Thoughts, responses, critiques... (free academic chatter please!)

[Maruschke]

But I think what tends to bother most Christians nowadays is not the pagan roots of the celebration but the huge commecialisation that has happened around these holidays. For a lot of the western world Christmas is not a time to celebrate Jesus' birth but a time to be greedy, eat and drink till you're sick and get into huge debt. That is neither pagan nor Christian but simply wrong.

Couldn't agree more .

[Inanna]

I always smile when I see offerings at Mary's feet. Because to me Mary is the embodiment of the Goddess. The female God.

I think the most of the imagery from Christmas is pagan in origin. For this was the faith of Britain/Europe prior to the enforced belief in Christ. The tree, the wreath, even the mistletoe. The date! Similarly with Easter.

Those who worship Jesus Christ and enforced that belief (way back when ) adopted those dates to make the conversion simpler. So folk now who hold Christianity in their hearts are still worshipping Christ regardless of where some of the ritual was derived from.

The "old religion" is alive and well within the walls of Christianity as well I believe.

Like other posters I think it's the intent that matters. The intent is to worship Christ regardless of when and how that is done.

I do think though the argument that it is a "coincidence" about dates, rituals etc is a little amusing...

[AngelPunks]

The "old religion" is alive and well within the walls of Christianity as well I believe.

is it ever ..... yes I sit in services that I've been dragged along to and pick out all the components that we have as part of our rituals - quick example is cakes & ale (bread & wine) - but the one that blows me away the most is a catholic funeral service, using the 5 elements