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This is not a religious debate! The question on the continued existence of the Christian holidays Easter and Christmas respectively are now in the public interest. The Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL) are inviting arguments in favour or objections against. Any member of the public may submit arguments in favour of these holidays or objections against the continued existence of these holidays. Arguments in favour or objections against may be sent to: Sipho Mantula: sipho@crlcommission.org.za and cc: chairperson@crlcommision.org.za and ceo@crlcommission.org.za
1. I am a Christian man, an evangelist at heart. I stand firmly AGAINST THE CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS OF CHRISTMAS AND EASTER! These are nice holidays but they are certainly not holy days! I will submit my objections against these holidays!
2. Of the 7 billion on people on this planet, I’m at an immediate advantage in articulating my opinions and criticisms on any aspect to do with Christianity. My official public relations statement clarifies: I am the worst Christian on this planet, I have only committed a trillion and 1 sins to date. Of the Lord’s servants I’m the least important, a mere footnote on his official list. I’m part of the foolish, weak and lowly and despised things of this world. I don’t have a holy than thou attitude! Unless anyone can make similar statement then they simply don’t enjoy the sheer privilege I have in raising questions and leveling criticism at my fellow Christians, any Church whatsoever, any bible student whatsoever, and pastor whatsoever and any professor of theology whatsoever. As the under dog, as the one at the bottom of the most important Christian list I get to criticize those at the top of this ‘most important Christian list,’ My assertions on Christian public holidays are beyond reproach and not even a professor of theology will successfully be able to rebut anything I put forth. Think you can? Try me! One of my favorite hobbies and past times is extensive Bible Study! I don’t know the whole Bible but I’ve got the holy spirit to guide me and that is more than sufficient for any undertaking in His Majesties service!
1. Firstly as perhaps most importantly the basic tenet of Christianity is that you cannot force anyone to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, that person must come willingly and not by duress. It’s actually against my religion of Christianity to force my religion on anyone! Similarly, if it’s common cause that we cannot force Christianity on anyone then it only follows logically that you cannot enforce Christian holidays alternatively perceived holy days on anyone. On the birth of the Messiah, this is something we need to commemorate every single day and not one on day only! On the cross of Calvary, we need to remember it and it’s significant every single day!
I’ll get right to the essential gist of this matter:-
2. The ignorance of the Church from it’s inception: The Church always believed that the Earth was stationery and further that the Sun revolved around the Earth and further that the Earth was the center of the universe and further that all other planets revolved around the Sun. A dispute occurred in the 17th century: Galileo correctly asserted that the Earth revolved around the Sun and not the Sun revolved around the Earth.. He argued that the scriptures themselves were actually not wrong at all but that rather the interpretation of such scriptures was very wrong. The Church only officially corrected this misconception in 1992!!!!!In 1992 the Pope officially confirmed that the Earth was not stationary and further that it was the Earth which revolved around the Sun and not the Sun around the Earth. In 1992!!!! I need to say this again! Only in 1992!!!!
3. My simple but very effective hypothesis: If one is a mathematician that it follows logically that such a person knows a great deal about mathematics and further that such a person has a mathematics textbook and is very familiar with this mathematics textbook, similarly, if one is a Christian, then it should also follow logically that such a person knows a great deal about Christianity and further that such a person is very familiar about his primary book of instruction which is the Bible;
4. I’m still laying foundation! Bear with me! I will unpack the argument against the Christian holidays of Eater and Christmas so adequately that not even a professor of theology would has written a million books will successfully be able to find any fault whatsoever with my assertion!
5. I’ll start with common sense first before I proceed to the actual arguments! In the entire new testament Jesus Christ, the messiah did not even state once that his followers should create two new holy days or even holidays called Christmas and Easter, not even once!!! The apostle Paul, who wrote most of the new testament, did not say even once that his followers should create two new holy days or even holidays called Christmas and Easter, not even once!!! Both Jesus and the apostle Paul observed the Sabbath on Saturday starting from sunset Friday. Both never revoked the Sabbath of Saturday in favour of Sunday not even once in the entire new testament, not even once, not directly, not indirectly and not even tacitly or by necessary implication.
6. I am of the belief that Jesus Christ my Lord, my saviour my liege, my master, was indeed born. For me the fact of his birth is as clear as night follows day! The assertion that he was born on the 25 December is a lie from the pit of hell! He was born, but he was definitely not born on the 25 December. The Bible itself does not state that Jesus was born on the 25 December. In fact there is very strong circumstantial evidence in the Bible that indicates that He was not born on the 25 December. Was He born, Yes, without any doubt whatsoever! Was He born on 25 December, definitely not!
7. The 25 December was already recognised as some form of public holiday alternatively day of celebration in the Roman Empire since 500 BC! It’s very unlikely that Jesus Christ was born on 25 December. (Luke 2:7-8). Biblically we are acutely aware that the shepherds were taking care of their flocks at the time of the Birth of Jesus. In Israel in December it’s Winter and also rains in winter in Israel.. Simple common sense will tells you that no shepherd past and present will attend to sheep at night on a cold Winter’s nigh when it’s raining! In any event there’s be next to nothing to graze on in Winter. Common sense again tells you that as a shepherd, you don’t want your sheep to die, the idea is to have them healthy for slaughter or sheering for wool. A shepherd will actually ensure that his sheep are in some form of a sheltered enclosure in winter. He will feed them in this sheltered enclosure. Just as a test, our Winter in South Africa is very mild in comparison to the Winter in Israel, lets hire 20 sheep and get you to look after them in some veld, preferably the informal settlement in Lenasia from 18:00 to 5 the next morning for about 20 days. Let’s see if you and your sheep will survive.
8. The census that Jesus parents had to attend according to Roman Law(Luke 2:1-4). Let me tell you a little something about the Roman empire, they were meticulous administrators and they furthered their own interest. A census in the Roman empire had many purposes, it was not just for population counts, it was also to establish a register of tax payers! Throughout their history(go check), the Roman Empire never conducted a census in Winter as it was impractical and would actually defeat their own purpose of counting people and getting their details in the shortest possible time and getting those people to go back to go do their work and further the interests of the Roman Empire. 2000 years ago, there was no cars, we had no etolling, so the roads were in a very poor condition. People had to either walk or travel by donkey or horse. The temperatures in Israel at that time in Winter was below zero. It’s freezing cold today, here in lenasia when it 14 degrees, I can’t imagine myself walking in this cold for some 20 km! Imagine travelling by donkey when it’s -10 degrees for some 40 km! I refer you to our own South African Census 2011. You didn’t have to go to own town of birth as Jesus parents were obliged to do under Roman Law at that time. You had a census employee come to your door, this was between 10 - 31 October 2011.In South Africa Spring comes upon us in September, October and November. It was mid spring when we held our census. It was very warm during October 2011. Even our government as ignorant as they are would never had census workers conduct a census in July in mid Winter!
9. Seasons: In South Africa these are our seasons: Summer: December, January and February, Autumn(AKA fall overseas): March, April and May, Winter, June, July and August, Spring: September, October and November. So our census took place in mid Spring in October 2011. NOW. In Israel these are the seasons and their periods: Summer 21 June to 22 September, Autumn(or fall) 22 September to 21 December, Winter :21 December to 20 March and Spring 20 March to 20 June. So 25 December was and is Winter in Israel. Israel is situate 29°-33° north of the equator, and is therefore a subtropical region. Heavy snow usually falls in Israel between December and March.
10. Biblically the most accurate indication of when Jesus was actually born is in Autumn AKA fall in certain countries. The reasoning(luke1:24-36). Firstly, Mary is the earthy mother of Jesus and Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist. “24 After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25 “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.
Continues..next post..word count restriction!