myrtlebeach250
 

Sunset At Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina

 



 
 


...Of Christianity's Special Days

 

In my early teenage years, I began to become disenchanted with Christianity. I was interested in science and planned to study chemistry or physics in college. I had discussions with my pastor about the discrepancies between what the Bible and science taught. He told me that the Bible shouldn't be used as a science textbook. I thought that was an unsatisfying explanation. If the Bible contained truth, it should be able to be reconciled with scientific truth. Truth can't contradict truth, so one or the other had to be false.

Later, when I was in high school I studied Latin. Our instructor taught us not only the language of the ancient Romans, but a great deal about their religion and culture as well. I was surprised, and more than a bit dismayed to discover that Christmas was an ancient Roman festival called Saturnalia, dressed up in Christian attire. The time of the two celebrations was identical and many of the customs, activities and symbols associated with Christmas were adapted from Saturnalia and the ancient religion of sun worship. Shortly after learning this, I decided that Christianity was just another flavor of mythology, and perhaps not a very original one at that. It didn't have answers for the big questions and it appeared to me to have arisen from men's imaginations rather than from God. When I was fifteen or sixteen, I stopped attending Church and declared to my parents that I was an atheist.

Years later, I began dating a woman whom I met at work. Her name was Lynda. After a couple dates, I discovered that Lynda was considering being baptized and becoming a member of a Christian church. I felt it necessary to save her from making that kind of mistake. Since it was early January and Christmas was just past, I thought that de-bunking her ideas about the holiday would be a logical point of attack on her belief system. "Christmas doesn't have anything to do with Christ", I told her. "Your religion is based on ancient pagan superstition and sun worship". Her reply stunned me. "I don't celebrate Christmas", she said. "My church doesn't celebrate Christmas or Easter. We know that these holidays have nothing to do with Christ and that God does not command us to observe them." My first argument was defeated. After regrouping, I tried to show her that evolution was a better explanation for the universe than the early chapters of Genesis, but I failed there as well.

This conversation was a revelation for me. I thought all Christians observed Christmas and Easter. Not all do, however. It is important for you to understand why. If you have the courage to examine your beliefs and test them for truth, click the link below.

Why Many Christians Don't Observe Christmas

I continued to attempt to try to dissuade Lynda from becoming a Christian. As I studied her beliefs in an attempt to refute them, I gradually became convinced that the Bible does contain truth that can be reconciled with science. I found out that the evolutionary theory has never been proved and is not good science. I learned why Christianity, to its detriment, became amalgamated with the abysmal ignorance of mythology, paganism and idolatry. I realized that there was a Christianity that was based on the Bible, on revelation from God. I began to see that there is a God and that I needed to begin to obey Him. I became a baptized member of the body of Christ. Two years later, I married Lynda. We were married for nearly twenty-five years until, her death in 1997. I am eternally indebted to her for teaching me the truth.

Now, click on that link, above, so you can learn it too.

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All content is Copyright 2007 Hugh Buchanan unless otherwise cited.