<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div></div><div>Debi writes:</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; "><pre>"it's fascinating how much of the Christian Holidays and traditions come straight from Pagan practices the Christians could not eradicate and thus were incorporated"</pre></span> </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The Bible does not specify a day when Jesus was born, but it was convenient to place his birth at an already holy time.</div><div><br></div>Christmas is winter solstice, the return of the sun. What an exciting time for people whose lives revolved around the sun! They knew that longer days, and spring, was on the rise.<div><br></div><div>Cutting down a Christmas tree and decorating it is Pagan. A way to sacrifice something and
beautify it with symbols of wants and dreams. Most Christians follow that tradition not realizing they are partaking in a very ancient ritual.<br><div><br></div><div><div><br></div><div>Easter is the spring festival, Beltane, the return of life or resurrection. A time of fertility and regrowth. Why not have Jesus rise from the dead during that ancient festival?</div><div><br></div><div>Both of these times of year were Pagan holidays. It only made sense for the Christians to incorporate the Pagan holy days into their myth to make it more palatable to the people they were forcing to convert.</div><div><br></div><div>Of course, this will offend Christians who want to believe they were the originators of such heavy thought. Sometimes the truth hurts even the strongest of believers. Maybe it's just a way to test their blind faith?</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Garrett Clevenger<div><br></div><div
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