CHRISTMAS EXPOSED

THE PAGAN ORIGINS OF CHRISTMAS

By Reginald Jacob Block

Christ Mass

Even the least informed Christians know that Jesus was not born December 25th.  Yet, the enthusiasm with which Baptists and IFBs participate in this un-biblical holiday is baffling; this is further exacerbated by the fact that Christian-haters, atheists and other religions also celebrate this seasonal holiday with equal exuberance. Despite the fact that most Baptists and IFBs know that Christ Mass was adapted from a pagan holiday and first observed by the Roman Catholic Church, they find ways to justify incorporating it into their yearly schedule of formal holiday worship services. Often one hears them say that by directing their worship to Christ and celebrating his birth, all pagan and Roman Catholic connections to Christ Mass are disannulled.  This, of course, is complete nonsense.  In Jeremiah, God says, “Learn not the way of the heathen…” – in other words, don’t adapt heathen ways to the Baptist/biblical idea of acceptable worship.

Yet, Baptists and IFBs have redefined and perfected the Christ Mass, turning it into one of the most important church days of the year, to the point that some churches put on huge pageants and entertainment-based Christ Mass events disguised has church services. They justify this by saying it’s a great way to reach the unsaved by bringing them into the house of God, which raises the issue of whether or not the unsaved belong among the ekklesia. The scripture is clear that the “church” or ekklesia is a fellowship of believers and unbelievers are not welcome; rather, it is the role of the ekklesia to go out and reach the lost with the gospel message, and after they are saved bring them into fellowship – not before.

Paul wrote,

“14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?”

“17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,”

Thus, when Christians celebrate Christ Mass they violate two essential aspects of biblical doctrine,

1. They celebrate an un-biblical tradition borrowed from the Catholic Church, and they learn, adapt and practice the way of the heathen.

2. When the unsaved are invited to church under the guise of a Christ Mass pageant or service, two similar commandments given to the Corinthians are violated; don’t fellowship with the unsaved and be separate from them.

Baptist and IFBs believe that an understanding God knows that they are worshipping him at Christ Mass and not some pagan deity. Need I remind the reader that Cain’s offering was rejected even though his intention was good, and God rejected King Saul despite his noble reasons and Uzzah was struck dead though his concern was honest? Disobeying with good intentions is a form of rebellion, and the scripture says, “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.”

Samuel’s response to King Saul indicates that God demands obedience over sacrifice.

“22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat or rams.”

But, what does the Catholic Church, the originator of Christ Mass say about it? David J. Meyer of Last Trumpet Ministries, in his article titled, “The True Meaning of Christ-Mass, quotes the Catholic Encyclopedia page 537, “In the Christian law, the supreme sacrifice is that of the Mass.” The supreme act of worship consists essentially in an offering of a worthy victim to God, the offering made by a proper person, as a priest, the destruction of the victim.”

In that same article Meyers writes, “In essence, the Mass is the ceremonial slaying of Jesus Christ over and over again, followed by the eating of his flesh and the drinking of his blood. The Mass is the death sacrifice, and the Host is the victim. This is official Roman Catholic doctrine and Christmas is a word that they invented. Again, I ask, what is so merry about the pain, bleeding, suffering and death of Jesus Christ?”

I ask every Baptist and IFB, “Why reject all Catholic masses except the Christ Mass?” Is Christ Mass any less of a mass than any other mass? I don’t think so. If that is true, then why not adapt other Catholic masses to suit Baptist and IFB acceptable forms of worship? Why only the Christ Mass? It makes no sense.

Let’s go farther back into the origins of the December 25th celebration that was assimilated into the Roman Catholic Church and later adapted and observed by Protestants and Baptists.

Rev. Alexander Hislop wrote,

“Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honour of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven; and to swell the number of nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman church, giving it only the name of Christ.”

Hislop goes on to explain how even Tertullian (circa 230) lamented the Christians’ willingness to accommodate paganism by incorporating their pagan feasts, exchanging gifts and attending banquets and sporting events. And, he went so far as to commend the pagans for being faithful to their religion (unlike the Christians) and taking special care to adopt no solemnity from the Christians.

Hislop documents the observance of the December 25th year-end festival by pagans throughout Europe, Asia, The Middle East and Egypt, proving that “Christ Mass was originally a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt. The time of the year, and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin.”

“The candles, in some parts of England, lighted on Christmas-eve, and used so long as the festive season lasts, were equally lighted by the Pagans on the eve of the festival of the Babylonian God, to do honour to him: for it was one of the distinguishing peculiarities of his worship to have lighted wax-candles on his altars. The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt. In Egypt that tree was the palm-tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm-tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith. The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state, to have brought forth her divine son. If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognized as the “Man the branch.” And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas Eve, and the appearance of the Christmas tree the next morning.”

On that note, again I refer the reader to Jeremiah 10:2-5,

“Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that I move not.

5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not…”

Christ Mass-celebrating Baptists and IFBs typically dismiss Jeremiah’s admonishment, insisting that it has nothing to do with Christ Mass or the Christ Mass tree. Yet, historic records show, according to Hislop’s documentation, that the very things described in Jeremiah fit to a tee with the pagan celebrations in Egypt, Rome and other parts of the known world.

Furthermore, Hislop explains the relationship between Lady-day celebrated March 25 and Christmas-day, December 25; he says, between the two, “there are exactly nine months. If, then, the false Messiah was conceived in March and born in December, can any one for a moment believe that the conception and birth of the true Messiah can have so exactly synchronized, not only to the month, but to the day? The thing is incredible. Lady-day and Christmas-day, then, are purely Babylonian.”

“There can be no doubt, then, that the Pagan festival at the winter solstice, in other words, Christmas, was held in honour of the birth of the Babylonian Messiah.”

Before moving on, I challenge all Baptists to examine the facts,

• There are no Christ Mass holidays or related worship services described in the New Testament

• Christ’s birth was not December 25th

• The Bible commands against learning the ways of the heathen (Christ Mass)

• The New Testament church did not celebrate Christ Mass

• Mass is a Roman Catholic rite, of pagan origins

• Celebrating Christ Mass violates Baptist distinctives