Christmas is Pagan!

“The X-mas Files”, Part 3

TRUTH ON THE WEB MINISTRIES PRESENTS:

This final edition is derived from various sources

“The Calvinists declared that observing Christ’s birthday was a human invention... They asserted that Christ would not have approved of it, for it merely furnished excuse for wrong doing ... Town criers went around and cried out so loudly so that all might hear, ‘No Christmas! no Christmas!’” ~(Mayme R. Krythe, All About Christmas)

No Christmas

THE MASS

I Stand At The Door and ‘Knox’

How difficult it is to pull forth of the hearts of the people the thing (The Mass of Christ) wherein [their] opinion of holiness stands, declares the great tumult and uproar moved against Paul by Demetrius and his fellows, who, by idolatry, got great advantage, as our priests have done by the Mass in time past. The people, I say, hearing that the honour of their great goddess Diana stood in jeopardy, with furious voices cried, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians” (Acts 19:23-41). As [if] they would say, “We will not have the magnificence of our great goddess Diana (whom not only Asia but the whole world worships) called into doubt, come into question or controversy. Away with all men intending that impiety.” And hereunto they were moved by long custom and false opinion. ~A Vindication of the Doctrine that the Sacrifice of the Mass is Idolatry, 1550,-John Knox- Extracted from: Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559

The Mass of ‘Christ’ Is Plainly Idolatry: Christmas gets its name from the Latin Christes Masse, or the Mass of Christ. (The French call Christmas Noel, the Scaninavians Yulen Jul, the Italians Natale, and the Germans Weihnacht. ) By celebrating the “Mass” of Christ, one is openly supporting the authority of the Roman Catholic Church, and its pagan Mass.

School of Hard ‘Knox’

The Mass is Idolatry. All worshiping, honoring, or service invented by the brain of man in the religion of God, without his own express commandment, is idolatry. The Mass is invented by the brain of man, without any commandment of God; therefore it is idolatry. ~A Vindication of the Doctrine that the Sacrifice of the Mass is Idolatry, 1550,—John Knox-Extracted from: Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559

CHRIST-MASS: The Blasphemy and Idolatry

“The mass is the unbloody renewal of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary’s cross... Christ, through the ministry of the Roman Catholic priest, offers Himself to God in an unbloody manner under the appearances of bread and wine. The mass is the same sacrifice as the sacrifice of the cross because the Victim is the same. The purpose of the mass is, among other things, to satisfy the justice of God for the sins committed against Him.”—Catholic Priest, John A. O’Brien, Understanding the Catholic Faith, Ave Maria Press, Nortre Dame, Ind, 1955, p. 212

Definition: “The Sacrifice of the Mass is really the holy and living representation and at the same time the unbloody and efficacious offering of the Lord’s Passion [suffering] and that blood-stained sacrifice which was offered for us on the cross”—The Catholic Encyclopedia, page 375

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

This Catholic Mass is an unbloody, unnecessary, and impotent substitute sacrifice. It is clearly a transgression of the second commandment against idolatry. ~Ken Hoeck

“And so Papists, if you offer Christ in sacrifice for sin, you shed his blood, and thus newly slay him. Advert what fine [end] your own desire shall bring you—even to be slayers of Jesus Christ. You will say, you never pretended such abomination. I dispute not what you intended, but I only show what absurdity does follow upon your own doctrine. For necessarily if you do offer Christ for sin, as you confess, and your law does teach, you cruelly shed his blood, and finally do slay him.

But now I will relieve you of this anguish. Dolourous it were daily to commit manslaughter, and oftentimes to crucify the King of Glory. Be not afraid; you do it not; for Jesus Christ may suffer no more, shed his blood no more, nor die no more. For he has died ­ he so died for sin ­ and that once; and now he lives, and death may not prevail against him. And so you do not slay Christ, for no power have you to do the same. Only you have deceived the people, causing them [to] believe that you offered Jesus Christ in sacrifice for sin in your Mass—which is frivolous and false, for Jesus Christ may not be offered, because he may not die”. ~ A Vindication of the Doctrine that the Sacrifice of the Mass is Idolatry, 1550,-John Knox, -Extracted from: Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559

Mass is Idolatry (1550) by John Knox

That Little Town the Vatican

(to the tune of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”)

That little town the Vat-i-can

How well it tells a lie

To lull you into hell-ish sleep

I-dol-a-try to ply.

Their net of dark-ness clos-es

O, Church of God to snare

Your heart to popish wick-ed-ness

Your minds their lies to bear.

First, the mass is a most subtle and pernicious enemy against Christ, and that double, namely, against his priesthood and against his sacrifice... Christ’s sacrifice once made by himself on the tree, on the mount of Calvary, is the full and perfect propitiatory sacrifice to the sanctification of all them that are and shall be saved, never more to be reiterated and done again, for that signifieth an imperfection.” ~Hurt Of Hearing Mass- Vol Two of The Writings of John Bradford, pp. 312

“When the priest pronounces the tremendous words of consecration, he reaches up into the heavens and brings Christ down from His throne, and places Him upon the (Roman Catholic) altar to be offered up again as the victim for the sins of man... Christ became incarnate a single time, the priest brings Christ down from heaven and renders Him present on the (Roman Catholic) altar as the eternal Victim for the sins of man-not once but a thousand times! The priest speaks and lo! Christ, the eternal, omnipotent God, bows His head in humble obedience to the priest’s command... No wonder that the name which spiritual writers are especially fond of applying to the priest is that of ‘altar Christus.’ For the priest is and should be another Christ.” -Catholic Priest- John A. O’Brien, Faith of Millions, Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, Ind., pp. 243-244

This is the False Christ of the Catholic Christmass- that is subservient to the Catholic Priest- This “Christ” is invoked at the priest’s will and is crucified afresh endlessly - which denies the true Lord Jesus Christ and the sufficiency of His one time sacrificial death.—Little Children—Keep yourselves from idols! ~kh

God Keep All of You C.O.G.’s [Churches of God]

(to the tune of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”)

God keep all of you C.O.G.’s

From walking in the way

Of heathens and idolaters

To celebrate this day.

You resurrect this Romish mass,

for you have gone astray.

Chorus:

O, I know that its just a popish old ploy,

popish old ploy,

Yes, I know that its just a popish pagan ploy.

verse 2

You claim its for the birth of Christ

Such God did not command

This service of idolatry

Is not part of His plan

You wed the devil to the Son,

when Christ-Mass you demand.

Chorus

O, I know that its just a popish old ploy,

popish old ploy,

Yes, I know that its just a popish pagan ploy.

And That Concludes Part 3 of The X-mas Files

Concluding Remarks:

The ‘Give ‘em Hoeck’ boys—Ken and Brian—(who both contributed to this X-Mas Files Series) and the rest of the little flock in NW Chicago hope you have a great 7th Day Sabbath-—regardless of the pagan revelry going on around us. Be in the world ... not of the world. We hope you received these in time to share with your groups while it is yet considered ‘in season’ preaching. Take Care and God Bless You. ~ In Christian love and humility, ~kh

Remember to Keep The Approaching Weekly Sabbath Holy (Avoid all trappings of Dec. 25th and its infamous heritage)

Borrowed from Truth on the Web

~~~~Stop By and Check Out ~~~~

“Christmas: The Greatest Story Never Told by Harold E. Cormany at this link

Anti-Xmas Songs contained herein were written by James Dodson 1995 & modified by Ken Hoeck 1999

But Wait, There’s More!:

A 2005 Email From Ken:

History of New Years Day

The celebration of the new year is the oldest of all pagan holidays. Observing the end of one year and the start of a new one is an age-old religious, social, and cultural observance in all parts of the world. “There is scarcely a people, ancient or modern, savage or civilized which has not observed it ... in one form or another. Yet no other festival has been celebrated on so many different dates or in so many seemingly different ways.—Theodor H. Gaster, “New Year”

It was first observed in ancient Babylon about 4000 years ago with the new moon closest to the spring equinox, usually mid-March to kick off the next cycle of planting and harvest. Symbolically, the king was stripped of his robes and sent away for a few days while the people whooped it up. He then returned in all his finery for a grand parade, and the normal activities of life would return for the new year.

For the Egyptians, Phoenicians, Assyrians and Persians the day was celebrated on the autumnal equinox, which now falls on about 23 September. For the Greeks it was celebrated with the winter solstice, which now falls on about 21 or 22 December. It is the same for South India for the Tamil New Year. The Chinese New Year is celebrated for one month and begins in late January or early February. In Japan the New Year festivities take place on 1 to 3 January. The Jewish New Year, called Rosh Hashana, is sometimes called the “feast of the trumpets.” It starts on the first day of the month of Tishri, which may begin any time from 6 Sept to 5 October [which is the seventh month of the biblical calendar.] In most parts of Europe in the Middle Ages 25 March (the feast of the Annunciation) was celebrated as New Year’s Day until the adoption of the Gregorian calendar. At one time England started the year on 25 December with the solstice. The bible shows the new year to be on the new moon of the month of The Abib [tel aviv] which usually occurs in the spring around March or April. Exodus 12:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. [ref: Exodus 13:4; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1] There is no celebration other than a new moon (month) observance to mark this biblical new year.

So how did we get to January 1 as the start of the year? During the early Roman republic 1 March began a new year, but after 153 BC the date was changed to 1 January. Rather than tie the day to some significant astronomical or agricultural event, in 153 BC the Romans selected it for civil reasons. It was the day after elections in which the newly elected assumed their positions.

Years later, Roman Emperor Julius Caesar wanted to change the date to a more logical date but that year, January 1, 45 BC was the date of a new moon. To change it would have been bad luck in the minds of the pagan Romans. Caesar established his own calendar “Julian” calendar in 46 BC and, finally, was first to establish January 1st as “New Year’s Day”.

Janus was the Roman god of doors and gates, and had two faces, one looking forward, and one back symbolizing a break between the old and new. Caesar felt that the month named after this god (“January”) would be the appropriate “door” to the year. Caesar celebrated the first January 1st New Year by ordering the violent, and reputedly quite bloody, routing of “revolutionary Jewish forces” in the Galilee. In later years, Roman pagans observed the New Year by engaging in drunken orgies—a ritual they believed constituted a personal re-enacting of the chaotic world that existed before the cosmos was ordered by the gods. These were the same “Saturnalia” and “Kalends” celebrations that were associated also with what became ‘Christmas.”

The Greeks paraded a baby Dionysus or Bacchus [the Greek god of wine]—in a basket to represent the spirit of fertility and an old man with a scythe, Father Time, to represent the passing. Christians adopted the former symbol as the birth of the baby Jesus and continued what started as a pagan ritual. The image of the old man Time comes from several sources, including the Holly King, the Celtic god of the dying year, and Chronos [Kronos], the Greek god of time. Today the New Year’s symbols are a newborn baby starting the next year and an old man winding up the last year.

In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII ordered a new calendar (the Gregorian Calendar) to replace the old Julian Calendar. The new calendar called for New Year’s Day to be celebrated Jan. 1. The Gregorian calendar was adopted by Catholic countries immediately while the reformists, suspect of any papal policy, only adapted it after some time. Up unto 1582, Christian Europe continued to celebrate New Years Day on March 25. In fact, some European countries held out for centuries (Scotland until 1660; Germany, Denmark, and Norway until 1700; and England until 1752). Today most countries around the world have adopted this calendaring system.

The Romans renamed Quintilis (5th month) to honor Julius Caesar, giving us July. The next month, Sextilis, was renamed August to honor the emperor Augustus. Caesar Augustus moved a day from February to August to make August as long as July.

“The opening of spring was a natural beginning, and in the Bible itself there is a close relationship between the beginning of the year and the seasons. The ancient Roman year began in March, but Julius Caesar, in correcting the calendar (46 B.C.), made January the first month. Though this custom has been universally adopted among Christian nations, the names, September, October, November, and December (i.e., the seventh, eight, ninth, and tenth), remind us of the past, when March began the year. Christian writers and councils condemned the heathen orgies and excesses connected with the festival of the Saturnalia, which were celebrated at the beginning of the yea r: Tertullian blames Christians who regarded the customary presents—called strenae (Fr. étrennes) from the goddess Strenia, who presided over New Year’s Day (cf. Ovid, Fasti, 185-90)—as mere tokens of friendly intercourse (De Idol. xiv),”—New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia.

“On the Roman New Year (January 1), houses were decorated with greenery and lights, and gifts were given to children and the poor. To these observances were added the German and Celtic Yule rites... Food and good fellowship, the Yule log and Yule cakes, greenery and fir trees, gifts and greetings all commemorated different aspects of this festive season. Fires and lights, symbols of warmth and lasting life, have always been associated with the winter festival, both pagan and Christian”—Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. II, p. 903, “Christmas”

These and other winter festivities continued through January 1, the festival of Kalends, when Romans marked the day of the new moon and the first day of the month and year.—MSN Encarta Encyclopedia (online), Deluxe Edition, article: Christmas, section II: Origins of Christmas

“Because gift-giving was so essential a part of the pagan celebrations [of Saturnalia], the early Church frowned upon it as sternly as upon other and more questionable New Year celebrations.”—Christina Hole, Christmas and its Customs, London: Richard Bell, 1942, p. 25.

“The first day of the Saturnalia shifted during the lifetime of Rome ... it began around the middle of December ... and continued until January first. In its midst was December twenty-fifth, the day, as the Romans calculated, when the sun was at its lowest ebb...”—E. W. Count’s “4000 Years of Christmas”, p. 28

“Mesopotamia, is the very ancient Mother of Civilization. Christmas began there, OVER FOUR THOUSAND YEARS AGO, as the festival which renewed the world for another year. The ‘twelve days’ of Christmas; the bright fires and probably the Yule log; the giving of presents; the carnivals with their floats, their merrymakings and clownings, the mummers who sing and play from house to house; the feastings; the church processions with their lights and song—all these and more began there centuries before Christ was born. And they celebrated THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW YEAR!”—4000 Years of Christmas, Earl W. Count, pp. 20-21

As we see with most pagan religious observances ... it begins in either Babylon or Egypt. The ancient Babylonians began the idea of New Year’s resolutions as a way to start the year off with a clean slate by returning borrowed items. Among the pagan customs of New Year’s Day continued today is the tradition of making noise with firecrackers and/or gunshots at the beginning of the new year. From ancient Babylon, India, China, Russia and Siam, new year’s noisemaking was believed to frighten away evil spirits.—New Year’s Resolutions, [This comes from the ancient Roman custom of cleaning out one’s chimney on New Year’s Day to bring good luck and a fresh start.]

The God of the bible warns his people not to follow after the pagan gods and religious customs of the heathen. Just say “no” to their observance and seek to worship God in spirit and in TRUTH.

[A writer in 1633 said,] “If we compare our Bacchanalian Christmasses and New Year’s Tides with these Saturnalia and Feasts of Janus, we shall find such near affinity between them both in regard of time (they both being in the end of December and on the first of January), and in their manner of solemnizing (both of them being spent in revelling, epicurism, wantonness, idleness, dancing, drinking, stage plays and such other Christmas disorders now in use with Christians, were derived from these Roman Saturnalia and Bacchanalian Festivals; which should cause all pious Christians eternally to abominate them.”—Ashton, A Right Merrie Christmas, p. 6

We agree, Mr. Ashton, we agree.

But Wait, There’s More!: I’ve dubbed this:

Is Groundhog’s Day Kosher?

Truth On Ground Hog’s Day (also from Ken in 2005)

Since I live in the town where they filmed the Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day” I thought I would share a little truth about this national observance. The most famous Groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow February 2nd morning and predicted six more weeks of winter. Harmless little tradition? Or does the day reflect ancient pagan practices? Lets have a brief look, shall we?

The day is known as ‘Candlemas’ to Catholics or ‘Imbolc’ to those who practice The Craft (Witchcraft). It is a pagan ‘Sabbat’ that celebrates the midwinter return of the sun. ‘Imbolc’ means ‘in the belly’ (of the Mother Earth Goddess). in reference to where the seeds that contain the next harvest were starting to stir inside. (The holiday was also sometimes called ‘Oimelc’; meaning ‘milk of ewes’, for it is also lambing season.) At the mid-point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, it is tradition for every candle or lamp in the house to be lit for a little while welcoming the return of the Sun. Some call it ‘a Pagan Festival of Lights.’ The day’s weather was still very important- If the sun came out February 2, halfway between Winter and Spring, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather.

For the early ‘Christians’ in Europe, it was the custom on ‘Candlemas Day’ for clergy to bless candles and distribute them to the people in the dark of Winter. ‘Candlemas’ is the ‘Christianized’ name for the heathen holiday. A lighted candle was placed in each window of the home. This pseudo-Christian festival is observed on February 2 to supposedly honor ‘the presentation of the infant Jesus in the Temple in Jerusalem and the purification of the Virgin Mary’. It occurs on the 40th day after Christmas in accordance with the Jewish law that required the ritual purification at the Temple of every mother of a male child 40 days after the child’s birth. The Catholic Church also called it the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ‘christianizing’ was really a masked effort to gain converts yet the pagan origin does not honor Christ at all. Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

The holiday is also called ‘Brigit’s Day’, in honor of the pagan Irish Goddess Brigit - goddess of fire, patroness of smithcraft, poetry and healing. Another form of the name Brigit is Bride and the goddess gave special patronage to any woman about to be married or handfasted, the woman also being called ‘bride’ in her honor. One of the ancient customs of the holiday included weaving straw or wheat into ‘Brigit’s crosses’ to hang around the house ‘for protection’. A perfect entrance for Catholicism. To attract new converts from the pagans, the Roman Catholic Church claimed Brigit was a Catholic missionary they called ‘Saint’ Brigit, patron saint of smithcraft, poetry, and healing (imagine that!). They ‘explained’ this by telling the Irish peasants that Brigit was ‘really’ an early Christian missionary sent to the Emerald Isle, and that the miracles she performed there ‘misled’ the common people into believing that she was a goddess.

How does the groundhog fit in all this? In 1723, the Delaware Indians were the first settlers to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to the original pagan creation beliefs of the Delaware Indians, their ancestors began life as animals in “Mother Earth” and emerged centuries later through reincarnations to live as men. The name woodchuck comes from the Indian legend of “Wojak (Wo-chak), the groundhog” considered by them to be their ancestral grandfather. The day’s weather was still very important- If the sun came out February 2nd hence causing the woodchucks shadow to appear, it meant six more weeks of wintry weather. This was in direct correlation with the pagan Imbolc holiday. When German settlers arrived in Pa. later, they brought in their Catholic Candlemas Day tradition. It was custom to gift the local poor worker with a large candle at Candlemas. At sundown, the candle was lit and rowdy dancing, drinking and revelry went on around it until the candle-flame went out on its own. Some pagan celebrations never change ... some just take ‘Christian’ names and cute mascots.

But Wait, There’s More From Truth on the Web:

“St.” Valentines Day

Celebrated by lovers everywhere, St. Valentine’s Day is a well known tradition. But, What is its origin? What is the meaning of it? Is it a day Christians should observe?

Every February 14th, husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, and school classmates exchange “valentines”, heart-shaped boxes of candy, and flowers while celebrating this holiday. You have more than likely grown up observing this custom, but have you ever wondered where it came from and what it is REALLY about?

Researching the name of this festival in most reference works would lead you to a third-century Catholic martyr named Valentine. However, the Encyclopedia Britannica states in its 15th ed., vol 10, p.336: “St. Valentine’s Day as a lovers’ festival and the modern tradition of sending valentine cards have no relation to the saints but, rather seem to be connected either with the Roman fertility festival of the Lupercalia (kept on the evening of Feb.14th and the day of the 15th) or with the mating season of birds.” This information is reiterated by the Encyclopedia Americana (article: “ST. Valentine’s Day”) : The customs of Valentine’s Day “have been handed down from the Roman festival of the Lupercalia, celebrated in the month of February, when the names of young women were put into a box and drawn out by men as chance directed.” This is the origin of ‘valentines’ - cards linking men and women together for sexual purposes. This festival was “characterized in the later Roman period by wanton raillery and unkindled freedom...”—Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics, James Hastings, Vol.III, p. 226

Lupercalia was a festival celebrated in honor of the god Pan of Egyptian mythology. Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary records this about the name ‘Lupercalia’ on p.339: “the name seems to be borrowed from the Greek name of Pan, Lycaeus, from lukos, a wolf ... because Pan, as god of shepherds, protected sheep from the rapacity of wolves.” To the Romans, he was known as Lupercus (which means “wolf hunter”), the deified hero hunter, and by the Semites, he was known as Baal.

Who is Pan/Lupercus/Baal? He is none other than the deified Nimrod of Genesis10 who built the tower of Babel in defiance of God and set up a false system of worship (Babylon Mystery Religion) with his mother/wife, Semiramis. He was the “mighty hunter”- the name ‘Valentine’ itself means “strong man”. As strange as it may seem, Nimrod is the man of honor of ALL of today’s holidays. He has usurped the place of the TRUE Shepherd, Jesus Christ. He is honored on this day (Valentine’s) as Cupid.

This festival also honored the goddess of sexual immorality,Venus. Venus was the mother of Cupid. He was believed to bring about love and also to make it cease. The name Cupid means “desire”. Nimrod’s mother, Venus (Semiramis) desired, that is, lusted, her son. That is why she is called the goddess of sexual immorality—she married her own son. They and their twisted sexuality are the object of Valentine’s Day.

Cupid, the winged baby with a bow and arrows and a heart is tied directly to Nimrod and the Babylonian Mysteries. Alexander Hislop in The Two Babylons pp188, 189 states this about Cupid and the symbol of the heart: The “Heart” was one of the sacred symbols of Osiris [Nimrod] when he was born again, and appeared as Harpocrates, [Tammuz] or the infant divinity, borne in the arms of his mother Isis [Semiramis, Nimrod’s wife] ... this infant divinity was frequently represented with a heart, or the heart-shaped fruit of the Persea, in one of his hands.” Hislop goes on about Cupid, “Speaking of a statue of Cupid, he [John Bell] says it is ‘a fair, full, fleshly, round boy, in fine and sportive action, tossing back a heart.’ Thus the boy-god came to be regarded as the ‘god of the heart’, in other words, as Cupid, or the god of love. To identify this infant divinity, with his father ‘the mighty hunter’ [Nimrod], he was equipped with ‘bow and arrows’... He was the woman’s seed (the false fulfillment of Gen 3:15). Venus and her son Cupid, then were none other than the Madonna and the child.”

Are you starting to see the deception behind all this? Here were humans claiming to be the Savior, the Savior reborn (a type of the resurrected Christ) and the virgin mother. These people existed 2000 years before Jesus’ appearing in the flesh and their worship has been kept ever since through the Babylonian Mysteries which cloak the true meanings of the traditions you keep today.

How did the ‘Heart’ become the recognized symbol of the Child of the great Mother? “The answer is, ‘The Heart’ in Chaldee [the Babylonian language] is ‘BEL’ (another name of Nimrod)... Now, the worship of the ‘Sacred Heart’ was just (justified), under a symbol [It’s TRUE meaning was HIDDEN], the worship of the ‘Sacred Bel, that mighty one of Babylon, who had died a martyr for idolatry; for ... Horus [Tammuz], the infant god, was regarded as Bel born again. When Bel ... was born again as a child, he was ... represented as an incarnation of the sun. Therefore to indicate his connection with the fiery and burning sun, the ‘sacred heart’ was frequently represented as a heart of flame.” (Hislop’s The Two Babylons, pp.189-190) Again this FALSE SAVIOR attributed Jesus’ likeness to himself. By associating the flame and the sun with himself, he claimed to be “the light of the world” (John 8:12) who is truly Jesus the Christ.

So, how did this pagan festival come to be known as Christian? It was during the reign of Pope Gelasius, that this festival became a Christian custom: ” As far back as 496, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia on Feb. 15 to St. Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14” (Customs and Holidays Around the World, Lavinia Dobler, p.172) The Emperor Constantine had made “Christianity” the official religion of the Roman Empire in the fourth century. By this time, much of God’s truth had been discarded and replaced by pagan philosophy. Constantine himself, was a sun-worshiper. The “universal” (catholic) church’s main concern was to convert the pagans as quickly as possible. These “conversions” were to be made at any and all costs. This included allowing their pagan customs to continue - ONLY, “Christian” names were to be placed upon them ( think Mt 15:8,9). “Thus at the first promulgation of Christianity to the gentile nations ... they could not be persuaded to relinquish many of their superstitions, which rather than forego altogether, they chose to blend and incorporate with the new faith” (Popular Antiquities of Great Britain, John Brandy, p. xi). A blending of Christianity and paganism had occurred! John Brandy also stated in Clavis Calendaria, Vol.1, p.196, that “for almost every pagan ceremony, some Christian rite was introduced”. WHAT IS KNOWN BY THE WORLD TODAY AS CHRISTIANITY, IS NOTHING MORE THAN PAGANISM UNDER A NEW NAME.

As is well noted here, St. Valentine’s Day and all its trappings are nothing more than a sexual festival in honor of deified human beings who claimed to be of the divine Family of God and Jesus’ earthly mother. Has anything really changed about this day in these 2000 years? For mankind today still uses it as an excuse to be sexually immoral, to do what it pleases. This is NOT the way of God! Christians should not partake of this fertility festival for God stated in His Holy word, “Thus saith the LORD, ‘Learn not the way of the heathen ...’ (Jer. 10:2) and there is no denying that this is a heathen custom. Deut 12:30,31 state: “Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.” God says not to even ask how these false gods were worshiped, let alone to do likewise. God also says this, concerning the Mysteries of Babylon, “Come out of her My People, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Rev. 18:4) Please take our Father’s warning to heart and turn and follow Him.—Brian Hoeck

©1998 Truth On The Web Ministries: All the articles originated by Kenneth Hoeck and/or Brian Hoeck may be freely distributed or mirrored as long as presented in their entirety (including this statement), attributed to Truth on The Web, and proper author credit given.