our time has much to say on this.
The date of the birth of Christ hinges on just one thing, the statement of Josephus (Antiquities
17. 6-8) that Herod died shortly after an eclipse of the moon. Astronomers supply the dates for such eclipses around those years: None in 7 or 6 BC. In 5 BC, March 23: 29 days to Passover. Also in 5 BC, Sept 15: 7 months to Passover. In 4 BC, March 13: 29 days to Passover. In 3 and 2 BC, no eclipses. In 1 BC, January 10: 12 1/2 weeks to Passover.
Josephus also tells what events happened between the Eclipse and the Passover (cf. Martin pp. 85-87). They would occupy probably about 12 weeks. Martin also, pp. 99-101, shows that the eclipse of Sept 15, 5 BC could not fit with known data, especially the fact that Herod was seriously ill in Jericho (over 800 feet below sea level) when the eclipse happened - but Jericho was a furnace of heat at that time, Sept 15. Herod would not have stayed there when he could have had the much better climate of Jerusalem. But if the eclipse was in midwinter -- Jan 10 -- Herod would find Jericho comfortable.
So Herod died in 1 BC, and the birth of Christ cannot be put too much earlier than that.
For a Scripture scholar of Father Most's stature to insist on the January, 1 BC date as the death of Herod lends great credence to this position.
Further, Father Most addresses 2 of the most common objections;
Objection 1: Josephus gives two indications of the length of the rule of Herod: A) He says Herod had a reign of 37 years from the time he was proclaimed king by the Romans and; B) 34 years after the death of Antigonus, which happened just after Herod took Jerusalem.
These would make the death of Herod come in 3 BC. But there was no eclipse of the moon in that year. Nearest one was March 13, 4 BC- - so scholars said they had stretch the statements of Josephus.
Reply to objection 1: Herod took Jerusalem late in 36 BC. Josephus says Herod's siege of Jerusalem was during a sabbatical year, and 36 was a sabbatical year. Otherwise would need to be 7 years before or after 36. Also, all sabbatical years ended on Yom Kippur. Josephus said Herod's capture of Jerusalem coincided with Yom Kippur. He and the Jews would remember it well, for it was an outrage to press a siege on Yom Kippur. Josephus said it was 27 years to the day that Pompey committed his abominations, which he did in 63 BC. This gives again 36 BC for Herod's capture of Jerusalem. If we use the common accession method of counting years of rule, the date to start his 34 years is the first of Nisan in 35 BC. So Herod's 34th year of rule would start with the 1st of Nisan in 2 BC. and end with first of Nisan in 1 BC. Now 34 years after 35 BC would give 1 BC for the death and end of the reign of Herod, his death, soon after the eclipse of Jan 10, 1 BC.
Objection 2: Herod's three successors, Archelaus, Antipas, and Philip, seem to have their reigns starting in 4 BC.
Reply to objection 2: Herod had two sons, Alexander and Aristobulus by Mariamme, a Hasmonean. They were popular with the people, but Herod had designated Antipater his oldest son as his successor, who saw the 2 sons, Alexander and Aristobulus as a threat to him -- so he made false charges, led Herod to have them executed. Antipater became co-ruler with Herod in 4 BC. But Antipater plotted to kill Herod, who found out, had him executed in 4 BC.
Archelaus and Antipas were sons of Herod by Malthace, a Samaritan. Philip was a son by Cleopatra of Jerusalem. Archelaus, Antipas and Philip counted their reigns as starting also in 4 BC. However, antedating reigns was common, as coins show, and Herod gave his kingdom to them before his death. It was tactical to antedate the reigns of these three to the death of the two "royal" sons, Alexander and Aristobulus, who were of Hasmonean descent, so that Archelaus, Antipas and Philip would seem successors to these two.
This reason was intensified by the fact that Herod had been demoted by Augustus in 4 BC. Herod had sent troops to Arabia to end activities of robbers and to collect a large debt owed him by the Arabian ruler. Syllaeus the Arabian misinformed Augustus about Herod's actions--Herod really had permission from the governors of Syria for that. Augustus wrote to Herod: "Whereas of old he [Augustus] had used him as his friend, he should now use him as his subject." This was politically devastating. He had to have Caesar's representatives for Syria hear the case against Alexander and Aristobulus and the trial was held in Beirut. Later before executing Antipater, Varus governor of Syria heard the case. Also in 4 BC began the joint rule of Antipater with Herod.
Misconception #5 The Census.The Census could not have occurred in the winter and Quirinius was not Governor until 6 AD.
Once again, Father Most dashes this myth.
We know from an inscription from Paphlagonia in Asia Minor -- cf. Lewis and Reinhold, Roman Civilization, Source Book II, pp. 34-35 -- that in 3 BC all the people took an oath of allegiance to Augustus. The same oath is also reported by the Armenian historian Moses of Khorene, and by the later historian Orosius.
Augustus was to receive the great title of Pater Patriae on Feb. 5, 2 BC. So the actual governor of Palestine, probably Varus, would have had to go to Rome for the festivities, and since sailing on the Mediterranean stopped about Nov. 1, and did not resume until Spring, he must have gone in the early fall of 3 BC. But Quirinius was nearby, had just finished a successful war against the Homonadenses. So he was left as acting Governor. Luke does not use the noun governor, but the participle, "governing".
Therefore, it is highly possible, even probable, that Quirinius would have been acting as Governor for the implementation of the census in late 2 BC.
The clincher
Now that these misconceptions have been dispelled, I would like to give the amazing evidence that I believe clinches it. The Star of Bethlehem.
Coinciding almost precisely with the time Zacharias would have been serving in the Temple, a mysterious star began rising over the middle east in what is now probably Iraq. This star was in fact the planet Jupiter. It would continue it's rise for about 9 months.
What happens next is simply astounding. Again, Father Most;
In the evening of June 17, 2 BC, there was a spectacular astronomical event in the western sky. Venus moved eastward seemingly going to collide with Jupiter. They appeared as one star, not two, dominating the twilight of the western sky in the direction of Palestine. This conjunction had not happened for centuries, would not happen again for more centuries.
Jupiter was considered the Father, Venus the Mother. Then not many days later, Venus came within .36 degrees of Mercury. On Sept 11 came the New Moon, the Jewish New Year. This happened when Jupiter, the King planet was approaching Regulus, the King star. Further, there were three conjunctions of Jupiter and Regulus within the constellation of Leo, the lion which was considered the head of the Zodiac.
Now Gen 49:10 had foretold there would always be a ruler from Judah, whom Jacob called the lion, until the time of the Messiah. Leo was dominated by the star Regulus, which astronomers called the King Star. The Magi, being astronomers and astrologers, would surely read these signs. (The three conjunctions with Regulus were Aug 12, 3 BC; Feb. 17, 2 BC, and May 8/9 2BC). In Hebrew Jupiter was called sedeq, righteous, a term specially pertaining to the Messiah.
On Sept 11, Jupiter was close in the constellation of Virgo, the virgin. On Sept 3 of 3 BC Jupiter was in conjunction with Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation of Leo--Leo the Lion, which was associated with Kings, and the Lion of Judah, as foretold by the dying Jacob in Egypt in Genesis 49. 10.
Also, on Dec. 25 of 2 BC, Jupiter stopped for 6 days over Bethlehem.
The only thing that could add to this would be a neon sign saying Jesus Christ, born here December 25.
The June convergence of Jupiter and Saturn would have been so spectacular as to dwarf anything before or since. It also would have coincided with the birth of John the Baptist. The Magi would certainly have seen this as the sign and began their journey which would have led them to Jerusalem. As they arrive in Jerusalem and inquire about the child, Herod asks them when they first saw the star at it's rising. This would have been about 15 months. It is not a stretch to say that Herod rounded this figure off to 2 years to determine which children to slaughter.
The star then went before the Magi and rested over Jerusalem on December 25th. It was about a 6-12 day journey from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This does not take us beyond January 6th- the traditional day of the visit of the Magi.
It is less than a week to the eclipse that marks God's judgment on the life of Herod for his abominable crimes.
After this, anyone who says there is no case for December 25th just isn't being honest.
I grew up hearing "yuletide" traditions but I never really knew much about how it fit in with Christmas.
The transformation of the heart centralizes why we celebrate any feast. What the Church does in these celebrations I find people doing the very same thing today through Christian Contemporary Music. I think this is great because music reaches where the people are.
