Are we falling in love with Christmas all over again? This is part 1 of what i hope will be just a two part series on this issue.
Christmas Posing A Crisis of Faith in the Hebrew Roots Community
I believe our community is in, at a minimal, what I’ve chosen to call “a mini-crisis of Faith.” I never wanted to address this issue, at least not this year. I’ve addressed the issue of Christmas in past years and I just never thought it was an issue that our community needed to hear at this time. Unfortunately, recent postings by certain Hebrew Rooters from our community have led me to unwillingly address the issue of Christmas yet again. My apologies.
Facebook Posts versus The Corner Liquor Store–Which is Worse?
The other day I happened to receive that all too often nagging email notification that one of my Facebook friends had just updated their status or posted something or another. I typically just delete those emails and never go over to Facebook to view their post. It just so happens that i have great respect for this individual who is a well-known Hebrew Roots teacher and established fellowship leader.
I read his post, I was taken aback (once again I might add) at what he posted. It had to do with the many unsubstantiated claims by Hebrew Rooters that Christmas is of pagan origin.
A year or so ago, this same individual on a Facebook posting that I published. I had expressed outrage over a well-known Hebrew Roots speaker who had published a series of posts suggesting Christmas was not the pagan holiday our community always made it out to be.
This Hebrew Roots speaker went on to criticize Hebrew Roots teachers and leaders who teach that Christmas is intrinsically linked to Babylon, Nimrod, Ba’al worship, idol worship, the Roman holiday Saturnalia, and a host of pagan traditions and beliefs that have survived in one way or another as the most venerated of Christian holidays. This gentleman’s series of “pro-Christmas” posts essentially highlighted in part his personal Hebrew Roots journey. He had experienced tremendous struggles within his family over his rejection of Christmas.
Being Led by Emotions is a Trick of the Devil
Upon learning of this fellow’s series of posts, I was outraged. I was outraged because I had come to respect this man as a solid Hebrew Roots leader and I was quite trusting that Father would accomplish great things for our Faith community through him.(That was my first big mistake. What does Psalm 118: 8 tell us?
“It is better to trust in Yahovah than to put confidence in man.”-ERV corrected)
Instead of cooling my jets and waiting a day or two (mistake number-two), I immediately went to social media to vent. (I’ve since stopped such foolish behavior. Social media has become the well by which so much misinformation and bad-will is posted. Although it offers great opportunities to get our message out to the world, when we use social media to express our emotions on issues, we only add to the inherent problems associated with social media.)
I made a full blown Facebook post in response to the speaker’s pro-Christmas posts. First I outed this individual for his pro-Christmas stance. Secondly, I mounted my bully-pulpit to address why Messianic Torah Observers must understand and maintain that Christmas is of pagan origin.
Alexander Hislop’s Influence Upon My Understanding of Christmas
A good portion of my Facebook assault on the Christmas-pagan connection hinged upon my read of Alexander Hislop’s seminal work, “The Two Babylons.”
My post that day was met by a rebuttal from the gentleman I referenced at the start of this story who I admired as a respected Hebrew Roots teacher and fellowship leader. This Facebook friend actually defended that other person’s position as it related to Christmas not being of pagan origin. My Facebook friend’s position on this issue–that is his defense of this gentlemen’s pro-Christmas posts–was primarily based upon what he and this other fellow saw as a lack of verifiable proof that Christmas is linked to paganism.
This friend also took me to task at my use of Alexander Hislop as the basis my anti-Christmas position. According to my Facebook friend, Hislop had been proven a fraud by unnamed scholars. I had not heard this anti-Hislop rhetoric before and I was terribly embarrassed. Receiving this tacit rebuke and new information on Hislop from my Facebook friend did not, however, alter my position on this issue in the least.
(Oh by the way, turns out that my Facebook friend was real-life friends with the pro-Christmas fellow. I’ll choose to go with the thinking that their particular friendship has nothing to do with my Facebook friend’s pro-Christmas position. Additionally, my Facebook friend wanted it to be known that he himself does NOT observe Christmas. His position simply is that there is no evidence to suggest that Christmas is of pagan origin and that we as Hebrew Roots leaders, teachers, followers, etc., have no business using spurious evidence such as Alexander Hislop’s work to sway the community towards an anti-Christian position.)
My Facebook friend’s admonishment outraged me even more. I was not angry with him for taking me to task on my Facebook rant. More so, I was angry at his ridiculous position on this issue. Again, his and the other fellow’s position being: if there’s no solid proof that Christmas is of pagan origin, then you can’t view Christmas as bad.
I posted three Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections episodes in response to this gentlemen’s pro-Christmas posts:
- Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections Episode 42
- Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections Episode 43
- Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections Episode 44
In these posts, I focused on this fellow’s pro-Christmas position and why his pro-Christmas stance was dangerous to our Community. If you’re so inclined, I would invite you to listen to check these episodes out to get a better sense of what I ws trying to get across.
Dredging up Old Wounds and Memories
Fast forward to just a couple weeks ago and my Facebook friend’s post. In that particular post, he published what appears to have been a centuries’ old image of Santa Claus carrying some type of package in one hand and a plant of some type in the other. (The closest image I could come up with is the one depicted below.)
Many contend there is no pagan roots to Christmas. Thus Hebrew Rooters are Falling in love with Christmas all over again.
Imprinted all around the image were disclaimers that I could not clearly make out given the small font size as it appeared to me on my iPhone. My Facebook friend took it upon himself to discredit any claim that Christmas (in this case Saint Nick) was of pagan origin. In his own words, my Facebook friend went on to suggest that we in Hebrew Roots should not resort to unsubstantiated claims that Christmas is pagan. That we are better than that. Furthermore, that we only hurt our credibility as Hebrew Rooters when when we stoop to such things as saying Christmas trees were mentioned as an abomination by Yahovah in Jeremiah 10.
Propping Up Christmas All Over Again
There appears to be a concerted effort by certain members of our community to sell us on the so-called virtues and innocence of Christmas.
Today, we have members of our community, with great hubris and reckless abandon, coming out on social media and websites, schooling and even scolding us on our longstanding anti-Christmas position.
The primary argument coming from this sect of our Faith is that there is no verifiable proof that Christmas is of pagan origin. And these individuals have now gone out of their collective ways to salvage Christmas from the scrapheap of their former pre-Hebrew Roots lives and essentially shame the rest of us into conceding that Christmas is not bad, but in reality, good.
That my friends is a horrendously dangerous position to take: not just to those who are being misled by this sect’s propaganda, but also to those who are putting forth this evil propaganda.
Father, through the great prophet Isaiah warned:
Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil; that put darkness for light and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes and prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:20,21, KJV)
Furthermore, there is an effort to discredit Alexander Hislop and his book, “The Two Babylons;” a book that pretty much established, to a greater or lesser extent, the foundation for much of our community’s understanding and acceptance of the pagan roots of Christmas and Easter. This attempt to discredit Hislop is so bad that many have gone so far as to label the man a “fraud.” Where I come from, those are pretty serious allegations. And what is the proof that Hislop set out to mislead the Christian world as it relates to Christmas and Easter I ask? Seems to me that the evidence these pro-Christmas folks claim they have against Hislop is itself as weak as the evidence they claim Hislop put out.
Alexander Hislop authored the Seminal Classic “The Two-Babylons”
Alexander Hislop’s Seminal Work makes a case for pagan connections with Christmas and Easter
Judge Not Lest You Be Judged
We’ve been commanded not to judge those who claim to profess Yeshua as our Master. He instructed us not to judge others. Master (as well as Paul and James) that that when we judge others we stand the risk of being judged ourselves. (Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37; I Corinthians 4:5; Roman 2:1; Roman 14:10-14; James 4:12; Romans 14:4)
Who are we to bring into question the motives, thoughts, and at times, the actions of people we disagree with in either Christianity or Hebrew Roots?
To say that Alexander Hislop intentionally set out to mislead the world as it relates to the pagan origin of Easter and Christmas, in my opinion, is judging the man. Could Mr. Hislop have been a fraud? He very well could have been. I personally don’t believe he was and I’ll explain why at a later time.
The Argument Around Proofs and Concepts
The central argument that both men (and the rest of their sect) are putting forth here is more a question of proof than a question of right or wrong. Their point appears to be that there is no proof that Christmas is of pagan origin. In their flawed reasoning, if there is no proof that Christmas is linked to paganism, then Christmas is neither good nor bad.
Interestingly, both individuals will concede that Christmas is in no way Yeshua’s true birthday. That shouldn’t be much of a stretch for them though. The Vatican just a year or so ago announced that Christmas was likely NOT the birthday of the Master.
Circumstantial versus Concrete Evidence
The pro-Christmas sect contends there is no evidence that Christmas is tied to paganism whatsoever. That includes all of the trappings commonly associated with the day such as trees, wreaths, mistletoe, yule logs, etc. Even though Christmas has always held a dubious connection to ancient cultures and practices, the western world has written off Christmas as the default birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For those who are not religious minded, Christmas is a fun holiday that appeals to children and adults of all ages. Right?
Despite Christianity’s reluctant acceptance that Christmas was not the actual birthday of Jesus the Christ and the potential that it was linked to paganism, Churchianity was not willing to let this day go. In fact, Kurt Cameron (of the “Growing Pains” and the “Left Behind Series” fame), in his 2014 movie “Saving Christmas,” chose not to defend Christmas against those who would challenge that the day was linked to paganism.
Kurt Cameron, when interviewed, would not dismiss claims that Christmas was pagan.
Instead, when interviewed about his position on Christmas and the movie’s treatment of the day, he simply wanted people to chill out and enjoy a wonderful, beautiful, family oriented, happy day and not worry about any of the so-called pagan associations alleged to be linked to the day.
Fast forward just two-short-years. Today we’re starting to see a complete reversal in Hebrew Roots thinking and opinions of Christmas. No longer is Christianity having to defend itself from us miserable Hebrew Roots people throwing barbs at them regarding the dreaded pagan roots of Christmas.
Today it’s the Hebrew Roots people actually coming alongside the likes of Kurt Cameron and his supporters and advocating the keeping and celebrating of Christmas by everyone. Why? Because we’ve determined that there’s not enough proof to connect Christmas to paganism. Who knew?!
Where’s the Proof?
Hislop aside, and let’s just assume for now there are problems with the Hislop model that shows an intimate link between Babylonian-Papal Sun God Worship, does it seem reasonable to throw caution to the wind and advocate a return to Christmas and Easter observance and celebration within our community?
Since there’s no proof that hasatan exists, apart from what’s written in our bibles, should we now dismiss any thought that this creature exists? How about the Bible? Since there is little evidence to support that much of the Bible is true, should we then discard and discredit the Bible starting tomorrow morning? What about: Adam and Eve; the Great Flood and Noah and the Ark; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; Moses; Joshua; Manna falling from heaven; the giving of Torah by Yahuah to us from Mount Sinai; David and Goliath; the existence and ministries of the great prophets Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah; the Lost Tribes of Israel; Jesus Christ; the 12-apostles; and Paul? Where’s the infallible proof that any of these key figures and events we hold sacred to our Faith ever existed? Where’s proof?
Proof That Christmas is of Pagan Origin is Found Only in the Spirit
The proof that these events and people existed and that our Bibles are true is actually found within each of us. That inner proof is made up of faith, the testimony and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, as well as the common sense our mamma’s gave us.
For we all know there must be a God in Heaven that rules and sustains all. Only a fool will contend that there is no God. (Reference Psalm 14:1; 53:1)
And I would submit to each and every soul that reads this post or hears my voice on this matter: the proof that Christmas is linked to paganism is not based upon any record that Hislop may have drafted; or the teachings that Hebrew Roots preachers and teachers may have wrought; or the internet articles that self-avowed Hebrew Roots scholars may have posted. No indeed. The real proof is found within each of us.
Let’s face it: more times than not, hard and fast proof is lacking on a great many of the issues and teachings of our Faith. It then comes down to revelation, faith, commonsense and a pure heart in order for us to fall on the right side of the matter in question.
I will say that this principle applies to the current crisis–yes, I will contend that this is a crisis of our Faith Community. I contend this is a crisis because we have begun to turn away from faith and following the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Instead, we’ve turned to trusting the works and leading of men. Isn’t this the same thing that our forefathers did and Yeshua railed against such practices? Master insisted that we be people of Faith, truth and of the Holy Spirit. Master taught:
“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.” (John 4:23, KJV)
A companion verse is found in Philippians 3:3:
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Messiah Yeshua and have no confidence in the flesh.” (KJV)
Faithfully submitted,
Rod Thomas