-WiscoDave
Friday, October 29, 2021
Is Halloween Pagan?
The idea that all the traditional holidays and festivals of the year are “pagan” in origin and were simply “stolen by the Church” is one that has permeated popular culture and is repeated without question in newspaper, magazine and online articles. It is perhaps not surprising that harried journalists and underpaid online content writers are uncritical about these claims, but it is more strange that prominent atheists are as well, given they are meant to be sceptics who check their facts and “question everything”. Unfortunately, many anti-theistic polemicists cannot resist a chance to get in a jab at any aspect of Christianity being “really pagan”, so every October we see supposed rationalists parroting pseudo history about the “pagan origins of Halloween”, with no sign of any fact-checking, let alone engagement with scholarship. In fact, the claim that Halloween is “pagan” is largely a nineteenth century myth.
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Halloween isn't pagan but Samhain which starts the dark half or the year certainly is.
ReplyDeleteI knew a young lady that was a part of some cult that claimed to be Christian, yet revered the Old Testament and discounted the gospel of the New Testament. Perhaps I have it wrong, but they went around spouting Hebrew phrases and using Hebrew names for religious figures. It was all very confusing to this simple minded person.
ReplyDeleteSeveral times a year, their group would post this kind of crap on FB, explaining how we were all unwitting, yet sinful, pagans worshipping Baal or some other nonsense. I hate those holier that thou, self righteous fools whose only goal in life is spouting some bull crap to make others feel bad.
One year, at Easter, they went on and on about the pagan significance of the holiday. All the time, they were congregated at some campsite in the woods, singing songs, burning fires, and slinging their hate filled polemics. I made an impassioned observation that their rites were eerily similar to pagans gathering around a campfire for sex orgies and human sacrifice; citing scholarly research about the historical significance and pagan origins of their activities. I feigned disdain and disgust, going so far as to suggest that the inclusion of their children cemented the nefarious nature of their gatherings. The end result was that they stopped posting that crap and left the rest of us alone. Our friendship suffered to some extent, but it did not bother me one tittle.
I am probably going to burn in hell, at least in their estimation.
Nah, I think you're good. Deflating self-righteous pricks is a GOOD thing. There's not a very good chance that they'll wake up to their own hypocrisy, but at least there's a chance.
DeleteI happen to think that essentially ALL "christian" holidays are in actual fact pagan ones re-purposed by the "Catholic" church as part of their early efforts to be universal (which IIRC is what catholic actually means) and the only ones we actually KNOW aren't pagan are the Jewish holidays outlined in the old testament. And maybe Hanukah, which is an apocryphal new testament holiday from Maccabees, IIRC.
But there's no need to be a dick about it. If someone else wants to celebrate it, more power to them, enjoy it!
"The more you repent, the less tolerant you become of sin, and the more tolerant you become of sinners."
Feasts of the Lord
DeleteLev 23:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
The Sabbath
Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
The Passover
Lev 23:4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
Lev 23:5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD'S passover.
Lev 23:6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
The Feast of Firstfruits
Lev 23:9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
Lev 23:11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Lev 23:12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
Lev 23:14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
The Feast of Weeks
Lev 23:15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
Lev 23:16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
Lev 23:17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Lev 23:18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
Lev 23:19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
Lev 23:20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
Lev 23:21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Lev 23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
DeleteThe Feast of Trumpets
Lev 23:23 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
Lev 23:25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
The Day of Atonement
Lev 23:26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Lev 23:28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
Lev 23:29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
Lev 23:30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.
Lev 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Lev 23:32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
The Feast of Booths
Lev 23:33 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Lev 23:34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
Lev 23:35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
Lev 23:37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
Lev 23:38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.
Lev 23:39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
Lev 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
Lev 23:41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
Lev 23:42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
Lev 23:43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
Lev 23:44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.
The festival of Samhain existed before Halloween. Most of the traditions of the US form of Halloween derived from Samhain. It is, therefore, not inappropriate to call Halloween a pagan holiday given how it is practiced.
ReplyDeleteSamhain was the Druid god of the dead. Supposedly the spirits of the dead would arise to walk the earth on the festival of Samhain. From what I've been able find, Samhain also took place on October 31.
People who claim to be "Christian" usually act as anti-Christs.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the descendant Age of Pisces and moving to that of Aquarius.
see: Zeitgeist - The Movie Part 1 - Religion
Halloweens origins date back ancient Ireland. It was the day they believed that their dead relatives spirits came back to look in on them. The next day, Nov 1st, was their New Year.
ReplyDeleteWho cares? Hell, we still some name the days of the week based on Roman gods and rulers. History. Even pre-History. Nobody has a lock on it. It just is what it is, and it really is irrelevant which stupid religion or anti-religion claims it.
ReplyDeleteI waaaaant candy!
ReplyDeleteYou beat me to it...
Delete"I was good all year... I better get candy!"
It is pagan.
ReplyDeleteScripture specifically states what "holy days" you are to celebrate. Holy days like Sukkot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, etc... Scripture even specifically tells you that you are NOT to celebrate as the pagans do. But the pagan Christian churches say the old testament was done away with by Jesus...even though the old testament says (Deuteronomy 13) that anyone who says the laws were done away with is a false prophet. So either Jesus was telling you the old testament was done away with and is a false prophet...or he really was a prophet and the son of God, and it just your pagan church that is twisting his words. Most people think "Matthew 7:15 is talking about people I disagree with and it's definitely not my pastor/elder/whatever" when they should be thinking "Is what my pastor/elder/whatever said actually scriptural".
Try to answer the questions from these two 3-minute videos if you can:
https://youtu.be/fStUB3-jQXI?t=57
https://youtu.be/9KQnjenbyKQ?t=57
Delete^^^DING DING DING Anonymous actually hit the nail on the head !!!
It's really quite simple , we have all been lied to and led astray by those who wish to control us , be it through religion , politics or whatever.
Once you open your eyes to what has actually been going on then you are either accountable for trying to set things right or choose to just ignore them and just keep doing whatever it was that made you happy in whatever form that is.
If when questioning what one has been told to believe in a higher power and you start finding more questions and fewer answers , then most will either just stop and go back to what they were taught , quit going to their house of worship or go down the rabbit holes looking for answers. If you choose the first then life will be much simpler . You will not be popular if you chose either of those later two, however if you chose the last one your faith will go through a massive roller coaster ride that will educate you in more ways then you ever imagined .
The more that you learn , the more confused and angry the majority of those that you try to explain such things to friends and family will become.
All that you can do is share it with those who are on the same journey for the most part . Which is just fine , very lonely for many , but then again the scales do not fall from everyone's eyes .
In the end G-d will set us all straight as to where we went wrong and how close we came to getting things right. After all , HE , didn't screw things up with how we were supposed to follow and worship , it was human beings that jacked it all up for the generations to come.
Most all holidays not associated with an event, ie: Independence Day, but especially christian religious ones are of pagan origin. The " church " found it easier to repurpose a celebration than to eliminate it.
ReplyDeleteJD
You're out of the Theology and contrary to the reality.
ReplyDeleteJesus brought the new law and your tribe lost the pole position by killing Him.
Christians, even divided are not pagans, those Westerner are heretic, cultural only Christians not spiritual.